That’s Comprehensive - The opposition to the immigration bill had the right idea.

National Review Online ^ | July 05, 2007 | Victor Davis Hanson

[neverdem]

July 05, 2007, 0:00 a.m.

That’s Comprehensive
The opposition to the immigration bill had the right idea.

By Victor Davis Hanson

After the utter collapse in the Senate last week of a comprehensive immigration bill, Washington insiders are blaming everyone and everything.

Supposedly, talk-radio hysteria killed the bill. Or was it the purported racism of yokels? Or did most of us fail to appreciate the hidden benefits of open borders so clear only to those in Washington?

In reality, the 1,000-page bill failed because millions of Americans opposed it, believing, among other things, that it provided virtual amnesty to illegal aliens. Through the “Z visa,” the bill offered illegal aliens legal-worker status — along with a ticket to eventual citizenship — after only a precursory background check.

More importantly, people were skeptical, to say the least, of hundreds of pages of more regulations when the last “comprehensive” immigration legislation, in 1986, either made things worse or was largely unenforced. That’s why various polls reveal that most Americans were against the new bill, with, according to a June Rasmussen poll, less than 25 percent in favor of the Senate version.

What causes this grassroots furor, and where will it lead?

The public thinks antiterrorism efforts are futile when hundreds of miles on our southern border are, for mysterious reasons, left wide open.

Then there is the American sense of fair play: Thousands of would-be legal immigrants wait in line from all over the world to come to this country. So why the special considerations that seem designed to address the concerns of just one group — especially when Mexico already supplies the largest number by far of our legal immigrants?

Americans were brought up on lectures about the sanctity of the law. We were supposed to revere the Social Security system. Yet when the government discusses millions of phony Social Security numbers used by illegal aliens, it is usually in the cynical sense of whether that con enriches or bankrupts the system — not whether such rampant fraud is legally and morally wrong.

Most citizens fret if they leave the house without their driver’s license. They get nervous when their car registration or proof of insurance is lost — and so grow irate that millions of others on the road don’t or can’t share their concern.

Another public irritant was that the present state-sponsored bilingual documents and ballots along with government interpreters were all never legislated. According to a Susquehanna Polling & Research poll, in February 2007, nearly 70 percent of Americans supported an ordinance in a town in Pennsylvania that included making English the sole official language.

Illegal immigration and the efforts to accommodate it have come about from either bureaucratic prerogative — under pressure from employers and ethnic lobbyists — or court decisions. In contrast, polls, referenda, and legislative action all reflect a public desire to reduce illegal immigration and close the borders now. In fact, in a June Rassmussen poll, 70 percent of the public supported an immigration bill that does that — and only that.

If the American public wants the border closed first, and discussion of everything else later, is that really such a bad thing?

Were the government to enforce laws already passed — fine employers for hiring illegal aliens, actually build the approved fences, beef up the border patrol, issue verifiable identification — we would then soon be dealing with a static population of illegal aliens. And that pool would insidiously shrink, not annually grow.

Some of the 12 million here illegally would willingly return home. Some with criminal records could be deported. Some would marry U.S. citizens. Some could be given work visas. Some could apply for earned citizenship.

The point is that our formidable powers of assimilation would finally catch up and have time to work on a population that would be at last fixed, quantifiable, and identifiable. As aliens were more readily integrated with the general citizen population, Spanish would evolve into a helpful second, not a single alternate, language. Wages would rise for workers already here — many of them soon to be Mexican-American citizens — without competition from a perpetual influx of illegal aliens who work more cheaply.

Mexico would be forced to deal with rather than export its own problems. Billions in earnings would stay in the United States to help our own entry-level and legal immigrants from Mexico, not be sent back as remittances to relatives.

In short, a savvy public is neither racist nor hysterical in wanting the border closed now. It’s the only comprehensive solution to the present mess of illegal immigration.

2007 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

[Earthdweller]

The voices wanting enforcement first had better stay awake and take all they can now. After the fence is built the Dems will be elected in droves to even out the unmet “comprehensive” equation.

[Guenevere]

bttt

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

>>The voices wanting enforcement first had better stay awake and take all they can now.<<

We will. Or later if we can.

>>After the fence is built the Dems will be elected in droves to even out the unmet “comprehensive” equation.<<

Maybe, I don’t have a crystal ball like yours.

[Earthdweller]

It doen’st take a crystal ball to figure out that there is another party representing a good portion of the population. The Dem Presidential candidates announced two days after the bill was killed that they will run on Amnesty...yes no fooling... Amnesty with a capital “A” in 2008. That’s pretty bold don’t you think?

[neverdem]

VDH Ping

[George W. Bush]

VDH captures the personal feelings so many have about this issue. He makes it personal but fairly.

[shellnpaul]

I urge all to check out www.uspatriotcompanies.com to see about all the info they have posted on this topic.

[kaehurowing]

Once they have deported all the illegal aliens who have come in since 1986, then they can propose a new immigration bill.

[AuntB]

VDHANSON Bump!

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

>>The Dem Presidential candidates announced two days after the bill was killed that they will run on Amnesty...yes no fooling... Amnesty with a capital “A” in 2008. That’s pretty bold don’t you think?<<

Bold? Other adjectives would be “brazen,” “shameless,” “haughty,” or in Spanish “sin verguenza.” Maybe the American people won’t pay attention, but after the the way Team Amnesty tried to get votes on the senate bill before senators had a chance to read the bill, with instant amnesty for criminals and gang members, it may be rougher going than you might think.

Amnesty opponents are quite passionate, as are war opponents this time. We shall see what happens.

[Billthedrill]

the bill offered illegal aliens legal-worker status — along with a ticket to eventual citizenship — after only a precursory background check.

Yeah - one limited to 24 hours. As Thomas Sowell pointed out, "You can't get a credit card in 24 hours."

[neverdem]

Once they have deported all the illegal aliens who have come in since 1986, then they can propose a new immigration bill.

I'd give resident alien status to those who volunteer for the U.S. Armed Forces with quicker eligibility for citizenship for those who who join the combat arms, medics, pilots, etc. We are in a long war whether the neoCOMs want to recognize it or not.

[Christian4Bush]

bttt

[2ndDivisionVet]

Demand a border fence! Build it NOW!! Beef up the border patrol and close our borders!

U.S. Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121

U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121

White House comments: (202) 456-1111

Find your House Rep.: http://www.house.gov/writerep

Find your US Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Toll free to the US Senate:

1-800-882-2005. (Spanish number)
1-800-417-7666. (English number)

Courtesy of a pro-amnesty group, no less!!

Republican National Committee
310 First Street, SE Washington, D.C. 20003
phone: 202.863.8500 | fax: 202.863.8820 | e-mail: info@gop.com

Take a look at their hidden agenda: http://www.mexica-movement.org

[Covenantor]

...Yeah - one limited to 24 hours.

Oh sure, make it sound like a long time using human hours, but that's like five, well maybe 4 hours gubermint worker time. Okay so maybe it's like really 2 hours if you don't count the breaks for lottery tickets, shopping, online stuff and catering parties off site.

I mean these people are already stressed by the phones ringing...At the end of the day, who are they to judge? Where's that stamp?

[Billthedrill]

LOL - you’re right. I should have used William Rivers Pitt’s “business hours.” 24 of them is, what, a couple of years? Never?