People on all sides want to paint this as a black and white issue, but it’s not. We have laws on the books, but we don’t enforce them, making a mockery of not just immigration laws, but all laws. Illegal immigration has a corrosive effect on our society and our souls.
Progressive nanny-staters and the Chamber of Commerce form an unholy alliance to continue bringing in second-class citizens so we can exploit them for cheap labor and add them to the cohort of government wards. We are collectively committing a human rights abuse on a grand scale. Yes, “they” come here illegally, but we put the come-hither on ‘em, we beckon them. Border enforcement is paltry, worker verification a joke, social welfare readily available with no questions asked, free school and medical care, housing and food assistance…
Can you blame people coming here illegally?
Put yourself in the shoes of a mom or dad. They improve their quality of life by simply crossing the border, and from their reasoned point of view, the American government can’t be serious about its laws when they give illegal immigrants access to all the same stuff a citizen gets?
Really, what separates an illegal immigrant from a citizen? They’re normalized! They work, own houses and cars and their kids graduate high school and college. They just have to look over their shoulders every now and then.
We can’t punish the children for the crimes of the parent, say those who want to legalize people brought here as children. But children are punished all the time for their parents mistakes. Parents who act irresponsibly can drive the family to poverty; the children pay. Parents who commit crimes go to jail and leave parentless children behind, so this argument doesn’t hold up.
On the other hand, does it make sense to send a person back to a country he or she has never been to? Especially if that person is a productive member of our society and we encouraged the parents to come here?
The battle lines are drawn: Liberals who have no respect for the rule of law except when it benefits them want all immigrants legalized because they need new voters. Or maybe it’s compassion? Conservatives want them all deported because rightwingers hate everybody that doesn’t look and talk like them. Or maybe they hold the quaint idea that laws should be enforced?
The Simple Solution
The simple solution is to protect our borders and enforce existing immigration law. Put worker verification in place nation-wide. Our banking system of ATMs and debit and credit cards works almost flawlessly, and you’re going to tell me we can’t verify if someone is legally entitled to work in the US or not? We have the technology. We also have to put policies in place to determine status before doling out government assistance.
If conservatives saw that government was enforcing the law, most would probably accede to liberal demands to legalize those already here who meet the criteria laid out by President Obama. But who wants solutions when festering sores and bloody shirts are so much more effective in stoking ideological fervor?
Census Bureau – Hispanic Facts
Americans Favor Arizona Immigration Law
Pew Hispanic Center
NRO – Hispanic Poll Results
TNR – Immigrants and Job Creation
Really, what separates an illegal immigrant from a citizen? They’re normalized! They work, own houses and cars and their kids graduate high school and college. They just have to look over their shoulders every now and then.
We can’t punish the children for the crimes of the parent, say those who want to legalize people brought here as children. But children are punished all the time for their parents mistakes. Parents who act irresponsibly can drive the family to poverty; the children pay. Parents who commit crimes go to jail and leave parentless children behind, so this argument doesn’t hold up.
On the other hand, does it make sense to send a person back to a country he or she has never been to? Especially if that person is a productive member of our society and we encouraged the parents to come here?
The battle lines are drawn: Liberals who have no respect for the rule of law except when it benefits them want all immigrants legalized because they need new voters. Or maybe it’s compassion? Conservatives want them all deported because rightwingers hate everybody that doesn’t look and talk like them. Or maybe they hold the quaint idea that laws should be enforced?
The Simple Solution
The simple solution is to protect our borders and enforce existing immigration law. Put worker verification in place nation-wide. Our banking system of ATMs and debit and credit cards works almost flawlessly, and you’re going to tell me we can’t verify if someone is legally entitled to work in the US or not? We have the technology. We also have to put policies in place to determine status before doling out government assistance.
If conservatives saw that government was enforcing the law, most would probably accede to liberal demands to legalize those already here who meet the criteria laid out by President Obama. But who wants solutions when festering sores and bloody shirts are so much more effective in stoking ideological fervor?
Census Bureau – Hispanic Facts
Americans Favor Arizona Immigration Law
Pew Hispanic Center
NRO – Hispanic Poll Results
TNR – Immigrants and Job Creation
