Legal immigration and the lack thereof

This blog will serve as my stage 6 blog, in which I must write a commentary or a critique to a classmate’s blog. I will be critiquing jasonhol24’s blog “Immigration”. In his blog, jasonhol24 details State Rep. Leo Bermen’s attempt to deny state services to undocumented children and their American born children. In his blog jasonhol24

“Now, is this the right thing to do? Deny services, basically to children? Honestly, I'm on the fence with this proposal. No, because children who can't be taken care of because their parents can't take care of them for some reason or another needs help. But that's kind of where my sympathy stops.”

It is very true that we need to attend to the least of our society, the children. It is also true that illegal immigrants tend to be on the lower end of the financial spectrum. Does this automatically mean that Joe Taxpayer really needs to foot the bill for a child that for all intensive purposes shouldn’t even be in our country? I have found myself coming to the same conclusion as jasonhol24, which is begrudgingly yes. I can not stand to let children, the most innocent among us, be the casualty of a parent’s bad mistake and illegal activity. While my stance on and about illegal immigration is COMEPLETLY different, I can not snub the children.

There are several examples of government simply not being able to furnish the needs of its people. During those times, an independent advocacy group can be called on to provide for them. I’m not sure why the same couldn’t be done with illegal immigrants. Assuming their concern is genuine, why shouldn’t we expect the concerned part of the population to pay for the people they want staying here. Government services are reserved for the citizens and legal visitors of our state. It would seem that we would not have this issue if recognition of social status had not been put above immigration law.


Jasonhol24 continues:
“Look, I'm all for people, no matter where they are from, coming to America to make a better lives for themselves, but for god sakes, do it legally! Don't come to America to work, get paid under the table, not pay taxes, send your money back to Mexico, and not contribute a single thing to society! But most of all learn at least some English! At least enough to get by. If you are not going to do that, then good riddance! You or your children don't need to be taken care of! Leave the money for the people who do contribute.”

Illegal immigration is just that, ILLEGAL! This country was founded on immigration, and melded itself into its own American culture. Let us analyze the situation a bit more by presuming a Mexican “migrant worker” came to America illegally and worked. Normally illegal workers receive monetary compensation well below that of a normal legal worker, even if the normal worker makes minimum wage! So even to the migrant worker it would be beneficial to come into America legally. The safety concerns for these illegal migrants are also an issue. In 2003 18 dead illegal immigrants were found inside an 18 wheeler's trailer in Victoria, TX. They died due to suffocation and the heat. This happens a lot when Mexican citizens cross the border illegally.

The issue of culture is another good point by jasonhol24. He wants illegal immigrants to “…But most of all learn at least some English! At least enough to get by” and that is a big deal to me as well. One argument by illegal immigrant advocate groups has always been the illegal immigrant who is just coming over for a little bit and working to feed his starving family and many variations of the same story. However, no mention ever comes of how a large population of non-English speaking people affects the population at large. Businesses are inhibited by people who can not ask for what they want in an understandable language, communication between citizens and illegal immigrants are inhibited, as well as the influx of Hispanic culture over most things Texan and American. I regularly see signs advertizing ONLY in Spanish… HOW FAIR IS THAT?!

It’s not our fault that Mexico can not support its people, and it should not be America’s issue to just “grin and bear”. Eventually it just comes down to the fact that it is ILLEGAL and unethical to expect anything from a government where you are existing illegally! It has been long enough since this issue started to see the detrimental effects this illegal immigration has had both on our society and our government. We have problems with our own citizens being treated as well as illegal immigrants and that to me is the last straw. Our country should put its citizen’s problems first and let the other nations do the same, and if you commit a crime in this country you go to jail, so why does being an illegal immigrant garnish you any special treatment.

Defend the border!

Stage 4 blog - Texas State and Local Government 2306

I have chosen to review an article by Texas Fred detailing the events near the Mexican border entitled “Texas Town on High Alert - Braces for Cartel Gun Battle”. In the article Fred sites news articles by Fox News and the Christian Science Monitor. The Fox News article reports on a small Texas border town, Fort Hancock, that is receiving “political refugees” seeking refuge from a coming onslaught by a powerful drug cartel. The second articles tells of an Arizona rancher that was killed and the trail of the suspect led to the Mexican border, leading to speculation that the killer may be an illegal immigrant. Fred Expresses a typical South Texas attitude of “I told ya so!”, which in my opinion as a south Texan is ab-so-lutley correct! He expresses his frustration at the typical citizens ignorance of the issues right on their own border.

While Fred expresses his opinions in a fashion seen on Fox News tickers, he has it very right in this situation. The violence in Mexico Has come to a point and place where it may threaten U.S. safety. The drug cartels were reported in the article to be extorting money from local parents, telling them they will kill their child if 5000 pesos (roughly $500) is not paid. This has caused a spill over into the Unites States of people asking for political asylum. While I’m not sure how much “politics” is involved in the need of their asylum I will not say it should be denied either. The American ideal is that all people are created equal and deserve rights, I see no reason why this should not apply to innocent civilians.

In the Christian Science Monitor article it tells of an Arizona rancher that was killed and left in his ATV with tracks leading straight to the border, assumingly left by his killer, possibly an illegal immigrant. The article also quotes Arizona Governor Bill Richardson as saying he would call the National Guard out if the violence continued. You may remember Gov. Richardson from the Republican presidential primary. It is also notable to say the Gov. Richardson is of Hispanic origin. Congratulations go to Gov. Richardson on having the values in American leadership to stand up for a united country, versus an attempt by some people to break this violent issue down to racism.

I may digress but some of the major issues with cartels are occurring from the rivalry of the Gulf Cartel and the Los Zetas. The former allies are now fighting a costly war with each other and many innocent people are being killed in the crossfire. The Los Zetas are reported to have connections to the ‘Ndrangheta , an Italian mob. The “original” Los Zetas were also recruited from the elite Mexican special forces unit GAFE, and they are reported as having training camps located near the border. The Gulf Cartel is not defenseless themselves… they carry large arsenals as well. What does all this mean? Can it be true? Mexican mob wars crossing into America? Yes people, it is true! The Zetas and their rivals have elite paramilitary units that are ready to fight. They are highly dangerous and trained in sophisticated military tactics. This being the case, they should be handled how they operate…as an army! Military involvement on either a state or federal level is only a matter of time, and understandably drug activity is typically a law enforcement role but military action must happen. They can not be allowed to threaten children and families! Bill Richardson may be the first to recognize the need for a military force on the border while this violence occurs, but he will not be the last. The longer this goes on the more north it goes and the closer it comes to me and my family. Surely if we are willing to chase after WMD’s in the desert we can defend our own borders!

Texas Town on High Alert – Braces for Cartel Gun Battle