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An Ugly Reality (Thomas Sowell On The Real Meaning Of The Open Borders Lobby's Demands Alert)
Townhall.com ^ | 04/18/06 | Thomas Sowell

Posted on 04/18/2006 1:36:37 AM PDT by goldstategop

Thank heaven for the massive marches across the country by those favoring illegal immigrants. These marches revealed the ugly truth behind the fog of pious words and clever political spin from the media and from both Democrats and Republicans in Washington. "Guest workers"? Did any of the strident speakers, with their in-your-face bombast in Spanish, sound like guests? Did they sound like people who wanted to become Americans?

Were they even asking for amnesty? They didn't sound like they were asking for anything. They sounded like they were telling. Demanding. Threatening.

Somebody must have told them that their Mexican flags that dominated the earlier marches were not making a good impression on television, so they started flying American flags. But such cosmetic changes did not keep the ugly reality from coming through in their hostile speeches.

These were not the speeches of people who wanted to join American society but people who wanted their own turf on American soil -- in disregard and defiance of what American citizens want.

Europe has already been through this "guest worker" policy that we are being urged to follow. They have learned the hard way what it means to have a growing foreign population in their midst -- a population that insists on remaining foreign and hostile to the culture, values and people around them.

Some European countries have learned this lesson at the cost of riots and bloodshed in the streets and lives lost in terrorist attacks. Others have only had to contend with national polarization -- thus far -- but polarization is not a small thing.

In this country, however, there are still people who refuse to learn any lesson at all. Some business interests see only an opportunity to get cheap labor. Some intellectuals see only abstract principles about abstract people crossing an abstract border.

Some tell us loftily that earlier generations of immigrants who were once thought to be unassimilable turned out over time to become as American as anyone else and patriotic citizens.

That might well be true of immigrants from Mexico, both legal and illegal, if the circumstances of today were the same as the circumstances during an earlier era of immigration from Europe. But circumstances are not the same -- and those circumstances are not going to become the same by pretending that they are.

The ugly display of grievance-mongering bombast at the illegal immigrant marches is just one of those circumstances that are not the same as in an earlier era.

When people came here from Europe, they came here to become Americans. There was no prouder title for them.

American generals of German ancestry led the fight against Germany in both World Wars. The Irish "Fighting 69th" earned its fame on the battlefields of the First World War and Japanese American fighting units were among the most highly decorated in World War II. They proved they were Americans.

The underlying tragedy of the present situation is that it is doubtful whether the activist loudmouths, who were too contemptuous of this country to even speak its language while demanding its benefits, represent most immigrants from Mexico.

Both legal and illegal immigrants have come here primarily to work and make a better life for themselves and their families. But a country requires more than workers. It requires people who are citizens not only in name but in commitment.

Americanization did not happen automatically in earlier times and it will not happen automatically today. Immigrants in an earlier era had leaders and organizations actively working to transform them into Americans -- the Catholic Church with the Irish and numerous organizations among the Jews, for example.

Today's immigrant activists and the politicians who kowtow to them have just the opposite agenda, to keep foreigners foreign and to make other Americans accept and adjust to that. It will be a national tragedy if they succeed.

Just what problem will amnesty solve? Illegal aliens will benefit and politicians will benefit by sweeping the illegality under the rug by making it legal. But how will American citizens benefit? America can lose big time.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; Mexico; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: aliens; barbarians; bigbusiness; illegalimmigration; illegals; immigrantlist; immigration; invasion; mexico; nationalfabric; nationalsecurity; openborderslobby; slamdunk; thomassowell; townhall; uglyreality
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The demands of the Open Borders Lobby is more than a Big Business demand for cheap labor or even amnesty for millions of illegal aliens. Its real meaning amounts to far more than that. The ugly reality is the threat to our national security is more than just about sweeping an enormous criminal problem under the rug. Above all its about compromising our national identity and acquiescing in the fraudulent premise that illegal aliens can be citizens but not integrate fully into the life of the country as Americans. The legal act of becoming a citizen is one thing but the process of becoming an American is an entirely different matter that cannot be mandated in a law. Shame on our politicians who don't understand the critical difference involved in their rush to kowtow to the Open Borders Lobby's agenda over the expressed opposition of the American people. Amnesty will not address the real nature of the illegal immigration crisis in this country. If its adopted, the real loser will be the national fabric that keeps our country knit up together.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

1 posted on 04/18/2006 1:36:43 AM PDT by goldstategop
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To: goldstategop

More clear thinking from Thomas Sowell.


2 posted on 04/18/2006 1:40:49 AM PDT by EternalVigilance ("The emperor is wearing virtual clothes!")
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To: goldstategop
The best explanation yet! Well said.
3 posted on 04/18/2006 1:59:45 AM PDT by liliesgrandpa (The Republican Party simply can't do anything without that critical 100-seat Senate majority.)
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To: goldstategop

SLAM DUNK, and yes, I added the keyword: SLAMDUNK.


4 posted on 04/18/2006 2:05:37 AM PDT by onyx (It's easier to indict a ham sandwich or Tom DeLay than it is to indict a Democrat.)
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To: goldstategop

Hit's the nail right smack on the head. Sowell rocks
We need to keep up the pressure on this. Contact your reps.


5 posted on 04/18/2006 2:09:40 AM PDT by alaskamomma
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To: goldstategop
Great post.
6 posted on 04/18/2006 2:11:59 AM PDT by Caipirabob (Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
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To: goldstategop

My Grandmother told us as children that this would happen in our lifetime. She had it right... God Bless her.


7 posted on 04/18/2006 2:12:04 AM PDT by antceecee (Hey AG Gonzales! ENFORCE IMMIGRATION LAWS NOW!!!)
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God, I love this brilliant man.

(In a non-limp wristed way, that is. ;-)

Thomas Sowell for President!


8 posted on 04/18/2006 2:13:35 AM PDT by LegendHasIt
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To: HiJinx

ping


9 posted on 04/18/2006 2:37:44 AM PDT by DumpsterDiver
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To: goldstategop

alot of good talking on the subject by those with a voice



will the day ever come when we get some ACTION?!?!?!?


10 posted on 04/18/2006 2:41:42 AM PDT by sure_fine (*not one to over kill the thought process*)
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To: goldstategop

Open borders are not a good thing.

We in the republican party need to stop open borders RINOs from being nominated for president or residing in congress via primary.

That is why I'm seriously considering voting for John Konop, a republican challenging republican Tom Price. Whoever wins the primary will get my vote, and Price will almost certainly win like 99% of incumbents do, but I will at least vote of principle for once.


11 posted on 04/18/2006 4:01:02 AM PDT by NapkinUser (http://www.vasquezforidaho.org/)
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To: NapkinUser

P.S.: I haven't forgotten the CAFTA vote, Tom Price.


12 posted on 04/18/2006 4:01:59 AM PDT by NapkinUser (http://www.vasquezforidaho.org/)
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To: sure_fine
We will not get the action we need. Social security is the proof. The Congress has operated Social Security as it's bank account. The Congress talks but there will be no solution that does not benefit the Congress.

Congress has a separate retirement program while they flaunt Social Security in our face. Unless we rise up and put real fear in the Congress, they will take the Social Security approach. Lots of talk about what a problem it is will be all we will get. The solution will not work well for them so they will pass on the problem.
13 posted on 04/18/2006 4:08:51 AM PDT by paguch
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To: goldstategop

True intent of the illegal invaders exposed.

All this Norman Rockwell talk from the media, democrats, and all open border supporters hopefully will not sway Congress when making their decisions about a bill to pass for or against amnesty.

This "they are just here to get jobs to support their loving families and to do jobs Americans won't do" was proven to be a lie from hell. They have sinister intent by sneaking in and have recently revealed their hatred for Americans.

To give these criminals blanket amnesty or amnesty at all would be a disaster of epic proportion!

Dictators like the one from Iran and people like Chavez have threatened this country saying they have people in place here in our country, how could Congress in all honesty pass a bill that would reward these people?
This is not Norman Rockwell picture they are painting for us. They have already threatened and demanded amnesty.

Wake up and smell the starbucks Congress, do NOT pass the kennedy/Specter/mccain bill!!!

To pass amnesty now and to continue having a porous open border is to declare disaster on this country as we once knew it and to allow the super power to collapse.


14 posted on 04/18/2006 4:09:03 AM PDT by stopem (Head to the border and plug the leak!)
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To: paguch

I think its the 17th amendment,


SET TERM LIMITS


15 posted on 04/18/2006 4:15:43 AM PDT by sure_fine (*not one to over kill the thought process*)
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To: All

Who is kidding who? These slick politicians are looking only for ways to get new voting blocs---they will screw the citizenry without blinking an eye. The only laws we need are those that protect our national security and reinforce the rights of US citizens over illegal invaders.

FREEPER ACTIVISM

There are plenty of laws on the books that are not being enforced. For example, elected officials and government employees on the public payroll aiding and abetting law-breaking invaders (who are using phony documentation to scam government benefits) have crossed the line, and could be prosecuted under Penal Law .135.60 COERCION IN THE SECOND DEGREE (a Class A misdemeanor).


Elected officials and government employees on the public payroll violated their fiduciary duties by aiding and abetting lawbreaking and have committed actionable offenses under Penal Law .135.60 COERCION IN THE SECOND DEGREE (a Class A misdemeanor). PENAL LAW 135.60 (Committed on or after September 1, 1967) is Coercion in the Second Degree.

When an individual uses or abuses his/her position as a public servant by performing some act within or related to his or her official duties, or by failing or refusing to perform an official duty, in such manner as to affect some person adversely.


Perform any (other) act which would not in itself materially benefit the actor but which is calculated to harm another person materially with respect to his or her health, safety, business, calling, career, financial condition, reputation or personal relationships.

The term(s), ("crime"), ("public servant") used in this definition has its own special meaning in our law. PUBLIC SERVANT means any public officer or employee of the state or of any political subdivision thereof or of any governmental instrumentality within the state, or any person exercising the functions of any such public officer or employee.

The term public servant includes a person who has been elected or designated to become a public servant. CRIME means a misdemeanor or a felony.





FREEPER ACTIVISM

The misuse of tax dollars should be pursued with great vigor by all US citizens whose rights have been violated by elected officials and government employees on the public payroll.


16 posted on 04/18/2006 4:38:04 AM PDT by Liz (We have room for but one flag, the American flag." —Theodore Roosevelt)
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To: sure_fine

The day will come, but the "ACTION" will come from 'we, the people.' Of course at that time it will be called 'insurrection.'
To depend on our leaders, Rep or Dem, is a fatal waste of time. They are too busy 'vote farming.'


17 posted on 04/18/2006 4:38:34 AM PDT by Roccus
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To: goldstategop

The legal act of becoming a citizen is one thing but the process of becoming an American is an entirely different matter that cannot be mandated in a law.



Excellent statement. We don't want any AINOs (Americans in Name Only) in this country. Being an American means more than being able to be in this country legally and get good wages. This country stands for something, but it seems that many have forgotten exactly what that is.


18 posted on 04/18/2006 4:38:52 AM PDT by old republic
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To: goldstategop

bttt


19 posted on 04/18/2006 4:47:32 AM PDT by true_blue_texican ((grateful Texan!!))
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To: clyde asbury

Good morning from Dr. Sowell :-).


20 posted on 04/18/2006 4:50:06 AM PDT by Tax-chick ("Life is too short to drink bad wine." ~ The Captain)
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