On Immigration

Yesterday I received a forward about immigration. I tend to delete forwards right off the bat but seeing how the forward was from a former teacher that I respect I felt I should give it a once over. Here is the forward and my response is below:

LET'S SEE IF I GOT THIS CORRECT?
RE: 3 American Hikers Now In The NEWS
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IF YOU CROSS THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER

ILLEGALLY YOU GET 12 YEARS HARD LABOR.

IF YOU CROSS THE IRANIAN BORDER
ILLEGALLY YOU ARE DETAINED INDEFINITELY.

IF YOU CROSS THE AFGHAN BORDER
ILLEGALLY, YOU GET SHOT.

IF YOU CROSS THE SAUDI ARABIAN BORDER
ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE JAILED.

IF YOU CROSS THE CHINESE BORDER
ILLEGALLY YOU MAY NEVER BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.

IF YOU CROSS THE VENEZUELAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU
WILL BE BRANDED A SPY AND YOUR FATE WILL BE SEALED.

IF YOU CROSS THE CUBAN BORDER ILLEGALLY
YOU WILL BE THROWN INTO POLITICAL PRISON TO ROT.

IF YOU CROSS THE U.S. BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET :!

A JOB, A DRIVERS LICENSE, SOCIAL SECURITY CARD, WELFARE, FOOD STAMPS, CREDIT CARDS, SUBSIDIZED

RENT OR A LOAN TO BUY A HOUSE, FREE EDUCATION, FREE HEALTH CARE,

A LOBBYIST IN WASHINGTON BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS PRINTED IN YOUR LANGUAGE

THE RIGHT TO CARRY YOUR COUNTRY'S FLAG WHILE YOU PROTEST THAT YOU DON'T GET ENOUGH RESPECT AND,

IN MANY INSTANCES, YOU CAN VOTE.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HAD A FIRM GRASP ON THE

"SITUATION"!

PLEASE KEEP THIS GOING......FORWARD TO ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS & FAMILY

IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP AMERICA!

I appreciate the humor although there is very flawed logic in the forward. One could assume that the forward is saying that we, the United States of America, would be better off if we were to act more like Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea, China, or Iran. If approaching immigration like they do is some how considered patriotic and/or just, then we are in for a world of hurt and trouble. No where on the Statue of Liberty, the very symbol of American freedom does it say anything about jailing, killing, or detaining. The beauty of the message is that it also says nothing about legally or illegally crossing the border. Liberty is the very core of who we are as Americans, regardless of the situation. What it says is: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”