Posted on 05/12/2006 5:47:27 PM PDT by ohioWfan
I’m going to try something entirely new to Free Republic………..start a thread restricted to practical, positive. pro-active things that this huge forum filled with good people who love this country can actually DO about helping to solve the illegal immigration problem, and how we can ‘encourage’ our leaders at all levels to get their acts together.
This is not a thread for venting or attacking (Heaven knows, that‘s been done plenty around here!). Let’s keep it entirely positive……..no attacks on the President and ‘Bushbots’ or the GOP………or on each other, from EITHER side. No threats to ’kick the GOP bums out’ …….we all know that the risk of having Dems in power is too great for that irresponsible threat. NO name-calling from EITHER side……..’Jorge‘ and ‘El Presidente‘ both qualify as disrespectful name-calling. (Perhaps we can all just ignore anyone who tries to turn this into a hostile thread, and punch the abuse button, but NOT engage in battle with him/her). Disagree, but be respectful about it.
What we really need are practical things we can do……with links to key Senate and Congressional offices, the White House, as well as STATE and LOCAL government offices, examples of THOUGHTFUL and POSITIVE letters to our leaders that will actually be read, and responded to. Phone numbers, and ideas for THOUGHTFUL and POSITIVE phone calls to leaders. What we also need are specific PRAYER requests for you, so that those of us who believe that our God is the God of the impossible can be on our knees in prayer for the details of this immense problem. We need fervent prayer for the President and Congress, as well as our State and Local authorities. And we need Freeper creativity!
We are LEGION, and together, I believe we can make a difference in moving this engine down the track more rapidly.
There are people who are very angry with the President and the Republicans in Congress, and people who still respect and admire the President greatly, and are angry with the Republicans in Congress……..and even some who are NOT angry with the Republicans in Congress (OK……..maybe not..... :)………..but we ALL want to end this invasion, and help our brothers and sisters in the Southwest to have their safe and normal lives return, and prevent the invasion from moving further.
Those of us outside the region may not understand what things are like, but we want to, so if those of you in the affected states could give us more details about how bad this is, without belittling us because we don’t live there, it would be much appreciated. We know it‘s bad, and we care about it, even though we cannot fully appreciate it from where we sit.
There is a great work force of pro-Bush people out in freeper lurker land who have been shoved out of the discussion by bashers. There are lots of us who want to know what’s going on, but wouldn’t go on a standard immigration thread if our lives depended on it, because the disdain for us there is palpable. We may agree with the idea of a guest worker program, or we may not, but we don‘t want to be labeled just because our ideas are different.
So…… LET US HELP YOU, PLEASE! We are activists, and we are willing to work.
Tell us what we can do. Let’s band together on this important issue to do whatever we can do to put pressure on Congress, the White House, state and local governments………polite, respectful pressure……….as well as encouraging them when they do make good decisions, and see what happens.
What do you think? Can we be pro-active and actually get something done? Can we discuss this without rancor, but with the common goal in mind to rescue our beloved country from invasion?
If you think so, please ping those who will, without personal attacks, tell us their stories, and let us get involved in getting something done. This thread is not to place blame, but to come up with solutions.
This is America………..and we are Freepers! Let’s ROLL!
There's a big problem with a "guest worker" program. The idea is that with such a program, immigrants will choose to enter legally as guest workers rather than illegally. Moreover, as guest workers, they will earn higher pay since they have more legal recourse against employers.
The fly in the ointment is that if guest workers are to be paid higher wages than the illegals are currently receiving, there is still an incentive for illegals to enter and undercut the guest workers.
A guest worker program can succeed only if the border is secured and the incentives that draw illegals (welfare, food stamps, free medical care, etc., etc.) are eliminated.
I argue the first order of business is to secure the border. The second order of business is to eliminate all "rewards" for illegal border-crossers. Only after that can we seriously consider a guest worker program.
So what do we do? Protest to Congress and the President that we want the border secured. Just as important, make known to our fellow citizens the problems being created by illegals, including the heavy burden on American taxpayers, the re-introduction of diseases we had wiped out years ago (legal immigrants are checked for illness; illegals are not), and the dangers of turning portions of the country into a third world slum. Only by mobilizing popular opinion can we hope to get the government to take positive measures to solve the problem.
This means letters to the editor, billboards, web sites, possibly even TV ads. We have to get the word out.
I'm ready for some positive constructive action from the FREEPERS! I was beginning to believe this site had been taken over by the democRATS. I have written both Senators and have received thank you very much for your concern letters. I want the borders closed NOW! Once they are closed and we find out just who the hell is in our Country, we can find out if AMERICANS, not politicians, want a path to citizenship for any or all of illegal aliens. SEND NO MONEY TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. If anything will work, that will send the message. Follow the money...and cut it off!
Privacy laws? How do we agitate to get rid of those?
Are we going to have a live thread Monday night? Someone please ping me, I plan to get dinner over early so we can settle down to watch.
Regarding economic incentives, the Mexican work force is much more educated and competent and skilled than it was a generation ago, particularly as family size in Mexico drops like a stone, and parents are investing more in the children they do have. Therefore, the value added of these workers in the US has become higher, and thus the economic incentives to come on north have become higher. It isn't about illiterate rural Mexican peasants nearly as much anymore, who are not very effective workers off the strawberry picking fields.
It is something of a tragedy that the Mexcian economy is still so relatively dysfunctional, that the talents of this emerging skilled Mexican working class is not adequately rewarded.
Gets my vote.
Amen. Come by us, Lord! :)
Well.....it seems like when there are so many people using ONE SS #, it would be obvious it's a problem.....and "privacy" has kind of been removed (with 2400 using the SAME NBR!) Sheesh. Probably the ACLU would file a suit....I really don't think illegals should have any PRIVACY rights, though, but ONE of those Soc Sec holders is the ORIGINAL OWNER.....but, HOW do you find out? Maybe the Soc Sec Dept can look up the first time it was used???? Seems obvious to me!
L
Supposition, and not helpful.
Thanks anyway.
As Jerry Jones, owner of the Cowboys, famously says:
"There's too much negativity around here. Let's generate some positivity."
My $.02:
Reinforce the borders. Stop the flow of illegals into the country. Do that now.
After the election, figure out how to deal with the 12 million who are here.
Let's figure out an easy way to respond to the need for guest workers and give employers a way to request them, employ them, and justify their presence, similar to the H1-B program.
Raise the legal numbers to 3 million a year.
All states have different ID rules and means for obtaining them. Some states have the "motor voter" laws that would certainly need attention.
I agree with sending NO money to NATIONAL Repubs.....we send to only LOCAL Candidates.....but, I return EVERY envelope from the National Committee/Organizations with notes about WHY we are not sending them money....i.e....Immigration, Barrett Report, etc.
It is all per a federal statute passed in the mid 1990's I think that required papers. But the papers can be forged and bought for about a hundred bucks in MacArthur Park in LA, or so I have read. All employers with any sense have the forged papers in their files, and thus are immune from federal prosecution.
It's the price of the land, getting more scarce all the time... a 3000 sq foot house in a decent area would go for around a million dollars on a postage stamp lot.
YES....that's another thing....MOTOR Voter rules...in Washington, the State, those taking applications for voter registration at the Dept of Motor Vehicles cannot ASK whether they are a citizen!!!! THAT must be CHANGED...
I back the Kyl Cornyn bill because it does two things. It does NOT reward lawbreakers, yet it recognizes that some people DO want to become a part of this country. By making everyone apply from their home country, it allows us to control who comes in, they have background checks to make sure that criminals do not come in, and they have health checks. It will also control the numbers.
Mexicans have ALWAYS been a part of the southwest, and they are a welcomed part, but those who have been here and contributed so much WANTED to be Americans. They learned the language (maintaining the beautiful spanish lilt) and, although they were proud of their Mexican heritage, they fully because American citizens. That can only happen when the numbers are controlled to the point where people are assimilated.
Thanks for initiating this discussion, ohio. I have been praying for discernment and wisdom for the President in this monumental issue for some time. I do believe it poses a very serious threat to this nation---economically, socially, and politically. I believe that those who are here illegally should be sent home---plain and simple. Failure to enforce existing laws sends a huge message and it is not a message that deserves respect. The Dems are chomping at the bit to add the illegals to their cadre of disenchanted voters. It will be an absolute disaster for the future of this nation if that is allowed to happen.
Well, anyway GOOD point. Of course dual citizenship would encourage loyalty to Mexico, and that is NOT a good thing under the present circumstances.
As I said, I had never thought about it until it was brought up here. You're completely right.
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