Let's start with Illegal Immigration....

The fact that the word "illegal" precedes Immigration should be enough to end the discussion. But President Bush and much of Congress have gone completely crazy on this issue so I guess I'll have to discuss it.

First of all, we already have a completely structured, time tested system allowing for immigration into the United States. My ancestors (it was only about a hundred years ago but "ancestor" sounds impressive) came into the United States through Ellis Island, NY. There was a quota of how many people would be let in. These people had to have family already here to help them or a guaranteed job to get in. Those that had the chance were checked for communicable diseases and shipped right back to where they came from if they had any. Fortunately, my forefathers and mothers qualified, had their last name changed to something "American", and went on as LEGAL immigrants to gain citizenship and pursue the American Dream. They didn't know much English but learned it quickly enough as did their children. They became part of the "melting pot" where different people and cultures blended together to form a uniquely "American Culture". And so the 20th century was the American Century.

That began to change in the 1960's when "multiculturalism" became in vogue. Another word for multiculturalism is Balkanization. Immigrants were discouraged from assimilating into American culture and instead were encouraged to hold onto their former roots and consider America to be a place to live but not a home.

Fast forward to today. Here in Texas, stores like Home Depot, Lowes, and Walmart went from all-English signs to English with a small Spanish translation signs to English and Spanish signs to (I still can't believe this) a Walmart I visited in South Dallas which had all the easy to spot isle signs in Spanish only with small English translations on the hard-to-read side of the signs.

The City of Dallas passed a law (later repealed after public outrage) that stated the reason Hispanic students were failing in school was because their parents were not involved. To get them involved, all Dallas School Principals had 3 years to learn Spanish so they could communicate to the uninvolved parents. Those that couldn't master Spanish in 3 years , regardless of how long they had served the school system or how talented they were, would be fired. How about requiring the Parents to learn English? How about asking the tough question: why do immigrants from Asia in particular but other areas as well do EXCEPTIONALLY well in school; have no trouble learning English; and while they do keep their traditions, seek to actively be Americans?

The answer is two-fold and simple: quotas and expectations.

America (or any country: look at the immigrant problems in England and France) is like a sponge: it can only absorb so much water before it's of no further use. The immigration quota system was put in place so that America could help and absorb the new arrivals. What Ted Kennedy proposed in the 1960's, what Ronald Reagan implemented in 1986, and what President Bush is proposing today is to say "the hell with limits: let everyone in!"

I wouldn't want to live in Mexico right now either with all the drug gang violence and corruption. And I believe every human being has the RIGHT to wish for a better life in a better place......but the right to WISH does not give them the RIGHT to INVADE the USA like a hoard of hungry locusts, still thinking of themselves as Mexicans, sending back to Mexico what they don't consume here, turning areas of the US into third-world backwaters. During a recent protest, students (legal and illegal) left school and paraded through the streets carrying the Mexican Flag. It's enough to make you sick, especially since tax-paying Americans are forced to pay for the education of illegal and "mom made it across the border just in time for you to be born in America" children.

And why shouldn't they invade us? They get great health care, welfare benefits, more money than they ever made in Mexico, and a safer existence.....at least until they drag their neighborhoods down to barrio level. And our politicians encourage them! Why? Because they claim we need an uneducated, unskilled, low-paid labor force to "do the jobs Americans don't want to do anymore." And that's were you get into Expectations.

When you solicit invasion by a 3rd world, low class hoard of people, don't be surprised when they don't care about education, language, legalities, or being Americans. The reason other immigrant groups score so high in education and the sciences is because their expectations were set much higher: they came here FOR the schools and the opportunities for success, just like my ancestors did. They came here with the dream of making a BETTER LIFE for their children and themselves....and to be Americans. THOSE are the immigrants we want to embrace with open arms. Those are the immigrants who have ADDED to this country and made the 20th century the American Century. As to the 21st century, that's going to belong to the Chinese but that's a topic for another time.

Time for a very important NOTE: I am speaking at a 10,000 foot level. For those of you who can't see the forest for the trees, YES, there are very nice individual Hispanic illegal immigrants. NO, not all Hispanics think of themselves as Mexicans, are indifferent to education, or don't speak English. PLEASE don't comment with things like "I know an illegal named Julio who does very well in school speaks English, and hopes some to.....blah blah blah." I know them too, but a few nice trees doesn't justify a devastating encroaching forest of invaders.

The bottom line is we very easily could have deported/made life unpleasant enough to go home/enforced the law/ and avoided this problem all together. But when Ed Koch was Mayor of NY, he forbid the NYPD from arresting anyone on an immigration charge. More recently, when Farmers Branch, Texas passed an ordinance banning the rental of apartments to ILLEGAL aliens, they were attacked as racist. Liberals sued. The ordinance was suspended pending a vote by the whole town. Activist groups from around the nation came to fight against the bill. The election was held. The proposition to ban past OVERWHELMINGLY. So some activist sued and the liberal, policy-making Court usurped the will of the people to ENFORCE THE LAW and put the ban on hold pending trial. Utter insanity.

Now we have over 12MM illegal aliens consuming our resources and services, not paying taxes and now stealing identities and ruining the credit of who knows how many LEGAL Americans.
All because the Government is soliciting a cheap labor force. It's not that American's don't WANT to do the jobs, Mr President, it's that your illegal labor force has driven wages so low they CAN'T AFFORD TO take those jobs and be able to put food on the table. Thanks a lot.

Coming soon in another post: What's the solution? I'll tell you what I think!

Sincerely,

Mr. Unloadingzone

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