There are two ways to go about addressing the immigration situation in our nation. One is to think about who deserves what and who's right and who's wrong. The other is to think very simply about what's the only possible solution that's human and holds up to the moral values our nation has always upheld. The answer is then clear, we cannot cause suffering to twelve million people. There are few but absolutely dreadful episodes in history where such a large number of people were at the receiving end of one policy, one law and every time the end has been to cause them harm, history has not forgiven the perpetrators.
There's an old saying where I come from, which says if you can't be the Sun be a lamp and provide some light. There's a need to address the whole issue of immigration but we can certainly solve several independent pieces separately. Take the concern that several main stream Americans have - free services provided to "illegal immigrants". Now, we cannot not provide a way to pay the bill and then claim that bills are not being paid. Why not provide a mechanism for them to pay taxes. Today, young men, illegal immigrants have a legal process to join the military thru the selective services program. If there's one government program that expects illegals to show up and register why not have another where they get some kind of an id which allows them to legally pay taxes. Now, what we cannot do is complain that most will claim one kind of protection - earned income credit – or another and not even try.
Any successful organization values its people the most. As a nation, we must value our people the most. A large population living in this nation as working members is a valuable workforce that we cannot ignore. We do not have a legal way for poor people to immigrate into this country. A large economy depends on availability of people of several classes. Not everyone can be always comfortable and "rich". A society can't work that way. Yes, it’s not the nicest truth but it is the truth nevertheless that someone's got to do non-ideal jobs. A large portion of illegal immigrants compete for these low end jobs. I often wonder if we would even have a debate if we had a large volume of English speaking, educated, "rich" illegal immigrants from North of the border or across the pond!
To the people who want to "punish" the job providers, take communities that have a large portion of low end job owning illegal immigrants with quite large families. Fire the man and put him on the street. If there are hungry mouths to feed and no legal means to do it, what do you think the heads of these households are going to do? Crime. Without solving the problem in a comprehensive way, just requiring punishing job providers is foolish. This is not to say that we must not uphold our existing laws to hire only those that can legitimately work, but the order in which we do it given today's situation is extremely important. Document the existing illegal immigrants, provide them with identification whereby they can pay taxes and have a path to citizenship, create a streamlined legal means for jobseekers to immigrate and then go after the job providers that still hire illegal immigrants.
People who come in thru the southern border are coming here in search of a better life. Now, take a look at the lives they have here currently. Constantly living in fear of being deported, separated from their children or aging parents, working for slave wages, living in shacks, putting up with domestic abuse with no rights whatsoever and so on and so forth. So this is the better life they came to live? The answer to that question is a shocking yes. These people are under no illusion and know very well what to expect here. So why come here? How can life be worse than this elsewhere? This is so unfathomable to so many of us, but take a look at what’s on the other side. A corrupt government breeds corrupt people. Basic needs like electricity and water cannot be obtained without paying kickbacks. So you are school teacher and you got to pay the guy in the city office. What do you do? Fail five students and tell their parents, that they need "special tuition". The special tuition money goes towards getting water and electricity. Now what do the parents of those children do? Do they work in government offices or pharmacies or - you get the idea. But, several people at the bottom of the pay scale simply cannot pass their costs, get poorer and poorer and loose everything. Beg on the streets of their homeland or slave wages across the border? That’s the question they are answering as they walk across. Not everyone is born into an ideal life. The argument that they come in for free "stuff" is simply so filled with hate.
There are several legal immigrants that seek justice saying, "We came here legally, they should too." To those, I can only say, have some compassion. Most legal immigrants were well to do before they came here and are well to do since, many more comfortable than a large population of native born citizens. Looking at a suffering people and wanting them to suffer more, how can that provide satisfaction? How can one be jealous of these unfortunate people?
People here also have to understand that immigration like several other challenges is not exclusive to our country. If you are born here and haven’t paid much attention to what’s going on in the world, you may think that. There are large migrations going on in the world and a very small percentage come into the
Now, once they are here, what should we expect of them on their way to citizenship? Assimilation is a must. No country can survive polar separation of cultures within its border. The migrants must believe in the fundamentals of this nation and try not to create "little" nations. No "little
