Posted on 06/05/2007 8:31:10 AM PDT by AuntB
Imagine all the money we've wasted putting bank robbers behind bars. After all, they just "wanted a better life." How else are they going to feed their families if we don't let them rob banks — one of those "jobs [other] Americans won't do."
The Senate immigration bill is a threat to the rule of law. But then Washington's scofflaw approach to immigration for over 40 years has made a total mockery of "the law."
Oooooh! Stop scaring people
President Bush has accused conservatives of "scaring" people merely by pointing to the many flaws in his immigration proposal. Not satisfied with an approval rating that threatens to match Nixon during Watergate — Mr. Bush seems complacent about driving it down to the basement. Incumbent Republicans who face the voters next year are horrified as the White House now shakes its fist at the party's base and says, "Charge! — we'll show 'em! That's what they get for sticking with us when we needed them."
Longtime Bush voters who put a premium on protecting the borders are standing more in wonderment than in anger. Support for the war on Islamofascism, including Iraq — despite mistakes in conducting that war — and for Social Security reform and embattled court nominees, account for nothing at the White House. For the president to turn on his most loyal supporters reflects a mindset that is about as close to reality as was that of John Jacob Astor IV aboard the Titanic, who dressed in formal garb so that he would "go down like a gentleman."
The bipartisan amnesty train is leaving the station. Kennedy, McCain, and Co. scoff at mere legalities. To them — to paraphrase Lenin — laws are like pie crusts, to be broken.
To them, illegal aliens — excuse me, "undocumented immigrants" — in our midst are a "tolerance" issue. Why can't we be "tolerant" of drug dealers — excuse me, "unlicensed pharmacists" — crashing the gates? We don't have enough of them here already. We need more, to do those — altogether now — "jobs [most] Americans won't do."
Criminals welcome
Me? Scared? In disproportionate numbers, illegal aliens do things that are — well — illegal. Murder, rape, robbery, manslaughter, violent drug traffic — you name it. Criminals need love too. A throwback to President Clinton's Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, who proclaimed the problem with criminals could be found in "the root causes" (i.e., maybe they had to wait five minutes for their bottles)?
In her book Invasion, Michelle Malkin has documented that America's lax immigration enforcement has allowed some of the world's worst thugs and war criminals into our midst — including a Haitian death squad leader; an Ethiopian war criminal who hung naked women upside down from poles and beat them with wire; and a Cuban nurse who tortured political prisoners with wet electric prods wired to their temples and genitals.
A "how-to handbook on law-breaking
And why shouldn't the illegal arrivals assume lawbreaking is OK? In my own backyard, there is a pro-illegal alien outfit called Casa de Maryland, funded by Montgomery County. That's my wallet. But you'll get yours, too. Casa de Maryland also has received funds from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. That's my and your wallet. But then who are we to complain? As taxpayers, our job is to shut up and pay the bills.
This taxpayer-funded Casa De Maryland has been instrumental in preparing a pamphlet flat-out advising the "undocumented" how they can break the law and get away with it.
Its advice is: If you are questioned by authorities, don't provide them with information about your immigration status. If the police, FBI, or immigration officials should come to your home, don't open the door. Instead (paraphrasing now) put them through all kinds of hoops and legal technicalities.
Better use of my tax dollars would be to send the local cops (with a warrant) to knock on the Casa de Maryland door, seek out its leaders, and cuff them for aiding and abetting in the commission of a crime. Oh, but that's a mere law, you see.
Collaborating with Casa in its advice to lawbreakers are the Detention Watch Network and the National immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild.
The National Lawyers Guild (NLG), according to a September 1950 report by the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), was organized in 1936 by a caucus of the Communist Party USA. The title of the congressional report was "The National Lawyers Guild: Legal Bulwark of the Communist Party." In the post-Soviet World, NLG is reported by Wikipedia as having received funding from George Soros's Open Society Institute, the Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Ford Foundation, "and others."
You pay, you stay
What are newcomers to think of our "rule of law" when they know that immigration officials have (1) traded visas for money, sex, and gifts; (2) accepted bribes from felons awaiting deportation; (3) smuggled drugs and people and peddled fake documents; (4) punished and intimidated whistleblowers; and (5) jailed border guards doing their jobs, and even hauled an "unlicensed pharmacist" back to the U.S. to be a witness against them in court. Talk about stop hitting my fist with your face.
More laws to be ignored
Now, having disregarded immigration laws on the books, you are earnestly urged to believe that new laws on the books somehow will take on the aura of respect by the criminals who have profited by ignoring the old ones.
In truth, the amnesty bill that the president and a bipartisan coalition are trying to ram down our throats without so much as a Senate hearing also — (surprise!) — makes fools of those who respect laws. For details, we are indebted to Kris W. Kobach and Matthew Spaulding (Ph.D.) of the Heritage Foundation:
1 — It would create a new "Z-visa" by granting massive benefits to those illegal aliens or — in legalese — "those who were previously in unlawful status." In contrast, it would deny benefits to those immigrants and would-be immigrants who have played by the rules. And just for good measure, some of those benefits would be denied American citizens.
2 — The "temporary" Z-visa can actually be renewed every four years, or until the visa holder dies, and would allow the holder many privileges (work, attend college, travel, and re-enter) that are denied legal law-abiding aliens holding normal visas.
3 — The bill would make it extremely difficult to prevent criminals and terrorists from obtaining legal status. If a background check isn't completed by the end of the day after applying for the Z-visa application — which is unlikely — the applicant gets a probationary Z-visa, good for six months, plenty of time to work legally regardless of background, or to plot a terrorist attack.
4 — Amnesty would apply even to fugitives ordered deported but who defied the orders. About 636,000 absconders have ignored the law — in some cases twice.
5 — If an illegal is in the deportation process and is deemed "prima facie eligible" for a Z-visa, an immigration judge must halt the proceedings and offer the alien a chance to apply for amnesty.
6 — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would be transformed from a law enforcement agency to an amnesty distribution center.
7 — Gang members would be eligible for amnesty. Deporting gang members (who have created mayhem in American cities) has been a top ICE priority. Not any more, if this disaster becomes law. The over-the-border gangster-dominated Mexican town of Nuevo Laredo may become a model for U.S. towns in the 33 states where illegal gangs have operated.
8 — In-state tuition (or tuition subsidies) would be available to illegals, but not to mere out-of-state naturalized or native-born American citizens.
9 — Contrary to current law, many illegal aliens would be entitled to taxpayer-funded lawyers.
10 — So-called "provisional" Z visas would actually give the aliens immediate lawful status, protection from deportation, authorization to work, and ability to exit and re-enter the country (with advance permission).
This column knows of an individual — a professional person — who came to America, played by the rules, has contributed to the economy, applied for citizenship, and went through all the legal hoops. But he is required to travel a lot on company business. When it turned out he had been out of the country for just one day beyond that allowed in the year prior to acquiring citizenship, he had to go back to the end of the line and start the process all over again. No Z visa for him.
Of course he complied, but the point is immigration enforcement can be ultra stickler-like on legal immigrant applicants. However, if you're illegal — hey, we don't need to obey any stinkin' laws. Forget it. Y'all come!
This immigration bill is a "compromise" of sorts. It badly "compromises" law enforcement and tosses the "rule of law" to the four winds.
Wes Vernon is a Washington-based writer and veteran broadcast journalist.
arbatrar = arbitrary.
Only those who are favored by the government are allowed to ignore the law. It takes the natural order of things and stands it on its head...
It's cat and mouse. Nothing new there. There's always someone trying to rain on yer parade, whether it's the state police or just some local goons. That's human nature. Hell, it's just plain nature. So, what to do? Obey every law for the sake of it?
My point is that simply complaining about "lawbreaking" is pointless. Everyone breaks laws. The problem with illegal immigration isn't that it's illegal. The problem is that it's unregulated. We would like to know who's coming in, how many, etc.
Are you kidding? Everyone ignores the law at one time or another.
I thought so too, but the more plausable theory is that he is doing everything possible to get Hillary elected, so we will feel nostalgic for the Bush oligarcy after four or eight years of her misrule.
Then it will be Jeb's turn.
Spot on! Since our government lacks the will to deal with the 12+ million illegals (too many to deal with), somehow this deal allows the bureaucrats to deal with them now? Give me a break. Fix the leaky pipe by shutting off the water - secure the border, conduct sweeps, slam employers of illegals and remove the anchor baby clause. Then we can address the 'leak'.
Would be a poor decision, and doubly so for talking about such a poor decision. The guy up the street reasoned thus and he didn't enjoy his three years in Leavenworth.
or objectively interpreted
Congress just passes a template law and lets the lawyers figure out what it means at any given point in time. Many professions are being augmented if not replaced by computerized expert systems. Lawyers have no fear of that. The law is too irrational to deal with logically. It's a big pile of mud that skilled practitioners can shape anyway they please.
The "root cause" of crime is selfishness. In other words, criminals are criminals because they choose to do something illegal, usually because they will gain from it in some way. It's a decision.
Yes, many things influence that decision and can sometimes strongly persuade a person to commit crime, but the bottom line is that it's a choice.
Yeah, but the difference is you (i.e. John or Jane Q. Public) have to pay the consequences if you get caught “ignoring” a law.
On the other hand, this bill removes virtually all meaningful disincentives to being in the country illegally.
Again asked my auto insurance company to reduce my premiums if I run more stop signs and lights.
They ain’t goin for it....
Make no mistake, this is essentially a government-sponsored inflation of the rights and privileges associated with United States citizenship.
Too many “citizens” chasing too few government-sponsored resources = problems.
Illegal Mexican nationals are not merely a protected group, they are a *favored* group, and have been for years.
In the Los(t) Angeles area, examples of this abound. The message: Illegals are your betters. Pay them, help them, give them your respect or else!
It’s absolutely insane — but at least for the present, we have to adapt to this reality. I’m sure mandatory Spanish lessons for Americans everywhere isn’t far off.
ping
2 — The “temporary” Z-visa can actually be renewed every four years, or until the visa holder dies, and would allow the holder many privileges (work, attend college, travel, and re-enter) that are denied legal law-abiding aliens holding normal visas.
It’s a permanent, temporary visa—why, that’s doubleplusgood!
(Nothing’s too good for our permanent guest-worker/slaves.)
< sarcasm/ >
Right. That’s a difference between citizens with some national tradition and foreigners with some alien tradition.
Reminds me of Shaespeare’s Henry VI
“first thing we do is - - - - all the lawyers”
Try telling that to a judge if you're caught and prosecuted. I'm sure they will be sympathetic.
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