Our safety must come before compassion

Mr. Junge, your July 11 letter concerning immigration is compassionate, but perhaps a little misguided. You have fallen for the political propaganda - hook, line and sinker. Yes, this nation is a land of immigrants. And we have a legal process whereby those who come here are properly vetted and accounted for.

There are thousands of people on legal waiting lists who are eager to become citizens of this great land. Your letter wrongfully equates the illegal entry of noncitizens to that of legal immigrants.

This has been a typical ploy of politicians who eagerly pander to a variety of special interest groups in the hopes of courting votes. I like to think that the American people are not that stupid. The breaking of our immigration laws by illegal aliens is not the same thing as legal immigration of all those noncitizens who seek a better life for themselves by going through the legal application process.

We would all do well to remember that not all those who enter our country illegally are part of the huddled masses yearning for a better life. The Border Patrol has ample evidence indicating that those who might do us harm are also entering our nation illegally, and it doesn't take a huge leap of faith to understand that we place our security at risk by failing to require legal entry and proper vetting of future citizens.

Compassion, yes - but verify first!

Robert K. Clark

Wheeling