Monday, May 15, 2006
Here It Is
I pulled this from Glenn at Instapundit.
It is the full text of the President's speech on immigration reform and where he stands on the issue.
Generally speaking I agree with most of it.
I don't think that we should grant full amnesty because they are by virtue of the word and our legal system, illegal. However the "rational middle ground" that Mr. Bush proposes-though by no stretch as easy to come by as he made it sound-will have to be there. If it is not there then we must either grant full amnesty, or deport in between seven and twenty million immigrants back home. Even if these options were possible, neither of them are rational.
I still have a hard time with the fences though. I understand the idea is not to build one great wall of America across the entire southern Mexican/American border, but instead to build high-tech fences in more populated areas and simply use more barriers and tighter patrol for the rural sections.
So far so good; but even though Mr. Bush stresses continued diplomacy with Mexico, I still have a hard time imagining that putting up fences won't leave some people miffed. Probably a lot of people.
There is also an argument out there I have heard that says as long as we are putting up barriers to stop southern immigrants, we might as well spend the extra two billion for a northern wall to keep those immigrants from crossing over as well.
Though I mostly view this argument as jest, there may be something to it. If we put a wall up against Mexico, and nowhere else... I begin to sense the miff factor again.
Overall the President's message-in my opinion-was one both of immigrant tradition and maintaining the structure and integrity of our legal system. There is no need for aggressive action against these immigrants. They are only trying to make a life. Still they should have to do it legally, according to our rules.
I know the current system sucks; believe me I have seen it in action. And there should be legislation implemented to try and expedite the process and make it easier for the hard working people who are just trying to have a better life become citizens. But the system is what it is, and it is the American system. It may be a terrible process, but it is the legal process, and it is the one that should be followed.
It is the full text of the President's speech on immigration reform and where he stands on the issue.
Generally speaking I agree with most of it.
I don't think that we should grant full amnesty because they are by virtue of the word and our legal system, illegal. However the "rational middle ground" that Mr. Bush proposes-though by no stretch as easy to come by as he made it sound-will have to be there. If it is not there then we must either grant full amnesty, or deport in between seven and twenty million immigrants back home. Even if these options were possible, neither of them are rational.
I still have a hard time with the fences though. I understand the idea is not to build one great wall of America across the entire southern Mexican/American border, but instead to build high-tech fences in more populated areas and simply use more barriers and tighter patrol for the rural sections.
So far so good; but even though Mr. Bush stresses continued diplomacy with Mexico, I still have a hard time imagining that putting up fences won't leave some people miffed. Probably a lot of people.
There is also an argument out there I have heard that says as long as we are putting up barriers to stop southern immigrants, we might as well spend the extra two billion for a northern wall to keep those immigrants from crossing over as well.
Though I mostly view this argument as jest, there may be something to it. If we put a wall up against Mexico, and nowhere else... I begin to sense the miff factor again.
Overall the President's message-in my opinion-was one both of immigrant tradition and maintaining the structure and integrity of our legal system. There is no need for aggressive action against these immigrants. They are only trying to make a life. Still they should have to do it legally, according to our rules.
I know the current system sucks; believe me I have seen it in action. And there should be legislation implemented to try and expedite the process and make it easier for the hard working people who are just trying to have a better life become citizens. But the system is what it is, and it is the American system. It may be a terrible process, but it is the legal process, and it is the one that should be followed.
