Immigration Reform - So Few Words, So Much Meaning

There is a fine line that one should walk these days, when discussing the Presidency of George W. Bush. I say this because I firmly believe that the President is a good man. I believe that he is truly a Christian. Unlike a recent occupant of the White House, he does love and honor not only his wife, but his children, his parents, his extended family, his supporters and his God.

President Bush was handed a difficult task, in September of 2001. He has met that task head on, and in a number of ways, has provided an excellent response. His directives concerning Afghanistan and Iraq have been masterful. I am so glad that he had the foresight to appoint Donald Rumsfeld his Secretary of Defense, and Condoliza Rice his National Security Advisor. Both these individuals are sharp as tacks, and have obviously contributed towards the goals the President set for the nation, and seems to be achieving. Threading a fine line between being too receptive to those who wanted him to hold off some military moves, and taking a harder line suggested by the other end of the spectrum, President Bush seems well on his way to liberating for generations to come, the inhabitants of two nations in the middle-east.

There have been times when I wondered if the President were doing the right thing at certain points. This last Sunday, I along with others were pleasantly surprised at how well things have come together. The Iraqi people went to the polls in great numbers. Even those who had wished the President well in his efforts in Iraq, were relieved that the elections were so successful, I among them.

When it comes to the war in Iraq, when it comes to standing up against the leaders of Europe, when it comes to defining the path that we will take to repair Social Security, the President has my full support. I am very glad to have someone in the White House who advances policies on these issues, the way he does. His talk on these and a number of other issues is like sweet music to my ears. How sad I am that I must now talk about the fingernails on the chalkboard issue of our time, illegal immigration.

The President for all his power, for all his positives and all his good intentions, is still a man. He is a man that has many fine qualities. He is also a man that can and sometimes does make a mistake. I consider his desires to change certain aspects of our immigration policies, to be a colossal misjudgment. Unlike Iraq where I felt very uneasy, but avoided for the most part challenging the President's actions early on at Fallujah, and a few other places, I can see no room for compromise concerning the ongoing invasion of the United States.

This evening the President once again addressed the issue of immigration. Once again the meaning was crystal clear to those of us who disagree with him on that subject. Before I continue I want to be clear about something. I address this issue, because this is the issue where I find fault with the President. I don't do this because I am happy to have one issue to disagree with him on. I am very unhappy that I have to address this issue. I shouldn't have to at all, but this issue is important enough that I am going to address it continuously until the issue is resolved, the policies I cannot endorse are changed to protect this nation. That should be our overriding concern here. It is mine.

Here is what President Bush said this evening. This is the way I see the issues he raised.

America's immigration system is also outdated - unsuited to the needs of our economy and to the values of our country.

There are three issues in this charged sentence. I do believe that there are areas for improvement regarding the guidelines and procedures that govern Visas and short term visitors to the United States. I have no problem with the President trying to get a handle on who is entering our nation, how long they stay and whether they actually go home or not. This is not just an issue with Mexico. It's an issue that confronts us across the board with all who enter this nation. In this, I can support the President. I believe he is wise to address this component of the immigration issue.

Where the President and I part ways, is when he implies that our economy can't meet it's needs without poor, uneducated, unable to be financialy responsible for themselves, men and women from foreign countries. If the President were addressing the problems of the world's poor, I might be more inclined to listen to his proposals, but he isn't. This isn't about the world's poor. It's about one nation's poor. Yes, illegal immigration has an multi-national component to it, but it is primarily one nation that is flooding ours with it's citizens. I can't help but address this fact. It's true and so this one nation is addressed more than any other, for it's sordid practices.

When it comes to the issue of values, it is clear the United States is second to none when it comes to philanthropy. Our citizens give medical, educational, housing and other forms of help to the citizens of Mexico in Mexico. Physicians, nurses, teachers, aid workers, volunteers have been conducting mission work in Mexico for as long as I can remember. This represents our values. We are a good-hearted people who wish the best for the Mexican people. We gain no pleasure from seeing their national leaders abuse them, and I am firmly convinced this is the true condition of Mexico.

Values are not one-dimensional, and they don't exist in a vacuum. Extending a helping hand to millions of new Mexican poor each year is an admirable goal. The question is, how do you achieve that? Do you allow them to pour across your frontier in an endless stream that creates instant slums where ever they go? Do you allow them to swamp your communities, health care and education resources? Do you allow them to soak up tens of billions of dollars of funding that citizens have every right to expect to be spent on their local community and state needs? The answers to these question are a resounding no.

If I want to help someone out, I dig in my pocket and donate the appropriate amount based on what I can afford, what the actual need is. If you were to do that with my money it wouldn't be right. When the government does it, it's not right either. In fact, it would show a complete avoidance of reasoned values to do such a thing. Please don't talk to me about this nations values, while suggesting that I and hundreds of millions of other U.S. Citizens will have to hand over our hospitals, schools, infrastructure, and even a portion of our futures, so this can be facilitated.

We should not be content with laws that punish hardworking people who want only to provide for their families, and deny businesses willing workers, and invite chaos at our border.

These sentences are some of the most charged sentences I've ever seen. At once they are complex, a misdirecting slight of hand, and dishonest.

Mr. President, your fellow citizens are hard working people who are trying to provide for their families. What about folks like us? Why do you seek to punish us so that others can get services for free that we cannot? Why should non-citizens get free health care while we have to pay through the ying-yang to get it? Does it really seem like good values to you, to allow businesses to pay sub-scale so that illegals can work, when I and my fellow citizens have to pay so much for their health care, education, and other assorted freebies? Why should we subsidize these businesses this way? Does it seem like a good idea to flood this nation with people who have only a 4th to 8th grade education? How will they put a roof over their head on minimum wage? Who will feed clothe and house them? Who will pay for the deliveries of their children? What community can thrive with tens of thousands of these poor people in their midst? We are talking about instant slums across this nation. Some localities will be besieged in greater numbers than others. Where is your compassion for them?

Mr. President, there is only one group causing chaos at our border. It is the illegal alien who has shown themselves unwilling to respect the laws of our nation. When you frame the debate the way you have, you simply side with them. And I might add, you side with them against us. Why? What did we do to deserve this?

It is time for an immigration policy that permits temporary guest workers to fill jobs Americans will not take, that rejects amnesty, that tells us who is entering and leaving our country, and that closes the border to drug dealers and terrorists.

Mr. President, I'll make a deal with you. If you respect me, I'll respect you. Please do not insult my intelligence by claiming these will be guest workers. At this very minute, you are loathe to send anyone back to their nation of origin. How can you expect me to believe that in six years, you'll be sending anyone back to the nation of their origin then? You know as well as I do that these guest workers will bring families that we, not they, will pay for. They will develop homes here. They will invest years of their lives here. Who are you trying to kid? You're not going to send even one of these people home. Instead you will be asking to up the quota.

Here's another question for you Mr. President. Is it fair to the other citizens of the world to have millions of Mexican citizens enter our nation through expanded immigration quotas, while they have to go through all the same procedures they always have? Would it be a good idea to open up our guest worker program to all the world's poor? Should we allow millions from every poor nation around the world, to enter our nation each year? If not, then how do we justify it for one nation?

Here's a problem you haven't seemed to consider. If we allow two million worker permits per year, do you think that will end illegal immigration? It won't. Those who can't get in under any quota you set, will continue to come over the border as they always have. You'll immediately have a worker entry program, the continued illegal immigration on top of that, and the folks who were here when it all started. We're looking at thirty million people within five years. We have ten to fifteen now. We'll let another million or two in each year legally. We'll still have illegal immigration. And while all this goes on, we'll still have hospitals and schools inundated at a rate double what it has been.

Where is the solution in this Mr. President? What will it resolve? We'll have infrastructure crumbling faster than before, health care and education already on the ropes, placed on life support.

Illegal immigration will still see millions of undocumenteds coming across. Gang and terrorist group members among them.

You see Mr. President, you would have to close the borders to illegal immigrants for this plan to work. Unfortunately, you have refused to do that. In light of that your plan will never work. This nation will just be torn apart one neighborhood at a time at an even faster rate than it has been, until someone finally turns out the lights.

I sure wish I didn't have to address this issue. This plan doesn't make sense on any level. With that last comment, I'll just concede that folks in Washington won't be able to resist it. What a sad day for America it will be, when this plan hits the ground running.

This is the weak link of the Republican party...why I gave Bush a 99 instead of a 100 for his SOU speech. Tancredo alone can't carry the water and the beltway crowd ignores this realty at their own peril...even Rushbo has realized it's a major problem.

"Why should non-citizens get free health care while we have to pay through the ying-yang to get it?"

Federal law only requires that emergency rooms that participate in Medicare have to "stabilize" anyone brought in regardless of ability to pay. After that, it is state laws, city/county laws, hospital district rules, hospital policies, etc... that mandate further treatment.

It's not Bush's fault.

This is just one example of many problems that people blame on Bush instead of their local politicians who should have solved it.

That is not true. Once a patient has presented at an emergency room, they cannot be refused service. Further, that service will include being treated until they are stabalized, and if in need of surgery or other lifesaving measures, it WILL be provided.

Any hospital that refuses WILL lose their ability to recieve payment for government services.

Please tell us the name of one hospital in the United States that doesn't receive Medicare funding.

Who are the ill for the most part? It's the elderly. Yeah, lots of hospitals refuse service to the majority of their demographic group.

Excellent post.

I missed the "immigration" part of the speech, which is a good thing because had I heard it, I could not have stomached the rest.

President Bush is very determined on this issue and will not give it up, nor will he stop insulting our intelligence. Conservatives will have to keep the pressure on Congress to fight it.

I honestly don't believe the GOP as a whole would be stupid enough to support his proposal. But if they do, they'll lose in more ways than one.

It's impossible to seal the borders. Look at the failure of the 66 mile Tijuana sector with double fences, flood lights, patrol roads, UAVs, helicopters, dogs, ATVs, etc...

The beauty of the guest worker program is that it's self-enforcing.

Illegal immigrants will want to become legal guest workers and employers will want their employees to become legal guest workers.

If guest worker status is available, there is no incentive for anyone to be an illegal border jumper or any employer to hire an illegal.

Everyone wins (except the racists and Bush-haters)

Very thought-provoking. Would that there were a simple answer to this. Jesus said "The Poor You Will Always Have With You" and ain't that the truth....

Exporting Capitalism and Freedom south and not just to the Mideast seems like a good idea....

The beauty of the guestworker program is that it will dump one to two million more each year into this nation on top of the illegal immigration already taking place. You think two million worker permits per year will stop it, but four, six, ten million want to come. Then there's those who already have a record up here. They'll just bop up here anyway.

Unless we close the border there will be no sanity to any program.

Then there's the problem of proven racism. Worker permits can't just be given to Mexicans. We have to provide equal access to every nation of the world, per capita, or we've set up a preferential situation. That is racist.

If two million Mexicans can come across in addition to normal immigration, then Panama should be able to send up an equal percentage of their populace. China, Vietnam, Russia, England, India, Malaysia, Palestine... you name it, it's a free-for-all for everyone. Otherwise, the people who support the program are by definition racists.

I note you support it.

Agree 100%.

I agree with that, but first I'd kick old Jorge Fox in the arse on his next visit up here, and tell him to get his house in order. I'd give him six months before I'd start a program to offer the Mexican public a way to overthrow the assholes who run that nation now.

We could then help them open up the economy and move into the current century.

A country like Mexico which can produce as many billionaires as Great Britain should be required to pay for the free education and health care it's citizens are taking here. American taxpayers should not be paid --- and it's incredibly irresponsible that our leaders are allowing this situation to go on ---- why isn't Mexico being sent a bill?

How would YOU seal the borders?

Look at this map:

In the middle, a rich country of less than 4 million. Up top, a poorer country of 25 million. At bottom, a dirt poor country of 200 million. How could those borders be kept secure? All you need is a rowboat.

Now read the story of one public servant who helps do just that:

A Day in the Life of a Public Officer

I draw your attention to this sentence:

"We do our very best to secure a conviction for every case that we deal with."

They mean it. It works. It can be done. All you need is the will and the courage.

My I fax this to Tom Tancredo and ask that he give this to the president? I'd send it to The White House but it would go into the round file. I'd like to make copies for friends to mail to him also. We would note on it that we are not the author, but it mirrors our view.

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