Prop. 187 Aftermath

“Complex Family Ties Tangle Simple Premise of Prop. 187,” Nov. 20, apparently was meant to create sympathy for the illegals in this state. However, it had just the opposite effect on me.

The author writes about Ericka Tejeda coming into this country illegally with one child, but while she has been here she has given birth to five more children. Has she never heard of birth control? This is precisely why many voters voted for Prop. 187. People come into this country illegally and then have many children that the rest of us end up supporting with taxes. If people don’t make enough money to support one child, why do they keep having more?

SALLY BURGGRAAF

Mission Hills

* Various “citizens’ groups” in favor of Prop. 187, crying out most recently over the legal actions taken by the Los Angeles Unified School District and members of the Los Angeles City Council, are demonstrating once again the fundamental difficulty with Prop. 187 that they simply refuse to grasp: Illegal aliens are, by definition, living here among us. Now, the fantasy that these millions of people are going to return to Mexico or elsewhere is foolish.

Do the proponents of Prop. 187 honestly believe that the United States, on the international diplomatic stage, is about to repatriate millions of people? Or do they believe that Prop. 187’s tough stance will convince illegals to choose to leave? And if the immigrants don’t leave, do we just pretend they aren’t there? Take a reality check: The very best the proponents of Prop. 187 can hope to get is enactment of the proposed measures with a true grandfather clause, in which the grandchildren of current illegals, and future illegal immigrant hopefuls, will be the only people affected.

DAN RUE

Los Angeles

* How fortuitous for Ronald Prince that he declared bankruptcy after Prop. 187 has passed (Nov. 18). Now that we can send all the illegal aliens packing, think of the economic vistas that have opened for that lucky guy. A cornucopia of opportunity, pregnant with economic rewards.

He will now have the finest choices of industries from which to rebuild his fortune. There’s agriculture (fruit picker), food services (waiter/busboy) and that darling of Southern California, the automotive industry (carwash). If he’s really lucky, his children will follow his footsteps into these long-sought-after careers. Even better, now that he’s indigent, he can get all that free medical care those pesky Third-Worlders were hogging. He and his family can look forward to a long and healthy life, secure in the lap of luxury that these jobs surely will provide. How lucky can one get? This is better than winning the lottery.

Oh to be white, male and bankrupt!

THOMAS WALTON

Laguna Niguel

* Bill Bennett and Jack Kemp’s renewed attack on Prop. 187 (Nov. 22) demonstrates just how far out of touch Washington’s elite is with the grass roots. These politicians from the East Coast just don’t get it. Bennett and Kemp, butt out of California’s affairs.

BILL D’AMICO

Thousand Oaks