It seems to me that neither of our two parties have a real interest in addressing the immigration issue for what I think are selfish reasons on both sides. One party is happy to keep them as illegals so as to provide the cheap unregulated labor they provide and the other are content to keep them illegal so they can have the issue available for campaigning when election time comes around. To solve the issue eliminates a campaign issue you see.
What seems to be forgotten on both sides is that what is being used for political capital here are human beings. Yes they are breaking our immigration laws and yes I know immigration laws in many of these countries are worse than our own, but they are human being's nevertheless. We must never loose sight of this. I hear a lot of people on my side state that they are breaking our laws and thus must be treated as criminals and that they are jumping in front of the proverbial line of those that others must wait in order to enter the nation legally. seldom is does anyone mention that it often takes years to enter process the paper legally and that all to often after years and months of waiting they are rejected entry. While they are waiting months and years to process their legal papers they must sit there and watch their children go to bed hungry and live in houses with dirt floors ( I have been to Mexico I have seen them). Again I will grant they are breaking the law entering our country, we must not forget that Rosa Parks broke the law when she sat in the front of the bus and Harriet Tubman was breaking the Law when she took human across state borders to freedom in the north where slavery was illegal. I have yet to hear any one of my right wing brethren propose changing the laws to make it easier for these people to come in legally and with their dignity intact.
I do recognize the need to have secure borders especially in this day and age of terrorism. (by the way all of our Sept 11the terrorist came into the country legally and from our northern border not the southern. That also seems to get scant mention. that too is a part of our broken immigration system that needs to be addressed.)
I will not leave this post without proposing what I think is a reasonable solution, which by virtue of being reasonable is doomed to being ignored by politicians who have no interest in solving the issue and are content in using humans as political pawns.
I will list here a multi point solution to the immigration situation.
- Secure the border. National security demands we do secure our borders, both northern and southern and make sure we keep track of all who enter, not just those of our southern border.
- Stream line the immigration process. There is no excuse for keeping these people hanging for years filling unending reams paperwork. I have asked Mexicans if they were promised that they could enter the country legally within six months if they would go back and come in legally. The answer is usually yes. They do not like their legal status any more than we do.
- Stop welfare services. I am opposed to most welfare programs in principle. Most Mexicans do not come here looking for handouts, they come here looking for work. They are however not stupid, when social workers come around offering assistance they will take it. They just left a socialist country after all, they often know no better.
- Force them to change their economic system. As long as other countries send their economic problems to us we have a right to do what ever we can to make them change their economic system to look like ours. Mexicans here can vote in their national elections, they also have regular contact with family and friends at home. I say we actively campaign for the candidate that most promises to do that. If they imitate our economy they will in time not need to come here. No one wants to leave their country if they do not have to. I would also use foreign aid as a means of forcing as many countries as possible to change their economic systems. No foreign aid unless you take steps to imitate us. In time they will not need foreign aid as once they adopt our economic system their economies will flourish.
It is my belief that by adopting these ideas we will both protect our borders, reduce immigration and treat our immigrants with respect and dignity once more.
