Illegal valedictorian

Poor Grecia Cantu, the “illegal valedictorian” featured in Tribune-Herald staff writer J.B. Smith’s Page One story this past Sunday: I have some sympathy for her plight but not enough to wish she would stay in the United States, owing to the fact her parents lied to her.

She said, “I don’t blame my parents.” But what kind of standards were her parents teaching? They were working here illegally, taking health care out of taxpayers’ hard-earned monies, lying to their children.

Grecia may have the smarts but not the smarts to return her valedictorian honor to her school and let it go to the person most deserving of this: the student who has achieved the grades and whose parents are U.S. citizens. That person worked hard and didn’t come from a family who cheats our government by allowing taxpayers to pay their way.

Grecia needs to go to a college in Mexico, her native country. I applaud Baylor University for its decision and feel for the embarrassment officials there endured when finding out the truth about her illegal status.

Judith Nees

Waco

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I understand the plight of Grecia Cantu’s family in leaving Mexico. I do not understand the entitlement mentality they have fostered in their children, however.

Many legal Texas residents can’t afford to go to Baylor University. There are many legal residents who cannot afford McLennan Community College.

Further, her younger brother stated he is going to stay in school until he receives his doctorate. Who is going to pay for this?

The government he plans to slap in the face? That is me and every other legal citizen who works every day and ends up supporting this group of people who are not even legal in this country but think they’re entitled to have us support them and educate their children.

Jackie Lee Smith

Waco

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If I got drunk, had an accident and killed someone, I would go to prison. This would severely impact my family. But the decision to break the law was mine, and the possible consequences were known to me. I alone would be responsible.

Should there be a movement to keep me from going to prison or my family from suffering? Maybe the law should be changed to allow me to keep working and providing for my family.

The young illegal who is having so much trouble getting what she wants is indeed a sad case. However, her parents made the decision to break our laws. Her parents are solely to blame.

Should we change our laws so that there are no consequences? No fines for speeding, no prison time for drunk driving, no jail time for stealing a car? How can we have anything but anarchy if we decide that laws don’t mean anything?

George Whitaker

Hamilton

Yellow blinking lights

With so many drivers running red lights in Waco, why would the city agree to put up blinking yellow lights on Bosque Boulevard?

This, I fear, will only cause more wrecks and automobile insurance costs to rise again.

Sharon Conrad

China Spring

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