I have employed many from south of the border over the years, and I do not believe for a moment that the vast majority are looking for a better life with not much hope of getting it without incurring great risk to body and soul. Personally, I'd rather pay for the health care used as the excuse for stemming the immigration tide for everyone in a sane society-wide program than the war in Iraq or a ridiculous fence along the border.

George Lopez, the comedian, says it all in his new show on HBO: FEMA stands for "Find Every Mexican Available," the work force rebuilding New Orleans, such as it is. The contractors hiring crews are paying huge fines for using illegals, but there is no one else willing to work so hard for such skimpy pay, and that's a sad fact. To add insult to injury, the only workers available to build the infamous fence along the Mexican-Arizona border are illegals, for which the contractor has paid huge fines and still made a whopping profit.

The illegals I have known use very little, if any, public services (except the parks on week-ends, for example - otherwise the space would just sit there because the rest of us have been warned away for safety reasons), work hard, live frugally and send their hard-earned money back to support children they usually can't afford to see for years at a time.

These folks are no threat to anyone, but it sure gets the minds of some to ignore the real issues - the "war" in Iraq, health care, education, etc. The current administration has found another hot button - FEAR of - anything. Now, it's paranoia from maids and bricklayers.

We need to stop putting the blame on those least able to do anything about it. Were the situations reversed, you'd be doing the same thing if you had any guts. If you say different, you would be lazy or complacent. How many born on this side of the Rio Grande have moved, or had family and friends move, from Alabama or Mississippi or Ohio to California or Texas looking for a better life? The only difference is the luck of geography.