Posted on 09/16/2007 9:38:52 AM PDT by DCPatriot
Given the responses I got the last time I focused on this issue, I almost hate to bring it up…but here goes.
I think Tony Snow is exactly right when he says here:
“I deeply admire what [Mr. Bush] did on immigration and I think he’s right,” Mr. Snow said. “I think the policies the president outlined generally are the ones that eventually this country is going to adopt.”
Let us hope so, because the alternative “solutions” out there - “let everyone in and register them all Democrat” on the left and “ship them all back to Mexico no matter how long they’ve been here or how productive” - are neither workable nor just.
Snow also says, here,
“the White House was not prepared for the anger of foes of illegal immigration
For crying out loud, that’s a staggering statement when even I - a lowly and not terribly bright housewife - completely understood the mood of the illegal immigration extremists. They were not interested in any sort of “half-measure” by President Bush - they did not want Bush do what Reagan always tried to do, “get 75% of what you want and come back later for the rest.” No, the extremists on this issue, crying, “we’re the base, you better dance with who brung ya,” were relentlessly uncompromising on the matter of illegal immigration and President Bush - and any other politicians who disagreed with them or sought a more workable solution than “ship them back and build high, high walls” had their rhetorical heads smashed repeatedly against the rhetorical curbside.
I still have a few dents, myself.
The illegal immigration hardliners demanded “all or nothing at all,” from President Bush and the GOP leadership. And now, they have nothing, and no political power to do much of anything. Illegal immigrants are still entering the nation mostly unchecked. The useless NIS is no closer to being reformed and retooled into something useful. There are no plans to design as sort of Ellis Island West, to actually process potential citizen immigrants “the way my grandfather came into New York - legally!” as the hardliner crows. Nothing is being done. But hey…at least the folks with the high, strong principals can sleep at night knowing they didn’t compromise!
A long time ago I wrote that the blood of many may well rest on the heads of those who would not get serious about the War on Terror. By the same token, I think it would not be completely unfair to state that the increases and excesses of illegal immigrants - and whatever political fall-out or legislative impotence comes from once more refusing to deal realistically with an issue that has been ignored for decades - will rest on the heads on those who took a hard, uncompromising line; those who managed to drop-kick the first president to try to effect positive change, and further weaken his entire presidency, while still getting nothing done. This issue was not well-played, folks. And just because the only ones still talking about it are the one-noters in internet forums doesn’t mean the issue is put to bed. Far from it. The reckoning - and the issue itself - has simply been kicked down the road for the time being, launched by a tantrum of “conservative anger”, which sent it nowhere good.
In the Wall Street Journal today the editorial writers take a look at how the hardline stance against illegal Mexican immigrants (come on, you never hear about the illegal Irish all over Boston or Long Island) can hurt the GOP and conservatives politically. They’re right to be concerned. When conservative and Republicans find themselves further weakened politically because they’ve managed to give the back of their hand to what every year becomes a more substantial portion of the electorate, who will they blame? They’ll have no right to blame George W. Bush - who tried to deal with the issue - but they may try to. It’s easy to blame Bush for everything, after all. But the truth is, they’ll have no one to blame but themselves.
I have a suspicion, just a little one - it’s anecdotal and nothing I can cite - but a suspicion nonetheless that some of the folks who jumped on the “all or nothing, ship them back, Bush has betrayed the base” bandwagon are beginning to regret the ride…turns out it was just a merry-go-round, after all.
Don't blame me. Blame the jackasses, like yourself, who wanted/want to reward lawbreakers.
Typical.
It sounds like the Germans, who came here LEGALLY, assimilated well into the community.
My daddy’s side of the family came here during the Potato Famine in the mid 1840s.
My mother’s side of the family came here much earlier than that.
But, I don’t think the happenings of the 1800s has anything to do with with today’s debate.
I have family members who are either first generation citizens, or recently arrived citizens.
Those who immigrated here did so because they love and respect this country.
That means they came here LEGALLY, jumping through all of the hoops.
Too, they learned English and, while keeping some of their customs, have assimilated well into this country.
Unlike the Mexicans, when they fly the flag, they don’t fly the flag of their home countries.
They proudly fly the American flag!
I have no use for anyone who doesn’t respect our laws, and who feels entitled to live here.
I’m tired of seeing my sleepy ‘burb gradually turning into a barrio full of illegals.
Other ‘burbs around me are much farther gone than mine is, though.
There are plenty of potential legal immigrants who love and respect this country.
They desire to live here so badly that they are willing to do whatever it takes to come here legally.
Let those who don’t feel the same way go home.
Should they really desire to live here, let them get in line and come here legally.
And, once here, they should learn the language, and assimilate.
The illegal immigrants of today don’t seem so inclined...
We have a legal migrant worker program.
Why did the illegals bypass that?
Because they don’t respect us, our laws, or our country.
BTW, the illegals are taking the legal migrant workers’ jobs, too.
To me, that is beneath contempt.
My mother’s side of the family came here much earlier than that.
Wow! I hope you have some photographs, letters and other memorabilia. That's cool.
My grandparents on my mother's side came from Sicily about 1910, and my father's side from Germany in the late about 10 years earlier.
Not the point, unless you can show that there are fewer crimes by illegals. A tough task considering the exponential growth in numbers of illegals arrested and convicted during that same time. Remove crimes by illegals and the stats are even better.
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"Your side ignores that FACT and instead rushes to post headline grabbing articles showing heinous crimes committed by illegals."
Our side (Conservatives, remember?) believes that even one American murdered or raped or assaulted by an illegal is too many and not justified by the money that you and others gain.
Your side believes that these American dead and raped are 'collateral' damage. That is what makes you so despicable. That is what makes you the enemy.
And as I've stated on numerous occasions here, if you're going to be ridiculous placing the blame on me, then too, I should get the credit for producing all this wealth for the past six years.
General Contractors, title companies, mortgage lenders, cleaning companies, kitchen appliances, landscapers, deck power-washers and staining...and all the equity my Buyers have realized since 2000. MILLIONS of dollars in generated income.
If all 20 million lived in NYC, the crime rate would not be considered worse than any other large US city for it's population.
And...that crime of coming into the country is only a misdemeanor. It's not like they went to Vegas and held up somebody in a room armed with a gun.
Is 10,000 too many?
Is 5,000 too many?
What is an acceptable number of American victims?
At what point is too many even for the like of you?
You won't answer because to do so would condemn you.
As long as there are illegals who stand at 7-11s waiting for guys like you to hire them by day but burgle, assault, rape, murder at night this will be the only real issue.
How do you know when you go to the cheap labor market to save a few bucks that every single one of the illegals you and your pals pay has never and will never create an American victim?
You don't. You can't.
That you believe citizenship in the United States of America - the greatest nation in the history of the world - is of so little value is truly disturbing. You would give it away to millions of lawbreakers who have brazenly attempted to steal it. Doing so would devalue everyone’s U.S. citizenship. Would that you renounce your own citizenship if you hold it so cheap.
You're engaging it tiresome, circuitous arguments.
Crimes have gone down in all categories in the country since 1986. The illegal alien...for the number of people in their group, are not committing a surplus of crimes.
If you're not going to present other points of yours, then let's forget it.
Nobody's suggesting you give them citizenship at the snap of a finger.
I've said register and document them. Give them taxpayer ID#s and a path to eventual citizenship, should they desire it.
Worker visas should have termination dates...but at least we will know who's here.
There's the rub..."Eventual citizenship." And that is why I made the point that I made.
Worker visas should have termination dates...but at least we will know who's here.
I agree. We should know who is here. But we differ upon what we do when we know someone is here illegally. You want to reward him with legal status, benefits, etc. I want to know he is here so that he can be deported and possibly come back through legal means as part of a carefully controlled temporary worker program. But he's got to return to his home country and retain absolutely NO advantage for his illegal activities. In fact, if he was ever caught here illegally, he should be penalized and given a disadvantage for potential legal entry. Let those who obeyed the laws, respected our borders, and wish to work through our legal entry system reap the rewards, not the lowlife lawbreaker scum who ruin my community and threaten my family's peace.
You obviously have no conception of how economies and communities are tied together.
It's not going to happen...so you either continue to throw a tantrum and a fit...or you get with reality and deal with what's in front of us.
Don't blow the opportunity to make our country stronger.
If your version of "logic" and "practical[ity]" includes rewarding lawbreakers, then I want none of it.
You obviously have no conception of how economies and communities are tied together.
You obviously have no conception of how the rule of law works. You rationalize lawbreaking and rewarding lawbreakers just like a liberal.
It's not going to happen...so you either continue to throw a tantrum and a fit...or you get with reality and deal with what's in front of us.
I am dealing with reality. There are millions of lawbreakers in this country trying to steal citizenship. You want to reward them and cheapen citizenship by giving it away to them. That's the reality. I'm not having a temper tantrum - you are. You're redfaced because all those damned conservatives stopped the President and the Democrats in Congress from rewarding millions of lowlife lawbreakers and giving them a "path" to obtaining the citizenship that they're attempting to steal.
Don't blow the opportunity to make our country stronger.
Don't blow the opportunity to uphold the rule of law and act like a conservative by not rewarding lawbreakers.
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But you see DCprofiteer is absolutely not a conservative.
Again, DCP, how many Americans raped or murdered by illegals is too many for you?
You want to duck the question as if this were not the issue. It may not be for those like you who profit personally from illegals but it sure is for the victims and their survivors.
What would you say to the mother of a girl who was raped and killed by an illegal? Suck it up, I'm making money?
LOL! You keep repeating the lie...but when you're finished, it's still a lie!
I don't profit personally from illegals. Don't know how many times I need to keep repeating it.
Perhaps as many times as you ignorantly ask me how many Americans raped or murdered by illegals is too many for me.
That's not a victory for you, btw...it just proves how ill-informed and ignorant you are on the subject of illegal immigration.
Don’t assume that 100% loans are loans that are made to those who don’t qualify. Many of them still require income and assets to be verified. In fact the only ones available now require both.
Stalking me? ;-)
I don’t have a problem with anyone that qualifies for a loan. I just deliberately try to get under some people’s skin (not yours dear).
You really seem to take this housing bubble to heart. It’s just a correction in the market. Needed for some time. You didn’t cause it.
No, not stalking you!
Na, I realize I didn’t cause anything! However my well being is threatened by it.
I know and I understand. Easy for me to tease when I’m not affected by it. It will get better, it’s just for awhile. Hang in there.
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