Question Of The Week, 4/1/07
Good morning. An article in my local paper says a fence along our border is not the answer to our immigration problem.
'Building a fence is not the answer,' speaker saysPrayer service fosters dialogue on immigration
Lacey Storer
Lifestyles Reporter
Growing up along the Texas-Mexican border, Dr. Socorro De Anda remembers immigrants from Mexico walking through her father's farm, asking him for work, food and shelter. Back then, there was no fence along the border.Now, a fence stretches along it for miles and miles, trying to keep out those who want in."Building a fence is not the answer," she said.Dr. De Anda, executive director of the Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso, Texas, a school that serves non English-speaking students, spoke to an audience of about 30 on Friday during an interfaith community prayer service at Francis Street First United Methodist Church. The service was sponsored by Mission St. Joseph, in the hopes of starting a respectful community dialogue about immigration and immigration reform.Dr. De Anda told the audience that what people need to remember is that immigrants, illegal or not, are humans, too, just trying to survive. "Yes, they are breaking the law, but there's another side to it," she said. "They're also working, they're paying taxes... There's a moral side to it that we must not forget."Immigration reform, she said, needs to include laws that are applied without bias, and that don't tear families apart or deport immigrants who have lived and worked here for years.State Rep. Ed Wildberger shared a similar sentiment with the audience before reading a resolution from the Missouri House of Representatives calling for equality and justice for immigrants."The federal government has got to come up with a solution that is fit and just for all concerned," he said. While there is no quick fix for the problem of illegal immigration, services and meetings like this get people talking, which many view as a step in the right direction."We need a dialogue to push that process, locally, statewide and nationally." said David Lewis, president of the InterServ board."The issue's here, it's not a matter of 'Is it coming?'"
I think more people are waking up to the fact that there is a problem and most of them will agree, "there is no quick fix for the problem of illegal immigration". This weeks Question Of The Week is. What are some of your ideas for solving our illegal immigration problem?
I'll post my answer in the Comment Section Monday night.
Thanks go to:
The St. Joseph News-Press
God Bless America, God Save The Republic.
'Building a fence is not the answer,' speaker saysPrayer service fosters dialogue on immigration
Lacey Storer
Lifestyles Reporter
Growing up along the Texas-Mexican border, Dr. Socorro De Anda remembers immigrants from Mexico walking through her father's farm, asking him for work, food and shelter. Back then, there was no fence along the border.Now, a fence stretches along it for miles and miles, trying to keep out those who want in."Building a fence is not the answer," she said.Dr. De Anda, executive director of the Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso, Texas, a school that serves non English-speaking students, spoke to an audience of about 30 on Friday during an interfaith community prayer service at Francis Street First United Methodist Church. The service was sponsored by Mission St. Joseph, in the hopes of starting a respectful community dialogue about immigration and immigration reform.Dr. De Anda told the audience that what people need to remember is that immigrants, illegal or not, are humans, too, just trying to survive. "Yes, they are breaking the law, but there's another side to it," she said. "They're also working, they're paying taxes... There's a moral side to it that we must not forget."Immigration reform, she said, needs to include laws that are applied without bias, and that don't tear families apart or deport immigrants who have lived and worked here for years.State Rep. Ed Wildberger shared a similar sentiment with the audience before reading a resolution from the Missouri House of Representatives calling for equality and justice for immigrants."The federal government has got to come up with a solution that is fit and just for all concerned," he said. While there is no quick fix for the problem of illegal immigration, services and meetings like this get people talking, which many view as a step in the right direction."We need a dialogue to push that process, locally, statewide and nationally." said David Lewis, president of the InterServ board."The issue's here, it's not a matter of 'Is it coming?'"
I think more people are waking up to the fact that there is a problem and most of them will agree, "there is no quick fix for the problem of illegal immigration". This weeks Question Of The Week is. What are some of your ideas for solving our illegal immigration problem?
I'll post my answer in the Comment Section Monday night.
Thanks go to:
The St. Joseph News-Press
God Bless America, God Save The Republic.
posted by David Schantz | 2:56 AM
10 Comments:
There's nothing wrong with a fence. Of course, even if the fence were 100% effective, we still have the matter of illegal invaders within our national borders.
What are some of your ideas for solving our illegal immigration problem?
1. Immediate, expeditious, and no-recourse deportation of any and all illegals arrested for any crime here in the United States; driving infractions should be included in that list of crimes. Okay, many of them have children who were born here. Out they go with their parents!
2. Elimination of birthright citizenship. A Constitutional amendment will be needed for that step.
3. Significant fines for any and all employers who hire illegals and for churches who aid and abet illegals. The fines should be levied based on the employers'/churches' gross income and property assessment. Each successive offense would result in a doubling of the previous fine. At some point, if evading the law continues, the business license should be forever revoked.
4. Enforcement of zoning laws to end the slumification of residential neighborhoods. Here in the D.C. area, some single-family homes house 20-40 immigrants.
5. Local law enforcement should be able to enforce immigration laws.
6. Sweeps of gathering places of day laborers, including places which allow immigrants to send money "home" and check-cashing facilities.
7. In order for children to be registered for school, the parents must appear with appropriate papers proving legal residence.
8. No driver's licenses for illegals.
9. Driver's licenses must be shown to make ANY retail purchase.
10. Possible path to citizenship for those illegal invaders who turn themselves in for the process, which would include a hefty fine and payment of back taxes.
I don't like Always on Watch solutions because many of these "solutions" mean a decrease in our own civil liberties. Show a drivers license for any retail purchase? Not on your life. I'd rather stick needles in my eyes.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: if you want to solve the problem the only way is to provide a system for verifying one's legal status upon gaining employment, and then punish employers severely who hire illegals.
It works here in the Czech Republic quite well.
I agree with Praguetwin. As long as there are jobs here, the people will come. Only when the price of hiring illegals becomes too high for businesses will there start to be fewer jobs for illegals and hence, fewer illegals.
as for "9. Driver's licenses must be shown to make ANY retail purchase." Driver's license? Here in New York City, many people do not drive and do not have licenses. Moreover, having to carry a photo id everywhere smacks of a police state.
Also, what's a retail purchase? Show photo id to get a cup of coffee at Starbucks? Do you realize how much this would slow down businesses and drive up costs?
"Yes, they are breaking the law, but there's another side to it," she said. "They're also working, they're paying taxes...
Lots of criminals also work and pay their taxes. Why should that matter in their prosecution?
It's like saying that another kind of criminal shouldn't have to go to jail because she holds a good job and contributes to America's bottom line.
The illegal aliens know it's a crime for them to be here, and by being here, they assume the risk that they could be deported, thus breaking up their families.
Idea number 9 is another step towards a police state, reminding one of the old "Let us see your papers!" from whatever state security forces. I can promise no small amount of resistance.
Idea number 2 regarding the elimination of birthright citizenship: we need a very clear definition of "birthright citizenship" and the COMPLETE process of a Constitutional amendment. We can NOT have a deportation "policy" similar to that of Mitchell Palmer's in 1919 or, again, there will be no small amount of resistance.
Set penalties for deliberately malicious and false information given against American citizens which accuse them of being illegal immigrants to stop the usual "He looked like he weren't from around here and she talks funny".
Yes, immigration is a complicated subject and yes, illegal immigration should be stopped, but I'm on watch against the issue being hijacked by the usual cadre of closet racists, wannabe brownshirts, and bookburners. The "Minutemen" come to mind immediately.
First I want to thank you for stopping by to answer this weeks question. "What are some of your ideas for solving our illegal immigration problem?" I have no problem with puting a fence along our border but I don't think it will stop every person that tries to cross ibto our country illegally . More of our National Guard and Reserve units should be protecting our borders. They should be fully armed, have the power to arrest, or use their weapons if necessary. No more automatic citizenship for being able to enter the country illegally before your baby is born (http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul346.html). I'm not suggesting we break up families deport them all together. No drivers license/voting privileges for illegal aliens. When they are caught driving without a license hold and deport. Catch and release does not work, they won't show up for court. I think most of you agree on going after employers that knowingly hire illegals. I'd suggest a fine of 25 to 30 thousand dollars per illegal hired. Let the company that attracted them pay for their deportation hearing and plane ride home. BTW I think it was last month, Saint Joseph, Missouri's first homicide for 2007 took place. The suspect (arrested but hasn't gone to court yet) and victim were both illegal aliens. The suspect is an MS-13 member. The two men were room mates and both worked at Triumph Foods, Saint Joseph's new pork plant. There was a third room mate, as far as I know he was not an illegal. If he knowingly helped an illegal in any way he should be fined.
God Bless America, God Save The Republic.
Showing a driver's license for retail purchases wouldn't take much more time than pulling out a credit card.
I mentioned the driver's license because, here in Virginia, no driver's license is legally issued without proof of legal presence.
Impinging on civil liberties? Ask those injured by illegal immigrants behind the wheel as to how the victims feel about suffering such an injury because of an illegal!
The negative impact of illegals here in our nation is more serious that we like to think about.
The number one cause of serious car crashes is alcoholism, not illegal alien status.
It's psychologically convenient to pick a scapegoat who is then blamed for each and every social ill, but it's not an accurate representation of reality.
I think what he's getting at is the fact that Latinos account for a percentage of DUIs that is disproportionately large given their percentage of the population.
And given that Latinos account for the lion's share of illegal immigrants, it is safe to say that a lot of DUIs are probably committed by illegals. They broke the law to get into the country, it makes sense that they would break other laws they find inconvenient... like a law that would make it more difficult to party with their friends after a long week of underpaid labor.
Just Eliminate illegal immigration rewards and implement a better job program.
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