No benefits for illegals

Dear Homeland Security,

You all have outdone yourselves this time through lack of intelligence. You are making legal U.S. citizens produce either a birth certificate or a passport or visa to renew our driver's licenses.

I was born in Florida in 1968. I have lived in Missouri since 1978. I have had a Missouri driver's license since 1984. I have had a job and been paying taxes since 1984. This year, I go to renew my still-valid Missouri driver's license, and I am told that I need either my birth certificate or a passport -- even though I haven't had it renewed since 1978, it would still work.

I call VitalChek to see about getting a copy of my birth certificate, and low and behold, option No. 4 says something about "to continue in Spanish, press four." Really? If you are a U.S. citizen, you should at least be able to speak English.

There are now more than 20 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. right now, and what is the government doing about them? "Aw, shucks. We are sorry you are illegal, so come on in. We will give you free food, free health care, free housing, free everything, and the good legal citizens of the U.S. will pick up your tab; after all, they don't mind." Yeah, well I mind. Either come into the U.S. legally or get out without any benefits. You want benefits, work for and earn them like everyone else has to.

Thank You.

TOM LICHTENEGGER, Cape Girardeau