Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 140

Opinion SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2001 RENO 1 1 A Editorials Amnesty awards illegal immigration Donors support Gospel Mission 0T- View he following individuals and GE0RGIEANNE GEYER organizations deserve mention as winners this week: I President Bush's trip to Mexico must be judged a rousing success. It was refreshing to see him and the new Mexican president, Vicente Fox, enmeshed in such a mature cross-border relationship. But there is one philosophical and practical snare in this like pairing of leaders. That snare is the Mexican administration's persistent pushing of another amnesty program for the 4 million to 7 million Mexicans presently living illegally in the United States. Indeed, President Fox has consistently said that immigration is "Numero Uno" on his list.

But what does this word, which sounds so generous, really mean to the United States? More important to President Bush, what would it mean to the responsible new social programs that he is trying to put in place across the country? In truth, the word spells danger. Haven't we, first of all, heard the word "amnesty" somewhere before? As a matter of fact, the United States extended a first amnesty 15 years ago. About 2.7 million people, the largest percentage coming from Mexico, received lawful permanent residence, or automatic and magical, "green cards" in the late 1980s and early '90s, as a result of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986. But that action was to be a singular one. It was meant not to ameliorate, but to solve, the entire problem.

All it really did was provide for the entire world an illustration of how willingly America rewards this type of Mexican residents, not being citizens, could not vote. This was not only it was "electoral apartheid." In the end, the "logic" is: Impose yourself illegally upon another country, demoralize and even destroy parts of that society, and finally demand more privileges in order to remedy the problems that you yourself have caused! The linguistic roots for the word "amnesty" (literally the overlooking of an offense) have to do with "amnesia" and thus with forgetting and forgiving. Before the 1986 amnesty for illegal aliens, the United States had had only three official amnesties: in 1865 and 1868 after the Civil War for supporters of the Confederacy, and in 1977 for draft resisters who had gone abroad. The 1986 measure, on the other hand, was the first wholly politicized amnesty, which was inten ded not to heal internal conflicts, but essentially to excuse American officials who for years had neglected their duty to protect our borders and citizenship. On the other side of the coin, President Bush has been inspiring in his words on citizenship.

In his inauguration address, he said eloquently that we must be "citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects." These political amnesties run contrary to everything that George W. Bush says he believes in: personal responsibility, ethical behavior, and honorable and earned citizenship. Georgie Anne Geyer is a Washington-based syndicated columnist. Only last October a comprehensive report by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) came to a gloomy conclusion that highlighted the profound and unintended consequences of illegal alien amnesties: By 1997, those amnestied illegal aliens of 1 1 years earlier had been replaced by new ones from 5 million illegals in 1986 to 5 million 15 years later. The increase after the amnesty was the direct result of relatives coming illegally to join their amnestied family members.

Today, the hopes of some of the more extreme members of the Fox team, in particular Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda, reach far beyond simple amnesty. In his notable 1995 book, "The Mexican Shock: Its Meaning for the U.S.," the leftish political scientist called on the United States to give illegals the right to vote in California elections. California, he argued, was going through a process of "de-democratization" because such a large proportion of California's WINNER: Everyone who helped the Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission make the holiday season brighter, including: U.S. FoodserviceRykoff Foods, for generous discounts on major food purchases; the AWANA Clubs of South Reno Baptist Church, for making 75 gifts of new socks filled with personal toiletry items for mission clients and bringing in two large tubs of additional grooming items; members of Crosswinds Assembly of God Church, for presenting a special program of music and drama at RSGM and bringing Christmas gifts and hundreds of homemade cookies; and Angela and Mark Campbell, for leading the fourth annual Cookie Drive campaign (they and other volunteers sang Christmas carols and brought 100 dozen homemade cookies), and for spearheading a drive for stretch gloves and mittens for homeless and needy children, women and men (300 pair were delivered to RSGM for distribution). A stuffed owl is one of the creatures in the exhibit.

WINNER: Ian Hill, for providing free tickets for 99 first- and second-graders at Kate Smith Elementary School to view the Wilbur May Museum's "In the Dark" exhibit at Rancho San Rafael. "In the Dark," which includes rare and exotic live animals, is a national traveling exhibit produced by the Cincinnati Museum Center and will beopenthroughMay28. WINNER: The Gannett Foundation, for its grants to community organizations in 2000, including: Nevada Press Foundation, $10,000 to support the renovation of a purchased building in Carson City. VSA arts of Nevada, $4,850 to help provide arts training in Washoe County and Carson City to special education teachers and students. Northern Nevada RAVE Family Foundation, $5,000 to support the RAVE WAVE teen volunteer training programs.

University of Nevada, Reno, School of Journalism, $8,876 to assist in upgrading the Media Graphics Lab with the purchase of i tzL i Ts What They Say Zero tolerance has become a one-size-fits-all solution to all the problems that schools confront. It has redefined students as criminals, with unfortunate consequences. Excerpt from an American Bar Association report on "zero tolerance" school discipline policies. The ABA's leadership voted this week to recommend ending such policies. The Master.

You Will Be Missed By All. Message scrawled on a makeshift Daytona Beach memorial to Dale Earnhardt, the NASCAR legend who was killed in Sunday's Daytona 500. Letters to the Editor high-tech equipment. United Way of Northern Nevada 8c the Sierra, $10,000 for continued support. Boys Girls Club of Mason Valley, $5,000 to help purchase supplies for the SMART Moves programs.

National Child Finders, $5,175 to purchase office computer systems and a copier. KNPB-TV Channel 5 Public Broadcasting $3,000 to support production of the documentary "The Riverside." Northern Nevada Chapter of Muscular Dystrophy Association, $5,000 to help support the MDA Medical Clinic held monthly at Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center. United Blood Services, $6,000 to sponsor the Be A Hero program. Eagle Valley Children's Home, $10,000 to support the respite care program. Nevada Historical Society, $3,000 to help promote the traveling exhibition "Cowboy Up! The History of Rodeo." Nevada MicroEnterprise Development $7,700 to provide assistance for small-business simultaneously is the starting point of a new millennium.

Ergo, New Year's Eve 2000 was indeed the beginning of the new millennium. Barbara Flanagan, Gardnerville (via e-mail) EX. Cord Foundation made program possible We appreciated your brief story about the new Judicial Studies doctoral program at UNR. However, the editing of the news release left out a major element, that the start-up funding for the new program was furnished by the E.L. Cord Foundation.

Without the generosity and support of the Cord Foundation the new program would not have been approved, and we would like to have that acknowledged. James T. Richardson, director Judicial Studies Program University of Nevada, Reno Dorothy Lemelson, right, and student Katrina Hubbard participate in a laser experiment at the American History Museum in this file photograph. Her husband, Jerome, died in 1997. WINNER: The Lemelson Foundation of Incline Village, for donating $14.5 million to the Smithsonian Institution's American History Museum to finance in perpetuity a center studying inventions and innovation.

The grant brings the foundation's total donation to the museum to $40 million. WINNERS: The more than 100 businesses and individual who helped make the first annual Christmas Tree Lane Holiday Party at Arrowcreek Golf Club a success. Kappa Alpha Theta sorority produced the event, which benefited the Washoe County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). WINNER: Washoe Health System, for its commitment to community outreach, including: Washoe Senior Options, for hosting a holiday party at Washoe Village for the residents of Kids Kottage, an intergenerational event at which 50 seniors provided gifts for children in transition to foster care; the staff of Washoe Medical Center Clinic Pharmacy, for making and distributing Christmas goody bags to 300 low-income patients; and employees of WHS, for participating in the Christmas Adopt-a-Family program in conjunction with partner-in-education Traner Middle School. WINNERS: Gaye Canepa and the RenoSparks Corridor Business Association, Kruisin for Kids and the Washoe County Sheriff's Office, for providing more than 380 filled stockings and 700 toys to children in the Fourth Street area.

win that year (Cuba Gooding Jr. did for "Jerry and the speech is stifi there, ready for use. On Oscar night, if Del Toro should win in his category, he should hold the statuette aloft and say into the microphone, "Supporting, my rear!" Steve Savage, Reno Let teachers propose merit-pay legislation While I agree in principle with your recent editorial opinion that teacher salaries should be differentiated based on merit, research reports have failed to validate any successful state-mandated reform attempts in this area. Given the opposition of teacher unions to any imposed salary restructuring programs, perhaps the only real chance for success is for the Nevada Legislature to throw the ball into their court with a request that teachers generate a proposal acceptable to them that the Legislature can consider. As for Gov.

Guinn's fear that AB322 would place an undue burden on administrators, just what is their job, anyway? If administrators do not have time to observe teachers in classrooms (a pretty basic function for any principal), then perhaps their jobs are already burdened with irrelevant trivia and it's time to allow them to get back to the basics of what being a principal should be all about. Jim Ambrose, Minden (via e-mail) No need to throw more people in jail Concerning the editorial about lowering the state's allowable blood-alcohol content: I know many people have moved here from California to get away for government interfering with their daily lives and now this further push to make many more Nevadans the clients of the states ever-growing prison industry. Yes, there is an increase in motor vehicle deaths. As everyone knows, statistics can be portrayed or evaluated to achieve a predetermined outcome. I say the deaths are in proportion to the state's increase in population (i.e.

California refugees) and not an overall increase in deaths. I am a "Real Nevadan," born and raised here. Before the state's sudden growth, this was a nice place to live and work, with relatively simple laws and neighborly people. I say keep the laws simple and quite throwing so many people in jail to further an "industry." Steven Bryan, Carson City (via e-mail) Sepulveda attack on Bush reeks of liberal positions Emma Sepulveda 's bashing of President Bush in her Feb. 4 column reeks of her liberal political positions.

Bush's decision against financing abortions in other countries with U.S. taxpayer dollars is totally consistent with his views on abortion and I believe the view of mainstream America. Sepulveda's belief that abortion should be used to control the population and raise the standard of living in other countries smells of "classism" at the very best. She talks about women resorting to back-alley abortion and risking their lives. Why doesn't she talk about the million of children killed in the abortion process? Sepulveda attempts to use the same old liberal scare tactic by stating that all help is being taken from third world countries when she knows that only the abortion-related portion of aid is affected by the Bush policy.

One question we all might was to ask ourselves: Are we in America better off today as a society than we were prior to the Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion: I believe along with the millions of lost lives we have also lost a lot of our values! Hopefully President Bush may restore some of those values through his leadership and personal example. Robert J. Behl, Reno There's no ending the millennium debate Re "Final word on the millennium" (Letters, Jan. 25): A gentleman recently pointed out that it takes 20 $10 bills to make $200 dollars and therefore the number 2000 goes with the previous millennium and could not be the beginning of a new millennium. However, a baby is not 1 year old when he is born.

Basically, his first year of life begins with a zero and works up to the number one. So how do you reconcile these apparently contradictory facts? Simple. Think of the end of the second millennium as 1999 years plus 365 days. When that last day has been finished at midnight we say that it is now the year 2000, which actually means that the year 2000 is now complete. It does not mean that the year 2000 is just beginning, as is commonly assumed.

When we write the date Jan. 1, 2000, it means that 2000 years have gone past and we are one day into the next year. So, 2000 does belong to the previous millennium, and it training for low- to moderate-income entrepreneurs. The Children's Cabinet, $1,270 to assist in purchasing hats and coats and to provide training for at-risk youth. Washoe Library Foundation, $5,000 to help fund the Bus Book Mobile.

Girl Scouts of Sierra Nevada, $3,000 to buy supplies for the outreach programming aimed at at-risk children. CARE Chest of Sierra Nevada, $3,329 to support the proposal of helping in the construction of a warehouseoffice facility. Truckee Meadows Community College, $7,500 to establish a scholarship fund for Hispanic students in the English as a Second Language program. Associated Press OSCAR NOMINEE: Benicio Del Torro, left, and Jacob Vargas play two hard-working Mexican cops in Traff Best supporting actor? Who's he supporting? Though I am only a private citizen and not an area pundit, I would like to add my own responses to those expressed by the Sierra Arts panel on the subject of Wednesday morning's Oscar nominations (Sierra Style, Feb. 15).

The most amusing Academy Award nomination must go to Ethan Coen and Joel Coen for their screen adaptation of Homer's "The Odyssey" Brother, Where Art since both Coen brothers confess to not having read the original work. I would also like to bring to Benicio Del Toro's attention an unused acceptance speech crafted by Steve Martin for his friend William H. Macy in the event that Macy had won best supporting actor in 1996 for his work in "Fargo." Macy didn't Reno Gazette-Journal Fred Hamilton, Publisher, (775) 788-6236 Tonia Cunning, Executive Editor, (775) 788-6357 Bruce Bledsoe, Opinion Editor, (775) 788-6312 Steve Falcone, Opinion Co-Editor, (775) 788-6383 Mark londahl, Senior EditorNews Multimedia, (775) 788-6305 Jim Sloan, Senior EditorNews Features, (775) 788-6338 Ben Holden, Senior EditorNews Administration, (775) 788-6335 i QociHoc trarlitinnal mailed letters the Reno Gazette-Journal accents let- i MIHVI uuiiuuti mww tore hu fav and e-mail Please limit letters to 1 80 words and include vour name. oriHroc- -nH riautima nhnne- theu mav he edited tnr lennth and claritv Writers are BUUI 0IIU UUJUiiiu pnwiiw, B.vj a limited to one letter every two months. Letters and columns may be published andor distributed in print electronic and other forms.

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