Tuesday, September 12, 2017
PERSPECTIVES
COOKEVILLE, TN || THE ORACLE || Page 4
Photo courtesy of Steve Rhodes.
Members of United Farm Workers participate in a rally in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
Waking up from a DREAM By MARCELO GONZALES Opinion Editor
I would like to start by saying that I have no spoon in this messed up soup. I’m a legal immigrant that is here to get an education with all the benefits that come with it. I’m proud to share the ‘immigrant’ label with many people in this country and in many others, and less proud to share it with people who out of necessity or want chose to come to this country without jumping through the legal hoops. However, today I want to talk about many illegal immigrants who didn’t choose to come here. That at a young age were stripped of
their identity and raised on a lie: that this was their original home. Many of them grew up without knowing the truth, and many others probably didn’t know the truth a week ago. In 2012, President Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, DACA, to protect those that were of young age and had come to the US illegally. This program gives permits to more than 800,000 people to be able to work, study, and fulfill their roles in society. And earlier this week, an expiration date was put on it. On Tuesday, Sept. 5, Attorney General Jeff Sessions
announced that the program known as DACA would end in six months. No new applications would be accepted, and no permit expiring after March 6 would be renewed. I will not defend DACA as it is, as I’m sure no court will, since it is a prime example of presidential overreach. I will not say that this is not justified, or that nobody could’ve seen it coming. After all, it was never amnesty. But I will say for an administration that praises immigrants and their contributions to society, at the same time denounces illegal ones, to terminate a program that benefits the most sympathet-
The Average DACA recipient: Is 22 years old.
ic demographic of illegal immigrants is not the way to go. These people are hard-working “citizens” that go to school or college, pay taxes and fulfill
grasp on Tuesday. This administration already has too many enemies to be able to function properly; the continuous staff changes and the multitude
“For an administration that praises immigrants [...] to terminate a program that benefits their most sympathetic demographic is not the way to go." important roles in our economy. Children who are legal in every way but what matters most for our bureaucrats. That desperately needed an opportunity in the land of opportunity, something that was ripped out of their
WITHOUT DACA...
of protests, many of which are probably brewing right now, is further proof of this. Soon, they will find themselves isolated and without support, and will have nobody to blame but themselves. I agree they have
to go home, but how can they go home if the only place they have ever called home is now closing their doors to them? Why reject those immigrants who have proven to be productive and have stayed away from crime, instead of punishing those who haven’t reached those standards? I’m not disappointed because 744,000 Mexicans, 34,800 Salvadorans, 23,400 Guatemalans, 21,600 Hondurans, 11,400 Peruvians, 10,200 South Koreans, 8,400 Brazilians and many others are at risk of getting deported. I’m disappointed because 800,000 Americans are.
Our economic output is reduced by
$433 Billion
Is employed.
over the next 10 years.
Earns $17/hour. Is in high school or college.
Lose
&
$24.6 Billion
Has a driver's license.
in contributions.
Is an organ donor.
THE
ORACLE
Est. 1924. Weekly. Student Operated. Award-winning.
Tennessee Tech University TTU Box 5072 Cookeville, TN 38505
Managing Editor - BEN WHEELER Asst. Managing Editor Layout- MASON BUTLER A sst. Managing- KAYLA LEHMAN Business Manager - BETH BILES Asst. Buisness Manager- LAUREN HARRERA Copy Editor - SHELLEY RENO Opinion Editor -MARCELO - MARCELO GONZALES Sports Editor - EMMERSON MEURETT Entertainment Editor - CAMERON FOWLER Circulation Manager - ABBEY MARKUS Faculty Adviser - VANESSA CURRY Thanks for reading The Oracle Read more @ tntechoracle.com
Sources: CNBC, CATO Institute, Center For American Progress, FWD.us.
CONTACT US
VOICE YOUR OPINION
Advertising (931) 372-3031
Opinion: 931-252-7459
2. Originality is required. Plagiarized works will ttuoracleads@gmail.com The Oracle encourages not be considered. readers to write letters Newsroom and commentaries on 3. For verification, letters (931) 372-3285 commentaries topics of interest. A few and oracle@tntech.edu MUST include your guidelines: name, e-mail address, FIND AN ERROR? town and 1. Letters should not home Contact the Managing Editor exceed 300 words. classification or title. Ben Wheeler Commentaries should brwheeler42@students.tntech.edu be around 500 words 4. Letters may not run 931-510-9812 and include a picture in every edition due to space. of the writer. Marcelo Gonzales
mgonzalez42@students.tntech.edu
5. The Oracle reserves the right to edit for style, grammar, length and clarity.
6. Submissions must be received by 4 p.m. on Friday.
7. Your thoughts are free. Think often, think free.
News content for The Oracle is provided by the Journalism 2220, Journalism 4820 and Journalism 4930 classes. Journalism 3370 provides a majority of the photographs used.
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of Tennessee Tech University’s employees or of its administration.