THIS GREAT LAND OF IMMIGRANTS

By Marivir R. Montebon

OSM! is 16 weeks old today, pretty much an infant. But for a such a short time, we are happiest to enjoy tremendous readership all over the world. Thank you dear readers, and the advancers of technology, we are able to share good deeds by silent, dedicated individuals meant to help make the world a little better.

The United States of America is a home of greatness, despite its imperfections. A country doesn't become the world's richest or most powerful for nothing. It means vision, it means hard work, it means being resourceful, it means being faithful. And America is ran by immigrants, great immigrants, since the founding forefathers until now.

Former US State secretary Condoleeza Rice aptly puts it Wednesday night at the GOP convention, we must continue to welcome the most ambitious people to be a part of us, citing the immigrants' role in fueling "the knowledge based revolution in the Silicon valley in California, the research triangle of North Carolina, in Austin, Texas, in Route 128 in Boston, Massachusetts, and all across America".

I like her positive note. She did not have to lambast President Obama and the Democrats to put her message across, which was impressively spontaneous. Without having to read a written speech from the teleprompter, Rice knows America and she knows what best to say, about herself and where should leadership focus its direction.

Among America's imperfections is the absence of a comprehensive immigration law. Right now, the immigration system here is broken, having produced about 12 million undocumented immigrants. Clearly, the problem is systemic, and not a matter of individual discretion (how silly for 12 million people to want to be illegal, right?).

In this election year, we are yet to see a no nonsense plan on how to tackle the burgeoning problem on illegal immigration. It is imperative for leadership to provide an immediate path to citizenship for deserving and good immigrants. This means both economic and social benefits to communities and government coffeurs.

We badly need leaders who walk the talk, especially on crucial internal issues on the economy and immigration, if America were to remain great.

Our writer psychotherapist Debbie Almocera adds a smart note on immigration in her Cranial Corner today.

Our must read mom Janet Villa shares with us a triumphant episode of her life in God is in the Details in Mothering Heights. The Bamboo Stiletto of Diane Fermin-Roeder raves on the marvels of digital technology. Main Feature writer Bisai Ya scribbles on the heroism of a volunteer teacher for street children in Cebu, and Ruth Ezra fills our stomachs with Breakfast Sliders, a good idea to kick off a busy day.

So much for women power writers.

I close with an end note on gender fairness, as an essential element in leadership and personhood.

In my grandmother's old house, the old glass and wood china cabinet stood as an imposing fixture in the spacious dining area. On the topmost third level of the cabinet, two fine china dessert plates are conspicuously put. On one plate, the inscription says: WOMEN'S FAULTS ARE MANY, MEN HAVE ONLY TWO: EVERYTHING THEY SAY AND EVERYTHING THEY DO.

On the other plate, it says: I AM THE CAPTAIN OF THIS HOUSE, WHATEVER MY WIFE SAYS SHALL BE DONE.

I grew up reading these inscriptions over and over again, and realized that these were intended humor, and the joke were on men who knew what gender fairness is. Thanks to my late dearest, most respected grandfather Domiciano Rubi Sr. for showing us gender-fairness through his deeds.

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