One Man's Argument for American Social Security

The article I read was called "Illegal Immigrants Should Not Receive Social Security Benefits" by Paul M. Weyrich. After reading what Weyrich had to say, I find myself agreeing with him. Weyrich talked about a term called "totalization". What he was talking about was talks between Mexico and the United States about totalization. This is the idea that an illegal immigrant from Mexico would be able to come into the United States and work for a few years then go back to Mexico and finish the rest of his working years there. Then after he grows old and retires in Mexico he can get American Social Security because of the few years he spent working in the US. This frustrates me as an American citizen. I will be turning 17 years old in month. I have had a job since I was 15. For two years I have had to have some of my pay check taken from me and given to social security. By the time I get old and can actually see this money again I will have most likely put in almost half or maybe more than the total amount of money I have made in my whole working life. Why should someone who isn't even a citizen or who doesn't even live in this country get to benefit from the years of hard work I've put into this system. There is already speculation about whether or not Social Security will even be around by the time I can benefit from it. Why should the little amount that I'm entitled to be shrunken even more? Weyrich quoted a US Congressman saying, "The Federal government may actually allow someone who actually came to the United States illegally, worked less than the required number of years to qualify for Social Security, and then returned to Mexico for the rest of his working years, to collect full U.S. Social Security benefits while living in Mexico. That is an insult to the millions of Americans who pay their entire working lives into the system and now face the possibility that there may be nothing left when it is their turn to retire." I have no problem with immigrants. Personally I come from a family of immigrants and couldn't care less if there were any in our country or not. But the idea of someone coming in and staying here for a few years, then going back to the country he came from, and taking my money is insane. If someone wants to live and work in the United States and receive Social Security in their retirement years then they should plant themselves here. They should take all the steps necessary in becoming an American citizen so that they actually deserve the money they are taking away from me.

Weyrich, Paul M. "Illegal Immigrants Should Not Receive Social Security Benefits." Current Controversies: Immigration. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Deerfield High School. 5 Feb. 2010 .