One Word Killed Immrigration Bill, One Word Doomed It From The Start
I heard it said, the word "amnesty" crystallized the opposition and forced the end of debate on the so-called immigration bill. That sounds about right to me, the idea that people can enter our country without permission and be rewarded for their brazen defiance of the rule of law is a powerfully unwelcome notion. Amnesty succinctly described the situation, even if the bill's proponents wish us to avoid the "A" word.
But, the word that caused the bill to get so out of bounds is comprehensive. With that one word they admitted that they would insist upon one solution to many problems, problems that were not related to one another. With the use of that word, comprehensive, they were saying, we are going to solve border enforcement, and we are going to eliminate the illegals who are in our country now, and we are going to solve an economic need, and we are going to show the world that we are compassionate.
Well, you don't solve border enforcement with legislation, you solve it with action. You solve it by giving the law enforcers the tools to enforce existing law.
Their way of eliminating the criminals here illegally was to make them legal. A better solution would be to enforce the laws and remove the illegals when you find them, enforce existing disincentives to their presence here (employer verification, etc.), create new disincentives, (remove anchor baby provisions, end welfare for illegals) and generally make it a perpetual campaign to assure ourselves that we know that all who are within our boundaries are here legally.
If it is true that we need more workers, then have them enter legally.
If we wish to have them become Americans, let them pass muster in traditional style, let them earn it the way so many others before them earned it, (learn the language, learn the history, learn the laws and obey them, learn to assimilate).
And let's forget about creating an image for the world to see when we talk about immigration; if the world can not remember all that this country has done for humanity there is little hope that they will recognize our capitulation to those who sneak into our country as grace born of virtue, rather we will be seen as weak, impotent and scared.
So, let's end "comprehensive" immigration reform, tackling each issue on its own merits makes so much more sense, and assures a fairer outcome for the American people.
