Let's Talk About the DREAM Act

After days and days of peer pressuring Danz to write me a damn entry on the DREAM Act, what do you know, he writes me a damn entry on the DREAM Act. It is truly a must read.

So what is the DREAM Act, aka the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors act? Let me allow my man to explain it to you, so divinely.

First, let me explain the situation of thousands of people living in this country. There are quite literally thousands of people who, each day, have to wonder if they're being investigated or about to be subjected to deportation because either their paperwork was lost during the creation of the Department of Homeland Security or their visa was not renewed by their parents during their course of living here. Now, these people entered as children, lets say one enters at age 7, completely legally. They somehow lose their legal status here, probably by their parents forgetting one of many forms to fill out, or forgetting to notify the government of a change of address, or whatever. Whatever the case may be, the child is not at fault. Now fast-forward to their high school graduation. These children have not been able to legally work because they lack a social security number or resident alien number, and many do not attempt to break the law, beyond the fact that they exist and are in the country technically illegally, and not of their own volition. These people cannot enter college, with the exception of select few places in California where arrangements are made, etc. Still. There are thousands of law-abiding, able, intelligent people in this country who through no fault of their own are here illegally, as defined by US law.

Now, the DREAM Act would enable these people who have slipped through the cracks of US immigration law to gain a conditional status, with a resident alien number and work permit, and require that they either gain a two-year college degree or spend two years in the military within six years, in order to gain complete residential status.

Really the reason I asked him to make a post is because, frankly, he could do it better. It's true. Things like this actually rather make me angry--not the DREAM Act itself, of course, but the opposition to it. I do get super frustrated with America and it's...ways sometimes. We're xenophobic in waves and yet we're the land of the free. We want education to be the utmost importance but we won't give it to the people that need it most. We pass these acts and movements and so on and so forth and often times it all seems for naught. It does get a little hard to be optimistic sometimes...a lot of times. And sadly I like to wallow so much in fighting the opposition that I forget my original point. I do essays like that too, and it works for that but not when you're trying to inspire.

Definitely check that out. And while you're at it, buy us some Jones Soda.