As some of you may have noticed, I have been posting blogs monthly on two independent categories:
- Investing Outside of Wall Street
- War, Peace, and Gratitude
Today, for the first time since my inaugural blog in 2012, the “Investing Outside of Wall Street” blog crosses over from the previous one that I had written in the other category, “War, Peace, and Gratitude.” Namely, “My right to vote was 14 years in the making.”
In a nutshell, it was about the fact that I chose to remain a legal alien (i.e., a green-card holder) and not become a naturalized U.S. citizen until such time when I knew I could become self-reliant in the U.S.A.
The Declaration of Independence states, in part, “WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness…”
As an adult immigrant, with the freedom that I have been privileged to enjoy in the U.S.A., I have always felt a sense of responsibility to remain independent. Going to school while raising kids, obtaining an MBA degree, getting a job at one of the top Fortune 500 companies, becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen, sending kids to school, paying off the mortgage on our primary residence before 50th birthday and, shortly thereafter, began saving much of what I was making, I was well on my way to working toward a comfortable retirement. Or so I thought – until the market crash came in 2000.
Unlike most others who stayed the course within a corporate environment, I began thinking of the worst-case scenario and preparing for it – so that I could remain self-reliant no matter what might happen to the economy. When the next crash came in 2008, I felt vindicated that I had made the right choice upon facing a fork in the road.
At that point, however, I had yet to learn how difficult it was going to be to switch gears from being an employee to becoming my own boss – and be successful at it for the long haul. Regardless, my commitment to remain self-reliant has never wavered.
Given this background, on August 12, 2019, when the Trump administration issued a rule – that goes into effect on October 14, 2019 – that would (1) disqualify legal immigrants from permanent residency if they use certain public-assistance programs and (2) block prospective applicants deemed likely to need them, my reaction was, “I didn’t even know that legal aliens, of which I was one, were eligible to receive such benefits.”
No wonder the U.S.A. has become a welfare magnet for those who want handouts – at American taxpayers’ expense! It was not even in the realm of my thoughts to expect such assistance.
Even to this day, as a naturalized U.S. citizen, the last thing I want to do is to become a financial burden to the country of my childhood dreams.
The U.S.A. gives hope to millions of immigrants who want to enjoy the freedom and be able to improve their own lives by working hard to get what they want. The primary function of the U.S. government is to keep our society safe and secure on behalf of the public. The government, therefore, has the responsibility to thoroughly vet each and every new immigrant. Once admitted in, it is each immigrant’s own responsibility to figure out how to become, if not already, and remain self-reliant.
It is NOT the responsibility of the U.S. government – i.e., the American taxpayers – to provide for every immigrant who comes here, seeking a better life.
That said, in the U.S.A., there are plenty of faith-based organizations that are willing to give temporary relief to those who truly need it. They operate with private funds, donated by those who believe in the cause. This is what makes the U.S.A. one of the most compassionate countries in the world. Unlike government funds, over which most taxpayers have little control (taxation without representation, part II), private funds are far less likely to be misappropriated because, if they were, people are free to stop donating to such incompetent organizations.
While preparing a draft for this blog, I came across an article, written by Fred Lucas and published by the Heritage Foundation, entitled, “New Rule Could Deny Green Cards, Visas to Immigrants Who Use Welfare Programs.” It is an excellent summary of the history of immigration law.
Many people, who make a lot of noise in the media, jump to the conclusion that President Donald J. Trump is to be blamed for everything. In most cases when I dig a little deeper, however, I find that he is simply supporting the long-standing laws that bi-partisan Congress had passed, long before he decided to run for the office. Is it any wonder that the silent majority, who are committed to making their own judgments on each of the major issues, continue to support the President?
Happy investing!
