Where do you stand?

[Edwina's Secretary]

I assume your grandmother gave birth to your father. I know that is the way it worked in my family!

I said....

my grandmother had her children at home by midwives

Perhaps I should have been more cleared and said delivered by midwife so as not to suggest created by the midwife....

According to my father's stories...poor families especially...only sought medical assistance in an emergency...which did not include childbirth. But, in any case, you paid cash. Or chickens. Medical insurance came later.

When I see people picking strawberries in the fields around here I struggle to think they are getting a free ride and not making their own way....

It is all too true that immigrants (as well as many others!) in this country had a rough time of it and social safety nets were pretty much nonexistent. Hurt at work....oh well! Unable to work because of age or disabled? That's what kids are for....to support you. No food?....there's the bread line.

I just don't know if we really want to use those good old days as guiding principles today.

[BOBS DAD]

I assume your grandmother gave birth to your father. I know that is the way it worked in my family!

I said.... Perhaps I should have been more cleared and said delivered by midwife so as not to suggest created by the midwife....

According to my father's stories...poor families especially...only sought medical assistance in an emergency...which did not include childbirth. But, in any case, you paid cash. Or chickens. Medical insurance came later.

When I see people picking strawberries in the fields around here I struggle to think they are getting a free ride and not making their own way....

It is all too true that immigrants (as well as many others!) in this country had a rough time of it and social safety nets were pretty much nonexistent. Hurt at work....oh well! Unable to work because of age or disabled? That's what kids are for....to support you. No food?....there's the bread line.

I just don't know if we really want to use those good old days as guiding principles today.

SORRY... missed that!!! Yes, you are corrrect. My grandmother did give birth to my father. At least that's the storyline... I wasn't actually there to witness the event you know!!!

[sparks19]

While I did not read this entire thread I am going to give my two cents.

The thing everyone needs to remember is that whether they are getting a free ride or busting their humps, illegal immigrants are just that... ILLEGAL. I don't think any special arrangments should be made for them. You wouldn't make any special arrangments for a local shoplifter would you? They willingly came into the country as an illegal immigrant. They made the choice. Now for them to stand up and demand respect and to be recognized? we don't give any other criminal respect or special treatment. and thats just what illegal immigrants are. Criminals.

I am a Canadian citizen and my husband is American. We had to live apart since we were married because we chose to do things legally. I could have come into the country as an illegal but we went through the process so that I could be a LEGAL resident. It's tough to go through but we did it. So can they.