To the editor:

In “Church Leaders ask Kansas Legislature to Stay out of Illegal Immigration Reform,” Renee Slinkard wonders “why they would want to make it easier for illegal immigrants to gain citizenship when we are faced with all this terrorism, crime, human trafficking.”

Apparently in this emotionally stunted worldview, Illegal Immigrants = Terrorists and Criminals. She and others like her have difficulty seeing certain people as their fellow human beings and judge entire groups, unable to see that the group is made up of individuals, each with his or her own story, character and qualities, just like the group we call “citizens.”

Slinkard says illegals should, “go to the back of the line to get their citizenship,” again, not distinguishing between those with ill intent and babies born here or children brought by their parents, and with no regard for families long enmeshed in their communities, or for business owners, artists, athletes, students, taxpayers . . .

Her website has a Reagan quote front and center: “We’ve gone astray from first principles. We’ve lost sight of the rule that individual freedom and ingenuity are at the very core of everything that we’ve accomplished. Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.” I guess for Slinkard that must apply to “me and people like me whose immigrant families came here earlier, of course!”

Terrorists and criminals should be dealt with, and quickly, but should not be the models on which illegal immigration reform discussions are based.