Like all other law-abiding Americans, I fully support legal

Hear the words of Ted Nugent, spoken with fire and clarity: “Like all other law-abiding Americans, I fully support legal immigration.” At first glance, the words are simple, yet they carry a weight born of centuries of struggle and aspiration. For they speak to the timeless tension between the need for order and the yearning for freedom, between the duty to protect a nation and the call to welcome the stranger. In these few words, Nugent sets forth both allegiance to law and acknowledgment of the immigrant’s place in the American story.

When he names law-abiding Americans, Nugent calls upon the sacred principle that binds a republic together: respect for the rule of law. A nation cannot endure without rules that safeguard its borders, its communities, and its people. To support legal immigration is to affirm that those who come to share in the blessings of liberty must also honor the structures that sustain them. This is no rejection of immigrants, but rather a call for fairness, that all who enter may do so by paths that uphold justice and equality.

Yet within this phrase lies also a recognition of America’s identity. The nation itself was built by waves of immigrants, each seeking a new life across oceans and mountains. From the Pilgrims who braved the Atlantic, to the Irish who fled famine, to the Italians, Poles, Mexicans, and countless others who labored in factories and fields—the story of America is the story of migration. To support legal immigration is, in Nugent’s words, not to close the door, but to keep it open in order, preserving the nation as a sanctuary for those who respect its laws and traditions.

History provides us a shining example in the tale of Ellis Island, where millions arrived between 1892 and 1954. There, weary travelers were examined, registered, and welcomed if they met the standards of health and law. Many came with nothing but hope, and yet they built railways, carved out farms, and raised cities from the soil. Their journey was not free of hardship, but it was guided by a structure that gave dignity to their entrance. This history reflects Nugent’s sentiment: that immigration, when lawful and ordered, enriches both the nation and the newcomer.

The deeper meaning of Nugent’s words is both protective and affirming. Protective, because they emphasize the importance of laws that preserve stability, ensuring that immigration is fair and manageable. Affirming, because they acknowledge that immigration itself is not a threat, but a source of renewal—so long as it flows through channels that respect the nation’s sovereignty. His words remind us that strength lies not in closing the gates, nor in leaving them undefended, but in keeping them open under the watch of justice.

This teaching is not confined to politics, but speaks to the spirit of community itself. Every community, large or small, thrives when newcomers are welcomed rightly—when they embrace the values of the group while also contributing their own gifts. Disorder breeds resentment; fairness breeds harmony. In this way, Nugent’s call for legal immigration is a reflection of the greater truth that peace and prosperity arise from balance: balance between openness and order, between generosity and responsibility.

Children of tomorrow, take this lesson to heart: if you would build a community, a nation, or even a family, let there be both welcome and structure. Do not fear the stranger who comes with respect, but embrace them as a partner in your common story. Yet also do not despise the laws that preserve fairness, for without them, chaos will swallow compassion. In your daily lives, honor both mercy and justice, opening your hand to others while standing firm in principle.

Thus the wisdom of Nugent’s words endures: that legal immigration is not an obstacle to liberty but its fulfillment. It honors the past, safeguards the present, and prepares the future. Let this teaching guide you—to build a society where laws protect, where doors open to the worthy, and where every new arrival strengthens the fabric of the whole. For such is the way of a nation that endures.