Personally Responsible for Society

I heard two interesting arguments today. Both were proffered to rebut the assertion that illegal immigration is good for the country because illegal immigrants take the jobs that Americans refuse to work.

The first argument was that illegal immigrants occupy the jobs that people on welfare would be forced to take if the government did not pay their bills.

The second argument caught my attention not as an argument for more stringent (I would say fascist) immigration laws, but as a commentary on the state of American society.

The second argument goes like this. Teenagers no longer work menial jobs. Rather than spend their summers washing dishes or cars or working in a field, kids are finding other things to occupy their time. The down time formerly reserved for work is now spent on activities such as video games or drugs. And that time is increasingly spent on drugs. If kids were working menial jobs there would be none for illegal immigrants. Plus, kids would develop the kinds of habits that translate into a productive adult life.

I like the second argument. Not for what it offers to the immigration debate (nothing) but for what it says about our youth (my generation included) and the toll that unaware economic prosperity can have on a society. There has to be an awareness of the responsibility that comes with prosperity. It is incumbent on families to understand that kids need balance. There is always a temptation to shield your kids from the uncomfortable parts of your youth. This is a positive impulse when it regards a childhood of abuse or neglect or even a lack of sufficient affection; however, the same impulse can have a detrimental effect when it is employed to shield a child from the discomfort or annoyance of working a menial job.