Political Quotes

“this Wednesday the Supreme Court will hear a challenge to Arizona's controversial immigration law. I thought about this law over the weekend in Springfield, IL. There is an annual event where a special award is given to those sons and daughters of Illinois who have given great service to our State and Nation. Admiral Ron Thunman, one of my neighbors in Springfield, was a graduate of Springfield High School and enlisted in the Navy. He worked his way up to the rank of vice admiral in the U.S. Navy and at one point commanded our submarine fleet. To think of this young man from the middle of the Midwest ending up in charge of our submarine fleet is a great testament to his ability and to the opportunity the Navy gave him to serve his country. When Admiral Thunman got up to receive his award--this Lincoln Award--he said: I stand here humbled by the memory of my father who was an illegal immigrant to this country from Norway, who came here jumping off a ship as a sailor and lived in the United States illegally until the time he was prepared to volunteer to serve our Nation in World War II. Admiral Thunman tells that story over and over. What a reminder it is that the sons and daughters of immigrants to this country, as well as those immigrants themselves, literally made America what it is today. One hundred one years ago, my mother arrived on a boat from Lithuania.…”