Christopher Marsh, an Alexandria resident, opined yesterday in the Washington Examiner about unemployment… and human overpopulation?

Deportations won’t solve unemployment problem

Re: “Visa holders take jobs away from U.S. citizens,” letters, June 8

Karen Gilbert is spot on about the issue of stimulating domestic employment with visa regulation, but let’s not take layoffs out on visa holders. I was laid off last year, and when the smoke cleared the last remaining person in my department was a visa holder. I bear him no ill.

Very large countries like China and India cannot possibly employ all their own people; inevitably many will emigrate to find work. The United States does not have a billion people, but we also have more people than jobs.

We can’t solve the entire problem by deportations and closing the border. We must regulate our reproduction and treat every kid like he or she really matters, with none to waste, and train them for tomorrow’s jobs — no exceptions. This will take years.

Unemployment is the enemy. Not the visa holders.

Christopher Marsh

Alexandria

As you might imagine, I felt compelled to reply:

I was deeply disturbed after reading Alexandria resident Christopher Marsh’s June 13 letter. Buried under his assertion that the U.S. must take responsibility for developing countries’ unemployed masses, Marsh vocalizes a frightening notion: ”We must regulate our reproduction and treat every kid like he or she really matters, with none to waste…”

Marsh’s belief is widely held on the Left; that population control through “regulated reproduction” and abortions will serve some greater cause. Author Thomas Friedman opined in a recent NYT editorial that “the Earth is full.” Friedman looks to China, where the government limits the number of children couples may have, by force when necessary.

This belief in population control runs deep in the Left’s environmental community. Friedman, Al Gore, Marsh and others are quick to point out that we should make do with less: less goods and less people.

If forced population control and regulated reproduction truly are the answer, then why can’t Marsh and his cohorts be the first to give it a try?

Matthew Hurtt

Arlington

Hopefully it’ll get printed.