Tennessee State Senator Bo Watson needs to step up and either “put up” or “shut up”. Senator Watson’s bill before the state legislature would require public schools to certify student’s citizenship or immigration status during enrollment and would give school districts the right to charge unauthorized immigrant students tuition and possibly deny them enrollment at all.
He suggests that this bill is to address the “financial burden” created by educating such students. Give me a break! Senator Watson needs to share anything he knows about the cost of educating the students he has targeted. As a Baylor School graduate he surely learned that when you make an allegation, you need to supply “facts”. He has yet to supply one iota of any “facts” about the financial burden of the students he obviously detests.
Praises to the Hamilton County School Board for saying no to implementing this unbelievably racist policy. Since I used the word racist, let me share its meaning, “characterized by or showing prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized. I think Senator Watson’s bill fits the definition of racist, perhaps others might not.
I don’t know if the bill ever becomes a law in the state, but I know Senator Watson has not given any “facts” about the supposed “financial burden” and he should be ashamed to have his good name attached to such an awful piece of legislation. I suspect in his defense, he is doing his best to get the support of the severely right wing of his party in hopes of still higher public office. There are better ways to achieve his political goal.
Fred Gault
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Mr. Fred Gault, I'm a proud graduate of Brainerd High School, class of 1966. Even though I didn't have the privilege of attending McCallie or Baylor, I have no resentment toward those who did. Many were and are good friends of mine. That said, it took me all of two minutes to find the answer to your question: the additional cost of educating undocumented/illegal students, many of whom do not speak English.
According to the Tennessee State website it cost taxpayers $581,000,000 in 2023. I said "taxpayers" because the money the State of Tennessee uses is from "we the taxpayers", in whatever way they collect it. I'm curious why you didn't research this before you went off on Senator Bo Watson, but I think I really know.
Democrats lost the last Presidential election, as well as both Houses of Congress. "We the people" want something different than what we are getting. Allow me to add here that I have some dear friends who are Democrats, as I once was. We just view things differently now.
Perhaps you can do another opinion letter explaining why you use a word such as racist. I know, you gave a definition, but the definition doesn't fit the context. Explain why you insist on using the word undocumented rather than the word illegal. Example: a motor vehicle without a proper license tag is really illegal to operate on the highway, right? It's against the law to drive it on our roads and highways. When it was manufactured it was documented to be an automobile, whatever make and model.
I guess I should be the one to shut up while you put up. The deeper your team wades into the manure, the more people are running from you, towards a common sense party which cares about all the citizens, regardless of race or religion.
J. Pat Williams
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Fact: in 2022-23, to educate a child in the Hamilton County school system, the cost was $13,300 per student. Fact: an undocumented individual is in the country illegally.
Typical of the left when their view point is devoid of facts, the race card is played; race has nothing to do with this debate. An individual is either here legally or not, regardless of color.
Fact: failure to enforce immigration law has led to this crisis in the first place. Instead of blaming those that want the laws enforced, blame the law breakers.
Referencing a private high school does not bring any facts to the table. Rather, such an irrelevant observation serves no purpose, it only serves to further divide people.
No question, the influx of undocumented individuals place a burden on government services; services that are not paid into by the undocumented individual.
Feel free, Mr. Gault, to get your checkbook out and pay for all the undocumented individuals you want. The education cost ‘fact’ above should get you started.
Martin Moore
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I agree in the result with Messrs. Williams and Moore that illegal immigration is an issue, though not on the reasons why. In general, illegal immigrants put more into our system than they take out, since they are not eligible for most government programs (education being one of the few exceptions). The main problem is that their presence suppresses salaries for citizens; simple economics dictates that the presence of an easily exploited labor force, willing to work for less, drives down wages and quality of life for the rest of us.
However, Senator Watson’s bill is not something I can support, since the uneducated underclass it creates will be an even greater drain on society. Observing the current pace and legal issues, it seems unlikely the current administration will get anywhere near its goal of deporting all those here illegally; given that fact, it’s better they be educated than not. A better educated populace decreases crime and boosts the economy, in addition to simply being more pleasant to be around.
Charles McCullough
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From several letters and responses, it is obvious that there are too many people who do not know what is in the Constitution. I suggest they either read it or have someone read it to them.
Everyone in the U.S. - residents, citizens, tourists and, yes, illegal immigrants. They have the same rights, including legal rights, that all citizens have.
School principals or superintendents do not make laws. From what I have read about Mr. Watson, he does not know his parameters.
Raleigh Perry