Although the scenery is breathtaking, Utah has not my favorite state. It's reliably Republican, full of conservative Mormans, and I was stopped once for weaving on I-80 while crossing the salt flats. (I was reading the New York Times.) Nevertheless, I have just signed on to the "Utah Compact," a statement on immigration that shows what reasonable people who actually want to solve a problem can do.
The first of the Compact's five principles says that "immigration is a federal policy issue between the U.S. government and other countries--not Utah and other countries." If only my new congressman, Lou Barletta, knew this. The first principle then asks for federal laws to protect borders. OK, I can live with that.
I will not quote the entire compact (although it is short), but here is the fifth principle: "Immigrants are integrated into communities across Utah. We must adopt a humane approach to this reality, reflecting our unique culture, history and spirit of inclusion. The way we treat immigrants will say more about us as a free society and less about our immigrant neighbors. Utah should always be a place that welcomes people of goodwill."
If you want to read the entire compact, go to <utahcompact.com>. By the way, the Church of the Latter Day Saints is not a signatory, but it has given its approval to the Compact. Perhaps Arizona, which borders Utah, can take a lesson.
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