This isn't good enough
The Senate and the Bush administration are discussing a plan for dealing with illegal aliens. The plan does have some positive features; it would require "legal status" for illegal aliens to wait until after substantial progress has been made on border security, and until after the present huge backlog of applications by would-be legal immigrants has been cleared (one of the most offensive aspects of legalizing illegals -- a point which needs to be shouted from the rooftops -- is that it would allow them to "jump ahead in line" of those who have been trying to immigrate by following the legal process for doing so). These could delay legalization by ten to thirteen years. The plan also imposes substantial fines and requires illegals to return to their home countries to apply for legal status.
Nevertheless, the plan is bad on the fundamentals. Any "legal status" or "path to citizenship" is an amnesty and a reward for illegal immigration, regardless of how many delays or punitive features it incorporates. The plan would still allow illegals to bring some family members into the US, creating a potential future influx of tens of millions of people whose sole claim upon this country would be the fact that a relative of theirs once violated US law by coming here illegally.
The plan utterly fails to implement the most fundamental principle of all: illegal aliens are in the US illegally and should be removed permanently from the country, period. The plan seems to lack any reference to the most effective strategy for achieving this: harsh sanctions on all those who employ illegal aliens.
An illegal alien living in Los Angeles or Boston has no more claim on any right of residency in the US than any Bangladeshi peasant who has never set foot outside his native village -- less, in fact, since the Bangladeshi peasant has at least never violated any American law.
This plan betrays and insults both the American workers harmed by illegal-alien competition and the overwhelming consensus of the American people, both left and right, that illegal immigration should not be rewarded.
I will say that I am glad that MSM articles on this subject persist in referring to illegal aliens as "undocumented immigrants". This pathetically dishonest and manipulative euphemism does not fool anyone. It makes people angry. And they need to be angry.
The people's message to Congress needs to be consistent: Build the border fence. Tough employer sanctions. No amnesty.
Nevertheless, the plan is bad on the fundamentals. Any "legal status" or "path to citizenship" is an amnesty and a reward for illegal immigration, regardless of how many delays or punitive features it incorporates. The plan would still allow illegals to bring some family members into the US, creating a potential future influx of tens of millions of people whose sole claim upon this country would be the fact that a relative of theirs once violated US law by coming here illegally.
The plan utterly fails to implement the most fundamental principle of all: illegal aliens are in the US illegally and should be removed permanently from the country, period. The plan seems to lack any reference to the most effective strategy for achieving this: harsh sanctions on all those who employ illegal aliens.
An illegal alien living in Los Angeles or Boston has no more claim on any right of residency in the US than any Bangladeshi peasant who has never set foot outside his native village -- less, in fact, since the Bangladeshi peasant has at least never violated any American law.
This plan betrays and insults both the American workers harmed by illegal-alien competition and the overwhelming consensus of the American people, both left and right, that illegal immigration should not be rewarded.
I will say that I am glad that MSM articles on this subject persist in referring to illegal aliens as "undocumented immigrants". This pathetically dishonest and manipulative euphemism does not fool anyone. It makes people angry. And they need to be angry.
The people's message to Congress needs to be consistent: Build the border fence. Tough employer sanctions. No amnesty.
Labels: Illegal immigration, Politics
posted by Infidel753 at 2:53 AM
3 Comments:
I'm - *surprise!* - right with you on this one. And you put it so perfectly. No Amnesty.
If this plan sat well with most of us in the first place, along with the fines the illegal aliens would have to pay, I'd require those who are harboring and employing them (those who are aware) to pay fines (you wisely noted this). In other words, the illegal aliens would have to talk. Can't stop the flow of illegal aliens until their reasons for coming are gone.
From the article: Democrats are eager to deliver a measure that appeals to their liberal base by allowing the huge undocumented population to earn legal status and welcoming new immigrants. Republicans are seeking to neutralize an issue that party strategists believe hurt them in the 2006 elections. True... neither party taking a stance for most U.S. citizens or for our country's wellbeing.
Ahh- having problems posting again. Sorry if you get copies! -guess Blogger doesn't like my strikethrough tag.
I agree with you as well, except I think we need to focus more on corporations hiring illegals. Very stiff fines and penalties. No jobs - no illegals. A fence is a joke. But also I agree with you, no amnesty. The the Democrats and the Republicans are both useless and stupid regarding this matter. They both have transparent and self-serving agendas regarding this issue.
Chell -- I only got one copy of your comment. I don't know why Blogger would have a problem with strikethrough, but you know how primitive most of these comment interfaces are. You even have to type in HTML tags manually, like stone-age cave men must have had to do when they accessed the internet on their crude flint-hewn computers.
I think we need to use every available tactic to stop and reverse illegal immigration. Barriers have proven effective along certain parts of the border, such as San Diego (where the flow of illegal aliens, and also the number of burglaries and rapes, fell dramatically after a barrier was set up). Employer sanctions are probably the most effective tactic of all, though. Ideally, the position should be: if you hire an illegal alien you are going to do serious prison time, whether you're a family farmer or the president of Wal-Mart.
It's remarkable how many liberals, as well as conservatives, are on board with this issue. There's a very broad consensus out there, and whichever political party is the first to get in line with what most people want will reap the benefits.
Post a Comment
<< Home