Rerun: Where's My Sanctuary?

All the hoopla over illegal alien Elvira Arellano seeking sanctuary in a church in my Chicago neighborhood serves as a painful reminder that I live in a sanctuary city. I had a bit to say about that back in March, and thought it fitting to dig into the archives and rerun this piece.

Where's My Sanctuary?
I live in Chicago, one of the infamous "Sanctuary Cities" that opens it arms and closes its eyes to illegal immigration.

sanc·tu·ary
a place of refuge and protection

Think about it. My city has been offered up by its government as a place for those who would come here illegally to seek refuge and protection from the law. On March 10th I stood in a crowd of 100,000+ people jamming the streets of Chicago to demand rights for those who have broken the law to come, live, and work here, listening to Mayor Daley welcome them to my city.

Here's my question: Where's my sanctuary?

I am a citizen of this country. I pay taxes. I abide by the law. I am a hard-working resident of the city of Chicago. Shouldn't my hometown be a place of refuge and protection for me?

What I get, instead, is a place where illegal aliens are given a voice they shouldn't have and special treatment they haven't even come close to earning. This country is supposed to be about equal opportunity in a lawful environment, yet my city is enthusiastically sending the message that, if you break the law to get here, we'll treat you better than our citizens!

Need a job? No problem! Need some taxpayer-funded healthcare? It's on the house! How about some education for your kids? Don't worry, we'll pick up the tab!

I was not born and raised in Chicago -- I chose to call it home. I love this city, from the sparkling lake to the blue-collar, down-to-earth feel of it. I love the magnificence of the architecture, and the endless array of neighborhoods, each one different from the next. I even love the cold and snow.

I'd love to be able to call Chicago my sanctuary city. It would be a place where I could seek refuge and protection from a world gone mad -- a world where illegal aliens march by the tens of thousands to demand the rights of citizens -- a world where the very people who have been elected to look out for me can't wait to step all over me to reach out to people who spit on the laws of this country to be here.

But, alas, there is no sanctuary for me here. I'm just a citizen.

Technorati Tags
Illegal Immigration * Deportation * Chicago * Elvira Arellano * Sanctuary * Sanctuary City * Mayor Daley