Right now in this country we have a flood of people coming across our southern border from Mexico. The majority of these people are honest, decent, hard working folks who want nothing more than to provide for their families and give their children a better life. They are people who aren’t concerned with our politics. They’re not coming here to take advantage of our government programs. They’re not asking for pity, or for a handout, they just want to improve their situation. And it’s hard to blame them for doing whatever it takes to break away from the poverty that many Mexicans live in.
The Criminal Element
The problem is that it’s not just the good people who are coming across the border. Along with the good eggs, more than a few rotten ones filter into our society too. We’re not shy about covering these stories on this site.
- Illegal Immigrant Kicks Toddler To Death
- Doing The Gan-Bangin’ That Americans Don’t Want To Do
- A Look At Border Violence
- Illegal Alien Involved In Fatal Hit And Run
- Burning People Alive That Americans Won’t Burn
- Another Illegal Alien Accused Of Child Molestation
One could argue that Americans commit crimes too. The examples I listed aren’t anything over and above the types of things that American criminals do. As Americans, you and I pay Federal, State, and Local taxes that finance law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Mexican citizens who are in our country illegally put an unnecessary burden on the American taxpayer because many if not most of them don’t pay taxes. Allowing anyone and everyone into the country is against the law. Considering Al-Queda’s stated plans for more terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, I’d say it’s highly irresponsible as well.
Using Language To Alter Perception
When I was a kid growing up in small town America, everyone called the illegal Mexican immigrants “wetbacks“. Most people would agree that in modern society the term “wetback” is a derogatory one. The more acceptable term was “Illegal Alien“, and I think that’s an accurate, if somewhat unflattering, description. Now we are calling them “Undocumented Immigrants” or “Migrant Workers”. Calling an illegal alien an undocumented immigrant is like calling a burglar an uninvited house guest. It’s interesting how the language used to describe Illegal Aliens has changed over the years. Language is the basis for thought, and these subtle changes in the way we talk about Illegal Immigration effect how we perceive it. I won’t go as far as to say it’s a diabolical plot, but it is worth being aware of.
The Wheat and The Chaff
One in every twenty jobs in America is held by an illegal immigrant. Cheap immigrant labor is the grease that keeps the wheels of the US economy in motion. Undocumented workers may break the law to get there but once across the border they work hard for low wages, cleaning America’s toilets, picking her fruit and vegetables, paying their taxes, and generally keeping their noses clean. To condemn America’s migrant workforce for bending or breaking the law, while simultaneously reaping the benefits of - and refusing to change - the system that criminalizes them, is little more than hypocrisy. [source]
The argument that America needs immigrant labor in order to have a robust economy has some merit. The people who are coming across the border to work provide us with reasonably priced unskilled labor which helps our economy. It’s common sense, and I think most people will agree on that. It really isn’t right to condemn “America’s Migrant Workforce” for providing us with all that cheap labor. But we need them to be here legally, paying taxes, and we need to be able to know who is coming in. Drug dealers, gang bangers, and murderers don’t help our economy. Demanding that the federal government separate the wheat from the chaff isn’t hypocrisy, it’s prudent social and economic policy.
Do we need to build a fence along our southern border? There is no shortage of people who would have you believe border security is nothing more than racism. It is important to note that a fence isn’t capable of racism. A fence is simply a tool used to prevent movement from one place to another. And if we are concerned with knowing who is entering this country, a border fence is one of the most important tools our border agents have to help us weed out the criminals, drug smugglers, and terrorists.
Immigration is important to the economic health of this country. We are a nation of immigrants, and we should welcome people from all around the world who want the chance to experience the American dream. But it is vital to know who we are opening the door to. Criminals, drug smugglers, and terrorists must be turned away.
