Amnesty for Illegals
I finally found a big issue that La Shawn Barber and I disagree on. That is no big surprise since there is not a single person on this planet who I agree with on everything. That includes myself. That said, my opinion on this subject is subject to change, but not likely.
There has got to be a middle ground on this immigration issue. Too many of these people have come to this country searching for a better life. That is the same thing many of our ancestors did a few hundred years ago. Our ancestors busted in on the natives of this land and now treat them like second class citizens at best. Why do so many hard line conservatives want to just pass over this tidbit of history? I guess it was okay back then.
The legalist in me would say, “They broke the law so ship their tails back to where they came from.” The Word of God in me says to lean on the “Golden Rule” and treat them how I would want to be treated if I found myself in a similar circumstance. Many of these illegals were just trying to survive by coming here to the United States. It is entirely possible that many illegals may have not even been aware of the laws they were breaking before coming here, but somehow found their way in because some guy said, give me so much money and then get on this truck if you want a better life. Our country’s failed security system then allowed them in. Does that make it right? No but it does not make the solution any less complicated. It is easy to sit behind a keyboard and come up with blanket solutions to problems that you have no real idea of the human impact.
Let’s consider a mother who has three children ages 5 years, 3 years, and 6 months old? She entered this country illegally as a child and has been working as a migrant worker for several years of her adult life. She met an American-born man and even though they never marry they do have these children together. One day she gets a knock at the door because her neighbor reports her as a possible illegal. The authorities then take the woman away and deport her to her country of origin. The rest of her family who came to the USA with her when she was a child are still in the USA. She now finds herself in a foreign country, relative to where she has lived most of her life, without her children or their father.
Now put yourself in that woman’s shoes and think again about how we should deal with illegals. This is just one small but very real example of what will happen if we just start shipping out all the illegals. It is just wrong to have a hard line attitude against illegal aliens. Yes, it is wrong (ILLEGAL) for them to be here, but does two wrongs make it right?
Many of the illegals in this area of the country are Hispanic. I know people who employ some of these “illegals”. I have even know at least one illegal alien myself who admitted that he was illegal to me. I would have never known if he had not told me. Hispanics are more loyal and they work harder. Those who hire illegal Hispanics and have hired legal white, black, or other US citizens have echoed the same story. Would these Hispanics be as hard of workers and as loyal if they became legal? Who knows if being illegal really has a bearing on their work ethic, but the fact remains that they do work harder and they are more loyal to the employers I have talked to.
Now with all that said, what should we do? I would recommend that there will be a grace period when illegals can come to the table to get legal. While that is happening there should be some serious improvements in border control. At the end of the grace period the hammer should drop. At that point anyone who is apprehended and found to be illegal should be deported immediately.
I realize that there are methods of entering this country legally. My hat goes off and I sing praises to those who have endured that process. Are my suggestions fair to those who went by the book to become legal before this point? No, but unfortunately life is not always fair and those who have stood in line to get legal documentation to be in this country will just have to suck it up WHEN the current illegals get a shot at amnesty. How that will happen I do not know, but I believe it should and will happen.
Here a few links from La Shawn here and here and Michelle Malkin here that show where the big conservative bloggers stand on this subject. At least these are the ones I watch.
April 11th, 2006 at 1:57 pm
Disagreement isn’t a bad thing.
I would like to say that the duties of a Christian and the function of our government are two different things. I am to be polite and treat illegal aliens, including those who may be my brothers and sisters in Christ, with kindness and compassion, but our government is not obliged by God or anyone to excuse certain groups from obeying the law. Supporting our immigration laws and contending that people who’ve broken it should bear the consequences is not unbiblical.
What I’m waiting to hear, although I think I’ll be waiting in vain, are more Christians speaking out against illegal aliens who profess Christ. How does their defying government authority and making DEMANDS on their “host” country square with their profession?
April 11th, 2006 at 2:27 pm
I think you miss a point. The United States in recent history has been the most generous nation in the history of mankind. To bring up a period from 200 years ago, just doesn’t apply today. We have poverty here in our country with U.S. CITIZENS. We are allowing more and more poverty to come into this country illegaly. If we don’t make a stand now, and I mean get SERIOUS, we will see the beginning of the end of a great soveriegn country. If you don’t think that tens of millions more will be coming, you are sadly mistaken. It is not their faults, but these people are un-educated, and will need all of the services our local, state, and federal governments provide. (medical-schools-housing-food stamps-etc.) Who do you think is going to pay for all this? Wait until you or your family are in need. Get in line…in the back of the line. It’s going to be scary. The illegal immigrants are now protesting for “rights” they legally don’t deserve. Wait until they are legal. What do you suppose they will be protesting for in the streets then? Better paid jobs, free medical insurance, free college tuition….don’t you see where this is going? I think you should re-think your position. We can’t afford to adopt an entire country, but that is where we are headed……just my opinion….
April 11th, 2006 at 2:33 pm
Thanks for the comments La Shawn. Your comments raise even more questions for me.
Who really cranked this issue up to start with and why? I believe it started on the heels of a national security issue. I don’t think this really started by illegals making demands. I believe that many illegals would have been happy staying illegal indefinitely if this whole border security thing had not brought their “illegal” status into the forefront as a potential security issue.
Now that we have stirred the pot, some have come out in force making demands. Many others are maintaining their quiet and content illegal status in this country.
Paul,
I am not suggesting that we drop the gates at the border and let in all who want to come into this country. I am saying that we should make provisions for those who are already here while locking down the borders to keep us from ending up in this situation again. Thanks for the comments.
April 11th, 2006 at 3:00 pm
Well, Ozz. I would love to agree with you emotionally.
But set aside some of the emotions of it all let me present my typical arguments.
1.) Let me first talk about the working illegal aliens. If we were to do a survey on how many of them are actually giving back to the country by way of paying taxes, I can only imagine that the number would be as close to zero as it can possibly get.
How is it that they are able to break 2 laws and this is not a problem?
2.) For those who do not work, it is extremely easy for them to get financial aid from Uncle Sam (that’s you and me). How is it that I must pay for their illegal status when I barely make enough to make rent each month? I would settle for just half of what the typical illegal alien gets get from financial aid. Perhaps I could get my 4-member family out of a 2-bedroom garden style condo.
Why is it that the working illegal aliens aren’t paying taxes to support their friends and family…and I am?
(On a side note: I would compare what the gov’t does with my earnings to communism. I make it, they distribute it. That model works fine only when everyone involved is as much like Christ as they can possibly be. But that model does not work in a democracy)
3.) They are taking jobs that American born, non-working people should be taking. There are many, many legal Americans who sit at home collecting welfare and who knows what else, and drive much nicer cars than I have (1996 Tercel with 218,000 miles on it!) I keep hearing the excuse that “the illegals simply take the jobs that Americans don’t want. So what?
I believe if the American aid-recipient is able-bodied, then must take those jobs. We all had jobs we didn’t like. We took them and worked them. And paid taxes.
4.) You are right in comparing the past to the present. The things that were done to the Native Americans were horrendous. And for some reason, God granted our founding fathers this great land, anyway. But when people came here from other countries to be part of this New Nation, this great American Melting Pot, they did not come asking for handouts. They came knowing that they would be paying taxes. They came knowing that they would be expected to obey the laws of the land.
They came only asking one thing: Give me a chance to make it with my own two hands.
This is not the case with most of the illegal aliens.
Just my thoughts…
April 11th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
Thanks Danny,
1) I agree that we should stop giving them a free ride on taxes. I suggest giving them the opportunity to become legally documented. That will give us access to their income from a tax perspective. If they pass on the opportunity to get legal then haul’m out of here. They can’t say they weren’t given a chance.
2 & 3) I agree. We should not have to fund a freeloaders. Many who can work don’t. There are plenty of jobs out there for those who REALLY want to work. Blaming the illegals is a poor excuse for sitting home.
4) They came and took what was not theirs and ultimately paid taxes to themselves and crushed the economy of the natives.
The current day tax free labor that is also milking our tax funded systems could crush our economy. The drugs and violence that comes from some of the same countries that the laborers hail from is equally as dangerous to our country’s future. Let’s not forget the potential WMD threat that could come across the border. Most folks don’t like to talk about that because it can paint a super scary scenario.
We must secure the borders while finding a way to get taxes out of the paychecks of those who want to stay and work in this country!!!
April 12th, 2006 at 1:26 pm
Hey, Ozz.
I went and posted a link to this on my site. I thik it’s worth discussing.
April 16th, 2006 at 1:15 pm
I think the first part of this illegal immigration problem needs to be securing our pourous border to the south and then address the illegals that are already here. Since the number of the undocumented aliens or illegal ailens however you want to refer to them is staggering it makes it probably out of the question to boot them all out. But I have heard several options that involves a graduated scale based on number of documented years of employment.
Even though I am against blanket Amnesty under whatever guise it is being talked about, it seems that is what is going to be debated in Washington. From what I read the only people that will be forced to leave and re-enter will be those with less than two years of documented work. The rest will be part of some type of Amnesty program.
This illegal immigration has nothing to do with religion or being a good or bad Christian it is about enforcing laws in this country.
April 27th, 2006 at 5:39 am
Off topic, I’m sorry.
Hi Ozz,
The P&C is putting together a site with all the local blogs. I couldn’t find an e-mail contact on your page (I’ll blame it on lack of coffee). Anyhow, take a look and send your link to Dan Conover, if you want to be included.
http://postscripts.typepad.com/lowcountryblogs/