Imagine if rapists or thieves began congregating and throwing rallies complete with national media attention. The police would be all over the rallies like white on rice. Our criminal justice system could have a field day. But our nation has tolerated illegal entry into our country for so long that we do not seem to notice the irony that the people participating in these heavily publicized rallies are largely criminals and could simply be checked for identification and loaded onto a bus for a one-way trip back to Mexico.
With that being said, I understand why the Hispanics who come to America do so. And based on what illegal aliens have told me, I understand that coming here legally is a very expensive process that often involves unfair politics and extremely long waits. It just seems terribly ironic to me that they are having these rallies and drawing attention to themselves. It’s hard for me to imagine any other law-breaking group of people doing the same thing. Hmm…I wish they would. We could clear up a lot of investigations.
p.s. Aren’t posts with photos more fun?
7 comments:
I was beginning to think I was the only one thinking this! It is very curious why these people aren't being randomly checked and deported if they fail to show proper ID. I missed the part of the Constitution that guaranteed the right to peaceful assembly for those that aren't even supposed to be in the country.
Furthermore, they don't endear themselves to the American public by holding their rallies bilingually with a heavy emphasis on the Spanish. There was a lesson learned from last week that waiving more foreign flags than American ones was a bad idea. Although it is doubtful the language problem can be fixed as quickly.
Of course you can always add a sombrero pic to spice things up a bit!
AGP, ally, AGP. (Another great post). You could always put up a picture of Home Depot or something, that will really enhance this blog entry. Keep up the good work!
Okay Allyson - you encouraged me to be more assertive so here is my attempt!!!!
Just to throw fuel on the fire or something...
I think if my political and economic situation was as hopeless and discouraging as most of the people's situations who come to America in those circumstances, I would want to be accepted and offered asylum - especially if I was a hard worker who was trying to live as honestly as possible under the circumstances. I think that the Hispanic immigrants of today are just like the ones from Ireland and Italy and other countries back in the day, who faced insurmountable odds to get here in the hope of getting a better life for their families. I just think that we are being selfish when we have so much and aren't willing to try to make things better for others. I was impressed that they even waved American flags at the demonstration at all - you would think people would hate America when they face so much discrimination every day. They aren't all criminals - and honestly, I can't say that I wouldn't do the same thing if I were facing the situations they are facing. Not that it makes it "right"..but then again, I'm a sinner too. In my opinion the situation is more complicated than just saying they are law breakers and should be sent back to Mexico. If they are sent back to Mexico, they are sent back to sub-poverty levels, political instability and corruption, the inability to provide a good life for their families...there are so many problems that cannot be solved if we are only thinking of our own best interest. I don't know how to fix it...but I don't want to blame the immigrants for their circumstances. I think we have a greater responsibility since we have greater resources and opportunities. That's just my two cents.
Great two cents Kimberly! Thank you. And I agree with a lot of what you’re saying. Over the past decade I have gotten to know a lot of illegal aliens, and they are hard workers and are often very good people. They are very happy to just have an opportunity to earn a decent wage and send money home to their families. On the flip side, they are technically criminals in that they have illegally entered this country and remain here illegally. Many use false social security numbers, false names, and other means to avoid being detected and therefore do not pay taxes and drive without valid licenses or insurance. And like I said in my blog—that is understandable to me. And like you, I might do the exact same thing if I had been born in a country that is impoverished and offers little opportunity for me to support my family and myself. But I still find it terribly ironic that they would publicly protest given the fact that they are illegally here, are not citizens, and could be shipped back to Mexico at an INS agent’s whim (like several illegal aliens I have known have been). Maybe I’m just a scaredy-cat, but I would not do that if I were them.
The situation is very complicated. And when you throw in your sentiments about the fact that they are being sent back to these terrible situations, then you raise another big issue. I don’t know the answer to this, but is the situation in Mexico or Guatemala really any worse than what people in Africa or other places (like the Middle East) face? I cannot imagine that it is. There are millions of people in this world who face unimaginable circumstances, and quite simply America cannot become a home for all of them. Should we offer citizenship to some just because they lived in a border country and managed to cross our border illegally and then not offer citizenship to individuals from non-border countries who cannot figure out a way to enter illegally? There are so many questions, and I do not have answers. And you’re right that it is not anyone’s fault that they were born into a particular situation. We are so blessed to have been born in America.
On a similar subject, my friend Mark mentioned a book to me called The End of Poverty by Jeffery Sacks. Mark says that he's an economist and a social progressive who argues with compelling intellectual rigor about how the world ought to be working to end human suffering and that contrary to everyone's belief, it would not be all that hard to do. Mark told me that the book reaffirms his theory about people wanting to believe the world cannot be changed so that they can be comfortable with their own unwillingness to do what they should. That’s something to think about….while it’s easy to see that our own country often only gets involved in situations (like the latest war or even WWII from my understanding of history) when we have something at stake (i.e. oil) rather than because we are morally appalled at how other human beings are being treated, it’s sometimes hard to see how we fail on an individual level to do things (like vote or volunteer) because we do not think that we change the world. Thankfully there are some people who believe they can, and those people are changing the world. And that is promising.
Ladies,
Kimberly let me commend you on asserting your point of view and Ally way to illicit some hot issue conversation!
I think one of the reasons this is such a hot issue is that a lot of our immigration policy is misunderstood and not enforced consistently, so it is difficult for anyone to get their minds around this to know where the problems are to fix. That is obviously true for everyone involved including the leading policy makers on Capitol Hill.
You may or may not think this applies, but it is something to think about regarding this issue. Is it possible for someone to become a citizen of Heaven without Jesus Christ? The analogy isn’t perfect because I know that our immigration policy is not perfect and blameless. But the point is that no matter how depraved someone is or how poor in mind, body or spirit they are there is no way to become a citizen of Heaven without going through Jesus Christ. Just like it is not possible for someone to become a citizen of the USA without going through our citizenship process. That being said, no matter how much grace we extend to the world, it is only made possible through the fulfillment of the law. Both are necessary in Christian living and policy making. We have been remarkably blessed to be born citizens of the United States of America, but the blessing of being re-born as citizens of Heaven has far surpassed that. No amount of wishing or hoping will ever bring about the later in someone’s life without the work of the Holy Spirit.
The prosperity of the United States and all the reasons for people coming here would go away if we had a completely open door policy. That is the reason for controlled legal immigration and citizenship.
As to reasons for war, they are generally national security issues. Our national security was threatened in Pearl Harbor and we headed into WWII. It was again threatened in New York City on September 11th and we no longer had the leisure to sit back and wait for terrorist friendly regimes with nuclear desires in their focus to go un-challenged. Is there an economic factor with oil in the Middle East? Of course, these things don’t occur in a vacuum, but the primary reason was a vital interest in protecting this nation that so many people want to get into. Furthermore, there were humanitarian needs that were relieved by defeating the oppression of Nazism in Europe and of course the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. These issues usually go hand in hand and it is important that despite the best efforts of the mainstream media, these issues be remembered in their proper context.
All that to be said – I’m glad there are people in this world who care enough to try to make a difference in it. Obviously both of you fall into that category and give us reason to hope and rejoice at His work in your lives.
Allison , while you make some good points, I think comparing these illegal aliens to rapist and murderers may be a gross exaggeration. I agree, however, that a solution must be found for this dilemma. Had we taken the first reports of aliens at Roswell New Mexico seriously we may have nipped this whole thing in the bud. I think there are probably plenty of aliens paying taxes and Social security that will never see any benefits but on the other hand I realize that there are plenty of others who are taking advantages of our social programs such as indigent health care, welfare,education to name a few. I think every U.S. citizen should be allowed to sign up for a RPG and shoot down any confirmed UFO with illegal aliens regardless of what planet they may be from. Thanks for allowing me to express my opinion and to show my expertese in this field. RJJ
There are many economic and political factors that play a role in this discussion. I possess neither the foresight or wisdom to make an educated commentary but will share my opinion none-the-less. These individuals are here now. Nothing short of a civil (racial?) war will remove illegal aliens from society and place them back in their respective countries. These individuals wish citizenzhip now. I believe they should have it. It's time they earn the services they currently consume without payment.
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