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Immigration conflict
Here I sit in Dodge City, Kan. Down the street are two meat processing plants, employing thousands of immigrant workers. Their influence is everywhere. I cannot read most of the signs on the storefronts in downtown anymore because I cannot read Spanish very well. My friends who are teachers struggle to teach a classroom of mainly Spanish-speaking children. My friends who are medical professionals see a strain on the health care system. But in those processing plants, they process beef and my family produces beef. It is important to my livelihood that those plants continue to operate and provide safe, quality products to consumers at a reasonable cost. Those immigrant workers help get the job done. Which leads me to a conflicted opinion of immigration in the U.S. I want immigrants to have an opportunity to come to this country and prosper. But I also want them to appreciate this opportunity, respect our country and not take advantage of it. I dare say that I'm very much like most of you. Chances are, you have read countless news stories, listened to commentators and watched TV programs about the U.S.'s current immigration debate. On Page 1-B of this issue you will read the first in a series of articles on immigration and its effects on rural communities and agriculture. We will also be taking this opportunity to discuss immigration on this editorial page. It has been a challenging and tough job for our staff. The issue is complex and there are more sides to the issues than we originally thought. We have learned a great deal from the project and it is our goal that you learn something too. We welcome comments and opinions from you, as well, in the form of letters to the editor. Perhaps with a serious look at immigration and a lively discussion, we might all better understand how the issue affects us as rural agricultural producers. Holly Martin can be reached by phone at 1-800-452-7171 ext. 1806 or e-mail at hmartin@hpj.com. Date: 6/28/06
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