March and rally/protest in response to the rescission of Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in New York City on September 9, 2017. The march began in Columbus Circle by the Trump International Hotel and Tower, went up Central Park West and turned into Central Park. (Wikimedia Commons Photo/Rhododendrites)

Among the many divisions our nation suffers now, none is more thought-provoking or questions long standing laws and principles and what America is about than DACA (Deferred Action for Child Arrivals), popularly known as the Dreamers program.

As always, there are two sides of this story.

Would it be fair to expel children who came to this country when they were too young to even know where or why they were being brought here, who have gone to school and in some cases served in our military and have become deeply integrated into American society and know no other lives.

In a manner of speaking, should the sins of the fathers be paid for by the children? Should they be considered illegal because their parents entered this country illegally when they were way too young to do anything about it?

Anyone’s first inclination would be that it would be unfair to deport them, but then, if you go by existing law, they are illegal and should be sent back to the nation of their origin.

Should our laws be that flexible? Should we be able to interpret them as if they could be applied differently to every nationality, every individual case?

Actually, if that is the case, we have no law at all, only a suggestion.

I know a naturalized American citizen, a brilliant surgeon and extremely productive member of society who applied for citizenship and was on the cusp of receiving it when 9/11 came along, and he completely lost any status and had to apply and start the process all over again. In other words, it took another eight years and the redoing of all tests and processes for him to finally become a citizen.

This is just one case. Multiply it by thousands and consider if it’s fair to all the people who came here lawfully and went through the long and laborious process of naturalization for the Dreamers to be allowed to stay in the United States, regardless of lawful status, without going through the procedure.

To add my two cents worth to the debate, it is my belief that the DACA children should be offered a path to citizenship, but that it should lead through the same legal path of naturalization this nation has practiced for over two centuries.

Now, having said that, they need to be taught that becoming a citizen of the United States of America is a privilege, not a right to be passed out at the whim of politicians, that it requires a “forsaking all others” oath of fealty and that waving the flag of Mexico at their gatherings and rallies does not engender the faith of Americans that they are ready to do that.

Secondly, or actually firstly, our border has to be tick tight, shut down for all except those who enter lawfully, the gang members, drug dealers and other various and sundry criminals sorted out and deported and the bringing in of relatives, except through the legal process stopped immediately.

The entire population of this nation, with the exception of the native American Indian Tribes – and even their indigenous status is not certain – came from foreign shores. We are a nation of immigrants, and we are therefore diverse, insofar as religion, culture, language and custom.

But America is the great melting pot, where the loyalties to the old country are consumed by the loyalties to the adopted country, where American causes and American law and the pursuit of the American dream become the dominant factor that unites us all, no matter what our nationality or background.

My family came here from somewhere in Ireland, probably dirt poor and close to destitute but ready to till the soil, harvest the timber, man the ships or whatever it took to get a foothold in this wondrous new country they had been granted permission to enter.

Coming to America should be considered a blessing, a privilege worth striving for, not some perk handed out by self-serving politicians or obtained by gaming the system in some way.

I thank God I was born in America, and I don’t blame anybody for wanting to live here.

But it must be earned, not a political favor, a shortcut or an undocumented life in the shadows.

So, Dreamers – as far as I’m concerned – get in line, go through the naturalization process, declare your loyalty and welcome to the United States of America.

You’re gonna love it.

In fact, you probably already do.

What do you think?

Pray for our troops, our police and the peace of Jerusalem.

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels

Charlie Daniels is a legendary American singer, song writer, guitarist, and fiddler famous for his contributions to country and southern rock music. Daniels has been active as a singer since the early 1950s. He was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on January 24, 2008.

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