The Issue of Immigration

I swear this immigration issue will turn the political tide as we know it. The issue most Californians are concerned with (albeit by a narrow margin) is the issue of illegal immigration--beating out education and gas prices! And a lot of people that were not regularly upset about that issue became increasingly aware of it with the last round of protests.

May 1st they're going to boycott everything--school, work, shopping, etc. They've produced a Spanish version of the National Anthem. They've lost their minds. The problem is, they don't want to be part of our country--they want to make it their country. Its the very unhealthy type of diversity--the type that demands the minority receive undue respect and tolerance from the majority, while the majority must accept that the minority will flaunt its non-compliance of the rules of the majority. If these protestors had even the least amount of common sense, they would be doing the opposite of everything they are doing right now. Instead of staging a boycott, that makes everyone hate them, they would tell their people to get out and spend so much money on Monday that it becomes clear just how much they contribute to our economy. Instead of making a copy of our anthem in their language, they should get the best Hispanic/Latino artists together and produce an English version. They need to send the message that they are part of us--not that we owe them the opportunity to co-exist with us. Nobody but our own can claim that right--and their very strategy puts them at odds with their goal.

2.5 million people would like to tell 300 million people what the law should be. It doesn't (and shouldn't) work that way.

Here's the political fallout--those that continue to support any form of amnesty or waiver for illegals already here will get the votes of the Democrats, and will not get votes from Republicans. The power in Washington will shift if somebody doesn't knock some heads together in the next day or so and tell every Republican that they need to unite against allowing free-sale amnesty or anything like it from being announced. They can all win their seats, and probably pick up some new ones if they stand strong on that. If they do that and call for serious reform of gas prices until whatever it is that is driving them up is stabalized or dealt with (i.e. if there are real causes for it, fix it, if its gauging penalize it) the Republicans could be the heroes of the year. But they won't...leadership is risky and they are afraid of risking anything.

But they shouldn't be. Its almost a no brainer. I honestly believe that California's governator has a real shot at re-election, thanks entirely to the question of illegal immigrants. The issue of education will be buried by this, and there isn't a California Democrat alive today that can run and be against illegal immigrants. Arnold has a chance--I think if he starts whacking at it with a big stick, he could sow up the election with months to spare...but that would require someone on his staff with a good sense for when to strike, and his special election results suggest he doesn't have many people like that.

Now, lest you think I am looking at this situation with only criticism and nothing valuable to add, here's my solution: offer a ten year work visa for all illegal immigrants currently residing within our nation. Shut the border and wall it off. Make no allowances for anyone coming in from this day forth. All newly documented workers will be eligible for full citizenship in ten years. They have as many rights as any other visitor in our country--which is to say, not much. But they can work for (nearly) full American wages, and eventually get full rights if after ten years they apply and can show a comprehensive understanding of the Constitution and the English language. Anyone that cannot get their act together in ten years becomes an unwelcome guest--they must leave of face criminal charges and jail time, followed by being booted out.

I'm not for throwing everyone out this instant. Nor am I for setting up snipers on the border. But we need to act. If a Republican would stand up and say, "There IS a middle-ground, and as the compassionate nation we have always been and always strive to be, we must reach for an appropriate compromise which makes meaningful changes while maintaining our humanity," I think he would be the next President of the United States.

This is the hot button issue. Don't look for it to go away--it touches more lives than Iraq. It IS the War on Terror, it IS national security, it IS the economy, it IS education, healthcare, resource management, etc. Its all of the juiciest issues and then some. And the games are only getting started.