Transcript: Victor Davis Hanson on the Lou Dobbs show

CNN Transcripts ^ | Aired July 2, 2003 - 18:00 ET | Victor D. Hanson, Lou Dobbs, Daniel Griswold

[Pa' fuera]

If we give these people a legal channel, many of them just want to stay here for a year or two and then go back home.

So basically Griswold sees no net increase in immigration, since they come here and go back quickly. He sees no increase in the amount of remittances sent back by Mexican immigrants to those they leave behind. Obviously, he hasn't studied the problem very thoroughly.

[Pa' fuera]

All we've done is create a deadly diversion of people into the desert; 2,300 hardworking, peaceful Mexicans have died in the desert since 1995 because of this.

so anyone who can walk across the desert is automatically hardworking and peaceful. They're unemployed, but hardworking? They're breaking our laws and treading our soverignty under foot, yet they're peaceful?

[gubamyster]

Any idea why the people in the border states don't take it out on the business owners?

You mean by boycotting businesses who hire illegals? Probably because this would be impractical if not impossible, since a large number of businesses hire illegals. Besides, how would you know – ask the owner or the employees if they were illegal?

If you mean report businesses, again this might be difficult & probably too much of a “bother” for most people. However look what these guys are doing:

Construction police [and Illegal Aliens]

Seems to me these owmers are a large part of the problem, if not the essence of the problem. What if they were made to pay a high price, maybe the ultimate price, for aiding and abetting the illegals? Would that have an impact at all?

I believe actively pursuing and severely fining business that hire illegals would be a tremendous step in the right direction. We need to eliminate the incentives for illegals to come here. If they know there cannot find work, there goes one big reason to cross the border.

[Paulie]

"I believe actively pursuing and severely fining business that hire illegals would be a tremendous step in the right direction."

One suggestion would be for the gov't do the 'random audit' thing much like the IRS does on all us taxpayers (jessie jackson is above reproach, however). If they wanted to, they surely could nail some that way, and changes would be made real quick. Question is: would something like that start us down a path we'll regret someday? Short of land mines on the border, what are the realistic alternatives? Keep in mind that time is running out for us (IMO).