Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Illegal immigration 'a dagger aimed at our hearts'
The Globe Gazette ^ | 8/20/2005 | Linda Kane

Posted on 08/21/2005 3:31:38 PM PDT by 4.1O dana super trac pak

ALBERT LEA, Minn. — Illegal immigration is a dagger aimed at the heart of Americans, according to U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., a leader in the fight against illegal immigration.

Republican Congressmen Gil Gutknecht from Minnesota and Tancredo, chairman of the 70-member House Immigration Reform Caucus, spoke to 100 people at a luncheon Tuesday in Albert Lea.

"Please think about national security," Tancredo said. "People are coming across our borders to do very bad things to us."

The topic was based on immigration, whether legal or illegal.

"It has nothing to do with race, ethnicity or country of origin" but everything to do with the problems that stem from it, Tancredo said.

Those include economic, employment and labor issues as well as crime rates, to name a few, he said.

He said illegal immigration wouldn't be such a big problem if the federal government would enforce the law.

"We have national security problems," he said. Not securing America's borders is the most shameful act on the part of the federal government, Tancredo said.

"This issue of massive immigration is a dagger pointing at our heart," he said.

Tancredo said momentum is growing to combat immigration issues, but a "great wall of opposition" remains.

"I want you to ask your local elected officials — I don't care if it's the county commissioners or the governor — ‘What are you going to do about this issue,' " Tancredo said.

A woman in the audience asked Tancredo if he planned to run for president.

"We need you," she said.

Tancredo said he would if the issue doesn't gain attention at the presidential level.

Gutknecht told the crowd that immigration is an issue that deserves national attention, and he provided many statistics and facts about immigration.

His family emigrated from Germany, Gutknecht said, and he fully supports legal immigration. However, "We cannot encourage individuals to break our laws and enter the country illegally.

"Border protection is important to our national security and economy. For more than two centuries, Americans have fought to protect our sovereignty and secure our borders. Sadly, today our borders are a sieve, allowing illegal immigrants to pour into the country," he added.

Gutknecht offered what he called a snapshot of a typical illegal alien: 32 years old with an average education of seven years, an hourly wage of $5.45 and an annual individual income of $8,982.

Other facts he presented:

-- 42 percent of births to immigrants are to illegal alien mothers. In 2005, births to illegal aliens will account for one in 10 births in the United States.

-- Illegal aliens are eligible for emergency Medicaid services and other medical services.

-- More than 29 percent of federal prisoners are aliens.

-- 55 percent of hired farm workers are unauthorized to work in the U.S.

-- In Minnesota, the cost to educate children of illegal aliens was more than $276 million.

"Facts are stubborn things," Gutknecht said.

Ken Dalager traveled to Albert Lea with at least 10 others from Austin concerned about illegal immigration.

"The people that go to the trouble of getting citizenship, I don't think they're much trouble," Dalager said. "The others slip in undercover and just kind of do things how they want to do them."

Conversations grew heated before the congressmen started speaking, however, as people debated the issue during dinner conversation.

"A simple way to stop illegal immigration is to find the companies that hire them," an Austin woman said.

Everybody is an immigrant, Dalager said. His family migrated from Norway, but years ago policies were different, he said.

"My cousin went to country school and the school board went to her house and said she had better talk English before they sent her to school," he said. "Today they're bending over backwards. You've got to hire two teachers," one that speaks English and one that speaks Spanish.

Paul Westrum of Albert Lea believes in "a common- sense approach to our immigration policy."

He was invited to Tuesday's luncheon by Gutknecht.

"If we don't do something about this immigration issue, we're going to lose our country as we know it," said Westrum, who has researched immigration issues for nearly a decade.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Colorado; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: aliens; bordersecurity; bushamnesty; gutknecht; illegalaliens; immigrantlist; invasionusa; openborders; tancredo
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 161-168 next last
To: 4.1O dana super trac pak
Everybody is an immigrant, Dalager said.

Hey Dalager!.....I'm not an immigrant! My ancestors were immigrants, and they knew it and acted accordingly....I AM NOT AN IMMIGRANT you marxist bastard. Are you an immigrant Dalager?....I want to see some documentation. Now!

FMCDH(BITS)

41 posted on 08/21/2005 5:32:31 PM PDT by nothingnew (I fear for my Republic due to marxist influence in our government. Open eyes/see)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: chris1; Dane; Dante3; All
Will you people ever get the difference between "ILLegal and Legal?

WTF is the problem here?

Sheesh. Y'all make me tired.

FMCDH(BITS)

42 posted on 08/21/2005 5:43:21 PM PDT by nothingnew (I fear for my Republic due to marxist influence in our government. Open eyes/see)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: Dane; flashbunny; Dante3

I see you managed to slip out of the home again. Better let bayourod know where you are. You know how nervous he gets when you're out alone.


43 posted on 08/21/2005 5:55:36 PM PDT by Czar (StillFedUptotheTeeth@Washington)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: WatchingInAmazement
"So,what's a good alternative for you? Join the service. Just a thought."

Am I to believe that President Bush allows illegals to swarm into our country to join the Army instead of recruiting citizens to defend our country? Sort of like mercinaries, (foreignors who get money and benefits to fight wars for other nations)?

Well here's my answer to your insulting question, in the form of more questions.

There are an estimated 20 million illegals in our country right now, and the overwhelming majority of our military men and women are American citizens. So just how many tens of millions of illegal aliens does President Bush want here in order to chose from among them a few dozen or even a few hundred to join the Army?

Why do we need mercinaries anyway?

Isn't there enough patriotism in America to fight our own wars? If so, why not?

And finally, why would anybody want to trade off our "menial jobs" to millions of unknown illegals for a loss of national security during a war against terrorists who desire to infiltrate our country, unknown, to destroy us?

44 posted on 08/21/2005 6:15:22 PM PDT by TheCrusader ("The frenzy of the Mohammedans has devastated the churches of God" -Pope Urban II, 1097AD)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: TheCrusader

I'm sorry, you missed my point. I'll try again. Hey, I'm grasping at straws because like you, I don't understand the presidents motives. If the jobs are being taken by illegal aliens, perhaps more US citizens are joining the service because they can't get jobs. Do you think that could be possible or could be an effect of massive illegal immigration and employment of them by so many businesses?


45 posted on 08/21/2005 8:23:25 PM PDT by WatchingInAmazement (Mi Tierra Es Mi Tierra--my land is my land.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: 4.1O dana super trac pak; JohnHuang2; keri; international american; Kay Soze; jpsb; hershey; ...
"It has nothing to do with race, ethnicity or country of origin" but everything to do with the problems that stem from it, Tancredo said.

Those include economic, employment and labor issues as well as crime rates, to name a few, he said.

He said illegal immigration wouldn't be such a big problem if the federal government would enforce the law.


46 posted on 08/22/2005 5:55:46 AM PDT by Happy2BMe (Viva La MIGRA - LONG LIVE THE BORDER PATROL!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dane
Yeah really, those people who came through Ellis Island were worthless(rolling eyes).

Were they illegal? Were they all admitted?

Be honest, your position is to reduce American labor to the level of cheap commodity, your understanding of human worth (whether they were "worthless") is based on the free market. You want to lower the worth/price of labor to the lowest possible level.

You think that the purpose of society is to maximize the profit/wealth of the upper class. The good standard of living for the lower classes is a waste in your eyes. You are engaged in a class warfare.

And I suspect that you are not rich, you just dream about being one.

47 posted on 08/22/2005 6:32:33 AM PDT by A. Pole (Confucius:A noble man strives as much to learn what is right as lesser man to discover what will pay)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: A. Pole
You think that the purpose of society is to maximize the profit/wealth of the upper class. The good standard of living for the lower classes is a waste in your eyes. You are engaged in a class warfare

Whew paging karl marx.

Actually Mr. neo-stalinist, the purpose of society is to maximize the profit/wealth of all people, not engage in class warfare that you are so fond of.

48 posted on 08/22/2005 6:39:14 AM PDT by Dane ( anyone who believes hillary would do something to stop illegal immigration is believing gibberish)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: Dane; Willie Green; Wolfie; ex-snook; Jhoffa_; FITZ; arete; FreedomPoster; Red Jones; Pyro7480; ...
[Dane:] Whew paging karl marx.Actually Mr. neo-stalinist, the purpose of society is to maximize the profit/wealth of all people not engage in class warfare that you are so fond of.

OK, Mr. Freemaketeer, explain me one thing.

This "profit/wealth of all people" does it include high labor costs or high wages? I mean do you see the workers wages as being on the side of costs/expenses or on the side of gain/profit/wealth?

49 posted on 08/22/2005 6:54:28 AM PDT by A. Pole (Mandarin Meng-tzu: "The duty of the ruler is to ensure the prosperous livelihood of his subjects.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: A. Pole

false dichotomy


50 posted on 08/22/2005 6:57:52 AM PDT by palmer (If you see flies at the entrance to the burrow, the ground hog is probably inside)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: DumpsterDiver
Free schools, free emergency health care, subsidized housing, government-mandated Spanish. We are creating a large and growing unassimilated and dysfunctional subculture within our borders for which we and the victims will pay an ever-increasing price.

I agree. The problem, though, is not illegal immigration -- it's the free schools, free health care, subsidized housing, etc. This country could solve much of the illegal immigration problem simply by getting rid of these things.

51 posted on 08/22/2005 6:59:04 AM PDT by Alberta's Child (I ain't got a dime, but what I got is mine. I ain't rich, but Lord I'm free.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Map Kernow

I agree with what you say because immigration has turned from immigration into an existing polity into colonization. The ethnic hustlers who claim to speak for "their" people are pretty insistent that it is they who are superior and America is nothing but an economic zone that could not survive without their involvement. And we have the globalists (basically white liberals and their righist co-horts) trying to swindle us with myth making and outright duplicity. But hey it pays them well eg; WSJ.


52 posted on 08/22/2005 6:59:38 AM PDT by junta (Invade Mexico, aggressively neutralize its corrupt leadership and introduce civilization.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: navyblue

Betcha they profit from it too.


53 posted on 08/22/2005 7:01:03 AM PDT by junta (Invade Mexico, aggressively neutralize its corrupt leadership and introduce civilization.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: A. Pole
OK, Mr. Freemaketeer, explain me one thing.

This "profit/wealth of all people" does it include high labor costs or high wages? I mean do you see the workers wages as being on the side of costs/expenses or on the side of gain/profit/wealth?

Well gee Mr. neo-stalinist(BTW, nice of you to ping your fellow bolshiviks), there isn't a set number of pies where people are fighting over pieces.

In actuality, every human being has the ability to make more pies, but you as a self-deemeed and proclaimed pie maker don't like the competition, thus with populist class warfare rhtoric try to inhibit the making of new pies, that will benefit everyone.

54 posted on 08/22/2005 7:02:38 AM PDT by Dane ( anyone who believes hillary would do something to stop illegal immigration is believing gibberish)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: palmer
false dichotomy

Explain, please.

55 posted on 08/22/2005 7:10:27 AM PDT by A. Pole (Mandarin Meng-tzu: "The duty of the ruler is to ensure the prosperous livelihood of his subjects.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: Dane
[Dane:] nice of you to ping your fellow bolsheviks

Let us see how they will appreciate your remark :)

56 posted on 08/22/2005 7:13:06 AM PDT by A. Pole (Mandarin Meng-tzu: "The duty of the ruler is to ensure the prosperous livelihood of his subjects.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: A. Pole

Exchanging labor for wages is one way to create wealth, although in most cases not as quickly as their employer. So it incorrect to say that there is choice between supporting workers or supporting wealth-creators.


57 posted on 08/22/2005 7:15:16 AM PDT by palmer (If you see flies at the entrance to the burrow, the ground hog is probably inside)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: Dane
In actuality, every human being has the ability to make more pies, but you as a self-deemeed and proclaimed pie maker don't like the competition, thus with populist class warfare rhtoric try to inhibit the making of new pies, that will benefit everyone.

Let me guess - you majored in PE.

58 posted on 08/22/2005 7:16:20 AM PDT by skeeter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: Dane; A. Pole

I am not a fellow boltchevic, but I find Mr Pole's comments insightful. However in this case you are right and he is zero sum.


59 posted on 08/22/2005 7:17:33 AM PDT by palmer (If you see flies at the entrance to the burrow, the ground hog is probably inside)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: palmer
I am not a fellow boltchevic, but I find Mr Pole's comments insightful. However in this case you are right and he is zero sum.

Its a fact an limitless supply of third world labor into a first world economy will suppress wages. If I do not employ illegals, and I'm not an illegal myself, how do I benefit?

If your answer includes lower prices, then you'll have to explain why we've experienced 2.5 to 3.5 percent inflation over the past 10 years.

60 posted on 08/22/2005 7:23:24 AM PDT by skeeter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 161-168 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson