Political Quotes

“Mr. Brooks' message was addressed primarily to Republicans and conservatives, but he spells out for all who read it what these immigrant people bring to America. My mother came to these shores in 1911 at the age of 2. Her mother, my grandmother, brought her from Lithuania with her brother and sister. They made to it East St. Louis, IL, where my grandfather worked in a steel mill. My mom dropped out of school after the eighth grade, which was not unusual in her time, got married, and a few years later became a naturalized citizen. Her son is now the 47th Senator from the State of Illinois. Those stories can be told over and over. Think of the courage of the people who came here, starting with my family and others, the courage to leave behind your village, your church, your language, your relatives, your friends, to come to a country you have never seen before with a language you didn't speak to try to make a better life. So many of us are so blessed to be here from the start, but others fight night and day for the chance to come. They don't just bring another body to be counted; they bring a spirit. It is a spirit of hard work and determination, creativity, entrepreneurship. It is a spirit of family values that we should treasure. Mr. Brooks says as much in his article. This is a positive force in the development of America, and it always has been.…”