More on the Border
Today, Ed Gillespie joins the chorus of those warning that the GOP must not permit itself to be defined as the anti-immigration party.
He's right. But once again, no distinction is being made between legal and illegal immigration (which seems to be a not-uncommon lapse, as noted here). And there is a difference -- although the transnationalists (of whom Mr. Gillespie, incidentally, clearly is not one) would prefer it to be ellided.
This AP poll notes that most Americans are willing to consider some sort of legal status for currently illegal immigrations. Count me among them -- although it's unfair and troubling that illegals have been allowed to jump in line before those who have tried to follow U.S. law, there's no practical and humane way to forcibly deport 11 million illegals.
In other words, the past is past -- we can only fix the future. But demonstrable success in securing the border is the only assurance that, 10 years from now, we won't be having the same debate all over again.
So far, we're getting a lot of promises, but pardon my skepticism. First, I'd prefer to see proof that any of the proposals work. Otherwise, we end up with 11 million guest workers, and a continuing flow of illegals through our porous borders. And in a decade, we're in the same mess.
What's so wrong with putting some real border controls in place, and seeing if they work, before legalizing the illegals? Set a percentage -- i.e. if illegal immigration drops by X% or more within X amount of time, we move ahead with a guest worker program. If not, we keep looking for solutions to secure the border. The only objection can stem from those who have no real confidence that the border can be secured.
In a sense, McCain-Kennedy immigration "reform" reminds me of tax "reform." Deductions are eliminated, in exchange for lowering tax rates. Then, in two years, taxes go up and the deductions are gone. Similarly, here, we're promised that, in exchange for a guest worker program, border security will be enhanced. Here's hoping we don't just end up with a guest worker program and the same impotent border security.
I'm open to a guest worker program. But I'm just a little suspicious of those who want to impose it without any evidence that border security is going to be taken seriously.
He's right. But once again, no distinction is being made between legal and illegal immigration (which seems to be a not-uncommon lapse, as noted here). And there is a difference -- although the transnationalists (of whom Mr. Gillespie, incidentally, clearly is not one) would prefer it to be ellided.
This AP poll notes that most Americans are willing to consider some sort of legal status for currently illegal immigrations. Count me among them -- although it's unfair and troubling that illegals have been allowed to jump in line before those who have tried to follow U.S. law, there's no practical and humane way to forcibly deport 11 million illegals.
In other words, the past is past -- we can only fix the future. But demonstrable success in securing the border is the only assurance that, 10 years from now, we won't be having the same debate all over again.
So far, we're getting a lot of promises, but pardon my skepticism. First, I'd prefer to see proof that any of the proposals work. Otherwise, we end up with 11 million guest workers, and a continuing flow of illegals through our porous borders. And in a decade, we're in the same mess.
What's so wrong with putting some real border controls in place, and seeing if they work, before legalizing the illegals? Set a percentage -- i.e. if illegal immigration drops by X% or more within X amount of time, we move ahead with a guest worker program. If not, we keep looking for solutions to secure the border. The only objection can stem from those who have no real confidence that the border can be secured.
In a sense, McCain-Kennedy immigration "reform" reminds me of tax "reform." Deductions are eliminated, in exchange for lowering tax rates. Then, in two years, taxes go up and the deductions are gone. Similarly, here, we're promised that, in exchange for a guest worker program, border security will be enhanced. Here's hoping we don't just end up with a guest worker program and the same impotent border security.
I'm open to a guest worker program. But I'm just a little suspicious of those who want to impose it without any evidence that border security is going to be taken seriously.
posted by LadybugUSA at 11:58 AM
3 Comments:
While I think it's accurate that many in our society suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder, politicians still seem to think all Americans are also ignorant and/or stooooopid. Some now in the U. S. Congress were also there in the mid-eighties when border controls were supposed to be enforced as a part of that guest worker program. They were not enforced, and some estimates say illegal immigration increased by 25%.
It is Congress that is stooooopid if it thinks we who remember those days won't shout "No way, Jose!" to this current boondoggle.
Carol says, "What's so wrong with putting some real border controls in place, and seeing if they work, before legalizing the illegals?"
Oh my God. For once, I actually agree with Carol on something. Don't tell anyone.
Greetings! Very clearly reasoned. I have a similar take - self-evidently - but from a different data base. More history than politics. As I have pointed out in various of my own postings, on my own wonderful blog, Forgotten Prophets, every empire gets invaded, by barbarians. Stated thus, it's a very harsh thing to say. Context softens it. Ah, I don't wish to clutter up your space. I've writen considerably on, why, on *this very issue,* on my own wonderful blog. Several specific links are:
http://forgottenprophets.blogspot.com/2006/04/10-of-population-of-mexico-is-in-us.html
http://forgottenprophets.blogspot.com/2006/04/common-nonsense.html
http://forgottenprophets.blogspot.com/2006/04/lying-with-statistics.html
http://forgottenprophets.blogspot.com/2006/04/education.html
http://forgottenprophets.blogspot.com/2006/04/article-one-section-eight.html
http://forgottenprophets.blogspot.com/2006/03/bad-tactics.html
http://forgottenprophets.blogspot.com/2006/03/my-country.html
http://forgottenprophets.blogspot.com/2006/03/just-as-i-thought.html
and finally
http://forgottenprophets.blogspot.com/2006/03/not-against-the-pro-illegal-immigration-rally.html
Golly, I *did* write a lot. Don't I have anything else to think about? But here it is, should you care to see my considered and more thoroughly developed take on the matter.
Regards,
Jack H
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