Posted on 04/20/2006 7:16:53 PM PDT by Coleus
National Catholic Register (www.ncregister.com/)
The giant immigration marches in April were almost surreal. The attitude of the protest organizers often made them seem inauthentic – but the critics didn’t seem to have their facts straight, either.
First, consider the protesters.
Groups, like A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism), swelled the ranks of marchers in major cities. But, like other activist organizations at the marches, A.N.S.W.E.R. isn’t an immigration group. It’s a communist group that actually opposes Cuban immigrants. But they were there in force – as they are at pro-abortion marches, anti-war marches and anti-globalism marches – selling Che Guevera T-shirts and building their mailing lists.
Signs that said “Bush Step Down” and “Bush is the real terrorist” were common at the rallies. But that doesn’t seem wise. Did the marchers not know that Bush is the one who first proposed the national “guest worker” program for illegal immigrants that they were marching for? Did they remember how his decision to do so imperiled his re-election by angering his conservative supporters?
If the march organizers really put immigration policy as their highest priority, you would think they would court the sympathetic president as a key ally – not antagonize and alienate him. That they didn’t do so raises sharp questions about their credibility and their true agenda. But the critics of the march were just as bad.
Talk radio chattered endlessly about the drain heavy immigration put on America’s resources, but without much understanding of what is at stake. Conservatives were furious at a Republican-supported bill that they say “caved” by agreeing to make illegal immigration a misdemeanor rather than a felony.But they didn’t seem to realize that illegal immigration has always been a misdemeanor – and that to make it a felony would increase the drain on America’s resources 100-fold.
If illegal immigration remains a misdemeanor, then cases can be dealt with efficiently and quickly. If security is your fear, this would be the solution. If talk radio show hosts had their way and it became a felony, then each accused illegal case would be entitled as a felon to a jury trial and a court-appointed lawyer and subject to a much longer process. It was also instructive to listen to the attempts radio shows made to play “Gotcha” with the protesters. Reporters who interviewed actual protesters found surprising stories that didn’t quite support the “immigrant threat” storyline.One Mexican immigrant told Sean Hannity’s program that he had been in the country illegally for 12 years, working hard, paying taxes and raising a family. Another reporter met a doctor who was waiting on tables and learning English. Another was a dishwasher with a master’s degree.
These stories of hard-working immigrants suggest that immigration is a net gain, not a drain, for America. The assumption seems to be that immigrants will come to America, stay on the low end of the economic spectrum, then call over for the sick and weak of their families and put them on welfare. Certainly, plenty will do exactly that. But by and large, today’s immigrants seem to be following in the footsteps of immigrants before them – they are people bold and imaginative enough to leave the comfort of their homelands to stake their futures on their ability to work hard enough to build a better life elsewhere.This entrepreneurial immigrant spirit is precisely what we call “the American spirit.”
As for draining America’s resources: Americans should be more fearful of a future without heavy immigration than one with it. Over the last several decades, American family sizes have decreased nearly as much as European family sizes. Without immigrants, the United States would be below replacement-level population growth. We would be losing more Americans each year than we gain. The crisis that threatens Social Security’s future would be upon us today. Without immigrants, we wouldn’t have enough workers paying into the system to support retirees. If you draw Social Security income, you should thank an immigrant.So, what’s the answer?
We like the Knights of Columbus’ resolution, which can be found on their Web site, www.KofC.org . It calls for Congress to gain control over the process of immigration in a way that will encourage, not discourage, immigration.
It is, at last, a position Catholics can applaud.To say your story strains credulity would be a world class understatement.
I've known some who have. Met them while working in a manufacturing business in LA during the 1980's.
Yeah, there's alot of crap out there that is pretty unbelieveable... but it does happen.
You're an ignorant bigot. Your arguement isn't against illegal immigration. Yours is a polemic against what you see as the inferiority of others. That kind thinking is a disgrace to Free Republic.
What a disgusting and bigoted post.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
Nope, I do not feel they are inferior, but I do not want to live with slovenly people no matter who they are. They are interlopers. If I behave that way, I get attacked. So, turn about is fair play. How else do people learn that they cannot steal from others???
........and you are ignorant, or stupid if you are afraid to tell it like it is and heading for a life style you want like, unless you like living with people who refuse to speak english, call you a bigot and give you the finger, attack you when they disagree with you. I am in nursing, see this rude behavior day after day with persons who can't help themselves. It goes on generation after generation. There is more going on than just poor helpless people.
"How much of the gold that the church stole off of the central and south American Indian's have they returned?"
When specifically did this happen? Are you talking about the conquistadores of the 15th century?
The issue of who stole what from whom in the 15th century would be a hopeless mess to try to disentangle at this point. And how would individuals who are 15 plus generations descended from those who were involved be responsible for paying restitution or meritorious of receiving it?
I find it amusing to see "conservatives" jump right in and take the liberal line when it suits their personal agenda. So I guess we'll be seeing demonstrations demanding reparations from Spain and the Spanish Catholic church? Perhaps Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton will show up and lend a a hand.
That's the same arguement the marxist La Raza types like to throw out. American citizenship is meaningless with borders and immigration laws that are enforced.
"A much longer process as opposed to what? The ten years or so it takes to deport one now?"
Most Mexican illegal aliens don't contest. Non-Mexican illegal aliens are usually released on their own recognizance pending a hearing and, predictably, don't show up.
Making illegal status in the U.S. a felony at this point is probably a nonstarter. You would put anyone caught and charged in the position of having nothing to lose by contesting the charges at every step. Once you've become a convicted felon, you cannot get citizenship or even visit the U.S. legally.
Most aliens so charged would choose to go to trial, and would be provided free counsel courtesy of the taxpayers. Our judicial system already relies on plea bargaining to handle most criminal cases.
I would rather see our judicial system used to put away violent felons. While making illegal status in the U.S. a felony might sound nice, it would be yet another unenforced law.
I have seen no one on FR advocate zero immigration laws or borders. Next strawman?
Yes, But when 45 families are living in a one family house they don't pay enough property tax to pay for the 30 kids to go to school.
"I find it amusing to see "conservatives" jump right in and take the liberal line when it suits their personal agenda. So I guess we'll be seeing demonstrations demanding reparations from Spain and the Spanish Catholic church? Perhaps Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton will show up and lend a a hand"
You have the catholic church taking political positions, so it is fair to bring up what they have done in the past.
"You have the Catholic church taking political positions, so it is fair to bring up what they have done in the past."
Of course the Catholic churches take political stances on issues of religious significance. As they should. It might have missed notice, but the Catholic churches also takes political stances on other issues of moral concern such as euthanasia and abortion.
The real complaint here is that the Catholic churches are not toeing the line that one group of political conservatives wants them to.
But be that as it may, let's extend this idea of "fairness" in bringing up what has happened in the past one step further. This is not the first time in American history that there has been an anti-alien backlash from native born Americans. So I guess it would be "fair" to tar today's anti-illegal alien advocates with some of the really offensive bigotry of the nativist campaigns of the 1840's and 1850s? Is what's good for the goose sauce for the gander?
I don't think it's "fair" to tar anyone with the actions of people who are long dead. Today's Catholic churches are not responsible for the actions of Spanish conquistadores 400-500 years ago. They had nothing to do with it. Nor are today's anti-illegal alien activists responsible for the acts of bigots 150 years ago.
I read your post twice, looking for a sarcasm tag, and I didn't see it. I guess you actually believe what you wrote.
"True. I guess I am getting pretty tired of how many of these illegals are en mass viewed as some evil. When masses of people are described in such blanket terms I know that no rational debate is forthcoming."
Amen.
I strongly disagree with illegal immigration and do want to see the borders secured. But I grow increasingly weary of comments that are nothing but thinly concealed bigotry toward hispanics.
Simply substitute he word "black" or "Jew" for "illegal alien" in so many of these posts, and you'll get a pretty good idea of the underlying sentiments.
"The real complaint here is that the Catholic churches are not toeing the line that one group of political conservatives wants them to."
No just follow the laws of the land would be alright.
Illegal aliens are not immigrants....
You need to give "us" a break from your invasion enabling
comrades...comrade...
whoever the hell 'us' is....
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