“If you say that we should not educate children who come into our state for no other reason than that they've been brought there through no fault of their own, I don't think you have a heart. We need to be educating these children, because they will become a drag on our society." These were the words heard around the nation. Truer words have never been spoken and yet, here they flow, from the mouth of a Republican Presidential candidate. And not just any candidate but the current front runner. Before you cast judgment upon this man, I encourage you to educate yourself on the topic instead. A topic that is sure to be the center piece in both the 2012 Presidential Republican Primary and the general election. Like any good Thanksgiving dinner table lined with everything from fresh yams to a succulent, seasoned turkey, the Presidential race will have a little of this and a little of that but a few items on the table will sure to be the main attractions. The piece de resistance. Like or not, immigration will be just that. So grab a bib, a fork, and a chair.The dinner bell's a ringin'.
TEC 54.052(a)(3). That's right. Let me say it again. TEC 54.052(a)(3). Look familiar? It should. It's what all this hoopla has been about. It's part of the Texas Education Code and it's what grants undocumented students access to in-state tuition in the great state of Texas. I don't think it would be a stretch to say that most people who brought out the grammatical army of harsh words and sly remarks to try and shatter the walls of Rick Perry have never even heard of this code nor have they bothered to familiarize themselves with it's contents. It's amazing how people are all too quick to wage a war on the unknown. Words are powerful. Throughout history, wars have started simply over the explosive nature and intent of something someone said. I suggest to everyone, everywhere to only arm yourself once you know the whole story. Because in Texas, every young person, every student sitting in class this very moment with lofty dreams of walking the hallowed halls of academia, has a story. I feel so much pride as an American and someone who used to live in Texas, that I actually have the chance to vote for a man to be our next President who understands this. He understands people are not merely numbers on some chart in a newspaper or some headline on CNN or Fox News, nor are the people of Texas, his people, a mere sound byte.
If you are sitting there reading this, sipping a glass of iced tea while the kids are playing in the backyard and you are still unconvinced, let me present to you the cold hard facts. The fact is in 2010, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 16,476 students qualified for in-state tuition under TEC 54.052(a)(3). Sound like a lot? This actually means that only ONE PERCENT of enrolled students in public universities in Texas fall under TEC 54.052(a)(3). With more than a million students in public universities in Texas, 16,476 is but a mere speck on the map. So minute, it's not even on the radar. Except for the radar of those who will do anything and stop at nothing to try and defame the one man, who by all accounts, will be our next President. Scared are those who scramble and claw at figures who set out to overshadow their own prejudices and misguided ways.
I have also heard recently the chatter of those in the background stating that the "Darn Mexicans" are going to get themselves a good ole' American education and then cross the border and use their new found book smarts to work and prosper in Mexico. Wait. Hold up. Let's revisit TEC 54.052(a)(3). Therein this code lies a simple fact. One that will unfortunately shatter those ill-informed beliefs. It states undocumented students are only eligible for in-state tuition if they have provided their institution of choice a signed affidavit indicating an intent to apply for permanent resident status as soon as they are able to do so. They also must have resided in Texas during high school and have done so for at least 3 years prior to their high school graduation.
Put your prejudices aside for a moment and think back when you were a senior in high school. You had your friends, you were involved in maybe the yearbook club or JROTC. Or perhaps you were the athletic type who led your team to victory at each and every game. And still on some nights when you had a particularly tough day at work or bills are causing your stress level to skyrocket, you can still hear the sounds from the stands of all those people, your fellow students, chanting your name. Things seemed so easy back then. The world seemed so new and full of potential. Anything, at that moment, was possible. As we get older we lose a little of that magic and that hope. We either become everything we hoped to be, a little of what we hoped to be, or we become what we hoped we wouldn't. Just a person. Living an average life, living paycheck to paycheck. Same routine day in and day out. Almost as if we are in a race with time and time, unfortunately is winning. But through all that despair and regret, we still cling to that young hope filled person we used to be back in high school when we just knew we were meant to conquer the world. Just imagine, for a moment, you are once again that student. The one who worked hard all throughout high school, the one who made plans with your best friend in science class that you two were going to experience college together. Maybe even become roomies and pass through that threshold from teenager to full fledged adult together. Living on your own, and yes, along the way making a few mistakes, but coming away from the collegiate experience with a whole new outlook on life and with the tools necessary to make your way in this crazy mixed up world. Now, what if someone told you that your dream was just that. A dream. Because, in a way, you are being punished for the sins of your father and of your mother. You may have been 5 at the time when your parents brought you from your homeland to the arms of the Red, White and Blue in hopes that you, their child, might grow up to have a little better than they did and hopefully be afforded all the opportunities in this, the life they gave you, should you work hard, work smart, and be all that you can be and want to be. Governor Perry said it right. If you want to rip that dream out from under a person simply because of the mistakes their parents made is heartless. Because when it comes right down to it, if we were to look in the closets of our parents, a skeleton or two or a dozen are sure to fall out. Should those skeletons then make their way into our lives? Cowards are those who throw stones at a mirror image of themselves in hopes of rewriting the past.
I've been told that I should write more "traditional" pieces. Maybe have more of a "campaign" writing style. But that's not me. I like to put my heart and soul in every word, every syllable. Because, in the end, that's what's wrong with our country. Somewhere, along the way, through all the wars and economic woes, and facts and figures being thrown at us on a daily basis, we forgot what this great nation was founded upon. A love for this land. A love for freedom. A love for each other. Making a difference is tough. People who choose that path are constantly beaten down and pushed aside, but the ones, like Rick Perry, who have a heart and truly love this land, will make a difference. On election day we need to remember that Washington doesn't need another fancy talker or slick politician, what Washington needs most and what it yearns for is simple. It just needs a little heart. That's all. A heart.
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