Bush immigration plan is right idea (GREELEY ALERT)

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | January 23, 2004 | ANDREW GREELEY

[Chi-townChief]

President Bush is absolutely right on immigration. Work permits and quasi-amnesty for undocumented immigrants, especially Mexicans, are matters of simple justice. The United States is exploiting these people and owes them protection and the possibility of finding work. Catholics should be especially dedicated to justice for immigrants. The pope says so, and so do the bishops.

In the parish where I work in Tucson, there is a cross in memory of the 508 immigrants who died in Arizona last year in an attempt to do nothing more than our own ancestors did: to improve their lives and the lives of their families. Do Mexicans frequently die trying to find jobs in this country? Well, that's their problem. They should stay at home where they belong.

Americans are a strange people. We are all children of immigrants, even those who came over the Bering land bridge during the Ice Age. We celebrate our immigrant heritages. Yet xenophobia is a national disease. It's like the Irishman who got off the boat, walked down the dock and encountered a crowd of gesticulating, shouting Eye-talians. Sure, he said, 'tis a grand country altogether now, but aren't there too many furiners here?

Just now we are extremely suspicious of all ''furiners'' -- especially those with dark skins who talk funny and may be connected to al-Qaida. NAFTA, illegal immigrants and computer operators in India are taking away American jobs. Never mind that NAFTA and the immigrants did not affect American jobs before the current recession and that jobs for Indians is a kind of foreign aid for a very poor country. Never mind that a policy of returning tax dollars to the rich is not a policy to respond to unemployment. It's all the fault of the ''furiners.'' Throw them out of the country and forbid American companies from outsourcing jobs to ''furiners!'' Are there 5 million illegals in the United States? Pack them all up and send them back to Mexico and don't let them return.

Is it true that if you have a labor supply on one side of a border and a labor market on the other side, the border becomes a sieve? Well, take a leaf from the book of Ariel Sharon and build a high wall to keep them out.

Reaction to Bush's policy proposals demonstrates how complex the immigration issue is. The Wall Street Journal, not exactly well known for its concern about the poor, strongly endorses it. American capitalism needs a pool of cheap labor to do the work that other Americans won't do. On the other hand, the redneck wing of the president's party is furious. Many of them are saying that if the president pushes his policy, they will go fishing on Election Day. Some commentators think the proposed policy will win him Latino votes on Election Day. That is doubtless how Karl Rove, the president's campaign guru, is thinking, but he is almost certainly wrong.

Democrats don't seem likely to support the policy either. They realize that there is little campaign leverage in the immigration issue and are busy turning their back on their traditional support for free trade, an ignoble concession to the know-nothing bigots.

The proposed immigration policy may be window dressing. Unless he is willing to draw on his political capital, the president certainly doesn't have the votes to push the policy through Congress, despite the insistence of his supporters at the Wall Street Journal. Quasi-amnesty for Mexican illegals may be of the same order of media posturing as vouchers for Catholic schools, $1 billion to prepare people for marriage, and a trip to Mars. They get you media attention at no cost. People are not likely to remember them later or even to notice that nothing ever happens about them.

Is quasi-amnesty another of those media postures that keeps President Vicente Fox happy, appeals to the Latino community, re-creates the ''compassionate conservative image'' and about which nothing will ever have to be done?

I wouldn't be surprised. Yet on paper it does demonstrate a compassion for immigrants, which is not widespread in our nation of immigrants.

mailto:agreel@aol.com

[Chi-townChief]

If Greeley likes this, then we're really in trouble. I have question: why does Greeley, who is supposedly a priest, use a ethnic slur-word "redneck" that many polite people try not to use? Is it just to show us his ignorance as my parents would say when I used those kinds of words?

[lodwick]

Greely alert = huge Barf alert.

[gubamyster]

ping

[My back yard]

He is missing the point of the legal processes our ancestors were happy to abide.

[Spok]

In this article, he says immigrants come here to improve their life but end up being exploited. Then why do they stay or return after deportation?

[mgist]

legal processes our ancestors were happy to abide.

What makes you think they came here illegally and then given automatic amnesty? I know policy varied througout the years, but in essence, it was as it is.

[Bikers4Bush]

Don't bet on anyone admitting that, instead they'll say it's great because the church is validating the proposal.

[Sabertooth]

President Bush is absolutely right on immigration. Work permits and quasi-amnesty for undocumented immigrants, especially Mexicans, are matters of simple justice. The United States is exploiting these people and owes them protection and the possibility of finding work. Catholics should be especially dedicated to justice for immigrants. The pope says so, and so do the bishops.

In the parish where I work in Tucson, there is a cross in memory of the 508 immigrants who died in Arizona last year in an attempt to do nothing more than our own ancestors did: to improve their lives and the lives of their families. Do Mexicans frequently die trying to find jobs in this country? Well, that's their problem. They should stay at home where they belong.

Speaking of problems...

Chris Simcox, founder of Civil Homeland Defense, a citizen border watchdog group, said his group saw the effect of the president's announcement firsthand.

Last weekend it caught 85 people entering the country illegally, and Simcox said he was surprised by their reaction. His group calls Border Patrol agents when it catches illegal immigrants.

"They were, like, 'What's the problem? President Bush said it was OK,'" he said. "That's the attitude out there, and (Border Patrol) agents are totally demoralized."
Illegal migrants asked: Did Bush plan prompt you to come here?
TusconCitizen.com (FR link) - January 23rd, 2004

Yeah, no problem here, with the Bush Amnesty.

Greeley can move to Mexico and start a business, if he's that concerned.

[JohnnyZ]

AAAAARRRGGGHHH!

What is this, sabotage? I do NOT want Andrew Frickin' Greeley on my side.

[My back yard]

What makes you think they came here illegally and then given automatic amnesty?

Who? they? Our ancestors? I don't think that. That was my point.

[reed_inthe_wind]

He is missing the point of the legal processes our ancestors were happy to abide.

That's right. The fact is that many other people are waiting for the necessary legal process to allow them to migrate. It's hard to ignore law abiders at the expense of illegals.

[truthkeeper]

I hope Greeley's enthusiastic support of this travesty opens the eyes of a few people. Thanks for posting this one. BUMP back to the top.

[Gerish]

The United States is exploiting these people and owes them protection and the possibility of finding work.

Excuse me Father Greeley, but we do not owe them anything. If they want to come here and work, let them enter legally and obtain citizenship like our ancestors did.

His article is typical socialism.

[international american]

This man is an idiot!!!!

[quantrillsraiders]

Mexico City is thinking of giving out books to quell rampant subway crime. (author rolls eyes)

"The idea emerged from discussions of ways to cut the sky-high crime rate in Mexico's capital, a city of some 8.5 million people."

And we want to encourage these people to come here? We'll have sky-high crime rates too.BR>
When my ancestors came here we didn't have 300 million people in the country. The analogy to "our immigrant forbears" is moot. Things are entirely different now.

[Map Kernow]

Catholics should be especially dedicated to justice for immigrants. The pope says so, and so do the bishops.

I was stunned the fall of '94, the election when Proposition 187 was on the ballot in California, when practically every Mass and Bulletin in the Los Angeles Archdiocese (which includes Orange County) contained unsubtle exhortations of the faithful to vote against Proposition 187. The Catholic Church's hierarchy in America is a lot more pro-immigration than it is, say, pro-life or pro-family.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

It's like the Irishman who got off the boat, walked down the dock and encountered a crowd of gesticulating, shouting Eye-talians. Sure, he said, 'tis a grand country altogether now, but aren't there too many furiners here?

The "we are a nations of immigrants" stuff again. Well the employee of the newspaper left out a few key elements. Like that Irishman and those "Eye-talians" all went through legal processes such as background checks and most importantly HEALTH checks!

Silly man. Will the day come when he and his family has to ask the doctor, is it TB or not TB?

It's been awhile and I didn't re-google but I believe my memory serves, Catholic charities find gold in them thar' emmy grants.

[joesnuffy]

That's because the church figures the Mexicans will come here and greatly multiply
making even more catholics...the politicans want more voters and the Church wants more donors

Though after their pedophile priests get done alienating alien families....and those muslims
who we've allowed to build mosque after mosque and islamic centers and rural muslim training ah... I mean summer camps...step up recruitment....America will never again be what our founders envisioned...or what our Constitution demands...
imo

[AbsoluteJustice]

This is the problem though LEGAL IMMIGRATION is really the biggest problem that noone is paying attention to.

LEGAL immigration is costing this country BILLIONS!!
At one time in history before you could obtain legal status you had to have somewhat of an education and a skill that would be beneficial to this country. Not anymore!

Legals take more from our government then they put in after all taxes are paid. In medical, education, unemployment, etc etc this is due to allowing immigrants in that are under educated and having no skill.

Tell me what good will it be to allow 10million more in this country who the majority will be lower income tax braket, of which pay no federal income tax due to their wages? This is an AWFUL MOVE!