My Sunday Column

I would like to talk to you about illegal immigration, and why this whole debate annoys me. It looks like immigration reform will be the great debate of '06. I thought it would be abortion, but I was wrong, I can admit it, since it rarely happens of course. But the whole thing is frustrating to watch. I dont like seeing all those protests, mostly because a majority of those people probably are illegals themselves, asking for rights they dont deserve. And they should not be waving the Mexican flag or any other if they expect to gain the rights of actual Americans. I dont want to see that crap. If they are so proud of the places they came from them they should just go back there.

Equally as frustrating is how politicians are more worried about dis-enfranchising voters than doing what is right for the country. I must give the Republicans credit for trying to do something about the immigration dilemma. The Democrats are silent, only to speak up to chastize the GOP for having ideas on reforming the situation. If anyone knows the Democratic position on immigration please leave a comment and explain it to me. However, not all Republicans can agree on a single solution. The House GOP wants very strict laws, making illegals felons. The Senate Republicans on the other hand seem far less interested in a hard-line approach. The inability for the two groups to find common ground is troubling considering they are the majority, which almost ensures a stalemate.

The President also hasnt been much help. He wants the best of both worlds, but he wont get it. He would like to stop the influx of poor Mexicans, but also wants some sort of guest worker program. Many Republicans see that as amnesty, which I must admit it basically is. Mr. Bush has been fairly silent on the whole issue. He was in Mexico meeting with their president the other day, and said that much progress was made. But we cannot expect any help from the Mexicans, they have no problem with their poor burdening Americans.

What must be done? Well, I believe the House bill wants to create a 2,000 mile wall on the border. Im not sure how I feel about that right now. It would be extremely expensive, we're talking billions of dollars. But it would make it very hard for people to scale a 40ft wall to get across the border. I personally want the military down there to help the Border Patrol do their job. We must understand that the border is huge, and manpower is the only safe bet to combat the millions of people trying to enter the US.

Also, I think that we should change the Constitution which says that any person born in the United States is automatically an American citizen. That should not be the case. In my opinion, you should only be a citizen if your parents are citizens. Because that means these people can come over here illegally, have a kid, and then say that since their kid is an American then they must stay. Now, if the House bill would pass and illegals were felons, they could be deported, but their children would be allowed to stay if born while their parents were here. That should change.

I really dont know whats going to happen with this debate. All I know is that we need to stop people from coming here illegally. They are a drain on the economy, the welfare state, the criminal justice system, and they also strain health care benefits. This debate should also not turn into one of racism. I have already heard people on TV calling others who want strict immigration policy "biggots" and other stupid names. I personally have no problem with anyone who wants to immigrate to the US the correct way. Thats how this country was founded and thats how it should remain. But people who defy those rules and sneak over here do not belong. They deserve to be rounded up and shipped back home. I understand most of them are coming over here to find work, which is admirable, but if their not willing to go through the system to do it then they must be turned away.

Lets all just hope that some credible legislation is passed to reform our current immigration system. With an estimate 12 million people in this country illegally right now, only God knows how many of them are here to cause harm and destruction to the American people. In a post 9/11 world, we cannot just hope that the millions streaming across the borders are all good people. The reality is mostly likely the contrary, so we must be aware of the risks of an open border. I just hope that our lawmakers understand the severity of the current situation, and that they will act in the best interest of the country they swore to "preserve, protect, and defend."

-Brad