The Immigration Bill is like Democracy

The current Immigration Bill is like Democracy; the worst idea ever created…except all the other ideas that anyone has ever come up with.

Some say “BUILD THE FENCE.” I say, given that we have a Democratic controlled House and Senate, exactly when do they think that appropriation request will be coming up for a vote?

Some say “ENFORCE OUR CURRENT LAWS.” I ask, you mean the ones that require employers to verify legal status with easily forgeable documents or face fines while at the same time threatening those same companies with fines and prosecution for discrimination if they check too closely an applicants legal status?

Some say “WE ARE LOSING OUR CULTURE AND OUR LANGUAGE.” I ask, so the 40% of illegals who look like us and mainly talk like us, who are here by overstaying their visas, those illegals are okay?”

Some say “THEY ARE TAKING JOBS AWAY FROM AMERICANS.” As a former senior manager for a medium side restaurant chain (restaurants get picked on all the time in this debate) I can tell you we could hire all the college kids we wanted for $8.50 an hour to work as Hosts, but when a manager mentioned that we could use a dishwasher and are paying $11 an hour they told us, "no thanks." Workers who are legalized can speak out about wages and working conditions. Illegals can't. BTW…we do offer health insurance to all employees who work more than 20 hours a week.

Some say “IT’S AMNESTY.” Personally I don’t think $5,000+ in fines and waiting years for a chance at citizenship is amnesty any more than I think paying a fine and being forced to do community service to avoid incarceration is amnesty. It is an alternative, not amnesty.

Too many people who are arguing against this bill simply dismiss the tough provisions in it with “Yeah. Like that is ever going to happen?” I have no argument for that. While the past fate of legislation on greater border security and 800 miles of fence are certainly not promising signs, if they are going to assume that all the bad aspects of the bill or their interpretations of the bill are destined to happen but none of the good aspects will, then one is entering the realm of opinion.

Some say “THIS BILL SUCKS.” I say, you’re right. It just sucks less than the alternative. I guess to me it is a bit like voting for George Bush instead of Gore or Kerry.

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