Betrayal helped create illegal immigration debacle
By Seth Grossman, Political Columnist
(Reprinted from May 19, 2010 Current-Gazette Newspapers of Atlantic and Cape May Counties, http://www.shorenewstoday.com/index….n-debacle.html)
“Enforce federal immigration laws. No amnesty. Deport illegal aliens.”?
—Second of Ten Point Program adopted by www.LibertyandProsperity.org, May 11, 2010.
This Tuesday, May 25, at 6 p.m., LibertyandProsperity.org will hold a workshop to explain the dangers of uncontrolled, unlimited, and illegal, immigration ? and the need for action in New Jersey.
Meet us at the Mays Landing branch of the Atlantic County Library, located on Main Street, between the River and the Old Court House. We will begin with the movie, ?The Border? (see www.bordermovie.com). Gail Kesselman of New Jersey Citizens for Immigration Control (www.njcic.com) will then lead a discussion. There is no admission charge, but donations are encouraged to continue these programs.
There is nothing racist or bigoted about enforcing immigration laws. Go to any rich, poor, European, Asian or African nation in the world, and see what happens to you if you don’t have a valid passport and visa.
Immigration laws allow all Americans to share a common understanding and love of our English language, history, culture, and Constitution. They help define our nation and our uniquely American way of life.
Abraham Lincoln frequently reminded us that our nation was “conceived in liberty” in 1776, when America embraced the principles of our Declaration of Independence. Our nation was created to be a special place where everyone was equally entitled to nothing from the government but equal protection of certain “unalienable rights” of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Knowing American history is important because it teaches us how our country prospered when we followed our founding principles, and suffered when we strayed from them.
Laws limiting immigration began in the 1880s when the American frontier closed. They became stricter in the 1920s to protect Americans from low wages and foreign terrorism ? and they worked.
But our current immigration laws were made far more generous and liberal in 1986 with the approval of liberal Democrat Sen. Ted Kennedy. Today?s laws allow 1 million legal immigrants to our country each year, and give preference to people from countries that hate us. That’s why so few immigrant homes today display American flags on July 4. Current immigration law gives preference to foreigners with relatives in this country, so most immigrants today come from countries where you can easily buy a phony birth or marriage certificate.
In 1986, Republicans and Democrats gave amnesty to all 2 million illegal immigrants already here since 1982 (which later became 6 million) and assured us that there was now no excuse for any illegal immigration.?? But liberal Democrats betrayed us in order to build a voting block of loyal immigrant voters dependent on government programs. Bush Republicans also betrayed us by taking campaign cash from meatpackers and big, labor-intensive farm conglomerates. This same bunch now opposes the enforcement of Arizona?s new immigration law and proposes another amnesty.
More than 17 percent of the 106 million people in Mexico live in poverty. So do most of the 42 million people in Central America, 169 million in Pakistan, and 160 million in Bangladesh. What if only 10 percent of those people came here? What would stop them other than enforcing immigration laws?
Why can’t these people find a better life in their own countries? Carlos Slim of Mexico is now the richest man in the world with a personal fortune of $53.5 billion ? more than Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
Bill Gates created a new computer system that has produced wealth around the world by making almost every business more productive.
But Carlos Slim of Mexico created nothing. He simply manipulated Mexico?s crooked political system so that you can?t run any business or even use a cell phone without getting some license or permit from Carlos Slim or his sons. This one family controls 5 percent of Mexico’s total economic output. Is that America’s fault?
To fix our immigration problem we must first enforce existing immigration laws and immediately deport all illegal immigrants. We did it before in 1954. Arizona is proving we can do it again.
Only after most illegal immigrants are removed and our borders are secure can we consider special preference for “hard cases” ? such as children who were illegally brought to this country as children and who know only the American way of life. But no amnesty for their parents.
Then let’s faithfully apply our traditional principles of liberty to bring prosperity back to America. We will do poor people around the world more good by showing them how liberty creates prosperity, and how they can find the American dream in their own countries.
Somers Point attorney Seth Grossman appears live on WVLT-92.1FM, heard throughout South Jersey 8-9 a.m. every Saturday. For information see www.libertyandprosperity.org, email grossman@snip.net or call (609) 927-7333. Breakfast discussions are held 9:30-10:30 a.m. every Saturday at the Athena Diner, 1515 New Road, Northfield.