The DREAM Act....

The vote today was not in favor of moving forward with the Defense Authorization Act. The reason, The DREAM Act. I was so horribly ignorant in agreeing that this didn't belong in the DoD Act. I didn't know what it really was and simply believed the Republicans when they said it didn't belong.

Before the vote they offered an all-inclusive agreement. Democrats strike The Dream Act from the DoD and include language that would prohibit anything regarding immigration from ever being included in DoD, and Republicans would unanimously vote in favor of bringing the DoD to the table.

I was a little appalled that Democrats turned them down. The vote happened and Democrats did not get the number of votes they needed. In the statements afterward, I learned what The Dream Act really was.

The Dream Act applies to the children of illegal immigrants. This Act would give these children, brought to and raised in our country illegally, an avenue to have legal immigrant status. It does not grant them citizenship, it simply gives them a course to follow.

We've, as a nation, already decided not to punish these children for their parent's crimes. We give them the same access to education and health care that we give the children who are here legally. Unfortunately, we abandon these children when they reach adulthood. They cannot legally work, get driver's licenses, receive financial aid, or SERVE IN OUR MILITARY.

The DREAM Act offers a reasonable solution. It says if you were illegally brought to this country as a child, have lived here for at least 5 years, have graduated high school, and have a clean criminal record... you have two ways to get a Green Card. Not citizenship, A GREEN CARD. 1. Attend 2 years of college. 2. Join the military for 2 years.

To me, this is completely fair and a good move. So many young adults who were brought here and remain here illegally would love a chance to do either of these things and currently can't. This is a great way of saying, "Show us how bad you want it. Show us that you want to be legit, productive citizens." Once they have their Green Cards then they have a legal avenue to pursue citizenship.

The majority of the people that this Act would apply to have lived in the US for the majority of their lives. They view this as their home, and their country. Could you imagine if you'd been brought to the US as a baby, and at 18 told that you have to go back to China, India, Bolivia, or some other completely foreign place that you don't remember? You might not know the language or the customs. How terrifying.

The DREAM Act is something that NEEDS to happen. This shouldn't be a dream at all.