07 June 2007
10:08 AM
And yet another exercise in mis-characterizing opponents of illegal immigration as opponents of immigration per se (John McCain), or as people who just don’t like “brown people” (Linda Chavez).
In the second linked article Linda Chavez makes an interesting comment:
It really isnt’ relevant that, although someone doesn’t share a view, he is comfortable in the company of those who do. I do not view pornography; I don’t care for it at all. Most of the people with whom I work view pornography; to say they care for it would be an understatement. I do not share their view that pornography is not wrong. And yet, I’m perfectly comfortable in their company – at work. When I was at university, my favorite professor was gay; I am not. But I visited his office several times a month just to chat with him. Although I am not gay, I was perfectly comfortable in his company.
I am not “perfectly comfortable” in the company of those who don’t like brown people: my father is brown, my siblings are brown, one of my living grandparents is brown, two of my aunts are brown. (I leave myself out because I’m fair complected.) So although I clearly do not share a disdain for brown people, I am comfortable in the company not of those who don’t like brown people but those who, however they may feel about brown people, think we are well within our rights to say 12 to 20 million people crossing our borders with impunity is simply unreasonable.
My position on illegal immigration is quite simple. I believe nation-states have the right to enforce their borders. I believe nation-states have the right to determine how best to enforce their borders, to include building a fence. We have between 12 million and 20 million illegal immigrants. The present arrangement isn’t working.
The issue really comes to three facts:
1. The border is being crossed without our permission (i.e., contrary to our laws).
2. There are presently 12 to 20 million of those border crossers here.
3. The reason for the border crossing is economic: the border crossers want work, which we have and they do not have.
I see no reason why an appropriate solution cannot involve three elements:
1*. Enforce the border with measures that will successfully get the job done. Whatever we’ve been doing since 1986 isn’t working. I am unconvinced that measures in the present bill – especially the so-called virtual fence – will be successful. I’m in favor of a border fence
2*. Deportation by attrition, rather than the mass deportation which we are told won’t work.
3*. A guest worker program which denies citizenship to the children of guest workers, who would become citizens of the country their parents are citizens of.
I don’t know about others, but I find the present bill to be a little weak in it’s response to 1 and 2, above. With 12 to 20 million people here illegally, a physical barrier to border crossing seems reasonable. And simply regularizing 12 to 20 million illegal border crossers seems unreasonable.
Besides, if Chavez wants to know why it seems that only “brown people” are the focus of some peoples’ concerns, it may be because, according to Gordon H. Hanson 56% of Mexican immigrants appear to be here illegally, compared with 17% of all other immigrants. Gordon H. Hanson, “Illegal Migration from Mexico to the United States”, March 2006, p. 1, available here as of 7 June 2007.
In the end, nothing Chavez says about someone’s dislike of “brown people” alters the fact that the border is being crossed contrary to our laws and that there are presently 12 to 20 million of those border crossers here.
On the matter of just who is crossing our southern border see this posting by Hugh Hewitt.
In the second linked article Linda Chavez makes an interesting comment:
[A]bout one-in-10 Americans harbors some animus based on race.
Ten percent is not a very alarming number…, even though I think the group includes a disturbing number of influential voices on the right, who even if they don't personally share these views seem perfectly comfortable in the company of those who do.
It really isnt’ relevant that, although someone doesn’t share a view, he is comfortable in the company of those who do. I do not view pornography; I don’t care for it at all. Most of the people with whom I work view pornography; to say they care for it would be an understatement. I do not share their view that pornography is not wrong. And yet, I’m perfectly comfortable in their company – at work. When I was at university, my favorite professor was gay; I am not. But I visited his office several times a month just to chat with him. Although I am not gay, I was perfectly comfortable in his company.
I am not “perfectly comfortable” in the company of those who don’t like brown people: my father is brown, my siblings are brown, one of my living grandparents is brown, two of my aunts are brown. (I leave myself out because I’m fair complected.) So although I clearly do not share a disdain for brown people, I am comfortable in the company not of those who don’t like brown people but those who, however they may feel about brown people, think we are well within our rights to say 12 to 20 million people crossing our borders with impunity is simply unreasonable.
My position on illegal immigration is quite simple. I believe nation-states have the right to enforce their borders. I believe nation-states have the right to determine how best to enforce their borders, to include building a fence. We have between 12 million and 20 million illegal immigrants. The present arrangement isn’t working.
The issue really comes to three facts:
1. The border is being crossed without our permission (i.e., contrary to our laws).
2. There are presently 12 to 20 million of those border crossers here.
3. The reason for the border crossing is economic: the border crossers want work, which we have and they do not have.
I see no reason why an appropriate solution cannot involve three elements:
1*. Enforce the border with measures that will successfully get the job done. Whatever we’ve been doing since 1986 isn’t working. I am unconvinced that measures in the present bill – especially the so-called virtual fence – will be successful. I’m in favor of a border fence
2*. Deportation by attrition, rather than the mass deportation which we are told won’t work.
3*. A guest worker program which denies citizenship to the children of guest workers, who would become citizens of the country their parents are citizens of.
I don’t know about others, but I find the present bill to be a little weak in it’s response to 1 and 2, above. With 12 to 20 million people here illegally, a physical barrier to border crossing seems reasonable. And simply regularizing 12 to 20 million illegal border crossers seems unreasonable.
Besides, if Chavez wants to know why it seems that only “brown people” are the focus of some peoples’ concerns, it may be because, according to Gordon H. Hanson 56% of Mexican immigrants appear to be here illegally, compared with 17% of all other immigrants. Gordon H. Hanson, “Illegal Migration from Mexico to the United States”, March 2006, p. 1, available here as of 7 June 2007.
In the end, nothing Chavez says about someone’s dislike of “brown people” alters the fact that the border is being crossed contrary to our laws and that there are presently 12 to 20 million of those border crossers here.
On the matter of just who is crossing our southern border see this posting by Hugh Hewitt.
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About Me
- James Frank Solís
- Former soldier (USA). Graduate-level educated. Married 26 years. Texas ex-patriate. Ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.
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2007
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- A caller to Rush Limbaugh’s show yesterday (28 Jun...
- If not twelve million, then why one?
- Think tanks occasionally provide information which...
- Listening to Ted Kennedy singing this song – a fav...
- Strange bedfellows
- Even if there were no hell. -- Wisdom Sunday
- Indeed: “For all of our vaunted interest in the s...
- If a (documented) man will not work...
- Sanctuary Cities: The New Nullification?
- Oh, goodie. Another immigration bill. You can do...
- Hugh Hewitt sums up the entirety of his voluminous...
- Political expedience must be a family value
- “Let us in peacefully or we’ll smoke you out.”U.S....
- Episcomuslimican?
- I’ve been tracking for some years now the nature o...
- UPDATE (to this posting): I got to thinking some ...
- Democracy sure can be a pain in the ass, eh Senator?
- Now it’s “You’re in favor of this bill, or you’re ...
- “Support this bill or you’re a racist.”
- "Inordinate Affections" -- Wisdom Sunday
- And yet another exercise in mis-characterizing opp...
- According to Lindsey Graham people like me view bi...
- I have expressed doubt about the notion that scien...
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