So how DO we fix the illegal immigration problem?

So I have done the ranting and raving at the new Arizona "show me your papers" Law. I have ranted at the racists and the bigots and neo nazis. I have cussed screamed and seethed. But the truth of the matter is....there really IS a problem that must be dealt with. It is a problem that must be dealt with at a Federal level because it is a security issue which clearly falls under the constitutional responsibility of the federal government. The reason, however, is not only constitutional but is also practical. If you have every state making its own laws you will have some that are more lenient and others that are hate filled racists.

Having said that, what SHOULD be done? The problem is not an easy one to solve. First, let's make clear what will NOT solve it. With respect to neo nazi republican J.T. Ready and his tea bagger friends...a mine field is not the answer neither is a division of marines. The marines are not the answer for two reasons. First, their president George W. Bush sent them off to defend his oil interests and OUR president lacks the nuts to pull them back. Of course at this point we are in so deep that just issuing orders cannot be done without leaving a bigger mess in its wake. The second reason is simple; do you KNOW any marines? My brother is a former marine and tact and gentleness and consciousness of political and civil right consequences is NOT in their play book or way of thinking. Can you IMAGINE thousands of these people with guns and hand grenades and missile launchers on our border? It would only be a matter of time before we have the Second Mexican War on our hands!!!

Obviously the law in Arizona, the infamous SB1070, is not the answer. Let's make this clear. There are two distinct problems in Arizona, and the REAL problem is NOT going to be solved by SB1070. The rancher that was killed that was used as the driving force to get this law passed turns out was killed by drug smugglers and the police actually believe it was a white man...not an illegal Mexican. The dirty truth that Arizona GOP do not want to realize or admit to is that the Drug Smuggling and the illegal immigrant problem are two separate problems that are not even related. Solving the illegal immigrant problem will not solve their REAL problem...the drug related crimes and the drug smuggling. The law in Arizona is merely a statement. And it is an ugly statement at that. There are states like Minnesota that do not even HAVE a real immigration problem, but in their racism and anti federal government attitude are wanting a similar law. They want to be part of the statement.

Before we can do anything that is truly effective in fixing this problem we need to fix our attitudes about it. Latinos AND whites. First, Latinos need to fix their attitude of entitlement. Just because you are a minority does not mean you are entitled to special treatment. The law is the law. It must be followed. I am against racism but I am also against people that defend the illegal actions of others. Forgery of papers, purchase of forged documents and other crimes committed can NOT be defended. Defending the actions of illegal activity is not right, regardless of race or color. There is a process, and that process must be followed. While I agree that the process needs to be fixed, that process still exists.

I will, however, repeat...I am against racism and hate. I am against constitutional rights being abrogated in any manner that includes race and color. I am against being stopped on the street and forced to show my birth certificate to some Texas Ranger wannabe that wouldn't know if my birth certificate is legit or not. Here is a scenario I have SEEN happen. I lost my birth certificate and order a new one. I get the new one. I am 33 years old so my birth certificate should show wear and tear because I am 33 years old. I get stopped and am required to show my brand new birth certificate that I just got in the mail from the State of California. Because it is new...it must be fake. I have seen this happen. The truth is that that kind of thing happens many times. The truth is undeniable....these same people that have made the illegal immigration their problem or their mission in life to fix are the same people or children of the same people that fifty years ago were seeing the black man as the menace to society and wanted to keep him segregated like an animal. The attitude has not changed. I have been on the other end of it. If you want legitimacy in this issue then people with level heads and honest concern, rather than hate, must be in charge and at the forefront leading the change.

Once the attitude is fixed there are some changes that must be made to fix it. And busing them all south of the border is not the answer. I know these neo nazi hate mongers think that that is the answer but our economy cannot afford for such a huge percentage of the people pumping money into it to be suddenly gone. The small town I live in would be a ghost town, would go under, if the dumb rednecks get their way. No change must come in a different way. Here is my opinion on how...

(1) Secure the Border.

Internal change cannot happen and last unless the valve is closed. This is not about more manpower, it is about being smarter. A fence is only a mild deterrent more like a snag in the crossing. They have to cut it, jump it...sure...but it does have some sense in slowing their entry. The other half of this is technology. You mean to tell me they can take a picture of you in your back yard from a satellite but cannot patrol our borders with that kind of technology and dispatch units check out movement? I don't know all the ins and outs of it but surely we have technology that we can use and not have to resort to explosives like J.T. and his buddies want to because any life that is not white is not really life is it? We have satellites for everything else...why not?

(2) Fix the current system

If you have never been involved in the system then you really don't understand how totally screwed up it is. The immigration system is too often run by incompetent, lazy and inconsistent personnel. I have seen one person that did not deserve approval sail through and a good, honest and hard working man with a family get rejected for no reason at all. I currently know a situation where a man and his wife and children live here. He went through the process and when his interview came up he was deported because the judge felt that there was no evidence that his wife and children would suffer from his absence. His family is already losing their home. Why should these people follow a system that is inconsistent and lets the dead beats stay and the hard working people that would be a positive addition to our community be deported?

Another problem is that states have different rules and enforce the rules with different levels of dedication. Even different counties in the same state have different rules and different levels of dedication. In one county an offender may be released to the street and then in the next deported. The immigration laws and system has to be made consistent across the country on a federal level.

(3) Zero Tolerance

Simply put we need to enact and enforce it. We have laws. You break the law you don't belong here. I don't know how many times I have seen somebody that has committed a misdemeanor or even in some cases a felony and is released on probation. Why? We are looking for people that will be an honest and positive addition to our community. People that drink ad drive, do drugs, steal, beat their wives and commit a myriad of other crimes should not be allowed to remain in this country. There is no bail. There is not parole. There is no probation. They are gone. If they commit a violent crime, or another crime (such as drug related) let them serve their time, pay their debt and have a nice bus trip (of the State conducted type) to the border, handed over to border officials and sent packing back to where they belong.

(4) Streamline the process for the current illegals here.

I know. Amnesty pisses white people off. (not all so don't get on me Mandy lol) When you argue amnesty you get a whole bunch of people all up in arms cussing and swearing that that just rewards a bunch of *expletive* wetbacks and sets it up for a whole new crop of them to come in. And this is true if you do not fix the border and fix the system. But if you fix these two issues then it is a matter of sifting through this mess and getting the ones that are a good addition to our community legalized and move on. Simply put, the reality is this. Our economy cannot afford to send these people home. These people work and they spend their money here. If you bus them all home that will leave a huge void in our economy that we cannot recover from. So we sift through them, and the dead beats, the losers, the criminals (zero tolerance) we ship out. The rest? we get legal and move on.

In conclusion, let us remember one thing. We are all immigrants and descendants of immigrants. English, Welsh, Irish, Scottish, Russian, Asian, African, Spanish, Mexican, South American, Japanese, Middle Eastern, Indian....all of us. Unless you are Native American...TRULY Native American...not just some...well my granddaddy married a Native American...I mean true blue Native American...you are descendant of an immigrant. Mandy's ex, in defense of SB1070 said that he was ok with it...so what...HIS descendants are from here...sorry buddy...just not the case. My family is descended from Jews, fleeing the Inquisition in Spain. We are all from somewhere else. I am not saying we should let every sorry loser in. I am definitely in favor of making sure we are getting healthy people physically, mentally and morally (and by morally I am not referring to some form of forcing your moral values on somebody else I mean in legal matters, DUI, drugs, violence...etc.) I am not talking about carte blanche. Something needs to be done. Arizona's SB1070 is NOT the answer. Fix the border, fix the system and fix the current illegals. It is a simple formula and a simple plan for success that ALL Americans can live with...unless you are just some racist neo nazi pig...and in that case...I say we just give them their own little country...with it's Capitol in...shall we say..Tucson?