Immigration

So what's the answer? No, I don't know. But I do have comments.

Of course.

To those who want to literally build a wall across our Southern border I have one thing to say: Get a grip! Does that not remind you of another very famous wall of days gone by? I'll give you a hint, it starts with a "B". Do not kid yourselves, that is exactly what the world (and many Americans) would call it: The New Berlin Wall.

Could we please remember this key point: We are a nation of immigrants. We came here, we killed large numbers of Natives (those we didn't kill we put on little plots of less than lush land), and we took over the joint. [And when I say "we" I do not mean me and mine. When we showed up here the Natives had already been shoved farther West than we've ever wandered.] Now we want to keep all other immigrants out?

Yeah, that makes sense.

For those kvetching about these new bills that would make it a crime to employ illegal aliens, you need to check the laws: it's already illegal to employ an illegal alien. Also, that's one of the best ways to deal with the issue.

The businesses hiring illegals and the governments (ours and Mexico's) that actually make it easier to come here and work illegally are the problem. They need to be given a time out and told to stop that.

People will continue to come here and live and work illegally as long as they can get jobs. So the businesses need to stop supplying the jobs.

Of course, these are really cheap workers. They'll work for a wage that can't legally be paid to Americans and they're off the books, so little things like taxes and social security don't have to be paid for/by them.

Which means the businesses aren't going to voluntarily stop hiring and employing these folks. So the government needs to actually come down on them and make them face the consequences.

It would also help if our government would tell Mexico to stop encouraging their citizens to come here. Not surprisingly, Mexico is not particularly pleased about people who attempt to sneak across their Southern border and they're not overly nice to those folks. But they don't care if their own citizens skip on up here. They need to work on their own country, their own economy so that their people don't have such a crazy need to leave.

About the suggestion that we wave a magic wand and make those currently living and working here now legal. Nah. That's not a good idea. They're illegal aliens so they're not paying taxes (and haven't been for as long as they've been here).

Though I don't think we should throw them all out, build a big ol' wall and keep 'em out, then sit around pretending to be Isolationists while simultaneously attempting to take over the world, I also don't think they should get quite that free of a ride. They've been enjoying many of the societal services provided for by everyone else's taxes.

As for the throwing them out thing: Again, get a grip. And keep in mind that many of them have children who were born here, thus making said children U.S. citizens. And we can't exactly deport U.S. citizens just because we decided to. And deporting their parents wouldn't be right either.

So how about some sort of expedited process for those already here? Get them on the books, in the system, paying taxes, and working on legal citizenship.

At the same time, U.S. businesses need to be strongly "encouraged" to stop hiring illegal aliens. That will seriously slow down the influx because if there are no jobs then there's no reason to come here anymore.

But... we have a government that loves business. We have a government that doesn't like to come down hard on business.

So what are the chances they will over this?

Little to none.

Which leaves us where?

Exactly where we are.

Figures.

The good news is that the debates on the issue have been postponed to Thursday. Hopefully they will be in (or will continue into) the afternoon so I can listen to C-Span on my computer at work.