Tonight's Speech: Baby Steps

Tonight's speech and my comments.

GWB: "We are a nation of laws, and we must enforce our laws. We are also a nation of immigrants, and we must uphold that tradition, which has strengthened our country in so many ways. These are not contradictory goals. America can be a lawful society and a welcoming society at the same time. We will fix the problems created by illegal immigration, and we will deliver a system that is secure, orderly, and fair."

It would be nice if our government would enforce it's own laws, and remove federal funding from cities who have santuary laws. I do agree that most illegal immigrants have good intentions, all we ask is a chance to "check them out" before they cross into the US. I know of no one who is asking to completely shut down all immigration, just illegal immagration. Why is this simple distinction so vexing to our otherwise intelligent leaders?

GWB: "Since I became president, we have increased funding for border security by 66 percent and expanded the Border Patrol from about 9,000 to 12,000 agents. ... We have apprehended and sent home about 6 million people entering America illegally.

This is a clear example of why we need a fence! Since your Presidency, 12 million people have slipped past this "improvement". How many of the 6 million who were sent home are here now?

GWB: "Despite this progress, we do not yet have full control of the border, and I am determined to change that. Tonight I am calling on Congress to provide funding for dramatic improvements in manpower and technology at the border."

Well, that is more than we've seen thus far, even a baby step is an improvement.

GWB: "The reality is that there are many people on the other side of our border who will do anything to come to America to work and build a better life. They walk across miles of desert in the summer heat, or hide in the back of 18-wheelers to reach our country. This creates enormous pressure on our border that walls and patrols alone will not stop. To secure the border effectively we must reduce the numbers of people trying to sneak across."

A system that's designed to fail will always attract more people to exploit it.

GWB: "We need to hold employers to account for the workers they hire. It is against the law to hire someone who is in this country illegally. Yet businesses often cannot verify the legal status of their employees because of the widespread problem of document fraud. Therefore, comprehensive immigration reform must include a better system for verifying documents and work eligibility. ...

A good idea, but what about the millions who work "under the table" ? Many of the Illegal immigrants are hired precisely because they aren't documented. What of all the falsified Social Security numbers already in existence?

GWB: "A tamper-proof card would help us enforce the law and leave employers with no excuse for violating it. And by making it harder for illegal immigrants to find work in our country, we would discourage people from crossing the border illegally in the first place."

See above.

GWB: "We must face the reality that millions of illegal immigrants are already here. They should not be given an automatic path to citizenship. This is amnesty, and I oppose it. Amnesty would be unfair to those who are here lawfully and it would invite further waves of illegal immigration."

Ronald Reagan granted amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants during his second term, putting us in the situation we're in now. I know that Washington will never round up even a small percentage , I'd be happy if you would just take serious steps to stop the bleeding. Every poll shows the people want a secure border and only 32% oppose a wall. Why fly in the face of such a large majority who are concerned about thier own national security?

GWB: "We must honor the great American tradition of the melting pot, which has made us one nation out of many peoples. The success of our country depends upon helping newcomers assimilate into our society, and embrace our common identity as Americans. Americans are bound together by our shared ideals, an appreciation of our history, respect for the flag we fly, and an ability to speak and write the English language."

This is also a matter of concern, many Mexicans seem to think the "border crossed them", and they are living in "Atzlan". If Mexico wants to continue to be a strong trade partner, we should demand Vincinte Fox put an end to such propoganda and stop encouraging his citizens to break our laws.

GWB: "We must always remember that real lives will be affected by our debates and decisions, and that every human being has dignity and value no matter what their citizenship papers say."

You are the President of the United States, I voted for you. As a citizen of this country I demand that you secure the borders and stop giving us lip service while allowing millions to break our laws. We don't need a lecture on the suffering of other nations, we a leader of the American people, for the American people. Have you forgotten the citizenship status of the 19 highjackers? Can Washington honestly say it has done everything it can to prevent future terrorists from entering our nation? If not, don't you bear direct responsibility for a future attack on our soil? A nation without borders cannot be secure.