To forward the lame notion that because they came here illegally they are criminals is ludicrous.
grampster, this sort of non sequitur is beneath you. Whether they're here to work or sell drugs, they are knowingly trespassing on our soil, and violating other laws. This makes them criminals. Come on, we're not talking about traffic tickets here. You are too good a contributor to this board to make a fool of yourself like this.
Now another law is needed? Hell, it's just like guns; enforce the laws that we have, don't write new ones.
Actually, we need to repeal a law that contributes to the problem. Namely, the fourteenth amendment which, among other unintended consequences, grants citizenship by birth on American soil. THIS is ludicrous.
Actually this is not bad because the bulk of those people will be the best of the gene pool of the downtrodden, just like the folks that built our country starting a couple hundred years ago. A man and woman who will walk for weeks through excrutiatingly dangerous terrain to make a better life for themselves certainly are to be not only admired but desired. If they see no future where they are, they come here. That is not a bad thing, necessarily. They have great family values and are people of faith, mostly. They have a history of work. That much cannot be said for a fairly substantial number of natural born Americans.
A couple hundred? Try four hundred.
I don't claim to know much about illegal aliens, but I know they don't all fit this generalization of yours. They don't necessarily face any hardship or danger in getting here, and they don't all want to work. And no matter how hard-working or honest they may be, we can't take everybody who shows up. For one thing, there is a national culture to be preserved, which involves more than a work ethic. That is part of a bigger problem in that if enough immigrants from any country flow in willy-nilly, we will soon cease to be America.
You want more Americans with a work ethic? Try this. Cut welfare and other entitlements to a mere skeleton of their current obesity, and then see how many Americans will suddenly do those jobs that we supposedly need illegals for. And if we actually do something to stop this flow of illegals, watch how the wages for such jobs increase to draw more legal labor. Prices will go up? Well, then taxes and regulation will have to go down to compensate.
They need to be convinced that they need to swear allegiance to America, assimilate and understand we are a nation of laws.
And entering legally is a good start.
As for the millions already here, no one is to blame for that but us; we did not demand our "leaders" embrace the problem when Reagan solved it 20 some odd years ago. So, maybe we need to take responsibility for that and try to mitigate our non feasance by making the best of what we have rather than trying to do some new unenforceable law that will be ignored and the politicians will regal themselves with credit.
The people who knowingly trespassed into a foreign country and broke our laws can't be blamed? Sheesh. Reagan solved the problem? How? And regale has two e's.
After much thought about it, I think we ought to grant amnesty to all who have a job, will swear allegiance to America, are willing to be immunized against communicable diseases.
Much thought? Think some more, about this for example. Are you talking about amnesty or citizenship? It would hardly do to ask a foreign national to "swear allegiance to America."
I'd defy any of you to deny that if you found yourself in the conditions that these people are fleeing, that you would not do the same.
I might, but I'd be a criminal and I'd be wrong. What I would do doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if they're being sacrificed by the thousands at Tenochtitlan, they have no right to cross our border. None. I have no right to go there, and they have no right to come here. They can come over here when they are willing to follow our laws. I'm not angry at the people who are here for a better opportunity, but if they break the law, they should pay the price. I know it's hard down there, and I can understand why they come, but we must control our border.
The criminals here will not come forward, understandably. But when they are caught, they should be deported immedietely, no grace. Or maybe they ought to be immpressed into work gangs securing our border. It would create a lot of jobs for Americans to supervise them. That tax would be well spent.
What smokest thou, good sir? We've got enough trouble securing the border as it is.
grampster, please tell me this is a result of some pain meds.