Each morning I thoroughly enjoy reading all the local blogs and news, and this week on the anniversary of the Martin Luther King speech "I have a dream" Glenn Beck will be holding a rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. to commemorate that monumental event. Our nations heritage on illegal immigration, or I should say Immoral immigration began on the shores of South Carolina where slave ships arrived to an open market. This later evolved into a divisive issue, a civil war, and what later became Lincoln's "emancipation proclamation." Freed slaves, and their children were eventually given a birth right citizenship and afforded constitutional protections including a full right to vote under the Fifteenth Amendment.
Future generations of pre/post World War immigrants also were arriving at Ellis Island in New York, the location was selected because in order to become a U.S. citizen a proper screening of foreigners was thought a good idea. At Ellis Island the intake procedure required the documenting of individuals arriving into America and also a health assessment was required to ensure that diseases like cholera, malaria or the like was not going to be introduced to our country. Eventually all new immigrants were required to learn English, our Pledge of Allegiance, and the laws of our nation. The ultimate goal of the program was to create the Melting Pot whereby the noble goal of Assimilation and Acculturation was achieved.
Today's immigration system resembles very little of the old way of doing things. Clearly we cannot blame most people who wish to become Americans for not doing things in the correct way. All too often the barriers to immigration can be immense, including costly legal fees and years of waiting for INS to get its act together and dire circumstances in their host countries. But this in-and-of itself does not excuse those immigrants who break our laws and enter our country illegally.
The first thing one must consider on the Immigration debate, and often I fail to hear people discuss it, is the question "why are you interested in America?" The answers are often varied but one common theme is that America, unlike the rest of the world, is the last bastion of freedom on earth. Most countries have draconian immigration laws and are very unwelcoming of outsiders entering their countries. However, with most of the Third World people living on less than $2.00 a day America seems like a place ripe with opportunity. We are also world famous as a place where its citizens are afforded a Republic that bars and restricts our Government from infringing on our Inalienable rights as citizens.
As an Immigrant my Great Grandfather believed that the best reason to come to America is because you value and cherish our freedom, and wish to take part in the American dream. Despite the idea or notion that America has no more room for immigrants is flawed, what America is lacking today is leadership in Washington D.C. to tackle the Immigration problem in a way that builds America stronger with each passing generation. America needs a balance of quality Immigrants that will add to our competitive and entrepeneurial spirit as a nation.
What is truly sad today is that the Immigration system has broken down as much as it has. Sadly immigrants today are being chastised, and in some cases discriminated against, for doing what they believe is the right thing. Personally I respect and support foreigners wanting to come to America to be Americans. What I deject is foreigners coming to America to reap the benefits of socialized programs, refusing to Assimilate or Acculturate and then working illegally hence subjugating our labor laws. These individuals anger other Americans who see them send their tax free earnings (in some cases less than minimum wage) back to their families who are living in failed narco states.
To truly correct the issue of immigration, it becomes very important to separate immigrants into "Assets" and "Liabilities" whereby "Liabilities" come to America to commit crimes, and therefore are my and your enemies, and "Assets" come here to build the next generation of Americans "Stronger" than the last.
American citizenship should be a badge of honor that is earned. INS should require that all Immigrants speak fluent English, take a pledge of allegiance and not commit any crimes against others prior to getting a Green Card.The INS needs to strenghthen America by demanding Immigrants conform to the American way of life and not the other way around.
The shores of America were once a dumping ground for Englands most undesirable immigrants or a penal Colony of sorts. The English dumped its criminals on our shores and under the early years of that tumultuous period the Colonialists were confronted with an unwelcome challenge. Fortunately for the pilgrims gun control laws were not an issue. Despite popular misconceptions about guns they do keep criminals in check (just ask any police officer.) It appears that America today, is becoming Mexico's dumping ground for its criminal undesirables.
In conclusion to my post today I will say again that Immigrants who come to America to make our nation stronger not only should be pursued and welcomed, but also treated like our friends and respected guests. Those Immigrants who come to America to weaken our social and public services, break our laws and refuse to Assimilate and Acculturate should be regarded as our enemy as they always were in time past. I believe it is as simple as that.
