Opinions from around the country

The events of Sept. 11 spawned many a political debate, one of the more recent ones being whether illegal immigrants should be granted driver’s licenses. Allowing illegal immigrants to get driver’s licenses is a good idea, as the ones obtaining the licenses would be the ones who are already contributing positively to our society, despite their illegal status.

Citing examples of Sept. 11 hijackers, critics of granting illegal immigrants driver’s licenses suggest that having licenses will make it easier for dangerous aliens to fit into our culture and damage it. Linda Lewis, president of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, told The Associated Press that having a license “allows you to immerse yourself in society.”

“There are loopholes in the law that allow those who are here to do harm to work their way into the system,” she said.

What Lewis and those who hold similar viewpoints fail to recognize is that licenses can often be obtained through illegal means. Even so, these critics are discussing this as a safety issue when it is actually more a matter of national well-being.

Colorado recently introduced a bill that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain licenses by using their federal taxpayer identification numbers instead of social security numbers, which, as illegal aliens, the applicants would not have.

Colorado officials acknowledge that making it legal for hard-working illegal aliens to receive licenses does not endorse illegal immigration to the United States, but rather provides a logical solution to an often ignored problem.

Under these systems, illegal immigrants should only be allowed to get licenses if they have proof of insurance. If they have insurance, they are surely holding down a job to pay for insurance and thus are not a drain on our economy. Why not allow people who are going to drive anyway do it legally and under insurance that not only helps them but also taxpayers?

Granting illegal immigrants licenses will do nothing to compromise national security.

Illegal immigrants should not be in this country, but they are here regardless. Allowing them to get driver's licenses is a step toward making these individuals contributors to our country instead of the parasites they are often viewed as being.

This editorial comes from the Technician at North Carolina State University. This column was distributed by U-Wire.

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