The short version is that like Robb over at Sharp as a Marble, I'm not sure the legislation and implementation of the recent Arizona law regarding immigration is the best option.
But I absolutely agree with the intent.
Our immigration system is broken. It needs to be fixed. It also needs to be enforced. People that violate our immigration laws and expect to stay should be deported.
The path to American citizenship begins at an embassy other diplomatic office that is located overseas. Anyone that skips that all important step does not deserve to stay in this country.
And if the federal government will not enforce federal laws.....and make no mistake, the Arizona legislation is based on enforcing federal law....then the states will have to find a way to make that happen.
Here is another view of the subject that is well worth your time.
5 comments:
"The path to American citizenship begins at an embassy [or] other diplomatic office that is located overseas. Anyone that skips that all important step does not deserve to stay in this country."
So much for most of my immigrant ancestors, then. For the really early ones, the Iroquois didn't have much of a diplomatic presence in London, so I guess they can be excused. For the later ones, about all that was asked was a willingness to work, for the most part, and they had that.
What you see in Michigan may be very much different from what I see here, but what I see in Northern California is that there are a lot of people around who are willing to do hard, menial work for reasonable pay -- but very few of them are American citizens or "legal" aliens. Throwing them out isn't going to make our teenagers -- who seem to be the main group that harasses the workers -- any more anxious to do actual work for a living.
This country has need of a LOT of people who are willing to work hard, and it always has been. The best way to satisfy that need is to provide real freedom in the workforce. When we've tried that before, it's always panned out well in the long run. Let 'em all in, let them work, and we'll be the better for it.
Because, as you know, freedom works, each and every time it is tried.
Good grief, Dann -- you're moderating your posts? Why? Have you had some bad experiences with comments?
Hey Sherwood,
I hope you keep in mind that I'm not thoroughly happy with the Arizona law. I was pondering a response to Reflex in RACS, but he'd probably blow by the many, many points of agreement just to find a contortionist means towards disagreement. I've known a couple immigrants that had to return home due to our bizarre system that denied them the ability to find legitimate work.
Our system is set up for the well-to-do to obtain traditional English nannies. Everything else is an afterthought.
I do think our immigration system is broken. And I agree with your observations regarding many illegal immigrants that are decent people that are willing to work. We need to fix the system so that they can come here as legal immigrants. Perhaps the creation of a migrant worker permit that would let them come for the growing season and return home for a few months after the labor demand has decrease??
But the same fix also should include keeping the real trouble makers out. The feds need to enforce our immigration laws and they haven't been doing that for a long time.
Unmentioned in my post was my concern for MeCHA and other racist organizations that advocate "reconquering" the American southwest. I'd certainly feel a whole lot better about increasing immigration quotas if I didn't have a sneaking suspicious that there were invaders hiding amongst the immigrants.
As for the moderation, I've got my blog set up so that any comments made a couple weeks after the entry is posted require moderation. It is more of a precaution against bad behavior than a reaction to bad behavior. [grin]
Glad to see that I still have one reader!!
Regards,
Dann
You know what, Dann? It's really boring when we're in complete agreement ;-)
Love your remark about what our current system is set up for.
LOL!! I ripped that off from an Icelandic, cartoonist friend of mine. He said that at least a decade ago after he'd returned to Iceland after not being able to get a work permit and a job to line up at the same time.
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