Obey the Law Ping!
C'mon, it's a simple thing to do...
Posted on 04/14/2006 6:04:59 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Sonny Bono, in the fight over Proposition 187 (the 1994 initiative that would have rescinded welfare benefits for illegal aliens) had the best line about the debate over illegal immigration. Many charges were tossed back and forth about the initiative and the motivation of its sponsors. The response of the future Congressman to those charges was always: “What is it about illegal that they don’t understand?”
Exactly!
Like many others, I watched television as the protestors waved their Mexican flags, then changed those flags to American flags, then yelled “Si Se Puede,” then yelled “Yes, We Can,” then demanded the same rights as American citizens, then said they were Americans.
Well, no, they are not. When someone breaks the laws of this country to enter it, for whatever reason, whether it is to work, or obtain free medical care, free food, welfare, a driver’s license, and reduced college tuition, they are still not Americans. We have a legally mandated process, established after years of debate, negotiations, arguments, social consensus, and legal maneuverings to determine how someone becomes a citizen. Until someone follows that process, they are not Americans, not entitled to become Americans, not entitled to claim to be Americans, and not entitled to the rights of Americans.
We are a very generous country. We allow more people than any other country in the world to come into our country legally, stay, and become naturalized citizens. We are second to none in welcoming people from all cultures to join us in the world’s common quest to extend representative government and individual liberty throughout the world. We don’t even really ask that much of people to go through the process. It may take some time, and it is usually stuck in the inevitable bureaucracy, but once someone has completed the process, they are Americans. In France, you can move to France, but you never become French. You can move to China, but you will never become Chinese. If you follow a few simple steps, you can move to the United States and become an American.
One of those steps is not sneaking through the fence, avoiding the law for ten years, receiving thousands of dollars in government aid, and then demanding amnesty for your illegal behavior. Yet, at this time, thousands of people throughout this country are demanding that we make that a legitimate way of becoming an American citizen. In essence, they want to profit from their illegal behavior.
That is just not right. Go home, follow the law, come here legally, and we will welcome you with open arms. Break our laws, and we will be justifiably outraged by your behavior. That is how it is, and how it ought to be.
I tried to qualify the California Border Police last year to do one simple thing—enforce federal immigration law, mainly because the federal government was refusing to do so. It sparked a national debate on the question of enforcement, and we are seeing that debate play itself out in Washington today. Enforcement of the law is the right thing to do. If we find that the law doesn’t work, that we need a larger labor pool, then we debate the best way to accomplish that goal. But, if we don’t enforce the laws we have now, it won’t matter what laws we have in the future. We will still fail to have an immigration policy.
The first thing that makes anyone a good American is their ability to follow the law. That is all anyone is asking these protestors to do. It is not that hard, and, if they do it, we will all be their good friends and neighbors.
I tried to qualify the California Border Police last year to do one simple thing—enforce federal immigration law, mainly because the federal government was refusing to do so.
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Ya sure got a lot of support from the Gub and AG on that one, huh, Ray?
(considering the gUb was out paying 3 bucks a pop for signatures for his initiatives and paid little more than lip service to the California State Border Police initiative and the AG's wife used to work for MALDEF as an activist lawyer.)
Sonny always played the dumb one on the Sonny and Cher show. But he was no dummy. And he left us way too soon.
There is little doubt that Sonny was the brains of the duo and Cher was the prop.
Without Sonny, Cher would have been what...maybe a waitress at Denny's?
Snicker
Quite possibly.
sigh..
I hope a few folks actually make it past Sonny Bono and the first paragraph at least. ;-)
Sony was a great guy. His wife(1st and 2nd) is not. I don't know how he got envolved with them.
When the illegals become citizens I will have the right to choose a law I oppose and then I can break it without punishment.
Is it true that Mary Bono is a scientologist?
But, you know, if we really wanted to, we could make them let us.
Wonder if the demonstrators thought of that angle.
Frankly, I've got my eye on a piece of Cancun, and maybe a 100 mile chunk of oil pipeline pumping prime crude.
From Wikipedia.
Bono has been linked to the Church of Scientology. Her husband was a member (although he continued to claim to be a Roman Catholic on most official documents).
Oi vey
C'mon, it's a simple thing to do...
I read the whole thing Norm but the illegal alien issue right now makes me want to spit fire.
It's Friday night after a long day and a little Sonny Bono talk might keep me sane for the night.
Promise not to further hijack thread. :-)
In reality, people around the world refer only to people from the US as, "Americans". It is short for "The United States of America". No one, except the most deranged, politically correct, anti-American slob would refer to a Mexican as an American. If you were talking to a Canadian and you said he was an American, he would think you were nuts. One of the most offensive things you can do is try to take away someone's name.
A great read, Sonny Bono's book. If you like Sonny, you'll enjoy the book. The man was a genius. I believe between promiscuous Cher and 2nd wife cum congresswomen, he didn't hit that tree by accident.
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