SamSaid!

IMMIGRATION

The demonstrations continue in cities across the country. The Mexican flag is flying and illegal aliens are demanding THEIR RIGHTS. Can you imagine that?  People who are in OUR country illegally are demanding THEIR RIGHTS?? Some kind of a country, right?

     The immigration issue is not a new one. It has been around for 10-15-20 years and more, dating back to the memorable Edward R Murrow telecast, “Harvest of shame”. For many years, the problem of “illegals” was considered manageable, and our Congressional folks just looked the other way. At that time, maybe the problem was too small to waste a lot of time on it. If it was too small then, it is too big now. Twelve million people is a whole lot of folks to try to locate, identify and manage. I don't think we could round up all of the illegals –  even if we wanted to. And that ignores the big furor it would create.

     It is not too difficult to put your finger on the essentials of the hassle. First of all, these 12 million  are not “undocumented workers”, as the left wingers like to describe them. They are aliens in our country  — and they are here illegally. To describe them otherwise is to obscure the issue. Second, their services are of value, and certain industries strongly depend upon them. Third, they definitely are a drain on our services that are available to citizens. Fourth, some of them pay taxes  — others do not. Fifth, some immigrants are in the country legally  — most are not. Sixth, the inflow of immigrants continues without our ability to stop it. Seventh, most of the aliens are in the US for money  –  jobs to better their families  — here or in Mexico.

     But any way you look at it, the US government has to deal with 12 million people, and we are not sure who they are, where they are, what they are doing,  or where they may be headed. In my view, no country should tolerate that kind of  situation. In order to have any governmental control or real security, a government should be able to control its borders. Right now, we can't, and that comes at a time when terrorism raises both concerns and doubts about strangers who are loose in our midst. It may require strong medicine for change, and of course we have no shortage of bleeding hearts who will support any measures as long as nobody is disadvantaged or hurt. But we have to face the problem, not finesse it.

    First of all, we need to control the borders and dry up the source. Second, we have to differentiate the legals from the illegals. Third, we must have a reliable ID system toallow us to track the “illegals” and deport the undesireables. Obviously there are details to be determined, but we should not overlook the basic fact  –  they are aliens who are in our country illegally. That has to be the starting point,   demonstrations or no demonstrations.

     In California, bi-lingual means teaching English as the second language. Can we see our future?  Si!

RIGHTS

     Every once in a while I spot an article in which a learned author offers words of wisdom worth thinking about.  James Q. Wilson is is one of those authors. The notable quote was (don't hold me to the precise words);

     The rising demand that every personal preference become a constitutional right is a worrisome disease. People do have rights, and the Constitution and the First Ten Amendments spell them out. Adding new invented rights by either a ratified amendment or judicial overreaching is a mistake. ”

     It seems that everyone nowadays has special rights. The obese, the handicapped (major or minor), aliens, immigrants, illegal aliens, children, unborn children, women, minorities (of all kinds of mixtures), gender deviations, political proclivities, ethnics, religion, age  —  and the list goes on. When a particular group starts to scream and protest, Congress, in some cases,  rushes in to “protect” them by creating new  “rights”. The legality of these rights does not come from a popular vote. The desires of the people are immaterial. In most cases the rights are the product of  the Judicial system —-  the opinion of one man (woman)  — a judge. Just by the stroke of a pen, a group becomes “entitled”, and a new set of “rights” comes under the umbrella of the law —-   and become almost impossible to revise or eliminate.

     They say we have a Democracy, but what good is a system in which the majority opinion of citizens is neither sought nor honored? How many politicians have been ecouraging or proposing plebiscites to “put it up to the people” for a popular vote on key issues? The death penalty?  Abortion? Gay marriage?

     Don't hold your breath. Just suffer in silence.  It's your right!!