I completely agree with Ralph Nichols’ view on national sovereignty and immigration. As one of the world's oldest current representative governments, we deserve better than to be treated like a refugee camp for people who would use taxpayer-paid services to the extent that there aren't enough resources to provide to legal, tax-paying residents.

And the argument that illegal immigrants are essential to the economy by performing jobs Americans won’t do is utterly erroneous. Don't tell me there are jobs Americans wouldn't do! Before the influx of illegal immigrants, crops still got harvested, cleaning and gardening still got done.

I also agree with his view that when someone attains the right to vote as a consequence of U. S. citizenship, they should be conversant enough in English to read a ballot and voters' pamphlet. English is the language of our Declaration of Independence, as well as the Constitution, by which we first identified ourselves as American. Without a common tongue, we are no longer e pluribus unem -- out of many one. One nation. One official language.

People who don't learn English choose to keep themselves in the economic, social and political margins of this nation.

The day before Ralph Nichols’ column came out, my husband and I decided to write our members of Congress about ways to demotivate illegal immigrants from entering America.

First, amend the Constitution to define “citizen” as one who is born of legal residents (as well as those who are naturalized) to eliminate the moral extortion of "anchor babies."

Second, penalize employers for hiring undocumented workers. Everywhere I've ever worked, I've had to provide proof of citizenship, despite being native born.

We have the right as a nation to protect our borders from incursion by those who would undermine our national sovereignty. Anyone who comes here illegally dishonors that right. Legal residents pay taxes to fund our nation's infrastructure and provide people for its defense and, therefore, deserve to keep our nation's borders secure.

Laura Standley

Des Moines