From Eye on 08, a piece I regard as very perceptive on the GOP and the immigration debate.  I am all for LEGAL immigration.  I do not believe throwing open the borders is appropriate.  I support a fence, I support more Border Patrol agents, and I support increased technological surveillance on the borders, and I certainly support the embracing by immigrants of the American creed (I have referred to Teddy Roosevelt on this very issue before).  Enforcement first should be a no brainer. 

That said, we’re not going to act like the Gestapo and round up millions of people that are here and send them packing even if they came illegally.  It’s simply not practical.  Also, while there certainly is a criminal element, it is not true to say that all illegal immigrants are criminals.  I am a far cry from someone who wants to shout “political correct” slogans from the rooftops, but to believe that illegal immigrants are ipso facto all criminals really does border on being racist.  If someone commits a crime and is here illegally, we send THEM out of the country because they broke the law essentially twice.  However, for those that are law abiding once they get here, despite the fact that they broke the law in the first place and we can’t just pat them on the back, we need to find a way to formalize their status.  Turning a blind eye and pretending these people don’t exist is not moral.  I don’t support offering them a whole bunch of extra social services, but if they work and make money, they should be paying taxes and be given a legitimate chance to not only embrace the American dream, but produce for everyone else too. 

This issue if fraught with emotions.  The three problems we have is that our quotas are not high enough which makes it much more enticing for people to attempt to enter the country illegally since our system does not keep up with the law of supply and demand.  Second, we don’t have control of our borders where we can allow immigration to take place in an orderly way.  Finally, once people are here, we don’t work to assimilate anymore.  We let people go off into their own “communities” and really do pretend they don’t exist until we take the wrong turn in the middle of the city.  We need to get real.  Illegal immigrants are here and they will continue to come if we don’t adopt a true comprehensive plan that includes multiple elements including real border enforcement, assimilation, and reason infused with conscience.  Right now no one in either party is doing this.  We have the “throw the doors open and let’s give everyone benefits” crowd and the “slam the door shut and throw everyone out” crowd dominating the debate.  The right answer is to manage the flow efficiently, force new immigrants to do what immigrants have historically done (be an American first and foremost), and make them a vibrant part of our nation where they produce for their families and ours. 

I don’t believe this view is the view of someone who is a “traitor” to America .  Indeed, I think this is the view that has allowed us to grow into the predominant power on earth.  The influx of so many people from around the world whether Irish, Chinese, or Jewish people fleeing Nazi Germany have helped us in ways that nations with more closed views of nationality could never take advantage of.  We are an entrepreneurial society that rewards creativity and talent unlike any other nation.  This is something to be proud of and is the reason entry into America is so in demand.  We’re losing our ability to see what is in our own long-term interest as both of those aforementioned crowds are failing to recognize and support key aspects of what has worked before.  Is there a leader in the wings that will do it the right way and not succumb to the mindlessness of one or the other extreme?