Tuesday, January 13, 2009

My take on the illegal alien issue: is it time for a National ID?

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We can easily presume that Mr. Obama will reverse most of, if not all of, Mr. Bush’s efforts, weak as they were, to address the immigration issue.

Estimates vary. Some say the number of illegals is 10 million. Some, 12 million. Others, even bigger numbers. What is beyond dispute is that we are currently possessed of millions upon millions of people who are breaking the laws of this country merely by their presence.

We are possessed of millions of illegal aliens when Mr. Bush assumed office; we are possessed of them now that he is leaving… 8 years later. It is perhaps one of, if not the, most colossal failures of the Bush Administration and one of the main reasons for his massive lack of popularity.

The costs to this country are really incalculable. Illegal voting. Illegal health care. Illegal “sanctuary cities.” Massive impacts on social services. Illegal attendance at public schools. Using up college slots that could be filled with legal residents. Massive negative impacts on drug manufacture and transportation.

Leftists demanding that illegal aliens get the same rights and considerations as citizens, including those citizens who went through the legal process to become citizens… who applied legally, waited their turn legally, and became citizens, legally.

Leftists know they benefit from the illegal vote. Leftists demand immediate amnesty, open boarders and complete forgiveness of the violation of our laws.
The illegal alien issue has not gone away. At some point, soon, the leftists, emboldened by the election of The One, will push for this “reform” because there’s trouble looming on the horizon and leftists want to avoid a 1994 off-year election re-run.

I advocate that we enforce immigration laws much like we enforce illegal drug manufacture laws.

That is, if you hire an illegal alien for anything, you suffer the same penalty as you would if you were convicted of manufacturing meth or some other illegal drug.

This is not an arbitrary requirement. I recognize that such an obligation would require a functioning information clearing house so that perspective employers could pick up the phone and check social security numbers and other information to verify citizenship… but that system should be in place regardless, so that anyone can find out how many people are using their own social security number.

That said, if you hire an illegal, you should go to prison. You should lose your business. You should lose your house and your cars and your jewelry and your… and your…

We are either enforcing immigration laws, or we’re not.

Sending this mixed message… that we’re kinda-sorta enforcing them sometimes depending… does nothing to discourage those who would violate our laws from doing so. Putting the onus on those who make it possible; the employers; would do the trick.

Further, all government funding should be withheld from any municipality that does not aggressively enforce immigration laws. Taking it a step farther, I would put a requirement on our school systems to require proof of citizenship for all students before they’re allowed in.

In short, it’s time for a national identification card. And if anyone’s got a better idea, I’d love to hear it. And Mr. Bush’s amnesty program is not a “better idea.” Nor is “amnesty.”

As a nation, we should never reward the violation of our laws. And either of those programs would accomplish that very thing. Further, either program would STILL result in millions here illegally… solving nothing.

Lock down the border, fence and National Guard. Hold ALL employers accountable, from the largest employers to Joe down the street.

We must do what has to be done. But we won’t… because Mr. Bush lacked the guts and the vision; and Mr. Obama and the democrats are not remotely interested in doing what has to be done.
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