Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Character Clues

Tolerance (Opposite: Prejudice)
I chose tolerance as my character clue because I know a person who is very annoying. Another one of my friends is very kind to our annoying friend. I admire my friend very much because of this. It is really hard to be nice to someone who is annoying. My friend goes out of the way to make sure that they are kind. I try to be linke my friend whenever I am put into an annoying situation. Everyday I know I get better at it, but sometimes my patience is really tried hard.

Boldness (Opposite: Fearfulness)
This character clue discribes another one of my friends. She is always trustworthy. I know if I needed to tell her a secret of mine, she would keep it to herself and not gossip. I think she would keep even the most exciting secret in the world. When I think of friends who are true, she always comes to mind. She is another person I try to be like because I think this is a great character quality to have.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

President Barack Obama

Barack Obama voted yes to Senate Bill S2611. This bill is a comprehensive immigration reform bill. John McCain voted yes on this too. This bill creates many new rules as well as updates and improves old ones. It allows current undocumented immigrants to be eligible to become a US citizen. The catch is they have to have lived in the United States for the past 5 years, pass a background check, pay all the taxes they owe and the fines that are for them, learn English, keep their job for 6 more years and pay a fine for breaking the law. Whoa! While that’s not impossible, there is a lot to do to get straight and be a citizen. Seems to me, they should have done it right to begin with.

If Barack Obama voted and kept legislation like this when he is our president, I think this would be a positive thing. Immigration is a huge problem facing our country. My mom says it affects every aspect of our government. She gave me examples of jobs, health insurance, and the way that other nations view our country. My Pake and Beppe came from the Netherlands on a boat through Ellis Island. They did this because they wanted to live a better life, to provide well for their family, and to have religious freedoms that we enjoy today. They came legally. It took time and money. They learned English from the TV, and my Grandfather. Then they took a test, and became a citizen of the US.

I believe this is a good bill because hopefully it will make people scared to come into our country illegally. The United States is a wonderful place to live. If we do not get a handle on our borders, we are going to have even bigger problems with our economy. It should be a privilege to be an American citizen. At least I think it is.