I have to add my two cents worth to the crisis over the
Cuban boy.  I believe he should be sent back to his father
UNLESS his mother is a refugee here.  Then she should have
priority.  However, his relatives should NOT be able to
control where he lives.

Personally, I am tired of all the refugees (from any nation)
coming to this country.  I've seen too many put on welfare
and social security and not even make the effort to learn
our language.

Does anyone else get upset over this?  Maybe those in
smaller towns don't see it as much as those of us living in
major cities.  It really upsets me when I see special
education budgets cut for the handicapped and learning
disabled so "English as a second language class" can be
provided those who aren't even citizens.  I wonder what
would happen to the inflow of refugees if they had to pass
an English proficiency test BEFORE being allowed into this
country?

I wish all the Cubans living here who claim to be so upset
with Cuba's government would get themselves together and go
take their country back.  Instead they come here and plea
political refugee status.  Russia was Cuba's biggest
support.  I still wonder why the Cubans didn't revolt
against Castro when Russia changed its government?  It seems
the timing would have been perfect.

I guess I am burned out with hearing about our trillions of
dollar debt while we continually try to rescue citizens of
every other nation in the world.  It's time we put our own
people first.  Of course, I also believe that English should
be declared our national language.

I see a country that puts the mentally ill on the street but
pays welfare benefits, provides college educations, and
other benefits to someone who has never contributed one thin
dime to this country's income.  Our own children can't
always afford college, yet I see the Vietnamese, etc. having
their college paid for by our government.  Something is very
wrong here.

Sorry, I'll get down off my soap box here.  Just hearing
about the cuban boy stirs up plenty of emotion within me.
Part of this comes from having lived overseas and hearing
people who just expect that the United States will provide
money for them.  I lived on an island where they threatened
to kill the American who put in electricity for them because
they thought the United States should be paying their
utility bills.  They didn't think it was fair to be charged
for electricity!

Diana Pederson
(Former teacher and missionary)