I've always been of the opinion that America needs immigrants. America was built of the sweat and dreams of people who left their homelands in search of a better life. In a way, I'm sympathetic to someone who will do whatever it takes to help their family out, like Jean Valjean stealing bread to feed his starving family.

But lately, I've come to believe that I have a very idealized view of illegal immigrants. Instead of risking everything to come to this country to live the American Dream, many illegal aliens are simply sneaking into the United States to take advantage of what this country has to offer. They are offering nothing to America except their labor-not their taxes, not their loyalty, not their service. Nothing. To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, they are only asking what our country can do for them.

The people who marched in Minnesota and placed the Guatemalan flag above the Stars & Stripes have no business being in this country anymore, much less demanding anything from it. Their sheer arrogance has completely turned me away from their cause. As Elsie Ortiz, a Phoenix resident, said:

"Other Hispanics have told me to go to the demonstrations," said Orta, 55, who said her mother is from New Mexico and her father's family traces its roots to Spain. "I think it's hurting them. They're making a fool of themselves."

The Phoenix native believes Arizona is under siege by illegal immigrants who speak Spanish, use public services and take jobs away from citizens. Illegal immigrants, she said, should be deported.

"They want us to cater to them all the time," she said. "They're coming over here, they're taking our jobs. And now, everything has to be in English and Spanish? I don't think so. They need to go back."

These demonstrators, and those folks who refer to "Los Angeles, Mexico", are just like left wing moonbats. Their behavior completely alienates any normal person who might otherwise be sympathetic to their cause. I'm interested in helping out people who want to be Americans. But I'm not interested in lifting a finger or a tax dollar to aid people who want to permanently live in America, but be Mexican or Guatemalan or Ecuadorian. Don't misunderstand me. I'm not asking immigrants to give up their culture, but I am asking them to assimilate in meaningful ways, just as immigrants before them have.

I still think America needs a more liberal policy for legal immigration, but what all these "A Day Without Latino" protests have done for me is to make it clear in my mind that immigration and illegal immigration are two different things. The former is something to celebrate, the second is a widespread crime.

I think some of the reason I've been sympathetic to illegal immigrants is that we, as a people, have acted for years and years like illegal immigration isn't a crime. If we don't treat it like a crime, then why should people coming across the border feel like they're doing anything wrong? And if it's not wrong, then why should employers feel like they're breaking the law when they hire illegals? Our immigration laws are like the 21-year old drinking age or the 65-mile-an-hour speed limit.

I have no idea what to do about all the illegal immigrants currently in the country. It seems unfair to just give them amnesty and it seems overwhelming and punitive to simply sweep them all out the country. I'll leave it up to someone smarter than me to figure out the best solution.