Posted on 03/19/2013 10:01:45 AM PDT by Bratch
Erica Werner of the Associated Press gives us a textbook example of why talking about immigration in the United States is so hard. She reads into statements things that are not there.
The headline of her article is “Rand Paul endorses immigrant path to citizenship.” Giving her the benefit of the doubt that someone else wrote the headline, her first paragraph reads thusly:
Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky is telling a Hispanic business group that illegal immigrants should be allowed to become U.S. taxpayers and ultimately get a shot at citizenship.
I have read the entirety of Rand Paul’s speech. I have spoken directly to the Senator.
No where in his speech does he use the word “citizenship.” In fact, the word citizen is only used once, in reference to Rand Paul himself saying, “As a teenager, I was not always the model citizen that I am today.”
But Erica Werner takes his speech and reads it as calling for citizenship. This is the problem with the immigration conversation in America.
Rand Paul is not calling for citizenship. He says, in his speech, and no doubt what confused Erica Werner,
It would also enable us to let more people in and allow us to admit we are not going to deport the millions of people who are currently here illegally.
This is where prudence, compassion and thrift all point us toward the same goal: bringing these workers out of the shadows and into being taxpaying members of society.
Imagine 12 million people who are already here coming out of the shadows to become new taxpayers.12 million more people assimilating into society. 12 million more people being productive contributors.
But in the overall context, which I confirmed with the Senator directly, he is talking about fixing the guest worker program, not giving citizenship.
Senator Paul and I both recognize there is a need for an unskilled worker program in this nation. He grew up in Texas, where the Braceros program was popular until killed off by labor unions upset that immigrants might be taking jobs in the fields the unions could do at higher prices.
Senator Paul wants to fix the visa program. The visa program for migrant workers and low skilled workers coming into the country is cumbersome, slow, and silly. It could be reformed, coupled with serious concurrent reforms to border security to make sure people are actually going through the program, instead of just crossing the border like they do now.
Getting people out of the shadows, paying taxes, and tracking their immigration into and emigration out of the United States is a good starting point for immigration reform. It’s where Senator Paul is headed.
It’s not a pathway to citizenship. That’s how Erica Werner interpreted it. It’s just making illegal aliens, legal aliens.
Feel free to disagree with Senator Paul if you must. Just don’t claim he’s pursuing a path to citizenship he never even mentioned.
This is a red-flag phrase, however. It portrays the criminal invaders as victims, people who are persecuted by the laws that they willfully break. It's a favorite term of the pro-amnesty crowd, and I immediately distrust any speaker who uses it.
I posted the unedited, unbiased speech this morning for people to read. Unfortunately, some people did not read the speech before commenting on it.
IT’S THE AP!!
A number of years ago, I read a story involving a group with which I was then associated. The “story” (fairytale was more like it) TOTALLY MISREPRESENTED the events described.
I was incensed enough to run down the AP author (had I found him wandering on an isolated country road, “run down” would have become more than a figure of speech!), called him and, as politely as I could, confronted him with ACTUAL FACTS. He didn’t say one word in defense. He simply hung up on me!
The Associated Press is STILL doing the devil’s work!!! They are not to be trusted.
Back in the sixties, I had the same experience with Time Magazine.
Their report of a story I was intimately involved in bore no relationship to the actual event.
To a degree, it was "sensationalized". But, mostly, it was just wrong -- like a 5th or 6th hand account.
If you can come and stay, get free healthcare, food stamps, subsidized housing, why would you care about citizenship?
In the meantime elsewhere the Obozo administration is suing to deport a German family that is here seeking political asylum, because the German government will take their children if they return. Why would they do that you ask? They want to home school their children using a Christian based curriculum.
If those freebies are such a problem... Let’s get rid of them too. They aren’t in the Constitution and we can’t afford them.
Pure Win all the way around.
Now imagine there are 12 million make believe jobs to tax
Rand Paul’s immigration speech
03.19.13 | Hon Sen Rand Paul (KY)
Posted on 03/19/2013 7:04:07 AM PDT by Perdogg
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2998395/posts
...The Republican Party must embrace more legal immigration.
Unfortunately, like many of the major debates in Washington, immigration has become a stalemate-where both sides are imprisoned by their own rhetoric or attachment to sacred cows that prevent the possibility of a balanced solution.
Immigration Reform will not occur until Conservative Republicans, like myself, become part of the solution. I am here today to begin that conversation.
Let’s start that conversation by acknowledging we aren’t going to deport 12 million illegal immigrants.
If you wish to work, if you wish to live and work in America, then we will find a place for you...
This is where prudence, compassion and thrift all point us toward the same goal: bringing these workers out of the shadows and into being taxpaying members of society.
Imagine 12 million people who are already here coming out of the shadows to become new taxpayers.12 million more people assimilating into society. 12 million more people being productive contributors.
[but he’s not in favor of amnesty, snicker, definition of is is]
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