If we are not a nation of laws...
Then what are we?
Laws are part of what makes this nation great, precepts that are put down for people's safety and betterment. Law helps to hold civil society together, for without such a mechanism it would no longer be civil.
I ask this question because of events that have transpired over recent days in reguards to the immigration issue in this country.
A number of weeks back, there was a pro illegal immigration rally in San Francisco that drew half a million marchers. Such efforts have continued over the time that has elapsed between then and now, culminating yesterday with various illegal immigration marches around the country, in cities like Detroit, Washington D.C., Houston, Berkley, and other places.
Why have such demonstrations taken place? The answer lies in the halls of a Capitol - immigration reform legislation that has come down in both houses of Congress. On the House side of things, legislation has been passed that would make it a felony for someone to be here illegally. In other words, if someone came to the United States and did not do so using the legal process put in place, they could be sent to prison (and probably deported). While this legislation passed, it has angered many people, as those it has angered believe that they have a right to be here, regardless of what the law says.
Which brings us to the Senate. In order for this House bill to become law, it needs to pass approval in the Senate (as welll as the House) so that President Bush can sign it - it's what the Constitution says in Article I, Section 7. So the question is, will the Senate take the same hard-line stand of "pro-enforcement" that the House has taken? This is not likely, as one of the main sticking points of this Senate version of immigration legislation has been a "guest worker" program.
This guest worker program provides a path to citizenship that is dependent not on following the law, but on how long someone has been in the country, illegally, already. In the Senate right now, the legislation cannot pass because there cannot be an agreement between both parties on this. Some conservative voices in the Senate are adamently against such a program because it provides amnesty to illegal immigrants, sending a message of "if you break our laws, that's ok, we'll help you out anyway". The President is the one that proposed such a program in the first place.
So the question comes, why would the Senate allow for a "guest worker" program, even though it sends a "breaking the law is ok" message?
It's simple - Fear.
It's a mid-term election year in the USA. Democrats are vying to take back power in the Houses of Congress, while Republicans seek to keep it. Since "all who attain power are afraid to lose it", that makes for some interesting situations.
The African American vote in the United States has been solidly going to the Dems for a long time. Thanks to President Bush, the Latino/Hispanic vote has been sucessfully courted by Republicans for the last six years. Republicans in Congress are afraid to lose this voting bloc, afraid to let it go to the Dems. Due to this fear, they are willing (for the most part in the Senate) capitulate to this voting bloc in order to make them happy and keep that voting demographic squarley in their camp (while the Dems try to do all they can to take it away). To do so means "let them stay" instead of enforcing the law.
Here, not only are we dealing with an immigration problem, but also a National Security one, as terrorists can come across the border into the United States to try and harm our nation.
Don't expect the Senate to pass something hard hitting like the House did, but do expect that whatever they do eventually pass will land us in this same spot in 2026 (twenty years from now) as what was passed in 1986 under Regan (twenty years ago) did litle to stem the tide and helped us get to where we are today, and were yesterday.
If we are not a nation of laws, then what are we?
Michelle Malkin has posted pictures and video from various demonstrations around the country.
Laws are part of what makes this nation great, precepts that are put down for people's safety and betterment. Law helps to hold civil society together, for without such a mechanism it would no longer be civil.
I ask this question because of events that have transpired over recent days in reguards to the immigration issue in this country.
A number of weeks back, there was a pro illegal immigration rally in San Francisco that drew half a million marchers. Such efforts have continued over the time that has elapsed between then and now, culminating yesterday with various illegal immigration marches around the country, in cities like Detroit, Washington D.C., Houston, Berkley, and other places.
Why have such demonstrations taken place? The answer lies in the halls of a Capitol - immigration reform legislation that has come down in both houses of Congress. On the House side of things, legislation has been passed that would make it a felony for someone to be here illegally. In other words, if someone came to the United States and did not do so using the legal process put in place, they could be sent to prison (and probably deported). While this legislation passed, it has angered many people, as those it has angered believe that they have a right to be here, regardless of what the law says.
Which brings us to the Senate. In order for this House bill to become law, it needs to pass approval in the Senate (as welll as the House) so that President Bush can sign it - it's what the Constitution says in Article I, Section 7. So the question is, will the Senate take the same hard-line stand of "pro-enforcement" that the House has taken? This is not likely, as one of the main sticking points of this Senate version of immigration legislation has been a "guest worker" program.
This guest worker program provides a path to citizenship that is dependent not on following the law, but on how long someone has been in the country, illegally, already. In the Senate right now, the legislation cannot pass because there cannot be an agreement between both parties on this. Some conservative voices in the Senate are adamently against such a program because it provides amnesty to illegal immigrants, sending a message of "if you break our laws, that's ok, we'll help you out anyway". The President is the one that proposed such a program in the first place.
So the question comes, why would the Senate allow for a "guest worker" program, even though it sends a "breaking the law is ok" message?
It's simple - Fear.
It's a mid-term election year in the USA. Democrats are vying to take back power in the Houses of Congress, while Republicans seek to keep it. Since "all who attain power are afraid to lose it", that makes for some interesting situations.
The African American vote in the United States has been solidly going to the Dems for a long time. Thanks to President Bush, the Latino/Hispanic vote has been sucessfully courted by Republicans for the last six years. Republicans in Congress are afraid to lose this voting bloc, afraid to let it go to the Dems. Due to this fear, they are willing (for the most part in the Senate) capitulate to this voting bloc in order to make them happy and keep that voting demographic squarley in their camp (while the Dems try to do all they can to take it away). To do so means "let them stay" instead of enforcing the law.
Here, not only are we dealing with an immigration problem, but also a National Security one, as terrorists can come across the border into the United States to try and harm our nation.
Don't expect the Senate to pass something hard hitting like the House did, but do expect that whatever they do eventually pass will land us in this same spot in 2026 (twenty years from now) as what was passed in 1986 under Regan (twenty years ago) did litle to stem the tide and helped us get to where we are today, and were yesterday.
If we are not a nation of laws, then what are we?
Michelle Malkin has posted pictures and video from various demonstrations around the country.
posted by A. R. Welty at 9:18 AM
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