Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Familiarity Breeds Contempt

As evidence that very little changes for the better in this country, I refer you to one of my very first posts. In our effort to "solidify" our borders, the children are the ones that always end up paying the price. I love stories where the school from nowhere shows the big boys how to do it. Sort of a David and Goliath type of thing.
Student's Prize Is a Trip Into Immigration Limbo - New York Times: "The project had only one computer and no real work space. Engineering advice came from an elevator mechanic and a machinist's son without a college degree. But in an upset that astonished its sponsors, the rookie team from East Harlem won the regional competition last month, beating rivals from elite schools like Stuyvesant in Manhattan and the Bronx High School of Science for a chance to compete in the national robotics finals in Atlanta that begins tomorrow.

Yet for Amadou, who helps operate the robot the team built, success has come at a price. As the group prepared for the flight to Atlanta today, he was forced to reveal his secret: He is an illegal immigrant from Senegal, with no ID to allow him to board a plane. Left here long ago by his mother, he has no way to attend the college that has accepted him, and only a slim chance to win his two-year court battle against deportation."
It is most important to look at what these kids achieved, rather than the failures of the their parents and a country that refuses to look for workable solutions. They met requirements under circumstances that most others would have found to be the focus of their life.

These kids deserve to be rewarded, not punished.


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