Linked by David Adams on Wed 6th Apr 2005 20:21 UTC
This month's Wired magazine has a terriffic story about a team of students from a high school in an economically depressed part of Phoenix, who took part in an underwater-robot building competition against students from the top universities in the country -- and won. All of the students are undocumented Mexican immigrants who don't qualify for most financial aid or even in-state tuition, and therefore can't afford to attend college, in the US, Mexico, or anywhere. When I read the article I determined to try to do something to help give these kids their chance, and I was delighted to discover that their faculty advisor has set up a scholarship fund for them, and I'm about to donate some money to help. I'd like to encourage OSNews readers to read the story, and if they feel the same way, to donate.
Permalink for comment
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
Okay, all of you people who seem so caught up in obeying the law: It's touching that you have such an adherence to the current law. How many of you pay use taxes to your state on all the items you buy online from other states? How many of you signal with every lane change and obey the speed limit? Do you have any mp3s on your computer that you didn't pay for? Let's not even get started on whether you do everything that you were taught in church as a child.
We obey two kinds of laws: the ones that we have deeply internalized (murder), and the ones that we have determined that the likelihood of being caught and the penalties for are high enough to prevent it. Most other laws are treated more cavalierly, by just about everyone. There's nothing sacred about most of them, and many people will flout laws that they feel are unjust as a form of protest. In the American South it used to be illegal for some people to drink at certain water fountains. Most people now consider the people who violated those laws to be real heroes.
So let's continue to discuss the moral aspects of illegal immigration, because it's a truly thorny issue with many vaild points of view. But saying "it's illegal" does not close the book by any stretch of the imagination. Be honest with yourself.