Candor on Immigration

By Robert J. Samuelson

Wednesday, June 8, 2005; Page A21

Immigration is crawling its way back onto the national agenda -- and not just as a footnote to keeping terrorists out. This year Congress enacted a law intended to prevent illegal immigrants from getting state driver's licenses; the volunteer "minutemen" who recently patrolled the porous Arizona border with Mexico attracted huge attention, and members of Congress from both parties are crafting proposals to deal with illegal immigration. All this is good. But unless we're brutally candid with ourselves, it won't amount to much. Being brutally candid means recognizing that the huge and largely uncontrolled flow of unskilled Latino workers into the United States is increasingly sabotaging the assimilation process.

Another excerpt:

To make immigration succeed, we need (paradoxically) to control immigration. Although this is common sense, it's common sense that fits uneasily inside our adversarial political culture. You're supposed to be either pro-immigrant or anti-immigrant -- it's hard to be pro-immigrant and pro tougher immigration restrictions. But that's the sensible position, as any examination of immigration trends suggests.

Link here............
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I have a vested interest, I am an immigrant.

I deeply resent that I went through all the proper channels, paid the fees, attended the interviews, filed the papers, and had to demonstrate that I was able to support myself and dependents at 25% over federally mandated poverty levels, either through assets I brought with me, or having a job offer, etc, etc, etc, (and I am prohibited from receiving any SS benefits for the first ten years even if unemployed or injured), while others just wander in to the country and get all manner of benefits, charity, and special considerations that I neither received nor expected, and worse than that various "activists", "sympathizers", and business leaders (who ought to know better, and uphold the rule of law) think that illegal immigrants are badly done by and should be given by some "right" what those of us who went through the proper channels, had to apply and pay for.

WildTurkey, you have stated well exactly what I think 90% of the population of this country believes. Why should illegals get a free ride when those respectable people who follow the rules and go through all of the hoops to come here don't? Congrats on coming here and doing it right.

Honestly, I swear two of the main things we are doing wrong in this country currently are not holding people accountable for their actions and we are honoring / aggrandizing / idolizing (use whatever term you would like) all the wrong people: sleazy individuals who have no discernable talent; talented individuals who do sleazy things, etc. Examples: Paris Hilton, Michael Jackson, some Rap stars, and the list goes on and on.

<Rant over, steps off high soap box.>

In NH recently, the chief of police in a small town arrested an illegal immigrant on the basis of trespassing. Why tresspassing? Because about a year earlier, he had pulled a van over for a traffic violation and found about a dozen (if memory serves) illegal immigrants. He contacted the local INS office (ICE now) and they told him to let them go-they couldnt be bothered. Back to the Chief, as expected, he has been both applauded and denounced for his actions.

In MA recently, a police officer on a traffic detail was was hit while directing traffic-the driver was 17, and had only been in the US 4 days. Doesn't speak or read english. A few days earlier, she had been detained in TX and then released by authorities, with instructions to return a couple days later for a hearing. She made it up here and injured the cop. Unreal. Can someone explain to me why people are outraged and dont understand those of us that do not want illegals to get drivers licenses and drain the limited resources of this country? By all means, come here legally and enjoy everything this country has to offer... but i am tired of paying for those who are not here legally. I guarantee you, if I snuck into Mexico and ran over a local policeman, I would be staring at cement walls for a long time.
I will also step off my soapbox now. Thank you for listening

Basically, we are all immigrants in this country. Our ancestors came from somewhere. The difference is that they came here legally and did all the things necessary to become productive citizens.

The liberal left is trying to change the terminology from illegal to undocumented.

A good bit of the problem with illegal immigrants is that they don't pay taxes, insure their cars, pay for medical insurance, etc - so it isn't surprising that they are prepared to work for low pay. If you made them legal, and forced them to pay taxes and insure their cars the level of pay they expect would increase dramatically!

The main obstacle to a rational immigration policy (which in essence means no immigration except for extreme hardship, real prosecution, family compassion, great wealth, and technical and scientific achievement) is not our alleged economic need to staff undesirable jobs, but the timidity in immigration opponents to withstand demagogic charges of racism. So it is generally with liberalism, it could not emotionally or intellectually survive its own absurdities without the prop of moral superiority gained from bogus charges of racism and, to a lesser degree, homophobia and religious zealotry.

The population of America has doubled in my lifetime and shows no signs of moderating its tumor like growth. I do not argue that we we cannot feed or house these teeming masses, but why should we inconvenience ourselves to accommodate a wave that is engulfing and distorting a way of life and inevitably turning our society into something that only a liberal could love? Conservatives, you will lose your guns, your freedom of the roads, your hunting grounds, your neighborhoods, and, ultimately, your way of life.

If you think your conception of your American constitutional rights can preserve you and protect your children from the overwhelming power of numbers, you will probably live long enough to be wretchedly disappointed. Just as an example, consider how your rights to use your own land have been wrested from you in the name of preserving the environment for your neighbors. This is a constitutional battle you have lost and will continue to lose. Your problem is not that your neighbors are blind to your constitutional rights of property, but that you have neighbors.

we could just put him in a box and ship him off to South Africa- just for the fun of it all.

It is a serious subject and should not be reduced to slamming posters. If you haven't anything worthwhile to contribute then please just stay out.

I would like to commend WildTurkey for proving that it can be done correctly. Thank you for respecting the United States in this way.

My only experience with someone immigrating here is that this person is still here even tho INS has suppossedly revoked his ability to be here. The problem is, it's all paper and there's no teeth behind it. INS has sent him a letter twice but never followed up or through on deportation so this person is still here, working without the required papers at a business that allows a number of illegals to remain in their employ. If ever the right hand didn't know what the left is doing, the Patriot Act provisions and INS are a case in point.

Personally I think illegal immigrants should get a free ride. On a bus back across the border.