In the best of all possible worlds I would most definitely be against any sort of comprehensive database maintained by the federal government.
Having said that, this is not the best of all possible worlds. I do believe that we must get this illegal immigration problem under control in the next few years, or we are going to begin to see here the extreme polarization between natives and immigrants that Europe is now dealing with. *
So, I feel that we must now create some sort of database that all employers, schools, and financial institutions can utilize to check that a potential employee, student, or person sending money overseas is here legally. This MUST be combined with stiff penalties for those who hire or rent to those here illegally. (No talk of amnesty either!)
Of course, I would hope that stringent safeguards as to the maintenance of civil liberties be instituted as well, but knowing what I do about governmental power and efficiency, this is probably too much to hope for.
But, at this point in time, I do not believe there is the political will necessary to institute such a policy. Comfortable majorities of American citizens of all stripes, INCLUDING American citizens of Hispanic descent, express their discomfort with our current immigration policies, according to virtually every opinion poll that I have seen. The powers that be, on the other hand, feel free to ignore the wishes of their fellow citizens and refuse to do anything to fix the problem.
I fear it will take something horrible and massive, like smallpox-infected terrorists sneaking over the southern border, before our leaders begin to deal with this problem as they should have been doing since the last amnesty in the 80s.
Then, of course, the political reaction will swing to the opposite extreme.
* As an example of polarization we might see here, consider than a majority of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus now have Hispanic majorities in their districts. As Hispanics in these districts gain political power, (helped along by the votes of a good number of illegals), they will vote out the black Americans now holding these offices. Black Americans will not be thrilled, to put it mildly, to be displaced from their hard-won political gains by those who speak a language few blacks can understand, and who make appeals to the bonds that exist between the members of "La Raza".
Thank you for the reasonable response. (I was hoping you wouldn't think I was just trying to be a wiseguy or something like that)
I share those concerns but...as Americans, we are entitled to certain things. How do we know who is and isn't entitled to those things.
And aren't all of us law abiding citizens in a database we can be tracked through anyway? (State drivers license databases) That the bad people, illegal people and some others may not be part of those databases doesn't change the fact that WE are in them and can already be (and are) tracked.
I say, why not try to institute safeguards, and make sure everyone in this country is in there, including tourists and other temporary vistors to this country. We should be able to say who is and isn't in this country at any given time down to the last green card holder on the last day of his permit.
So says the "organizer" in me...:)
I understand that bad people might still find a way to be OUT of the database, but if someone is found in the country who is not in the database, makes it pretty easy to have a valid reason and proof to send them somewhere else...
In an ideal world. I understand the drawbacks as you state them.