Equal Opportunity Immigration
As indicated on the right hand side of this page, occasionally I may write about political issues. This is one such post.
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Contrary to President Obama’s reaction to Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s signing of legislation which requires immigrants to carry their alien registration cards with them (among other enforcements), I applaud the Governor’s efforts to take a stand against illegal immigration. Though not a resident of Arizona, I side with the 70% of state residents who believe reform is overdue.
As if protecting U.S. Citizens, controlling drug trafficking, and managing population growth weren’t enough, fairness to all (who want to come to the U.S.) should be added to the list of reasons why reform is needed.
In turning a blind eye to illegal immigration, which almost entirely consists of people entering from our Southern border, politicians are pandering to a minority group while mocking those trying to enter the country legally.
Having lived in Chicago for 13 years, I’ve been fortunate to befriend people from many different countries who have come to the U.S. seeking new opportunities. In three particular cases – a friend from Bangladesh, a friend from Denmark, and a friend from Australia – I have seen how difficult it is to receive legal authorization. Each friend has followed the the rules, paid thousands of dollars in legal fees, and waited anxiously for the U.S. Government to move their applications along.
So how is it that the U.S. Government can ignore an increasingly dangerous, expensive, and illegal situation along our Southern border while also enforcing strict guidelines – which it should – for all those trying to enter the U.S. honestly and legally?
Perhaps I’d be more open illegal immigration if someone could explain this to me but, until that day comes, I’m all for protecting our borders and providing equal opportunities for anyone who wants to come to the U.S.
Categories: Politics | Tags: Equal Opportunity Immigration; Obama; Arizona; Jan Brewer
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2 Comments to Equal Opportunity Immigration
by Andy Wolfe
On May 10, 2010 at 12:39 am
TJ…
SERIOUSLY?? You cannot honestly be using a statistically suspect report from Rasmussen to imply that 1.1 MILLION people (70%)of the state of Arizona believe this law is a good thing.
To publish a remark using a parenthetical expression to imply that the “…other enforcements” of this bill are seemingly inconsequential is rhetorically and factually negligent, particularly when discussing a pending state law that conflicts with Federal Constitutional law in which the state law eliminates due process of law for any person residing in, or traveling through the State of Arizona. The criteria that removes this right is based on the subjective judgment that their appearance makes them “look illegal”. Even the Governor that signed the bill could not describe what an illegality looks like.
Due Process is guaranteed by the Federal Constitution (14th Amendment, Article 1). It is a fundamental principle that you seem to take for granted and are more than willing to give up…for Arizona.
It must be easy for you to agree to sacrifice the constitutional rights of US citizens from 2000 miles away. How generous and proud you must feel. Particularly while exercising your freedom of speech…
Since Chicago has one of the highest populations of illegals in the country (Chicago is in the top three), let me ask you…what is the social and economic impact to Chicago if the city enacted the same law? But I guess that is just an inconvenient fact that you don’t provide any (misinformed) opinion on. You are either unaware or it is omitted as an inconvenient fact.
You clearly support the state’s right to infringe upon the Federally protected constitutional rights of US citizens and illegally strip those rights from any of the people living in and traveling through AZ. And you feel this is justified because you have three international friends. Wow, let’s sacrifice the rights of millions because your friends aren’t awarded citizenship or work visas because the system is complicated.
I agree that the system is not effective, but the law that you so happily support (and the fact that it affects an entire state, thousands of miles from your sheltered and illegally infested world) is naive, uninformed, and in my opinion strips US citizens of Due Process and Probable cause.
Maybe you should talk to your girlfriend and get some advice from Oprah on how to clean up your city before you agree to strip the population of a State (that you don’t live in) of their constitutional rights.
A…
PS… a “boarder” is a renter, a border is a boundary.
by admin
On May 10, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Hi Andy
Thanks for reading, commenting, and correcting my post. It’s great to hear your perspective but I would appreciate if you could leave the personal references and innuendos out of the conversation.
Illegal immigration is a sensitive subject and I recognize that the AZ law – which I have not memorized – raises plenty of questions in terms of due process and individual freedoms, but that wasn’t the point of the post.
Instead, my point was that I find it difficult to comprehend how the U.S. can turn a blind eye to illegal immigration but uphold entirely different standards for those trying to enter the country legally, including a few of my many international friends.
However, since you mentioned Federal laws, what about Article 4, Section 4 of the Constitution which states that the government “shall protect each of them (individual states) against invasion (including domestic violence)?” The family and neighbors of Robert Krentz would be the first to testify that the U.S. Government failed to protect his basic Constitutional rights.
Furthermore, as George Will reminded us last week in his article “When Indignation Trumps Reform,” in 1952, a federal law was put in place stating that “every alien, eighteen years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card issued to him.” Perhaps Arizona is just reinforcing existing Federal laws?
Clearly, there’s no simple solution for immigration but, in my opinion, Arizona’s efforts are designed to uphold existing Federal laws, to protect all American citizens (even those 2,000+ miles away), and to restore a fair immigration system for all. Is that such a bad thing?
T.J.