Yes, I completely agree. If we just enforced the laws already on the books, then the illegals here would go home and there would be no incentive for any more to come. That is, except for drug dealers and terrorists, etc. That's why I still think we need a wall.
The local and state and federal governments are further aiding unethical and greedy businesses which illegally hire illegal aliens, by not enforcing existing laws on the books that call for stiff penalties for those who hire illegal aliens.
Yes, and I find that very puzzling. While I consider myself a general supporter of President Bush, he has utterly failed to show any real interest in protecting and securing our borders. Nor has he showed any interest in enforcing existing laws. All of this is despite his own rhetoric. I have tried to figure out why he is doing this and nothing adds up.
If he thinks that an amnesty path to citizenship under Republican rule will magically translate into 15 million new Republican voters he is delusional. :) However, if he is doing this for business interests then he should just do it the "law and order" Republican way and convince the people that his amnesty plan is best for the country. We know he has failed in his attempts so far, but he's not going to convince me to change my mind by using these wholly "un-Republican-like" tactics. We are supposed to be the party that takes the law seriously.
All that because of greedy capitalists and corrupt government officials who do not apply the law, some bargain-hunters notwithstanding. With about 13 million illegals, how many potential al-Qaida terrorists could have slipped in? Why, 1% would be an army of 130K! Sobering.
It is very sobering indeed. I actually would have no problem with reforming the current immigration policies to make it easier and speedier. We just have to know who these people are and what their intentions are. I have the greatest honor and respect for all those who ARE following the rules and waiting their turns in line. They must remain in front, and if there is reform, those who continue to break the rules should be forever banned.
Rather than build walls that never kept anyone from entering or escaping, the solution is to cut the demand by discouraging greedy and unethical businesses from hiring illegals with stiff fines as prescribed by the law, and firing the corrupt government officials who do not enforce such laws at the present time.
You know by now that I am pro-wall. :) I think that a double wall plus technology plus adequate personnel will keep the vast majority of cheaters out. Nothing would be perfect, but I think it would work to a great degree. I also think we need a wall because without one, i.e. if we just increase personnel, then our security will always be at the whim of whoever is in office. If President Bush stationed a man at every half mile along the whole border, then the next Democrat elected would just pull them off and we're back to open borders. Once a wall is in place it's there. No one is going to spend the money to tear it down in the foreseeable future.
But, as you say, then we get a Democrat who will cut the funds and personnel needed, catering to special interest groups, and the wall will be as good as nothing.
Unfortunately, Sen. McCain's record is not very good when it comes to illegal immigration. He has sided with Democrats on that issue. But then seeing Guliani (who actually helped get a mafioso appointed to serve as Homeland Security chief for a couple of months before his shady past was made public), I am not very encouraged by the people McCain is surrounding himself with.
Here is the scoop: cut down the demand, and the supply will dwindle. In order to cut down the demands the unethical businesses that hire illegals must be punished by existing laws.
For that to happen, the president can exert pressure on local governments to enforce the law of face consequences. Immigration is a federal matter and those who break the immigration law, either by hiring or abetting those who hire illegal aliens, are subject to federal prosecution.
It would take a very resolute and moral person in charge to have the "mf" to do that. i can see Mike Huckabee being that person, but not McCain. Unfortunately, we don't have one such frontrunner who could or would do that.
Thus our soldiers are dying in Iraq to keep the enemy at a distance, and our governments are doing nothing to prevent the insurgents from creating a Trojan Horse in the heart of America!
Never mind, in addition, risking potential epidemic outbreaks since the illegals are not checked for communicable diseases when they enter the country and could be caryring anything from the plague to the Ebola virus.
We are also sending a mixed, and hypocritical, if not schizophrenic message to the world, on the one hand on the other we are the first to break our own laws for dubious reasons, endangering our own national security and health in addition to that.
If the supply dried out because the demand disappeared, the remaining illegals could be handled by existing institutions without enlarging any of them. In fact, all that would be left, save for a few die hards, would be drug traffickers and terrorists.
We could go after them with impunity, but who is going to find them in a sea of 13 million current (estimated) illegeal aliens today? That's the population of some medium-sized European countries!
We created illegal immigtation and we refuse to fix it. Both the legislative and executive branches of the government carry a bi-partisan responsibility for this failure.
It's time to hold someone accountable! When politicians become liable for their mistakes, like every other citizen, perhaps we will have responsible (better) politicians. Imagine that!
Just think, if I park on the sidewalk because I can't find parking, and the cops don't give me a ticket or haul my car away (along with a monetary penalty that goes along), people would be parking all over sidewalks! Pretty soon we oculdn't alk on them.
If cops stopped pulling over people for speeding or drunk driving, going to work would be like a shooting gallery. If doctors couldn't be sued for their mistakes, what would be the incentive to practice ethically? If business are allowed to break federal laws, what is purpose of having laws that are not enforced?
At this point we can't afford to abrogate our responsibilities, ignore the laws that protect us, and give unethical businesses free reign. It is as good as handing terrorists an open invitation! Wake up America!