It is that simple.
Well said. Amnesty has been done before in the U.S. -several times. Reagan even did it. We're still here. It's time to enforce the laws already on the books, but for the illegals already here there is nothing we can do. We can't deport a population the equivalent of Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming combined. It's time to move on to the next battle.
Am I the only one on this thread backing you?
The posing pols, especially Bush, are running the old smoke and mirrors scam, he/they will not fund or ever give the necessary resources to protect us and our borders.
When it come to illegal immigration, I HATE ALL THE LYING POLITICIANS, Period
Is that what your crystal ball says? If so you might want to look into getting a new one. Like the ports deal the political pressure against such a policy will never allow for it, especially in an election year.
Unfortunately, the answer is that most of the congress critters want to win.
Well....I'd rather be half right and win half than be completely right and win nothing. Pukin', here's the key part of what you said:
Only after a migrant worker program passes, making most of these illegal aliens legal, is there any chance at all to have meaningful border enforcement.
My reading of that is that we can get meaningful border enforcement if we include some kind of amnesty. As distasteful as "amnesty" may sound to some, I'll accept amnesty if it includes securing the border. Because I think the only political alternative to amnesty + border enforcement is the status quo. And that's a whole lot worse.
Trying to squeeze the toothpaste back into the tube won't work. So I'll settle for making sure the lids is tightly on the remaining tubes.
I agree with you to the extent that the immigration problem has been allowed to fester for so long that it will be impractical (to say the least) to get rid of all the illegals. And even legal immigration at the present levels is a problem. People are literally selling out their country.
I also agree that there is a Republican majority in Congress, but not a conservative majority. Do we hold our noses and act to keep a broad coalition together, or do we say "hell no" and stand (or, most probably, fall) on principle and educate and rebuild.
Interesting piece you wrote. But I have no solutions.
This is satire, right? If you win, but only because you have embraced something that isn't right, what have you won? If you're sleeping with the enemy, how are you distinguishable from the enemy?
"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"
Dems will win this november unless we enforce existing laws and/or pass tougher ones!
It's not that simple. Not that simple at all. We have a problem. Yes, it's going to be difficult to send millions of illegals back across the border.
I say that we cut off their jobs by beginning to enforce laws against hiring them. Start busting the mini-van drivers picking them up at the local Home Depot. Send the ICE guys into every restaurant in each city. Move on to the motels. Arrest the managers and owners of these businesses for hiring illegals.
That'll do it. No jobs...no money...the illegals will start heading home.
Make it clear that if you hire an illegal, you stand a pretty good chance of going to a federal lockup.
Then, once the numbers have been reduced, start whatever program you like to bring legal immigrants in to fill all those jobs, if they don't get filled with American workers.
Your plan is just capitulation. I don't like capitulating very much.
What will happen when the population of illegals swell before the cutoff date for qualifying for worker program? What will happen when temporary worker pays and gets a temporary live in American familly and claims American dependents before he can be deported? What happens when they marry an American citizen? There are many IRS loop holes that will allow the guest worker to stay. What if most of the guest workers go underground when the deadline date to return arrives?? We cannot track students who exceed their visas, how is the INS going to track 11 to 25 million workers who decide to disappear? You claim small businesses will turn on the GOP if these laws passes. Pass the law and the GOP conservatives sit home and the Democrats will come to power. How would small businesses like to try making a living when the Dems pass one mandate and reg after another, and increase their business costs?
Do you really think the Democrats have a winner here? Here's what the Democrats have to convince the American people of:
Democrats: There are no jobs!
Democrats: We don't have enough workers! We need millions of illegals and more guest workers to fill all of these unfilled jobs!
Democrats: So many Americans living in poverty!
Democrats: Import massive numbers of poverty cases into the US so they can hold down the wages of the citizens who are living in poverty...and take their jobs!
Democrats: There is a widening gap between rich and poor!
Democrats: Let's allow millions of cheap labor illegal immigrants into the US to hold down the wages of the poor and allow the rich to keep more of their money by paying slave wages to their labor!
Yeah, the Democrats really got themselves a winner there.
>>>Bush will likely veto any bill making illegal immigration a felony, if that bill does not include the migrant worker program (call it amnesty if you want) needed to hold onto Business and Hispanic support for the Republican Party>>>
You are correct with Mr. "I love an illegal alien and I'm in love with Vicente Fox even though he absolutely hates America" Bush.
Rah rah rah - sis boom bah.
I hope they will make penalties stiffer for people that hire (enable) illegals.
If my senator or congressman is more concerned with getting the pro-illegal alien vote then he can kiss mine behind because I don't want him representing me!
I am so sick of the politicians in this country bowing to allowing the borders to be open like a floodgate because they are scared of the current hispanic voters.
Keep fighting for sanity!
"Do you want to be right, or do you want to win?"
At times this is the only way Americans can communicate with political leaders: by "sticking to our guns".
If our president is not doing what we elected him to do, then what good will it do to elect someone like him who saw that he was successful in acting against the wishes of his supporters?
(Also I believe your question may be an `all or nothing' informal fallacy. It is possible to be right and to win, e.g. USSCChief Justice Roberts.)
We haven't lost this one. The battle is just being joined.
We're not going to get over it. This is a matter of principle, not political expediency for some Party to take advantage of so as to win another election for a bowl of pottage.
This is our country. It doesn't belong to illegal gate crashers - no matter how cheaply they pick lettuce, lay blocks or what kind of "family values" somebody claims they possess. Nor is it ultimately controlled by their enablers who prefer slave labor, expanding the welfare state and getting illegal voters!