Why Amnesty Shouldn't Be A Bad Word

Amnesty: a period during which offenders are exempt from punishment, pardon: a warrant granting release from punishment for an offense, the formal act of liberating someone grant a pardon to (a group of people)

I've always maintained that what we do with our current illegal immigrants isn't the primary problem we face today as regards illegal immigration. So, my views haven't changed at all. But I am increasingly uneasy with all the amnesty bashing I am hearing from my peers on the right. The fact is, both sides in this require an amnesty of sorts on the immigration issue. The crossing over into our country illegally from the South has not been a crime committed without our complicity.

Yes, some have been tough on the immigration issue for a long time. And they are welcome to their view. But the vast majority of Americans were not running down to seal the border over the past few years. That's been the mission of a very few. Face it, there is plenty of responsibility for America as a whole to take in how we've come to the point with illegal immigration we are today.

None of us were checking the papers on the guy who maybe came out to fix the roof, or possibly mow the lawn. To pretend as though 11 or more million people simply arrived here over night without our awareness is silly, at best.

For national security reasons, as well for the ultimate protection of our sovereignty, I believe we do need to seriously begin to regulate our land borders as aggressively and thoroughly as we do those of air and sea.

We should grant an amnesty of sorts to ourselves for allowing the illegal immigration issue to become what it has. But we can't do that if we would pretend it hasn't been in significant part of our making, too.

We can work out a reasonable path to citizenship for those we have already all but invited into our country. That seems to me to be the proper and truly responsible thing to do. Once we acknowledge that, we need to promptly move forward and ensure that we don't ever put ourselves in this position, again.

Comments

[tracker]

I understand what you wrote. Don't agree. Thats' the kind of thinking that got us in this hole. Now the streets are filled with crowing illegals who have no damn right to be here, but are telling us they do. You've seen, and heard, from their voices, what they think, feel, demand, and it ISN'T to become citizens of the United States of America. They desire to 'reclaim' land that once was 'theirs.'
They are a security threat NOW, while we are at War.
They should be treated exactly that way, as a security threat. I5 from San Diego North to British Columbia is a drug smuggling/distribution freeway, run by mexicans. Amnesty? HELL!

[Colorado]

I happened to be in Arizona ( Sedona ) over the weekend. I think that those illegal or undocumented persons who showed up for work today are representative of the immigrants who founded his counrty. They just want to work. Give them a break. The rest who took the day of desereve to be deported.

[exilesanctuary.com]

I can understand their desire to have a good life, and I am the child of immigrants. However, I resent those that act like they're entitled, by virtue of breaking the laws to work and live here. Still, the most realistic solution is to find a way for those living here, to now have a plan to become naturalized citizens. Part of that plan should include learning English, though, since that was the condition of my family's legal immigration.

The thing that enrages most Americans is the arrogance at not learning the language, and creating a cultural clash in places like Texas, California Florida, Arizona, and other places where English is becoming the second language. Where I live, when you apply for jobs, they specify a preference for being bilingual in Spanish. That's not fair, imo. I live in S. Florida. Sometimes I feel like I'm not in the USA.

I don't really blame the individuals who come here hoping for work, and a better life for their families. I do blame the businesses who take advantage of them, and usually pay them under the table, depriving the government of taxes that we all have to pay. I think the government should come down hard on those businesses, as tax cheats. They have all the advantages of cheap labor, without, contributing to our economy. I'm also tired of hearing how these workers work jobs Americans don't want. That's infuriating, and I think it's a crock.

[Althor]

Amnesty becomes a bad word when the people you intend to extend it to constitute a veritable plague of countless millions, demographically invading your land, and are taking away our jobs, our housing, the room in our schools, and the beds in our hospitals; who are an unsustainable burden to our infrastructure, our Public services, our Fire and Police, and are overpopulating our prisons; are keeping our wages artificially low, debasing our culture, and ultimately turning our cities into "Barrios" and slums: miniature “Tegucigalpas” and "Tijuanas"!!!

What is most hateful to see, is the self-congratulatory smugness with which Jorge Ramos, of Univision, who has been one of the most ardent rabble rouser proponents, through his Univision telecasts and his many books on the subject, of open borders and unconditional “Amnesty” to every incoming Mexican invading us, Janet Murguia, CEO of “La Raza” an organization whose very name implies the original “racist,” pro-Mexican “Mestizos” and “Indios” character of her organization, or all the other Mexican
"organizers" of all these rallies, have the gall to sit in front of the cameras and “smirk” in satisfaction when interviewed, as they ask: “Well, these twelve million illegals are here now, and what are you going to do about it, America? Round them up, and send them all back? It’s impractical!”

I answer to them all, hell yeah! Send them all back!!!

Althor

[rwilymz]

"None of us were checking the papers on the guy who maybe came out to fix the roof, or possibly mow the lawn."

Of course not; and we shouldn't have to. It's not an individual citizen's job to police the nation for immigration law compliance -- **nor is it Wal-Mart's job**; it's INS's job. To undertake INS's job on our own is vigilantism; to be compelled to undertake it under threat of civil or criminal penalty is for the government to abdicate their responsibility for law enforcement and impose it upon others who are not authorized by law or constitution to enforce the law.

Essentially, the government is quitting the law enforcement business and handing it off to anyone it can.

"To pretend as though 11 or more million people simply arrived here over night without our awareness is silly, at best."

We're aware, but it's still not our job to do anything about it. It's the government's job. That's why we pay them 30-50% of our income, to do these things.

Frankly, when they toss up their hands and require employers to turn into busibodies and demand that I justify myself when changing jobs, I am greatly offended.

[Bryce]

Althor:

Are you the same Althor who got Harry Tho to quit? If so, I have to say I am somewhat impressed, I have never seen someone from the comments get to a blogger like that.

As for your post here, don't you think the minuteman also had a part in working up the passions. I happened to be near one of the demonstrations yesterday and neither side comes off as very likeable.

[b0zmeg]

As evidenced by Michelle Malkin's blog today (http://michellemalkin.com/archives/005112.htm) , it appears that Mexicans now want to take America as their own. They already screwed up their own country and are trying to escape from it up here...but yet they want amnesty to stay here. Their actions are similar to a virus now!! Multiply, deplete resources in one area, and then spread...over and over again till there is no longer a host to feed off of.

habla espanol?