Happy May Day
Today is May Day. Has it been a year already?
Sticking with tradition,promoters of lawlessness, hmm.. proponents of immigration reform, proponents of illegal immigration took to the streets across this land of ours to demand that they be treated fairly given special treatment.
If you turn on any of the big four networks tonight, I'm sure you are going to be shown the standard 2 1/2 minutes of footage of mostly Mexican demonstrators, waving American flags, saying that all they want is to be treated fairly.
Much like the Gathering of Eagles in DC in March, the coverage will be very selective. You aren't going to see that the Mexican flags far outnumber the American flags. You won't see numerous Che Guevara shirts. I'm quite sure you won't see the "F**k La Migra" sign.
Go here to see pictures and video of one protest.
Now, before you get all riled up, allow me to point out that I think immigration is a good thing. My family immigrated here just like most of yours. I also know that illegals do contribute to their communities. I also know that they collect from the government as well.
I can't find the study, I'll link to it when I do, but just a couple of months ago a study was released that said that people in the lowest tax brackets (that would include most illegals) receive $3 in federal assistance for every $1 in taxes paid. So let's not make this an argument about whether or not they pay taxes, as I'm sure most of them do. When you balance it out, contributions vs. benefits paid, they receive more than they contribute.
But that's not even get into that part. Here's the main point. This is not about immigration. It's not about whether they are good for the country or not. It's not about whether they have families back home, wherever that is, that they want to be reunited with. This is about ILLEGAL immigration.
One of the protesters was carrying a sign that asked "When did your family immigrate? 1800? 1920? 1930? Lucky them!" What this ass clown doesn't point out, is that my family immigrated here in the early 1800s, and they did so LEGALLY. They got on a boat, sailed to Ellis Island, came through immigration, became citizens, assimilated into the culture, and became productive members of society.
What my family did not do was sneak in to this country, demand that ballots then be given to them in German and Polish, and then complain that they weren't being treated fairly when they weren't accommodated. They looked at the culture around them and they changed to fit in. They did not ask the culture to change to suit them. If that was the case, they could have stayed in Germany and Poland. (Yes, I'm a 1/4 Polish. I know, it explains a lot.)
Let me ask you something else. Ever been overseas? When you are taking a cab through Paris or Moscow or Frankfurt, have you ever heard the cab driver say, "And over there is little America"? or "Go down this street to little Canada"? Why is it, then, that in America we have little ______s in every major city?
Now, again, let me be clear. I love that these places do exist. I loved living on Army bases growing up, because there was always a good Korean restaurant just outside the gates. I love Chinese food and Italian food and Korean food and Mexican food and German food. The list goes on and on. And I love learning and experiencing other cultures. However, if you want to be able to succeed in this country, you need to learn a few skills, and first and foremost among them is the ability to speak and read English.
This country, like it or not, was founded mostly by English speaking white guys. English is the language of the land. Since then we have grown and diversified, but if we want to be able to stay the great land we have always been, we need to be able to communicate with each other. To do that, all new people should assimilate into the existing culture, including learning the language.
My great-grandfather was a Polish immigrant who spoke Polish, German, Ukrainian, Russian, Lithuanian, and English. (Actually there was one more, but I can't remember what it was). He had four children, and the only language he taught them to speak was English. My grandfather said he begged to learn others, but his father told him, "You are in American now, you need to talk like an American". He understood how to succeed in his new country, and it didn't involve protesting against the country that allowed him to escape communism.
Personally, I wish he had passed on a couple more, because being a native speaker would have been a big help when I lived there. I do, however, speak enough German and Spanish to get by when I travel there, as well as a few words in French, a little Japanese and a couple words in Arabic. But that's a story for another day.
What pisses me off when I'm watching these protests is that most of these people have come from countries where it is illegal to do what they are doing here. They couldn't have protested against the government where they came from. They couldn't demand special treatment as a reward for breaking the law. And if they had been arrested, especially in Mexico, they wouldn't receive anything even close to the treatment they would receive here. Hell, Mexico won't even let legal immigrants vote, and this group wants everything handed to them on a silver platter.
Personally, I wish these protesters would get as fired up about improving things in Mexico as they are about trying to attack America. Or divide us.
Do these groups actually believe that if the Southwest has stayed under Mexican rule that Los Angeles would be the city it is today? Do they really believe that the only thing that kept Mexico from experiencing the economic prosperity is the fact that Santa Anna got his ass handed to him?
The whole thing leaves me shaking my head.
This could have all been avoided after the immigration deal in 1986. Back then everyone pledged to police the borders, enforce immigration laws, and generally clean up the whole system. If that had taken care of then, there wouldn't be 12 million illegals in this country right now. Hindsight is 20/20, so they say.
What to do to solve this? I'm not entirely sure. It's impossible to round up 12 million illegals and deport them, but at the same time they shouldn't be rewarded for breaking the law.
I can't say that I hate Bush's plan over 3 year work permits, so long as they return home and apply for the permit, as well as paying the fine. You know, because they broke the law to begin with.
Furthermore, if I were writing legislation, all official documents in this country, including ballots, would be in English, and English only. Why is that, you ask? Because to vote in this country, you have to be a citizen. If you are a natural born citizen, you damn well better learn English, as you've grown up in the American school system, so that may be in jeopardy. If you are a naturalized citizen, you had to pass a test which certifies that you can read and speak English, so you should have no problem understanding the ballot.
I also have no problem with a wall on the border, as well as armed guards. A country which cannot control its border will soon cease to be a country. If/when someone is caught trying to sneak in, they are detained, identified, and, and this is the important part, shipped back to their country of origin. You don't make them promise to show up to a court date and then let them go. You get caught, you get shipped out. Sorry about your luck.
Finally, I would up the amount of legal immigrants allowed in the country, as well as the number of H-1Bs.
So, to sum all this up: legal immigration=good, illegal immigration=bad.
Sticking with tradition,
If you turn on any of the big four networks tonight, I'm sure you are going to be shown the standard 2 1/2 minutes of footage of mostly Mexican demonstrators, waving American flags, saying that all they want is to be treated fairly.
Much like the Gathering of Eagles in DC in March, the coverage will be very selective. You aren't going to see that the Mexican flags far outnumber the American flags. You won't see numerous Che Guevara shirts. I'm quite sure you won't see the "F**k La Migra" sign.
Go here to see pictures and video of one protest.
Now, before you get all riled up, allow me to point out that I think immigration is a good thing. My family immigrated here just like most of yours. I also know that illegals do contribute to their communities. I also know that they collect from the government as well.
I can't find the study, I'll link to it when I do, but just a couple of months ago a study was released that said that people in the lowest tax brackets (that would include most illegals) receive $3 in federal assistance for every $1 in taxes paid. So let's not make this an argument about whether or not they pay taxes, as I'm sure most of them do. When you balance it out, contributions vs. benefits paid, they receive more than they contribute.
But that's not even get into that part. Here's the main point. This is not about immigration. It's not about whether they are good for the country or not. It's not about whether they have families back home, wherever that is, that they want to be reunited with. This is about ILLEGAL immigration.
One of the protesters was carrying a sign that asked "When did your family immigrate? 1800? 1920? 1930? Lucky them!" What this ass clown doesn't point out, is that my family immigrated here in the early 1800s, and they did so LEGALLY. They got on a boat, sailed to Ellis Island, came through immigration, became citizens, assimilated into the culture, and became productive members of society.
What my family did not do was sneak in to this country, demand that ballots then be given to them in German and Polish, and then complain that they weren't being treated fairly when they weren't accommodated. They looked at the culture around them and they changed to fit in. They did not ask the culture to change to suit them. If that was the case, they could have stayed in Germany and Poland. (Yes, I'm a 1/4 Polish. I know, it explains a lot.)
Let me ask you something else. Ever been overseas? When you are taking a cab through Paris or Moscow or Frankfurt, have you ever heard the cab driver say, "And over there is little America"? or "Go down this street to little Canada"? Why is it, then, that in America we have little ______s in every major city?
Now, again, let me be clear. I love that these places do exist. I loved living on Army bases growing up, because there was always a good Korean restaurant just outside the gates. I love Chinese food and Italian food and Korean food and Mexican food and German food. The list goes on and on. And I love learning and experiencing other cultures. However, if you want to be able to succeed in this country, you need to learn a few skills, and first and foremost among them is the ability to speak and read English.
This country, like it or not, was founded mostly by English speaking white guys. English is the language of the land. Since then we have grown and diversified, but if we want to be able to stay the great land we have always been, we need to be able to communicate with each other. To do that, all new people should assimilate into the existing culture, including learning the language.
My great-grandfather was a Polish immigrant who spoke Polish, German, Ukrainian, Russian, Lithuanian, and English. (Actually there was one more, but I can't remember what it was). He had four children, and the only language he taught them to speak was English. My grandfather said he begged to learn others, but his father told him, "You are in American now, you need to talk like an American". He understood how to succeed in his new country, and it didn't involve protesting against the country that allowed him to escape communism.
Personally, I wish he had passed on a couple more, because being a native speaker would have been a big help when I lived there. I do, however, speak enough German and Spanish to get by when I travel there, as well as a few words in French, a little Japanese and a couple words in Arabic. But that's a story for another day.
What pisses me off when I'm watching these protests is that most of these people have come from countries where it is illegal to do what they are doing here. They couldn't have protested against the government where they came from. They couldn't demand special treatment as a reward for breaking the law. And if they had been arrested, especially in Mexico, they wouldn't receive anything even close to the treatment they would receive here. Hell, Mexico won't even let legal immigrants vote, and this group wants everything handed to them on a silver platter.
Personally, I wish these protesters would get as fired up about improving things in Mexico as they are about trying to attack America. Or divide us.
Do these groups actually believe that if the Southwest has stayed under Mexican rule that Los Angeles would be the city it is today? Do they really believe that the only thing that kept Mexico from experiencing the economic prosperity is the fact that Santa Anna got his ass handed to him?
The whole thing leaves me shaking my head.
This could have all been avoided after the immigration deal in 1986. Back then everyone pledged to police the borders, enforce immigration laws, and generally clean up the whole system. If that had taken care of then, there wouldn't be 12 million illegals in this country right now. Hindsight is 20/20, so they say.
What to do to solve this? I'm not entirely sure. It's impossible to round up 12 million illegals and deport them, but at the same time they shouldn't be rewarded for breaking the law.
I can't say that I hate Bush's plan over 3 year work permits, so long as they return home and apply for the permit, as well as paying the fine. You know, because they broke the law to begin with.
Furthermore, if I were writing legislation, all official documents in this country, including ballots, would be in English, and English only. Why is that, you ask? Because to vote in this country, you have to be a citizen. If you are a natural born citizen, you damn well better learn English, as you've grown up in the American school system, so that may be in jeopardy. If you are a naturalized citizen, you had to pass a test which certifies that you can read and speak English, so you should have no problem understanding the ballot.
I also have no problem with a wall on the border, as well as armed guards. A country which cannot control its border will soon cease to be a country. If/when someone is caught trying to sneak in, they are detained, identified, and, and this is the important part, shipped back to their country of origin. You don't make them promise to show up to a court date and then let them go. You get caught, you get shipped out. Sorry about your luck.
Finally, I would up the amount of legal immigrants allowed in the country, as well as the number of H-1Bs.
So, to sum all this up: legal immigration=good, illegal immigration=bad.
"What this ass clown doesn't point out, is that my family immigrated here in the early 1800s, and they did so LEGALLY. They got on a boat, sailed to Ellis Island, came through immigration, became citizens, assimilated into the culture, and became productive members of society." - Frank
You mean LATE 1800s... Ellis Island wasn't even a functional immigration processing facility until 1892. Unless you mean that your people immigrated to the US prior to 1890 when the immigration service first started filtering out the millions of people who were coming into the country.
I am not against tightening our borders... I am against criminalizing illegal immigration (to the point of incarceration and deportment... it is already illegal, just not enforced as effectively as you white hooded samaritans would like). The money you save in government subsidy of illegals you will just spend in policing the borders and trucking them back to where they came from. Criminalizing illegal immigration won't be the economic boon you foresee, plus it would have the added detriment of increasing the cost of just about every thing you can possibly imagine from food to clothes to automotive parts... I personally would love to see it happen because then the same people crying about illegal immigrants today, will be the same people crying about the high cost of living if they criminalize illegal immigrants.
Posted by
Anonymous |
5:03 AM
I should have been more specific. The German side of my family came over in the early 1800s, the Polish side immigrated around 1900, and they came through Ellis Island.
So, you want to secure the border, but if they manage to sneak by, then Hey! You win. You get to stay.
I want to apply that to other laws, too. Stealing cars is against the law, unless you have it for more than 24 hours, because the car has then become a useful member of society, transporting you to work, taking your kids to school, bringing home groceries. It would be unfair to take it back from you after you've had it this long. What would you do for a vehicle if we took the stolen one away from you. Besides, the only reason we want to take it from you is because you belong to *insert random protected group (Hispanic, women, black, gay, whatever) here*, and everyone knows that society hates that group.
I don't foresee an economic boom from enforcing our immigration laws, but neither do I see the collapse of America as we know it. There have been low paying jobs as long as there have been jobs, and there has always been someone willing to do the work.
And if it comes down to immigrants being the only ones who will take the jobs, then why not come in legally, so you don't have to worry about la migra the whole time your here?
And look, you even managed to sneak in a KKK joke.
Posted by
Frank |
1:39 PM
What would a discussion about immigration reform be without at least one KKK joke?
I think perhaps we misunderstand each other... I misunderstand your comment about your family coming through legally through ellis island and you thinking I believe that if you get through, hey you can stay!
I think securing the US borders should be a priority. Sealing them shut... build a 100 foot tall fence with razor wire, gatling gun towers every thirty feet and one armed guard every 20 feet. Will that prevent illegals from entering the country? It is possible, but not probable. If they want in, they'll get in.
Now, as far as the illegals currently in this country, it would be near impossible to corral and take them all down. It would also be disasterously expensive. Does that mean the worst offenders of various laws should be allowed a free walk? Hell no. There are plenty of laws already on the books with which to go after these stains on the history of immigrant contribution to this county. Welfare fraud, tax evasion, etc could all be used to go after them. The ones here that just work and don't drain the system though, they may not be legal, but they surely contribute to the health of the economy. Why punish everyone just for the sake of a fixing the system (which has clearly been broken for hundreds of years).
And as to your point about your family. Prior to 1890, there was no such thing as legal or illegal immigration. The country didn't have an immigration policy. It was up to individual states to decide who came in and who didn't, and believe me the wretches that came through from europe at that time would make some of our worst offenders look like model citizens. After 1890, when control of immigration landed on the governments laps, it still wasn't "illegal immigration," per se, it was just undocumented.
I know I will never make you see how big a mistake it would be to criminalize being an undocumented alien in this country. It would be near catastrophic for the economy and being a model republican, fiscal responsibility probably tugs at your heart strings equally as strong as blind patriotism. I understand that. But if not for anything else, for the next week... ask everyone you come in contact with on an economic level to tell you what the life cycle is of all the products (and those of the people providing you service) you need/buy/are given. My guess is that you will be unpleasantly surprised how much of what we eat, buy, wear, drive, and use on a day-to-day basis comes from.
Posted by
Anonymous |
2:54 PM