Posted on 01/11/2004 5:36:57 PM PST by kellynla
As you've probably heard by now, President Bush has called for a major overhaul of America's immigration system, to grant legal status to millions of illegal-alien workers in the United States.
While Pres. Bush was quoted saying that, "I oppose amnesty, placing undocumented workers on the automatic path to citizenship," many conservative groups like the Federation for American Immigration Reform (fairus.org) insist that his "proposals for a massive new 'guestworker' program" would threaten homeland security, grant amnesty for law-breakers (a step overwhelmingly opposed by the American public), establish a backdoor immigration program, and threaten the jobs and wages of American workers.
In fact, three dozen House Republicans had already sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, "strongly and unequivocally" opposing mass amnesty for illegal immigrants; this letter becomes particularly important now with Pres. Bush's announcement. Today, we're asking you to sign on to that letter to Sec. Ridge, with copies to President Bush, your two Senators and your Congressman.
As proud Americans, we must strongly and unequivocally oppose mass amnesty for people who violate our immigration laws. Mere discussion of the possibility of amnesty encourages illegal immigration. We must enforce the immigration laws currently on our books rather than dangle the prospect of citizenship in front of potential immigration lawbreakers. We must increase immigration law enforcement, not only at borders but in the interior, making it more costly for lawbreakers to disregard our immigration laws.
Since 1986, Congress has passed seven amnesties for illegal aliens. Clearly this is a short-term "fix" to a long-term problem. Rewarding people who violate our immigration laws sends the wrong message, and encourages more illegal aliens to violate our borders and enter the United States illegally. Americans will have to pay increased taxes as a consequence of the burden amnesty would place on our school systems, welfare and social service systems, roads and transportation systems, the sprawl and environmental degradation, the health care system, Medicaid, Social Security, and other programs.
It is unfair to reward people who break our immigrations laws with immigration status, while many potential immigrants outside the United States are waiting to be admitted to the United States lawfully. If we allow the people who break the rules by entering the United States illegally to go to the front of the immigration line, it is a slap in the face to law-abiding immigrants.
And of course, we must be concerned that amnesty by any name, be it earned amnesty or legalization, jeopardizes our national security. Mahmud Abouhalima was granted amnesty in 1986... and was subsequently one of the terrorists that bombed the World Trade Center in 1993.
We MUST stop this now, while we can.
ACTION ITEM: According to Newsmax.com, Pres. Bush said his proposals, IF ENACTED BY CONGRESS, "would provide a more compassionate system for those who now live in the shadows of American society." We need to let Sec. Ridge, Pres. Bush, and our legislators know how we feel on this issue, BEFORE it's too late. Click "Go!" above to send a message to ALL of them at once!
NOTE: Sec. Ridge doesn't have a public email address, and our form isn't integrated with his department's form yet, so if you want to send your comments to him directly, you'll have to go to http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/contactus.
Toodles.
Care to explain this mysterious statement? You believe that it's good to reward criminal behavior? You believe it's in our best interests to destroy the sovereignty of the USA???
I believe in capitalism, not anti-business, ridiculously legalist federal government totalitarianism. You're clearly not much of a capitalist if you want to instantly remove 8 million workers from the American economy.
The question is not about "workers". It's about a group of people who have no legal right to be here driving the cost of socialist services through the roof. Been to a hospital emergency room lately?
Eliminate social services for non-citizens, and eliminate "anchor babies" as a means of obtaining permanent residency or citizenship, and the objections will drop dramatically.
You obviously have little tolerance of anything or anyone. Remember that what comes around goes around. I respect Bush's compassion for other human beings. I understand your points to a certain extent, I simply don't agree with your vacuous spirit. I hope life never places you in a similar situation that these immigrants are in. Remember that there but for the grace of God go you.
That side of the coin is not good, but the overwhelming majority of illegal immigrants rarely use these services, if at all, while at the same time they provide a very vital component to our growing economy. We should just make it easier for them to come here legally. If we spent billions of dollars to round them up and send them all home and then let 8 million others come in their place, legally, would you support that?
They don't use these services?
"In a city like Houston, where an estimated one-quarter of indigent patients are undocumented immigrants, denying them publicly funded health care services would mean turning away a lot of patients in need of care -- a scenario that holds little appeal for physicians."
---snip---
"As far as Ben Taub is concerned, its emergency department is already stretched to its limit, says the hospital's chief of staff, James Mattox, MD. The 300 to 350 emergency patients Ben Taub sees each day likely would double if undocumented immigrants were cut off from care provided by the hospital's specialty and community-based clinics, leaving emergency care as their only option, he says." From here.
The fact is they definitely use the heck out of these services, daily.
What I object to is importing more people who'll ride in the wagon.
JEEZ! Have you never heard of a quaint little concept called, "Hope"?
Hell, have you ever heard of FLIRTING?!?! Never had a girl "tease" you? Never seen a girl get showered with gifts, praise, and attention all on the barest of indications that they guy might... someday... get somewhere with her?
How about the lottery and other forms of gambling ("You could win!!")?
Now try a million other situations where one person is very hopeful (like, oh, say, destitute people living in a nation of squalor on the border of an incredibly wealthy nation), and that hope is encouraged by what they see, hear, or read... still no effect on that person?
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