complex

(I just need to write this post- not for anyone to really read, but I just need to write it today) so don't worry, I am not trying to begin a debate.

There are many issues out there that I consider to be black and white.  Examples I can provide are abortion and same sex marriage. I believe that abortion is wrong, and will always be wrong. Same with same-sex marriage.
But there are some issues that are more complex then that. Some issues are very complex. I think the most complex political/social issue out there is immigration.

I believe that most people out there who say that all illegal immigrants need to leave and also those on the other side who say that illegal immigration is not a problem are both wrong and are not realizing the complexities involved.

Yes, I can see how our nation cannot handle all of the illegal immigrants out there.  Yes, I think it is wrong that many use public education, the health system and other programs without paying taxes to help pay for them.
Yes, I believe that leftists like the ACLU who leave leaflets along the border telling people how to get in illegally is wrong.
But, it is not black and white.  The 14th amendment to the constitution declares that anyone born here is a US citizen.  If a parent is here illegally and has a child, do you really think it is better to break up that family?  What is more important?
As a Christian, I believe that we are all children of God and should all be treated in a Christ-like way. I believe that families are the fundamental unit of society and the breaking of families will have a negative impact on our nation and our world. 
I also believe that those who want them all to leave and do not understand why they come are naive and are not thinking about both sides of the issue.  If you lived around people who rode underneath trains and walked through desserts to get here just so their family could eat everyday back in their country, you would think differently about it. And, if you had a family that was starving in one of those countries and had no way to get an education or move forward, I would hope you would do the same.  We are all children of God and deserve a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The Declaration of Independence states this: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.  
Also, if you realized the decision they made to come- knowing full well they might not make it- or the women who knew full well that it was possible they would get raped and beaten along the way and still possibly not make it- and knowing that you were being separated from your family by coming and still decided to come, maybe you would think twice.  
Illegal immigrants that are here do not have perfect lives once they arrive. They are treated like crap by many, they work for less than any of us and suffer the knowledge that they may possibly never see their family back home in their country again, but that hopefully, their sacrifice will make it so their children can go to college and get an education so that their children's children won't have to have their family separated. 
I have lived in neighborhood where the hispanics- many illegal- worked 60+ hours a week so they could pay their bills here and send some money home and the legal citizens (in that case 99% black) who were on welfare and did not work, sat around waiting for them to come home from getting paid at the end of the week so they could jump them and steal their money.  Obviously the priorities are off somewhere. 
The only way to solve the issues is to eliminate corruption in all countries- in ours, in our society, in the Mexican government and other governments.  Maybe we should start with the US first- we all know we are practically drowning in the political corruption.
Last but not least, do we forget that our ancestors that came to the US were immigrants?  Do we also forget that a huge part of the west of the United States was originally Mexico and was stolen from them? Does it matter that their ancestors were here long before us??
I am sorry for rambling, but this truly is a complex issue. 


here is a link to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' statement on the issue: http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/public-issues/immigration


If anyone wants to read a book about someone's experience coming to the US, here is a good one. 

Elder Bednar - The Tyranny of Tolerance

Associations

I think it is so interesting that so many people claim that associations are not important. Now, if I am applying for a job, my associations are important, I need recommendations, past experience and all of those things matter.
If you want a future career in law enforcement, etc, associations matter. In fact, you would need to pass an FBI test for many of those careers.
Associations matter in our families. It matters in a marriage, for example. If one spouse associates with friends who encourages him/her to break their marital vows or make bad decisions, it will affect that person, their spouse, children, and extended family.
In a world where so many things you do can be posted on the internet and become knowledge to so many, choice of friends and associations matter.
From a religious perspective, associations always matter. In fact, anyone who has ever read the Bible can see that it does matter and that associating with certain people can drag you down also. We all know what happened with Lot's wife, who turned back to associate with the people of the city whom she could not fully leave.
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I know that associations matter. The more I allow bad associations, the easier I will fall into temptation. Not to mention specific interviews where there is a specific question on associations.
With all of these thoughts it makes me wonder how Barrack Obama and his supporters can claim that his associations with Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers and others don't matter. Bill Ayers is a friend of Obama who is an admitted terrorist and is not sorry for what he has done. Do you honestly think that the FBI would let you work for them if you had that kind of close association? Yet so many seem to think that it will be ok for him to be President of the United States when one of his close associates (which he has never explained) stomps on the American flag and hates America? Or his church pastor who continually claims that America is a horrible place and claims that it is the US of KKKA? Does it really not make a difference in someone's life when one sits in a church for 20 years hearing that America is an evil place, that whites are horrible, suppressive people and that the government created the HIV virus to kill African Americans? And yet we dismiss it so easily when Obama says "He's not the man I knew". Is it really too high an expectation to expect someone who might possibly be the president of the greatest country on earth to love this country? Or to stand up for it? Please, let's not go through 4 years of apologizing for America, for the values we stand for and the freedom we represent. Associations matter in life and should matter to him.
I sincerely hope this is not offensive to anyone, I am simply stating my thoughts on the subject.