Immigration Woes
April 7th, 2006 by Wulf
Well, I have added an article on the immigration debate on my website, complete with an afterword on the “compromise” introduced in the Senate yesterday. The following is a letter I sent to Senator McCain from his website. Please read my article, then feel free to cut and paste the letter below to Senator McCain if you feel at all sympathetic to the illegal immigration cause.
Senator McCain:
Let me start by saying that, in the past, I have always been proud to claim you as my Senator. Your work on campaign finance reform has been commendable, your torture bill was essential to the security of the U.S., and you have always seemed to look out for the best interests of your constituency. I highly respect your service to our country both in the military and as a civilian, and I was terribly disappointed in your treatment during the 2000 presidential primaries. Up until a few weeks ago, I was looking forward to hearing about a run in 2008.
Unfortunately, that has all changed now due to your position on immigration reform. The fact that you are willing to grant Amnesty to those who have flagrantly flouted or immigration laws and are driving down the wages of our rapidly shrinking Middle Class is disgraceful. Considering the fact that Middle Class Republicans such as myself make up the majority of your voters, I am shocked that you would so openly pander to the interests of your contributors in the Real Estate Development and Mining industries. My feelings on this matter are described in detail at Wulfcry.com (http://www.wulfcry.com/personal/journals) and I hope you take the time to read it to get some insight into what I’m certain many of your constituents are thinking.
This is just another example of the type of corruption and pandering to big business so common in our party since this administration took office that has prompted me to change my voter registration from Republican to Independent. I would be ashamed to identify myself as belonging to the party of the current administration and the congressional majority that has perpetrated such travesties as turning the income tax into a salary tax, and trampling all over civil liberties with the renewal of the patriot act which allows such violations of the 4th Amendment as those seen in the Jose Padilla case. If this is the direction the Conservatives choose to steer this country toward than I will do whatever is in my power to publicize its corruption.
While I agree that LEGAL immigration is a foundation of our culture and economy, something has got to be done about the epidemic of illegal immigration and the lack of security it signifies. Another round of Amnesty, whatever you and president choose to call it, will only encourage more of the same and result in more foreign nationals slipping across the border with god-knows-what on their minds.
I would love to hear your response to this issue, and would encourage you to contact my by whatever means is most convenient for you.
Thank you for your time and attention,
Wulf
Looks like we actually agree here. However, you need a new update–the compromise got tanked today. My favorite media-bias moment is when the reporter describes the “GOP-written House bill that criminalizes being an illegal immigrant.” Apparently Suzanne Gamboa sees no disconnect in a statement about “criminalizing” something “illegal”…
I wouldn’t even have a problem with the opinions that you have . . . you know that I respect others having opinions differing from my own . . . if you hadn’t descended into name calling and over-reaction. People being charged with treason? With all due respect my brother, are you fucking insane?!?
You are right, the question is not whether Americans will do these jobs because because they are beneath them, but if they won’t do them because the pay is beneath them. But those who should be punished are Walmart and the like, not those who are filling those roles.
Yeah, the illegal immigrants, by the very definition of the names, are commiting a crime. But I can never look so poorly on them because I myself have broken many MANY laws in this country . . . and so have you. Shall we both go and turn ourselves in? Or were they laws that we don’t agree with so chose not to follow the letter of the law. There’s a saying about throwing stones and being without sin.
Two more things, and then I’ll write a real response that maybe I can convince you to post (at the very least I’ll be posting it on my own site). First, you suggest imprisoning illegals for a year or two and then sending them back over the border. You are aware I hope that it costs the state over $40,000 a year per inmate to incarcerate a person? WHY would you, someone interested in saving tax dollars, want to imprison someone that you’re going to kick out of the country in the first place?
And finally, I want to point out that I recently spent some time with a young hispanic American woman. Smart, educated, just turned 18. Her parents are both illegal immigrants. She however was born here. Her folks were granted the amnesty years ago so she is in no danger of being separated from them, but let’s imagine that they weren’t. Under this new law, her parents would be branded felons, they would be kicked out of the country, and never allowed to return. They have educated their daughter as they could. She speaks no Spanish because they believed that because she’s in this country she should speak English like everyone else. They’ve done everything right. So we’re going to split the family up permanently? Let’s change it. Let’s say the girl is only 9 and her folks don’t have the amnesty. Does this girl go into the foster care system? Or are you going to kick an American out of the country along with her parents?
OK, one more point. I’m not 100% certain, but the version of the bill (which has apparently been shot down now) which I heard about does NOT grant an unconditional amnesty for those who have been here 5 years or longer. They DO have to be free of any crime and they have to pay all taxes that they might owe before they can be allowed to apply for a guest worker pass. Not exactly an amnesty by any means!
OK, shutting up. I do intend to write a fuller response and I hope to continue our little debate. Just no name calling, you moronic jackass.
~Ash.