Posted on 01/31/2018 5:58:23 AM PST by Kaslin
President Donald Trump reportedly asked why the U.S. is "having all these people from sh*thole countries come here." I think he could have used better language, but it's a question that should be asked and answered. I have a few questions for my fellow Americans to consider. How many Norwegians have illegally entered our nation, committed crimes and burdened our prison and welfare systems? I might ask the same question about Finnish, Swedish, Welsh, Icelanders, Greenlanders and New Zealanders. The bulk of our immigration problem is with people who enter our country criminally from Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East. It's illegal immigrants from those countries who have committed crimes and burdened our criminal justice and welfare systems. A large number of immigrants who are here illegally -- perhaps the majority are law-abiding in other respects -- have fled oppressive, brutal and corrupt regimes to seek a better life in America.
In the debate about illegal immigration, there are questions that are not explicitly asked but can be answered with a straight "yes" or "no": Does everyone in the world have a right to live in the U.S.? Do Americans have a right to decide who and under what conditions a person may enter our country? Should we permit foreigners landing at our airports to ignore U.S. border control laws just as some ignore our laws at our southern border? The reason those questions are not asked is that one would be deemed an idiot for saying that everyone in the world has a right to live in our country, that Americans don't have a right to decide who lives in our country and that foreigners landing at our airports have a right to just ignore U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.
Immigration today, even when legal, is different from the immigration of yesteryear. People who came here in the 19th century and most of the 20th century came here to learn our language, learn our customs and become Americans. Years ago, there was a guarantee that immigrants came here to work, because there was no welfare system; they worked, begged or starved. Today, there is no such assurance. Because of our welfare state, immigrants can come here and live off taxpaying Americans.
There is another difference between today and yesteryear. Today, Americans are taught multiculturalism throughout their primary, secondary and college education. They are taught that one culture is no better or worse than another. To believe otherwise is criticized at best as Eurocentrism and at worst as racism. As a result, some immigrant groups seek to bring to our country the cultural values whose failures have led to the poverty, corruption and human rights violations in their home countries that caused them to flee. As the fallout from President Trump's indelicate remarks demonstrates, too many Americans are afraid and unwilling to ask which immigrant groups have become a burden to our nation and which have made a contribution to the greatness of America.
Very unfortunate for our nation is that we have political groups that seek to use illegal immigration for their own benefit. They've created sanctuary cities and states that openly harbor criminals -- people who have broken our laws. The whole concept of sanctuary cities is to give aid, comfort and sympathy to people who have broken our laws. Supporters want to prevent them from having to hide and live in fear of discovery. I'd ask whether, for the sake of equality before the law, we should apply the sanctuary concept to Americans who have broken other laws, such as robbers and tax evaders.
We should not fall prey to people who criticize our efforts to combat illegal immigration and who pompously say, "We're a nation of immigrants!" The debate is not over immigration. The debate is over illegal immigration. My sentiments on immigrants who are here legally and who want to become Americans are expressed by the sentiments in Emma Lazarus' poem "The New Colossus," which is on a plaque inside the Statue of Liberty and in part says, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."
I hear leftists and open borders types say these very things all the time.
As a nation of laws all of us need to push back if we hear the tired position from the left that we are a nation of immigrants. As the essay points out we started out as a nation of LEGAL immigrants.
Also - although not discussed in this essay, it is likely than many conservatives are nervous about the 1.8 million number in the 4 pillars from the President. This number sounds large and I was at first not happy about that. However, it occurred to me that it would not be automatic that these would all vote democrat because at least some of them would recognize that it was President Trump who created the path.
It would be preferable that the “dreamers” be regularized in some way and not given full citizenship and the wall must be built first (or at least at the same time). This cannot be negotiable.
I just wanted to point out that the basic premise that all of these dreamers would automatically all vote democrat might not be correct, if the conservatives were able to get the message out that they were responsible for the regularized status.
I agree with you that not all dreamers would automatically vote democrat. If they are smart they won’t
I wish that I could agree with that, but I've seen nothing in the behavior of those so-called "dreamers" that suggests that they're capable of any kind of gratitude. All I see from them is a sense of entitlement. Like I said, I'd love to think you're right about them, and I wish I couldn't agree with Ann Coulter's description of them as "a brown ANTIFA," but I do.
If Norwegians worked for dirt poor wages and reliably voted Democrat, they’d be courted too.
When I looked at Nancy Piglousi and the other rats last night I said to my self “look at those faces! What sourpusses”
Most of these dreamers whole lives (since illegally coming here) have been one hand out after another. whether govt monies and paid for services or church/organizational “charity, outreach” etc) - plenty of handouts as well as stealing or manipulating people into helping.
I once had a garage sale and 2-3 cars of none english speakers would come at same time and as a “parent’ would be asking for huge discount on one item the kids would be going through stuff, by the time they left many things not paid for were gone.
They perpetuate their culture of disrespect for others and taking or doing as they please. Seems that’s normal in their way of life,use and abuse. Thank God a few break free of that, but most I’ve encountered don’t even think it’s a problem and or laugh if you mention it to them. They cannot conceive being any different.
Nothing beats a Walter Williams column....thanks.
Nothing beats a Walter Williams column. Thanks...
Up to its old trick - not clearing after the post.....
Sorry!
Up to its old trick - not clearing after the post. Sorry!
Up to its old trick - not clearing after the post - sorry!
Up to its old trick - not clearing after the post - sorry!
WOW - this is ridiculous....none showed that they posted....
Mr. Williams, I think it's more likely that **Dick** Durbin lied about it. It's not the first time.
I think I heard this from someone else on FR (wish it was my phrase) but someone said instead of “s*** hole” countries, Trump should have said “Turd World” nations.
This may mean releasing it after Mexico kicks in for the wall. Hundred percent.
That is the situation we face here at home when RATs flee the sinking ships of blue states, infest red states and bring along their misguided voting habits. $hithole creators.
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