Posted on 05/23/2006 8:25:20 AM PDT by Gordongekko909
The immigration bill before Congress has some of the most serious consequences for the future of this country. Yet it is not being discussed seriously by most politicians or most of the media. Instead, it is being discussed in a series of glib talking points that insult our intelligence.
Some of the most momentous consequences -- a major increase in the number of immigrants admitted legally -- are not even being discussed at all by those who wrote the Senate bill, though Senator Jeff Sessions has uncovered those provisions in the bill and brought them out into the light of day.
How many times have we heard that illegal aliens are taking "jobs that Americans won't do"? Just what specifically are those jobs?
Even in occupations where illegals are concentrated, such as agriculture, cleaning, construction, and food preparation, the great majority of the work is still being done by people who are not illegal aliens.
The highest concentration of illegals is in agriculture, where they are 24 percent of the people employed. That means three-quarters of the people are not illegal aliens. But when will the glib phrase-mongers stop telling us that the illegals are simply taking "jobs that Americans won't do"?
Another insult to our intelligence is that amnesty is not amnesty if you call it something else. The fact that illegals will have to fulfill certain requirements to become American citizens is supposed to mean that this is not amnesty.
But let's do what the spinmeisters hope we will never do -- stop and think. Amnesty is overlooking ("forgetting," as in amnesia) the violation of the law committed by those who have crossed our borders illegally.
The fact that there are requirements for getting American citizenship is a separate issue entirely. Illegal aliens who do not choose to seek American citizenship are under no more jeopardy than before. They have de facto amnesty.
Yet another insult to our intelligence is saying that, since we cannot find and deport 12 million people, the only choice left is to find some way to make them legal.
There is probably no category of law-breakers -- from counterfeiters to burglars or from jay-walkers to murderers -- who can all be found and arrested. But no one suggests that we must therefore make what they have done legal.
Such an argument would suggest that there is nothing in between 100 percent effective law enforcement and zero percent effective law enforcement.
The reverse twist on this argument is that suddenly taking 12 million people out of the labor force would disrupt the economy. No one has ever said -- or probably even dreamed -- that we could suddenly find all 12 million illegal immigrants at once and send them all home immediately. This is another straw man argument.
The real question is what we do with whatever illegal aliens we do find. Right now, there are various communities around the country where local officials have a policy of forbidding the police from reporting illegal immigrants to federal authorities.
Why are people who are so gung ho for punishing employers so utterly silent about needing to punish government officials who openly and deliberately violate federal laws?
Employers, after all, are not in the business of law enforcement.
If some guy who runs a hardware store or a dry cleaning business hires someone who shows some forged documents, why should the employer be fined for not being able to tell the difference, when government officials who can tell the difference are not doing anything -- or are even actively obstructing federal laws?
Putting unarmed national guardsmen on the border is another cosmetic move, a placebo instead of real medicine. The excuse is that it is not possible to train more than 1,500 border patrol agents a year. Meanwhile, we have trained well over 200,000 Iraqi security forces while guerilla warfare raged around them.
You can put a million people on the border and it will mean nothing if those who are caught are simply turned loose and sent back to try again tomorrow -- or perhaps later the same day.
""Even in occupations where illegals are concentrated, such as agriculture, cleaning, construction, and food preparation, the great majority of the work is still being done by people who are not illegal aliens.""
Why are people who are so gung ho for punishing employers so utterly silent about needing to punish government officials who openly and deliberately violate federal laws? ""
Putting unarmed national guardsmen on the border is another cosmetic move, a placebo instead of real medicine. The excuse is that it is not possible to train more than 1,500 border patrol agents a year. Meanwhile, we have trained well over 200,000 Iraqi security forces while guerilla warfare raged around them.
You can put a million people on the border and it will mean nothing if those who are caught are simply turned loose and sent back to try again tomorrow -- or perhaps later the same day.""
Thank you................ Tom Sowell(FOR PRESIDENT)
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Ok, so for you it's the potential social impact, not really the "law breaking," per se. Just wanted to clarify.
I am going to take the time to send a copy of this article to my Senators and Congressman. They somehow have to understand that we understand what is happening here.
Oh, well now you're just being an ass. Or a "Sowell-bot."
Judges, Judges Judges. Sorry but your Moveon.org direct Democrat Party lies about "Betrayed Conservatives" is nuked by the difference in Judges appointed by the GOP vrs Democrat Judges. Only a complete political idiot or liar would talk about "Screwed Conservatives". GW Bush has done MORE for the Conservative movement in the Judges he appointed then all the Democrat mouthpieces pretending to be "Betrayed Conservatives" have or ever with with their Perpetual Bitching. Adults understand 60% of something is better then 100% of nothing. Only spoiled brat children throw tmpertantrums because they do not get only 100% of only what THEY personally want. Wander back to DU now, your DNC direct propaganda fools no one here.
Keep up the fight Tom!
Precisely.
Except one would think it was being created by Senators suffering from Borderline Psychosis.
Johnnie, I really do appreciate your service to our country, but you need to cut back on the caffeine a little...
They had it for 60 years and they never spent anywhere near what the Republicans have in the last 10
I wrote to Dr. Sowell first thing this morning and thanked him for his clarity on this issue.
Aren't you the one who told me he was a monarchist? Just to set the record straight with all the name calling. Do you normally teach your students by using this intimidation tactic?
I thought the self proclaimed "Ronald Reagan fans" understood the brilliance of his politics of incrementalism. I see that they are not actually fans of Reagan style political at all. Reagan understood the value of wining what he could. The 100%ers merely whine and bitch because they do not ONLY get 100% of ONLY what they want. The Perpetual Whiners are merely the same spoiled brat pseudo Conservatives who spent the late 1980s bitching about Reagan talking to the Commies, passing an Illegals Amnesty and raising taxes twice.
NO ONE gets only 100% of what they want the second they want it in politics. Adults understand this and understand why 60% of something is better then 100% of nothing. Only political frauds lying about their real agenda or spoiled children throw a temper tantrum about it.
So which is it, bratty fools or lying frauds?
I think what I told you is that I'd rather be a "monarchist" than a "wuss" or something like that. And no, I don't usually use intimidation when I teach. But ain't it peculiar that you didn't make the same criticism of the guy who compared me to Michael Moore because I took issue with Sowell's logic? I guess this stuff only works one way for you.
You need to up your medication
The comparison was very apt, is that name calling to you?
Only if the House caves and accepts amnesty will I choose the "nuclear option" and not vote.
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