'What Happened to Illegal Immigration?'
By J. D. Longstreet (10/27/08)
Once upon a time in a land far, far, away. . . illegal Immigration was a serious problem and the legal citizens of that land were up in arms about it. Then the issue disappeared. What happened? Methinks the media happened.
Have you wondered why Illegal immigration dropped from the radar screens of the media during the presidential campaign? I have. I suspect many of you have, as well.
Where did it go? The illegal aliens are still with us. Some estimates range as high as 20 million illegals here now. Even more illegal immigrants live and work among us every day in the US. We still have a border so wide open that it begs citizens of other countries to steal across it and take up residence in this country. As a result, they are still coming, by day and by night.
Some recent reports in the press indicate that since our financial crisis arose a huge number of illegals have returned to their hones. Let me ask you…doesn't that validate the argument many of us made that the illegals are not here to become citizens of this great country? We have been saying, all along, they are here for the money. Now that the money has tightened up, and the job market has shrunk, they're headed back home.
But why aren't the two candidates for president talking about it? It is my opinion that there is no meaningful difference between the stances on illegal immigration of the two men running for President of the US.
If the illegal immigration thing ever does bubble to the top of the discussion between the two men the American voter is not going to like what he hears.
For Instance: Remember that John McCain co-sponsored the Senate immigration bill that would have legalized millions of illegal aliens in the U.S. and McCain still supports what he calls a "sensible" guest-worker program for workers who are in the country without legal documentation. Once the heat was turned up on the campaign trail he called for strengthening penalties for those who hire undocumented immigrants.
If we go back and look at McCain's record in the Senate, on illegal Immigration, what we find is very troubling. John McCain has voted in the past to extend social security benefits to illegals who have broken into our country, taken jobs from American citizens, drained the treasuries of our states and local governments by running up welfare costs, overloaded our schools while forcing the local taxpayers to fork over the money to pay for it. Those same illegals have devastated our hospitals, especially the emergency departments, through non-payment of hospital bills, and they have practically crushed our courts and law enforcement organizations with criminal conduct.
On the other hand, Obama has voted not to cut off funds to those "sanctuary cities," and he voted for the Senate immigration overhaul bill. You may recall that bill was supposed to create stronger border controls, but, when you look closely, you find the bill would actually expand the guest-worker program and, over time, legalize millions of undocumented, or illegal immigrant workers, already in the country today. Obama has also sponsored a bill, which would allow states to provide in-state tuition for illegal aliens and he even supports giving driver licenses to illegal aliens.
But we aren't hearing about this today. Why is that? Could it be because neither side wants it brought up? The media, so in the tank for Obama, knows that if they bring it up in relation to John McCain, it opens the door on Obama's stance on illegal immigration. In other words, you can't talk about one without talking about the other because there is just not that much difference between them on Illegal Immigration.
So… where does that leave the voter. I'm beginning to think the voter is complicit in all this. There is just no way the American voter can NOT know where these two men stand on illegal immigration. That said, why are so many voters going to vote for a candidate they do not agree with on illegal immigration? Because they feel they have no choice. I suspect the voters in both camps believe they are down to a choice between the lesser of two evils… again. I have to tell you… this is no way to run a country.
J. D. Longstreet
http://csadispatch.blogspot.com/
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