Posted on 07/03/2010 1:35:31 PM PDT by Congressman Billybob
It’s been a long time since I debated John Kerry’s Liberal Party at Yale. (We, the Conservative Party, whopped ‘em good.) Even longer since I debated in high school. Having listened to and analyzed President Obama’s speech on immigration, I’m more convinced than ever that Obama is a one-trick pony, an increasingly unsuccessful one.
The war in Afghanistan is in trouble, and the Talban might snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Therefore, Obama gives a speech. The American economy is in trouble and high unemployment persists. Obama gives a speech. Spewing oil in the Gulf is unchecked. Obama gives a speech. Drugs and criminals are running across the border into Arizona. Obama gives a speech. You get the idea.
When he gives a speech, he sounds like he is addressing the subject at hand. But that is only an illusion, an illusion that even his former supporters are beginning to recognize for what it is.
Let’s go straight to the heart of his immigration speech. He attacks the Arizona law as a law which cannot be enforced and cannot succeed. Conveniently ignored is the fact that the Arizona law directly tracks the federal law, but adds one concept, “This time we mean it.”
He underestimates the number of illegal aliens who are in the US now as just 11 million people. But in saying that the existing, federal law cannot and should not be enforced, he is ignoring American history. Anyone who holds the office of President of the United States ought to know as much as possible about our history.
The last time we had a President who was serious about controlling the border with Mexico the man was Dwight Eisenhower. He assigned one of his former generals to lead the effort, and he did two things at the same time. He closed the border, and he cracked down on employers who hired illegal aliens.
Something very interesting happened sixty years ago nationally under Eisenhower that is now happening only in Arizona. It’s called self-deportation. A majority of Mexicans who left the United States under President Eisenhower were not rounded up, held until they could have hearings, and then pushed across the border. No, a majority left on their own.
The same would happen in America today, if President Obama possessed both the understanding and commitment to enforcing the law that Eisenhower had then. Or, the same commitment that Arizona Governor Brewer displays today.
Obama cries crocodile tears over the local and state costs of enforcing immigration laws. Does he think that the states and local government are unaware of the skyrocketing costs in schools, hospitals, prisons and welfare systems from illegal immigrants in their communities?
Obama cries crocodile tears over “splitting families apart.” He ignores the language of the 14th Amendment that people born here are automatically citizens if their parents are “subject to the jurisdiction” of the US. As the Amendment states, Congress has power “to enforce [it] with appropriate legislation.” Congress could solve the problems of anchor babies and split families with a simple law which says children born here of Mexican parents are Mexican, not American. It has already done this with children of diplomats. If a pair of Japanese diplomats have a child born at Georgetown Medical Center, that child is Japanese at birth.
The mess that is the utter failure of the federal immigration system is a matter of denying the facts, lying about statistics, and lying about related politics. There are times when the American people are the leaders, and the so-called leaders are mere followers if they have the brains to do that.
The American people do want the border closed, with a fence that Congress approved years ago, but then failed to finance and build. Instead, we wasted more than a billion dollars on an invisible fence, an electric border that was worse than useless.
Less than a week after Obama’s speech there was a shootout just twelve miles from the border. Two groups were fighting to control the illegal immigration routes through Arizona. Twenty-one people were killed in this fight between human smugglers and drug smugglers.
Parts of US parks in Arizona now have signs posted to warn Americans to stay away from these areas because of danger from armed, illegal aliens crossing those areas. Yes, the illegal immigration problem is serious. But it cannot be solved until someone who faces the facts and tells the truth steps up to the plate.
That person may be Governor Brewer. It certainly is not President Obama. The title quote is from Ben Franklin. Here’s his whole quote, “Here comes the orator! With his flood of words, and his drop of reason."
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About the Author: John Armor practiced before the Supreme Court for 33 years. John_Armor@aya,yale.edu His latest book, to appear in September, is on Thomas Paine. www.TheseAreTheTimes.us
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Happy Fourth of July.
We have, "a republic, if we can keep it."
John / Billybob / Ben
John, in addition to you excellent piece, let me compliment you on a term you used:
“Spewing oil”.
First adjective other than “gushing” I’ve seen used with the word “oil” in 73 days.
I’m not sure I would give 0bama credit for having a “drop of reason.” Seems like he mostly talks to distract and mislead.
Enjoy your 4th and your freedom while we still have some.
Happy Fourth of July!
I’ve been reading a tremendous amount on our Founding Fathers this year: are we worthy?
I met someone a few years ago who was among those who departed for Mexico back in the 1950s.
He was a child, an American citizen born to Mexican parents who returned to Mexico.
When he reached his majority, he returned to the US where he married and raised a family.
He was very much against illegal immigration.
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