Editor,

Your lead article, “Islanders join protest,” in the July 4 edition of the Whidbey News Times got my attention very fast. I was pleased to see people exercising their right to “peaceful protest” as granted under the Constitution of the United States. However, I was not pleased to see the specific subject they were using to exercise those rights.

My wife is foreign-born, who followed all the rules when she entered the United States. She joined the work force, studied the U.S. Constitution and structure of the U.S. government. In time, she was able to apply for citizenship. She entered the federal courthouse in Klamath Falls, Ore. as an immigrant, faced a federal judge and answered all the questions he put to her, took her oath and walked out of that building as an American citizen. A simple chore that can be done.

She did not violate any federal or state laws in the process.

A big point of the protesters is “separation of families.” I fail to grasp their point. If I, a native-born American, violate the law and rob a bank, I am sent to prison. Because of my actions, my family is now separated. Is Gov. Inslee going to release me to the care and supervision of my wife so we can be a family united? Or will the caring governor ship my wife and dog to Walla Walla so we can all be locked up together? We would be a family united.

If “family ties” is to be a technical point for all judges, then only unmarried people would face lockup. Are you protesters going to set up camp in Olympia and demand the governor release all married prisoners, yet a person behind bars for jay-walking must serve out his time in solitary confinement?

These illegal immigrants have paid no income tax, Medicare or Social Security taxes but they draw down on the assets that legal residents pay into. Like paying alimony, but someone else gets the benefits.

In my work years, I have had co-workers, or their spouse, who were foreign-born, from approximately 50 different countries.

My son’s godfather was from Poland, his godmother was from Norway, my daughter’s godfather was from Mexico and her godmother was from Germany. They all followed the rules. So I cannot feel sorry for those who think rules do not apply to them.

Those illegal immigrants violated the law, so they should answer for that violation.

Robert D. Brown,

Oak Harbor