Tag: illegal aliens

G.O.P. has a Chance to Win the Next Presidential Election

Twelve million undocumented immigrants are working here in the United States. Many can’t speak English. Those people are doing jobs that Americans won’t take because the pay is too low. Those illegal aliens will do those jobs because it’s better to live in the United States illegally then staying in their native countries.

Donald Trump has put the issue of illegal aliens (undocumented immigrants) front and center. The rest of the Republican presidential candidates have been too timid in condemning Trump’s remarks.

As things stand now the Republican Congress has not lived up to the promises it made. Few laws have been passed. The One Hundred and Fourteenth United States Congress has been a continuation of the gridlock of the previous two year session.

The Senate did pass an immigration reform bill in 2013. The vote was 68-32. Fourteen Republicans crossed the aisle to vote with all Democrats in favor. Unfortunately the House has not acted on the bill. “The strong bipartisan vote we took is going to send a message across the country, it’s going to send a message to the other end of the Capitol as well,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the leader of the so-called Gang of Eight. “The bill has generated a level of support that we believe will be impossible for the House to ignore.” Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/immigration-bill-2013-senate-passes-93530.html#ixzz3fG7LNSir. We know how that has worked out.

Imagine now if the House passed that legislation. That would give the G.O.P. the campaign issue that could win them the White House. Today the Republicans are considered the party blocking immigration reform. Ah, but couldn’t the Democrats claim the victory? Thus the deadlock will probably remain.

Are the Republicans wise enough to blaze a new trail? At this time there is no answer.

The Next Two Years at America’s Capital

Sadly both the president and the congress have decided that the next two years will not be about passing laws that will improve the quality of life for most Americans.

President Obama started the ball rolling with his threat to veto the Keystone XL pipeline. His contention is that there will be a consequential impact on the environment and in addition only 35 jobs will be created. He is talking about the additional jobs that will be added to already functioning refineries. He overlooks the hundreds of construction jobs that will be created in building the pipeline. He overlooks the fact that the refined oil could be used in the United States if needed. He overlooks the fact that oil sands will be transported by rail tanks cars and trucks.

Just as the Republicans are gaining support for the pipeline they distract everyone by attempting to pass an anti-abortion law that would prohibit government subsidized abortions if the woman is more than 20 weeks pregnant and had not reported being raped immediately after it had occurred. It was a large block of moderate female Republican congressional members that refused to vote in favor of the law. It was another prefect example of men deciding laws regulating women.

The other priority for the GOP is the stop Obama’s decision to not deport illegal aliens who have had no brushes with the law. Politico’s column GOP seeking Plan B on immigration suggests a few avenues the Republicans might take but none address the question surrounding the 12 million illegal aliens now in the United States.

Google “new GOP legislation” and all you find is discussion about the failed abortion law and efforts to stop Obama’s executive orders pertaining to illegal aliens.

So where is the unity among Republicans to prove to America’s voters that they can do more than say “No”? Senator Ted Cruz’s “GOP will fight Obamacare until the end of time” position is the best example of Republican philosophy.

Where are the unifiers in the Republican Party? Neither Speaker John Boehner nor Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have sufficient respect to lead the party. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on Wednesday criticized President Obama’s State of the Union address as “aloof” and “detached from reality.” But Priebus has not been a unifying force in his party.

President Obama told us about his dreams in the State of the Union address. That will be part of his legacy. The Republican legacy for the next two years will be “We said no to Obama.”

Do Gooders Folly

California’s governor, Jerry Brown, has followed at least 11 other states approving a law that will issue driving privileges to illegal aliens.  The theory is that those people will now be able to legally drive and that means passing a driving test and obtaining auto insurance.  Everyone will be safer.  What could be wrong with that?  If those aliens did all that the streets and highways would be safer.

The Los Angeles Times says “An estimated 1.4 million immigrants are expected to apply for the special permits, to be available in late 2014 or early 2015.”

The flaw in this plan is that I, as an illegal alien, fear being apprehended and deported and will not willingly give my real address to anyone except my closest friends and relatives.  Thus I am not willing to divulge my address to the Department of Motor Vehicles.  I would rather drive my car carefully but illegally.

The Reason to Legalize Illegal Aliens

The vast majority of illegal aliens are poorly educated.  They compete for many of the jobs held by poorly educated and limited capability Americans.  That drives down the labor rates for the poorest Americans.

I have read the summary of the new immigration law being proposed in the Senate.  There are so many trip wires in the proposed law it does not seem likely that this bill will ever become law.  If it does, those entering the country illegally won’t receive “Registered Provision Immigrant (RPI) legal status” for at least five years and probably even longer.

The proposed law does nothing to prevent aliens who are bent on harming America from becoming legal residence and ultimately citizens.

19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving brother in the Boston bombing became a citizen just last year.  Having gone to American schools he had learned enough to earn his citizenship.

Then there is Alejandrino Honorato who came to the United   States in the early 1980s.  He obtained amnesty thanks to the Reagan amnesty plan.  He has a business that employs 60 people and that is good.  However, he still does not speak English well enough to converse with a reporter from Businessweek.  His story was told in the March 18-24 edition of that magazine.  How did he obtain his citizenship without being able to speak our language?

What do these two people have in common?  Neither really wanted to become Americans.

The Republicans want to compromise with the Democrats on legalization and citizenship of millions of immigrants because they are hoping to garner their votes in future elections.  This has nothing to do with “doing the right thing.”

Calling Criminals What They Are

Remember this from when you were a child: Sticks and stones my break my bones but names will never hurt me.  

The Associated Press has a style book that tells its reporters what words to use in specified situations.  It appears that the “word usage department” has determined the desire to not hurt anyone’s feelings has taken priority over reality.

Thus AP has decided the words “illegal immigrant” might be offensive to some people.  Therefore “undocumented workers” must be substituted for “illegal workers” arguing that the word “illegal” is dehumanizing and lumps border crossers with serious criminals. Some people even view the words “illegal immigrant” a form of hate speech.  They refuse to utter those words, referring only to the “I-word.”

 I must counter with the question, what do you call a petty thief?  After all he is a thief.  The answer is shop lifter, pick pocket, larcenist, pilferer, stick up artist, etc.  Sorry to say but at the end of the day a thief is a thief.

An illegal immigrant is someone who crossed the border without permission.  He has broken the laws regarding entry into the country.  It’s not just the United States.  Whether you drive into Canada or fly into Canada, the Canadian authorities ask where you are from, where you are going, and how long do you intend to stay in their country.

What should we call a murderer?  What should we call someone who has been unfaithful to their spouse?  Whatever we call them we won’t want to use a word that would hurt their feelings.  After all, words do matter.