[VANITY] A fax to the White House re: amnesty

I write to you today on behalf of my fellow Americans and of our great Republican Party. For the sake of us all, please withdraw your support for any resolution that would grant legitimate status to presently illegal aliens.

I know that you have insisted that your proposed Immigration Reform would not be a “blanket amnesty.” As much as I appreciate this assurance, I find it to be little short of meaningless; no country would ever grant legal status to every illegal alien without so much as cursory background checks. I also understand that the mechanics of your plan would work a bit differently from the 1986 version; however, the fact remains that rewarding illegal aliens with legal status is amnesty.

You argued that giving amnesty to illegal aliens would allow a number of hard-working people doing jobs that Americans don’t seem to want to do to remain here helping to boost our economy. This, however, does not reassure me that such an amnesty program is a good idea. There are a number of reasons why I remain staunchly opposed to your proposal. National Review writer Mark Krikorian did an excellent job of outlining the reasons in a recent article, which I outline for you here.

First, these people are “illegal aliens” because they entered our country illegally. Whatever good they may bring, the fact is that they have no respect for our immigration laws or borders. As National Review magazine put it, “In the first encounter these people had with our country, they broke our law. It would be one thing to use the model of a tax amnesty and give illegals 60 days to leave the country, no questions asked, after which the hammer of enforcement would come down. But [your] amnesty would instead reward illegals with the most coveted asset on the planet—permanent residence in the United States” (emphasis added). In addition, by not punishing those who break our immigration laws (by deporting them), we will encourage further invasion of our borders, language, and culture.

Second, rewarding illegal aliens with amnesty is a slap in the face to the millions of people on waiting lists overseas wishing to enter the United States legally.

Third, there is no way for us to successfully manage an amnesty properly. Immigration authorities are practically overloaded as it is. Consider, if you will, the backlog of more than 5.5 million applications for immigration benefits, up 26 percent from last year. Consider also the complex systems being implemented by the Department of Homeland Security to track foreign students and visitors. They simply do not have the time or resources to add to their agenda the task of ensuring that millions of aliens comply with a “phased-in access to earned regularization” and background checks. Furthermore, such a program will undermine the morale of government workers responsible for enforcing immigration law when they learn that they will not be allowed to do their jobs properly.

Fourth, in the midst of such overload, criminals, terrorists, and lunatics will undoubtedly slip through our grasp. I draw your attention to Mahmud Abouhalima, the man who helped lead the first attack on the World Trade Center. He received amnesty under the 1986 program, and used this new travel freedom to go to Afghanistan to receive terrorist training. Also, I draw your attention to an Iraqi-born smuggler who pled guilty in 2001 to sneaking a thousand Middle Easterners through the Mexican border into the United States. I guarantee that if you allow another amnesty, it will give residence to at least one more future terrorist, thus undermining your campaign on the strength of the War on Terror.

Fifth, amnesty programs do not solve the problem of illegal immigration; they exacerbate it. After the 1986 amnesty, illegal immigration increased markedly, and not just by Mexicans wanting to hop across the border to join their friends and family.

Sixth, do we want to work toward creating millions of new U.S.-Mexican dual citizens? “This would,” said the National Review, “represent the fulfillment of Mexico’s efforts to extend its authority over a large part of the American population—the most serious threat to our sovereignty since the civil war.” I tell you this much: we, the people of the United States, do not want the Mexican consulates in the U.S. dabbling in our domestic politics and governance any more than they already do.

Seventh, we cannot afford to grant amnesty. Illegal aliens can’t [legally] receive welfare; legal immigrants can. A 1996 study found that the newly legalized aliens from 1986 were responsible for a net fiscal deficit of $24 billion. We are just now beginning an economic recovery, and even if we weren’t, it would not be fair to burden the taxpayers with such a cost. What’s more, with the economic recovery just beginning, we cannot afford to encourage more illegals to come into the country and compete with us for jobs, driving down the wages.

Eighth, I understand the crux of your argument rests on the fact that it would be impossible to round up and deport the some 9 to 10 million illegals. Therefore, you would say, we should grant an amnesty and work on ensuring that we don’t get more illegals in the future. This was the basis of the 1986 law, and it was a trick. The law tightened, but enforcement did not. We should focus on fixing our immigration system first; then we can talk about amnesty. And even if we start now, it will be many years before we build an infrastructure capable of solving the problem and prove that it is effective in reducing the illegal alien population.

Ninth, this proposal may hurt your chances for re-election. If you want to win more votes from Hispanics, this is not the way to do it. Most Hispanics who vote Republican do so because they do respect our laws and borders. Shortly before 9/11, a Zogby poll showed Hispanics evenly split on the issue of amnesty, as well as revealing that twice as many Hispanics would be more likely to vote against a president who supported amnesty than would be more likely to vote for him. In congressional elections, we would lose four Hispanic supporters for each one gained.

Even more crucial than the Hispanic base is the conservative base. Your amnesty proposal more likely to hurt Republican prospects than almost anything else. Conservatives oppose amnesty 2-to-1, and about one-third say that they will be less likely to vote for you if you supported amnesty.

Finally, I point you to California, where Gray Davis was recently recalled as governor. One of his final gifts to the people of California was a resolution granting driver licenses to illegals.

Mr. President, I do not want to see a Democrat inaugurated next year. I strongly dislike the Democratic Party, I resent its leadership, and I defy nearly everything it stands for. Richard Nixon was right on when he called it “the party of amnesty, acid, and abortion.” I want to see you re-elected, and I want to see Republicans retain a legislative majority. I know many people who feel the same way. But a lot of us cannot, and will not, in good faith, vote for a president who supports such an invasion on our borders.

Our American way of life is under attack. The best solution I can think of is to deport all known illegals that we are capable of deporting, build up a system to keep immigrants from entering illegally, test it for a decade or so to make sure that it is successfully reducing the illegal population, and then possibly discuss granting amnesty to some illegals. You, Mr. President, have the power to support such a solution. Please do so, lest disaster fall upon our country in the form of border invasions and a Democratic Party takeover.

Yes it is, by people like you who ignore the fact that we are a nation of imigrants and that America has become a stronger, better nation by accepting those who seek a better life here.

I have one thing to say to this: we have never, and will never, become a better nation by accepting people who have no regard for our laws. We need to develop a system to keep illegals out and THEN we can talk about expanding immigration quotas and/or granting amnesty.

Just as the democrats have their lunatic left to condend with, it appears the republicans have their racist right.

If you think I'm racist, you don't know me at all.

Just as the democrats have their lunatic left to condend with, it appears the republicans have their racist right.

Anyhoo, as I've pointed out a million times, my mother-in-law came to the U.S. from Greece in the 30's. As I remember their story, they were held in some sort of quarantine facility for 72 hours to protect against bringing in a contagious disease.

They had to have a sponsor that was a U.S. citizen (in this case an uncle that had been here for a decade or so). That sponsor had to demonstrate that they had housing and jobs available (in his home and restaurant).

They also had to demonstrate that they were not destitute and had the ability to provide for themselves.

Probably a few other things I forgot, too.

This illustrates the difference between legal immigration and illegal immigration.

Don't bet the farm that illegal Mexicans will fund your SS or anything else.

Yes it is, by people like you who ignore the fact that we are a nation of imigrants and that America has become a stronger, better nation by accepting those who seek a better life here.

Typical blind response of a Bush sycophant. Can't you people ever argue issues? We are a nation of LEGAL IMMIGRANTS. See the difference? We have borders pal. We have laws, yet our govt. enforces them SELECTIVELY. It stinks and alot of people are TICKED OFF. Get it? People are angry! This is a slap in the face to the U.S.Constitution and a slap in the face to taxpayers who bear the brunt of paying for all of the social services for these low wage earners AND THEIR FAMILIES!

In 2006 the Baby Boomers will begin to retire and they didn't have enough children to pay for Medicare and Social Security and guess who's going to be paying for those programs? That's right Mexican Immigrants. Whether you like it or not, even if this action is delayed by the moronic, racist and illthought out actions by yourself and others, in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 the pressures on the system will be so great that there will be no choice but to open our borders, the baby bust generation is that small.

Oh, that's a good argument. Boomers should SAVE FOR THEIR OWN RETIREMENT AND STOP HAVING ABORTIONS! Ever hear of personal responsibility? It's time to get off of Uncle Sam's teet.

Just as the democrats have their lunatic left to condend with, it appears the republicans have their racist right.

You know, I was going to castigate you for your blanket statement to marginalize our position, but I see many others have already done that. So...well...nah, I can't resist!

Come live in my parent's home, or anywhere else bordered by 43rd and 67th Avenues, Indian School Rd., and Encanto Rd. in the Maryvale neighborhood of Phoenix Az. Give it a real good effort for...oh...say 15 days. If you survive, then you can call me a racist. You see, racists are bigoted out of ignorance and fear. When presented with cold, hard fact (like the business end of a 9mm automatic), we become realists quite quickly.

The illegal immigrants come to America to suck us dry. There are enough of them who have no regard for our laws, our property, or our right to life that we are wholly justified in seeking to deal with them accordingly. IMO, that means deportation, controlling the borders, and enforcing the existing laws.

Comment? Don't bother.

OH and the chineese who built the railroads were all legal, and the cubans who basically built modern florida, and lets not forget all those wonderful illegals in modern california. Lots of "illegal" immigrants have entered this country over our history and yet we're still, amazingly enough by your standards, the most powerful country in the world today.

And as for all those low wage earners you're concerned about, all those low wages go into the social security and medicare system and they never see a dime in return unless so I'd say it all balances out.

And speaking of all those low wage jobs, when was the last time YOU felt as indignant as you are now because an Illegal immigrant beat you out of a job to work on the local sewer line? Oh, but you're too good for that right? And your familly.

Oh, that's a good argument. Boomers should SAVE FOR THEIR OWN RETIREMENT AND STOP HAVING ABORTIONS! Ever hear of personal responsibility? It's time to get off of Uncle Sam's teet.

Yes, well it's all a bit late for that now eh? But supporting the baby boomers is more than just paying their social security and medicare checks, it's also about their nursing staff (most will be Mexican immigrants by the time they hit the nursing homes), the people who staff the hospitals, groceries, drug stores, it will be the police that keep them safe, and the border patrols that are on the lookout for terrorists, and the army prosecuting the wars against those who seek to destroy us.

As the boomers retire more and more Americans will be pulled into the jobs they are leaving behind leaving a growing gap at the lower end which simply has to be filled. We can't all be a country of middle management, someone has to run the stores and sweep the floors.

That's why the efforts to derail immigration reform are sorely doomed among other reasons.

In 2006 the Baby Boomers will begin to retire and they didn't have enough children to pay for Medicare and Social Security and guess who's going to be paying for those programs? That's right Mexican Immigrants.

1) Let's see you, *claim* "mexican immigrants" (or did you mean "mexicans *previously* illegal" ??) are the *only* way to save Medicare & SS.

2) Then you say, "Whether you like it or not, even if this action is delayed by the moronic, racist and illthought out actions by yourself and others,".....OOPS !!....."RACIST" (YOU say) Now who just said that MEXICANS were the *only* ones who could save us ???

(pssst.....You've shown your own (R)*motivations* way too early to be taken seriously in this discussion.)

MegaSilver........Good letter, my copy on it's way today.

If the US needs law abiding workers, we need to get GWB to *reform* & speed up the process that MILLIONS have always taken to come to the USA.......to boot the ILLEGALS......& to seal our borders to the best of ability.

Ok, I've laid my cards on the table and given you information that I take from real life...my life. For you to sit wherever you are (and I notice that we don't know where you are) and tell me I'm using scare tactics is the height of arrogance and ignorance. Yes, I called you ignorant. How dare you tell me that my real life experience is irrelevant?

Poverty breeds violence be it mexican, anglo or african

Bull. These little gang-banging punks aren't poverty-stricken. Crime breeds violence...crime, avarice, greed, evil...not poverty. My family lived on ham bones and beans for 10 years without resorting to an ounce of crime or violence.

why don't you head over to the middle class suburbs in california and texas where there are middle class whites, blacks, and mexicans all living a pretty productive and harmonious position

Through friends and family, I'm there. We aren't talking about legal Mexican (or Italian, Chinese, or Irish) immigrants. We're talking about criminal aliens who don't give a hoot about your productive harmony. Stay on topic, FRiend.

Oh this is just complete and utter bull. For 200 years we've had pourous borders and never been able to seal them. You claim you're not racist and then in the next breath create an impossible to achieve goal before you'll even consider reform.

Impossible? Hardly.

And as for reform... that's precisely what I'm suggesting. I just favor a different sort of reform than you do. And if you'll read my letter, I touched on why YOUR favored reform plan is nothing short of impossible.

You're right, I don't know you at all, but I know your kind. You've not considered the fact of immigration reform past "they're different than I am", you've not considered it in terms of our history or our present. You've not considered how the new immigrants will help this nation survive the comming population shrinkage, or how making immigration legal will shut down the underground railroads that don't care if they're moving migrant farm workers or Ossama's best friends.

No, you don't know my kind. Yes, I have considered the history and present context of immigration. And the most recent amnesty program... has been a disaster. Again, see my letter for more information.

You haven't considered the morality of the present system which imports millions of migrant workers and then steals from them their honest wages paid into social security and medicare.

Yes, I have. That's why I favor deporting illegal immigrants and punishing companies who hire them.

You worry about the system not supporting legal immigrants, but there's no thought at all for the benefits you derive from the system stealing their efforts on your behalf.

See my comment above.

If you don't think you're a racist perhaps you should read that fax again and then ask yourself "why" you wrote it. There's not one reason you listed in your fax that ultimately doesn't boil down to "they're different than me".

I would love to respond to this, but I would pretty much have to re-list my entire fax. Most of my reasons have to do with the negative impact of illegal immigration on the American people. George W. Bush, as commander-in-chief, has a responsibility first and foremost to THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. If you truly believe that it all boils down to "they're different than me," then I can't help you.

I did make a statement about the assault on our culture, borders, and language, and American way of life, and that has nothing to do with multiculturalism. Read my letter again and you'll see that I expressed concern about foreign governments dabbling in our domestic policies.

I WANT immigrants who will respect our laws and work to earn a living to come here. I WANT them to assimilate into American culture, and to bring with them their own culture and values for us to learn from and consider. And I am willing to lend them a helping hand in that. I DO NOT want foreign governments dabbling in our domestic policy. I DO NOT want foreigners trying to usurp the sovereignty of our government. And I am not willing for people with no work ethic or respect for our laws to receive benefits from my tax money.

So yea, I know you, better than you know yourself apparently.

Think again.

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