http://www.nicholls.edu/bastiatsbastions/2006/03/30/mixed-bag-from-george-will/ What is seen and what is unseen. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:26:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.nicholls.edu/bastiatsbastions/2006/03/30/mixed-bag-from-george-will/comment-page-1/#comment-203 Aaron Ayme Mon, 03 Apr 2006 01:31:05 +0000 http://www.nicholls.edu/bastiatsbastions/2006/03/30/mixed-bag-from-george-will/#comment-203 I am an American citizen. I had to register to vote. I had to purchase a permit and a license to drive a car. My parents had to purchase a permit to build our home. We pay taxes. No police cars, mad dogs, or armed military were necessary to make us apply to the DMV, local courthouse, or IRS to fulfill these obligations. We are following the law of the land; and we know there may be consequences if we do not. Of course there are people, even in our own community, who are driving vehicles with expired or no licenses -- and who knows how many of our neighbors are correctly reporting their taxes. But we have to place some trust in the American system and do our best to live orderly, lawful lives. Woe to Mr. Will and his wall. He paints an ironic picture of border police, barbed wire, and growling dogs on our southern border’s dusty terrain as our Mexican friends are quietly tunneling under the chaos. I admit this is stretching the truth a bit. However, our American technology is certainly capable of getting a better handle on this border crisis. And yes, border security is an important issue to Americans. But let’s be smart about it and enforce some stringent laws, penalties, and fines which would include scrutinizing the illegal immigrants already here. Despite the fact that “over the past 30 years rising immigration lead to higher wages for U.S.-born workers,” the American government does need to get a better handle on its immigration laws. It is quite impractical to bus back 11 million illegal workers – and their families. Amnesty seems unfair, especially to fellow hard-working tax-paying Americans and even to those who are waiting to enter our country legally. Secure the borders through wise, technologically advanced measures coupled with sound law enforcement and good government relations. And what about the American employer who is enabling and encouraging this illegal immigration employment issue? America must ensure fair immigration policies for both employer and employee. Those immigrants who wish to remain, purchase work permits, pay taxes, penalties, and fines, abide by our laws, speak English, and strive to become U.S. citizens should be given a window of opportunity. Weeding out the illegal deadheads, on the other hand, will be quite a challenge. It isn’t an easy problem, but we can’t throw out all the illegal immigrants with the bath water. If Mr. Will’s stats are correct, one day those same immigrants might just be covering our parents’ social security checks. I am an American citizen. I had to register to vote. I had to purchase a permit and a license to drive a car. My parents had to purchase a permit to build our home. We pay taxes. No police cars, mad dogs, or armed military were necessary to make us apply to the DMV, local courthouse, or IRS to fulfill these obligations. We are following the law of the land; and we know there may be consequences if we do not. Of course there are people, even in our own community, who are driving vehicles with expired or no licenses — and who knows how many of our neighbors are correctly reporting their taxes. But we have to place some trust in the American system and do our best to live orderly, lawful lives. Woe to Mr. Will and his wall. He paints an ironic picture of border police, barbed wire, and growling dogs on our southern border’s dusty terrain as our Mexican friends are quietly tunneling under the chaos. I admit this is stretching the truth a bit. However, our American technology is certainly capable of getting a better handle on this border crisis. And yes, border security is an important issue to Americans. But let’s be smart about it and enforce some stringent laws, penalties, and fines which would include scrutinizing the illegal immigrants already here. Despite the fact that “over the past 30 years rising immigration lead to higher wages for U.S.-born workers,” the American government does need to get a better handle on its immigration laws. It is quite impractical to bus back 11 million illegal workers – and their families. Amnesty seems unfair, especially to fellow hard-working tax-paying Americans and even to those who are waiting to enter our country legally. Secure the borders through wise, technologically advanced measures coupled with sound law enforcement and good government relations. And what about the American employer who is enabling and encouraging this illegal immigration employment issue? America must ensure fair immigration policies for both employer and employee. Those immigrants who wish to remain, purchase work permits, pay taxes, penalties, and fines, abide by our laws, speak English, and strive to become U.S. citizens should be given a window of opportunity. Weeding out the illegal deadheads, on the other hand, will be quite a challenge. It isn’t an easy problem, but we can’t throw out all the illegal immigrants with the bath water. If Mr. Will’s stats are correct, one day those same immigrants might just be covering our parents’ social security checks.

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