Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Mandate This
Of all the arguments that the left has put forth against Arizona's anti-immigration law, by far the most persuasive, I think, is the one that Chris Matthews espouses. Matthews argues that by MANDATING that an officer check a person's immigration status (yes, during the commission of another criminal act), you are DE FACTO putting that officer at majorly grave risk................................................................................................He cites this as an example. You have a police officer pull over a vehicle for what is nothing more than a minor traffic violation. In that vehicle, however, you have 6-8 Hispanic-looking individuals who, because of this law, are pretty damn nervous about being stopped. They clearly don't want to be deported and so, yeah, they end up ganging up on the officer. Not good...........................................................................................................The bottom-line, folks - officers clearly need SOME discretion (IT, yes, frequently being the better part of valor). For a law such as the Arizona one to literally mandate suicidal behavior/foolhardiness ISN'T good public policy. I'm sorry...................................................................................................P.S. Just for the record, Mr. Matthews does in fact posit an alternative of sorts. He suggests that we issue fool-proof ID cards for all Americans. Here, before you can even be hired, you have to show the employer that you are in fact a citizen. It cuts off illegal immigration at its real source - the work-place. Oh and, yeah, it doesn't ruin the scenery, create a Gestapo state, send the National Guard on a big wild-goose chase, etc..
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8 comments:
If there is one true bipartisan accomplishment left in this country it has to be the cluster fuck both parties have created on illegal immigrantion.
Whether it is the cheap labor business (right-wing) loves or the growing minority voter block the left wing loves the immigrants, the American people, and our system of laws have been royally screwed.
I'm not popular on the left for saying this but the border has to be secured. It will not be perfect and it will cause its own problems but every country has a right and duty to control who comes and goes.
On the other hand the idea that the 10 to 20 million people here illegally can be rounded up and sent home is a fantasy up their with the tooth fairy. For that reason some sort of "liberal" workers visa would have to be created.
You're popular Beach Bum cause you make sense.
I thought there was already a database that employers could or had to check to see about immigration status Will.
Tyson Foods is always being fined for hiring illeagals. There's a chicken plant or two near my hometown that get raided once a year for illegal workers also.
They don't have to pay them much so I guess it's worth the fine to hire them so cheaply. Damn shame. If they were legal we could organize them and get them far better than they have to take now.
What happened to the days when we were proud people wanted to come to America for a better life and opportunity anyway?
The sad irony here, double b, is that Bush, OF ALL PROPLE, seemed to be on the right track. His initiative (with assistance, I believe, from Kennedy and McCain) had all the major ingredients; border security, guest worker programs, and a path to citizenship. Too bad that his own Republican party torpedoed it......Tyson Foods, Truth? Alright, I guess that you can illegal immigration to the laundry list, a list that already includes environmental damage and unspeakable cruelty to animals.
Beach,
You don't have to round up and send home ALL of them at once.
Let's get all the ones we know about right now and send the rest home as we happen to catch them. If that's two or three at a time, so be it.
And I'm betting they know where at least half of them are right now.
Truth, (lol)
We're still proud people want to come to America for a better life and opportunity.
We just want them to do it LEGALLY.
It's not fair to those who waited and worked hard to get here.
(and while you're organizing them, remind them to hold out for so much pay and benefits the company is on the edge of folding and can be nationalized by the current regime...)
as a follow up to Beach,
Strict enforcement at the employer level would have most of them running back south of the border anyway.
If they can't get work or public aid, I think most would go home of their own accord.
AND we could END anchor baby status so no more families get broke up.
I agree with you, Volt - strict enforcement at the employer level is totally the way to go. That's why I like Matthews's idea of a national ID card. I know what Truth is saying in that we already have E-verify. I just think that a tamper-proof card would be preferrable. That, and we obviously need steeper penalties for businesses that hire illegals......Do you see my (well, it's actually Matthews's) point on what this Arizona law would do in terms of putting cops at risk? Sure, they should be able to ask for immigration status during the commission of another crime - BUT to MANDATE that a cop always have to ask for it, that, my friend, could get a lot of 'em killed.
Voltron,
I would say that the majority would prefer to be in their own country but circumstances dictate otherwise. NAFTA caused a very significant uptick in illegal immigration, Clinton's triumph was a negative on both sides of the border.
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