This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Our Republican Sen. Mike Lee has declared the Senate's comprehensive immigration bill as unfixable ("Utah's Lee says immigration bill beyond saving" Tribune, June 8). Too bad that early this year he picked up his marbles and walked away from the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" senators, drafters of the bill, where his ideas may have helped shape the measure.
As a Democrat, I'm delighted that Lee is contributing so generously to the demise of the GOP by alienating Latinos, whose support the party needs to remain viable.
As a human being and a U.S. citizen, I'm ashamed that we have treated immigrants so shabbily. We have welcomed them to our country by giving them jobs and inviting them to participate in our economy, but we have denied them the opportunities of citizenship.
Our immigration laws need fixing now, not, as Lee suggests, later. I hope that having abdicated his role in framing immigration legislation, Lee will hold his tongue. Accepting a few pointers on working well with others wouldn't hurt him, either.
Allan W. Smart
Salt Lake City