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Friday, June 15, 2007

The Three Rs of the Illegal Immigration Invasion

The Three Rs of the Illegal Immigration Invasion
Reform, Revive, or Rescind
June 15, 2007
Richard O. Harris


I will be the first to admit I know very little about the lengthy lobbying, careful legal phrasing, and added extras on any law passed in this great country. However, I do still believe it is the greatest country to live in and cannot fault others for feeling the same way. No, I will not return to the founding fathers who themselves would have been hung for treason if the Revolutionary War had ended differently.


Instead I will turn my attention to the current issue of the invasion of the United States by what I hear on the news to be around 12 to 14 million illegal immigrants. While I do not condone their actions, I cannot blame them for wanting to be a part of our great country and enjoy the freedoms we all seek. So maybe it is time to try something new to address this problem.


This invasion, and let’s be honest that is what it is, has been subtle and non-military in nature for the most part thankfully. Imagine if the 12 to 14 million illegal immigrants all took up arms at one time. The United States would simply not be able to deal with such an overwhelming force.


So I return to the three Rs of this invasion. Reform simply has not worked because our leaders in Congress cannot agree on whether building a fence should be the top priority. Now, the President is asking Congress to Revive the Reform that did not work in the first place.
I hate to admit it but I do agree with the President that doing nothing is not a solution. So let the country do what it has done in the past with laws that had served their purpose but were no longer feasible. Yes, you guessed it; I believe we should Rescind the current Immigration law and start over.


Now my mind is a simple one and I have recently begun experiencing some difficulty with my mental acuity but I believe we can make this work without the Civil War that was required to Rescind the laws of Slavery. Rather than add an additional 4 billion dollars in national debt to the legal taxpayers of this country there may be another way to get this fence built. I believe it is possible to simplify the process to the point where even I can understand it.


To begin with, we can offer each illegal immigrant the opportunity to become a legal citizen with a few simple rules. Each of them must swear an oath of allegiance to the United States including the obligation to defend this country against all enemies. Each of them must show proof of residency and employment in the United States for at least a year and a day. Each of them must pay $1,000.00 in income tax within the first year of being granted legal citizenship.


These rules, or laws if you choose, offer everyone some way of saving face. The first rule shows our Nation really does believe in freedom and democracy for all while providing the United States with an, as yet, untapped military force. The second rule offers the illegal immigrant, not amnesty, but forgiveness for crossing a line drawn in the sand to improve his/her existence. The third rule provides the nation with 12 to 14 BILLION dollars in revenue.


I am sure there are those that can poke holes in such simplicity but I see it only as a way to start over. After all, the illegal immigrant crossed a line in the sand and now we tell them you have to take two steps back and don’t cross this same line again. It is time, in my opinion, our nation returns to setting the example for the world.


We are asking factions in the middle east that have been at war for centuries to forgive each other and set down to talk. Let’s do the same with our own neighbor. Once we have offered this choice to the invading immigrants, maybe we can help our neighboring country develop its own resources by offering incentives to U. S. interests to do business there.


Again, I know it all sounds too easy and it certainly sounds simple enough. Yet, one last item must occur for it to work. That is simply there can be no addendums, riders, special interests, or other distortions of the law. It must stand simply and alone to work.

9 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:48 AM

    On behalf of President Bush, thank you for your correspondence.

    We appreciate hearing your views and welcome your suggestions.

    Due to the large volume of e-mail received, the White House cannot respond to every message.

    Thank you again for taking the time to write.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous8:49 AM

    Thank you for e-mailing Vice President Cheney. Your comments,
    suggestions and concerns are important to him. Unfortunately,
    because of the large volume of e-mail received, the Vice
    President cannot personally respond to each message. However,
    members of the Vice President's staff consider and report
    citizen ideas and concerns. Please visit the White House web
    site for the most up-to-date information on Presidential
    initiatives, current events, and topics of interest to you.

    Thank you again for taking the time to write.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous9:10 AM

    Thank you very much for contacting my office. Please know that your
    e-mail has been received and I value your thoughts and opinions on the
    issues being discussed in Washington.

    It is my goal to respond to inquiries such as yours as quickly as
    possible. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about this
    issue or other matters being debated in Congress, I would encourage
    you to visit my Web site at http://Crenshaw.house.gov.

    Again, thank you for taking the time to express your thoughts to me. I
    truly value input from my constituents and will provide you with a
    response to your inquiry soon.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous10:33 AM

    There is a gaping hole in your logic. You seem to have forgotten, as our president did, that these people have no concern for our laws. I understand that this is why they have been deemed Illegal.

    Of course, just forgive and forget and assume the millions of dollars in criminal activities and health care concerns not to mention setting a standards for future generations.

    While we are at it let's just forgive every rapist, murderer, thief and anyone else that has violated the laws of this great nation.

    Then we can see just how long before any of these do take up arms against Law abiding citizens. While we are at it let's establish a Illegal Imigrants Discrimination Act so that they can get preferential treatment in our job markets.

    I am your brother, but you certainly missed the mark on this one.

    Without laws this nation will be just like the Romans and all other nations that became lax on legal issues. We will self destruct.

    How about we do as our forefathers and enforce the laws that made us the great nation we are. Wow! What an idea!

    Donnie

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous2:42 PM

    Thanks, Rick, for your comments. You're too modest, I think you have given this difficult situation a lot more thought than some of our political representatives and have better ideas than most, if not all, of them. Further, you express yourself better!

    I've been thinking about it a lot, as well. Most politicians throw out soundbites and criticism, very few offer any realistic solutions to correct the problem. They completely ignore, for instance, how they would ship back 12 million immigrants to Mexico. For good reason, of course, even if you could find them, it would be impractical on many levels. You, at least, offer some creative steps.

    While I agree with much of what you said, I don't think I would use the word "forgiveness," many would leap on this as being the same as "amnesty," and I think it is a synonym. I think I would just ignore using any label.

    Also, I don't think it would be practical to build a fence or wall. I don't like the idea of us fencing ourselves in, it just seems unAmerican, somehow, and, from a more practical side, I just don't think this would work for very long, they'll go over or under in short order. The only hope going forward at this point might be a combination of more border guards and sophicticated electronic monitoring devices.

    The only other thing I would add, and I think this is important, is that I think English should be declared our official language and anyone entering our country to live here should be required to learn it. This is important from at least two standpoints: first, and obviously, communication; then secondly assimilation. If I went to live in another country, and I've considered it, I would fully expect to have to learn their language.

    Again, thanks for adding to the dialogue of Illegal Immigration and for making me additional ideas,

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous6:18 AM

    Dear Mr. Harris:



    Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns about immigration policy. I appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts with me on this matter.



    The basic law governing immigration and naturalization is contained in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1952. The INA establishes a flexible level of permanent admissions. The Act provides for a permanent worldwide level of 675,000 immigrants each year. The worldwide level is flexible in that it may be exceeded in certain circumstances. The permanent immigrant level consists of the following components: (a) family-sponsored immigrants, including immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and family-sponsored preference immigrants; (b) employment-based preference immigrants; and (c) diversity immigrants, those immigrants with low admission levels who must have a high school education or its equivalent or a minimum of two years work experience in a profession requiring two years of training or experience. Additionally, the INA establishes per-country levels that are applicable to family-sponsored and employment-based preference immigrants only. The per-country level is not a "quota" set aside for individual countries. According to the State Department, the per-country level is not an entitlement but, rather, a barrier against monopolization of the immigration by one country in any given year.



    Legal immigration has had a positive impact on the United States and our economy. Most immigrants come to this country with a support system already in place (e.g., family-sponsored and employment-based immigrants). The majority of the other legal immigrants are permitted to remain in this country for humanitarian reasons. Studies have also shown that within several short years, most immigrants are net producers, rather than net consumers, in our economy. While there is certainly a legitimate debate regarding the appropriate level of immigration, most would agree that an immigration policy which promotes family unity and requires a certain degree of self-support is generally acceptable.



    However, there is a significant difference between legal and illegal immigration. Since my election to Congress in 2000, I have worked with my colleagues to ensure that our border is more secure and that we do not encourage people to come into our country illegally. Illegal aliens place a tremendous financial and social burden on our society, and we must work to stop this unfair practice.



    The best way to get illegal immigration under control is to secure our borders. Our porous borders have allowed more than ten million people to cross into our country with no oversight, no accountability, and no record. We simply have no idea who they are, where they came from, and most importantly - why they entered our country illegally. I believe we must increase the size of the Border Patrol to 18,000 agents, we must actively construct a double barrier wall and utilize technological innovations, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, to conduct surveillance operations along the remaining border.



    Once we have secured our borders, we must turn our attention to the more than 12 million illegal immigrants already residing here. There are varying proposals currently being debated here in Washington as to what is the most economically feasible approach to addressing this situation. I do not support amnesty for those individuals who have broken our laws and will work to deport those individuals who have become a financial and social burden on our society. I believe that we must establish an Employer Verification System that is easy to use and provides timely feedback to employers. Any employer that continues to knowingly employ illegal aliens should be assessed heavy fines and penalties.



    I look forward to debating this issue during the year to come and assure you that I will continue to support revisions to our current immigration policy that provide meaningful reform and offer maximum protection for our borders. Additionally, I will oppose any attempts to provide amnesty to the more than 12 million illegal immigrants currently living in this country.



    Again, I want to thank you for taking the time to contact me. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any further assistance on this matter or if you would like additional information on this topic or other issues facing Congress, please visit my Web site at http://crenshaw.house.gov .





    Sincerely,

    Ander Crenshaw

    Member of Congress

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous6:19 AM

    Thanks for your opinion Rick. I've got a few of my own ideas, but I don't have the time to answer now. I'll try to talk to you later. Love you

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous2:08 PM

    Dear Mr. Harris:

    Thank you for contacting me regarding immigration reform. I appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts with me.

    Like you, I believe our immigration system is broken and needs to be fixed. Recent efforts to pass an immigration bill stalled in the Senate. I'm disappointed we still don't have a tough, fair and practical solution to this problem. There is a possibility that the Senate will resume its consideration of the issue. I will continue to be in favor of securing our borders and opposed to amnesty.

    Please be assured that I will keep your thoughts in mind as the Senate continues to debate immigration reform.



    P.S. From time to time, I compile electronic news briefs highlighting key issues and hot topics of particular importance to Floridians. If you'd like to receive these e-briefs, visit my Web site and sign up for them at http://billnelson.senate.gov/news/ebriefs.cfm

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous8:08 PM

    Below is a response to the recent comments I received from you:


    Dear Mr. Harris:

    Thank you for contacting me regarding immigration reform. I appreciate hearing from you and would like to respond to your concerns.

    As you may know, on June 28, 2007, the Senate voted to set aside debate once again on the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 (S.1639).

    I firmly believe addressing this issue in a comprehensive manner is critical to our nation’s security and continued prosperity. While securing our borders is top priority, we must also address the economic and law enforcement realities of having millions of illegal immigrants already living and working in the United States. Any solution to this problem must be practical to be effective. Efforts to secure our borders should be coupled with necessary changes to our current ambiguous and ineffective immigration policies to maximize security for our country. Additionally, gaining operational control of the border will not cease the problem if we do not gain control of our employment system. Please know that, I will continue to work with President Bush and my colleagues in Congress to develop a plan that will halt the flow of illegal immigrants crossing our border while implementing needed changes to our immigration laws.

    Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Do not hesitate to contact me with any additional questions or comments. For more information about issues and activities important to Florida, please sign up for my weekly newsletter at http://martinez.senate.gov.

    ReplyDelete

Feedback is always encouraged and appreciated. Even if I do not like what is said, I do want to keep an open mind and listen. Rick

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