The Census and immigration

Your recent editorial regarding the Census said “ the Census is just a count of every person residing in the United States ” and emphasized how it determines the allocation of federal resources to states and localities. But times have changed since we were under-populated and all were welcome.

A more reasonable interpretation of the Constitution’s Article I, Section 2 and amendments affecting it is, “ a count of every person legally residing in the United States. Illegal immigrants not yet arrested by law enforcement and those arrested and awaiting judgment are not residing in the U.S. — they are transiting here. Those “transiting” should be returned to the country from which they entered, and those here illegally should be also be returned after passage of bipartisan legislation that takes into consideration their length of time here and our own responsibility for lax enforcement not having stopped them in the first place.

As a conservative, I endorse legal immigration and a compassionate approach to those trapped in a web of conflicting and unenforced immigration laws, especially vulnerable children here through no fault of their own. Altruistic idealism must be tempered by rational realism.

It’s one thing to be open-minded. Just don’t let your brains fall out.

George Mozingo

Ashland