I thought Conservatives were the ones who believed in the American dream and the power of our system to lift people from poverty? Illegal immigration is a great threat to us because people who are essentially a black market labor product are stuck forever in poverty, cannot live the American dream, and are a permanent underclass likely to become cynical and radicalized over time (as we're already seeing). Legal immigration is another matter entirely, and the great threat to our system is not people (whom we desperately need, because "born-American America" is not replacing itself any better than Europe), but multiculturalism and corrupt leftist programs that hold people back and breed hatred of America.
If our talk show hosts and other allegedly Conservative pundits believed in America and really wanted to clean up at the ballot box this November, instead of demonizing immigrants day after day after day, they should sieze this moment as an opportunity to "re-found" America. Re-acquaint the public with the founding principles of the country. Let people fall in love again with the Declaration of Independence and the exalted vision of the human person it enshrines. If I hosted a radio show, each day I would
- expose a different corrupt policy that has brought us to this pass in the first place. (For example, did you know that state universities actually target illegal aliens for tuition breaks? It is harder to get an education in this country if you are here legally than if you're here illegally.) Each day I would show how multi-culti policies at the federal, state and local level --and nuttiness at our universities-- encourage people to come here illegally while hating everything that makes America great.
- UPDATE: here's a great example from ninme, commenting on this post:
what about business regulations (especially those affecting women) which, for instance, require about the same number of coursework to get a license to braid hair (no sharp objects or harsh chemicals!) as you need to get a license to fly attackhelicopters* ? You end up putting a business license out of their reach so they can never get a business loan or expand.
- expose how difficult --and how long-- the process of legal immigration is (today I received an email from a friend in Paraguay who knows people who have been waiting 20 years! 20 years! Who can wait that long to start feeding his family? That means only wealthy people can afford to come legally) and propose ways to make the system more efficient.
- I would not miss an opportunity to shame Mexico-- a nation with more billionaires than most European countries-- for being so selfish and corrupt it would rather send its army across our southern border to disrupt our border patrol than lift a finger to help its working poor. That is disgusting, and Mexico should pay for that in our policies and in the esteem of civilized nations.
- Most importantly, I would start pushing citizenship programs. Teaching the Founding in our schools, proposing a curriculum for citizenship that people must take before they can take the oath of citizenship, that kind of thing.
I would not scapegoat the people we've lured here with corrupt policies, but the folks who made those corrupt policies in the first place. This is an incredible teaching moment, and I can't tell you how disheartened I feel that our national spokesmen are passing it up for cheap shots.
For the record, sneaking across the border is not only illegal, it's immoral. If I were Cardinal Mahoney, while I was offering humanitarian aid to illegals, I'd be counseling them that they were in sin and in need of Confession and under moral obligation to get right with the law. Nonetheless, when you lure people with corrupt policies for 20 years, you are not free of moral responsibility to help them when you suddenly wake up one day --and that's something no one on the Right seems to acknowledge.
Sigh. The same people who have endless belief in the greatness and can-do spirit of America when it comes to war and the economy suddenly have a crisis of confidence when faced with some po'folk. We are not going to retain the character of America by shutting our doors unless we remind everyone who's already here --The Democratic Party Leadership, especially-- what America is.
At least VDH is on my side --scroll down in this symposium to his remarks-- and so is Richard Reeb, although I don't agree with his opening comment about the Prez. Hey, and this guy (first comment).
UPDATE: This CNN poll corroborates something else that bothers me about the Conservative punditry. They keep yakking that the Prez is out of touch with the will of the American people on this issue, but I think they're the ones out of touch in this case. Hubby had lunch with a pollster guy a few weeks ago who said that most Americans are exactly where the President is on the issue. They want the border closed for security reasons. But they are inclined to be generous in terms of who comes in. That's what the poll indicates too. (Warning: evil pdf file).
UPDATE: I love the Powerline guys, but really. How do you have this experience and go after the immigrant and not the guy who's feeding him the trash? If we could take in 193 million immigrants today and make Mexico take most university professors & celebrities and every Democratic Senator except Lieberman, who'd be on probation in exchange, I'd have higher hopes for America.
