Citizenship Amendment

In response to “Curb on U.S. Citizenship Proposed,” Oct. 24:

My thanks to The Times and to Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) for publicizing the automatic U.S. citizenship granted to children of illegal immigrants born here. The only logical explanation to this law is that it was written by lunatics. Naturally, these babies are delivered at taxpayer expense in county hospitals. The same facilities that are so strapped for cash that the nurses are going out on strike to protest chronic understaffing. Our trauma system is also collapsing because it is being flooded by indigent emergency cases, many of them illegal immigrants.

The only thing that makes me angrier than this ridiculous situation is the reaction of Marco Antonio Abarca, of the California Rural Legal Assistance organization, who immediately accused Gallegly, in the fashion of a true demagogue, of racism.

I am not a racist. But I will be damned if I will tolerate giving away vast sums of money to people who are in this country illegally, whatever color or race they may be, while our own citizens are suffering.

S. ASIMOW

Glendale