The new third rail of American politics


Illegal immigration replaces abortion
Victor Davis Hanson wrote another great piece on The Messy Politics of Illegal Immigration.

Some time ago, supporters of open borders lost the debate. The majority of Americans want them closed -- now! They ignore the tired slurs like "anti-immigrant," "racist," "protectionist" and "nativist." And noisy May Day parades with Mexican flags and heated rhetoric from the National Council of La Raza ("The Race") only turn more people off.

It doesn't do any good, either, for a Mexico City functionary to cry about how mean we are to want a secure border with Mexico. Most Americans also tuned that out long ago.

They know instead that Mexico cares mostly about sending north those it won't or can't feed and house -- so it can skim off from them billions in remittances once they arrive in the United States.
Mexico City, of course, could reform the country's laws and economy whenever it wants. But it changes only enough to draw in tourists or Americans looking to buy vacation homes, not to better the lives of millions of its mestizo poor in the heartland.

The spin masters may think illegal immigration is an issue that pits conservative Republicans against liberal Democrats. But it doesn't always.

Nowadays, worry about illegal immigration is just as likely to mean that African-Americans are terrified of racist alien gangs in Los Angeles. Asian-Americans are frustrated that their relatives with college degrees wait years to emigrate legally, while thousands without high-school diplomas to the south simply break the law to enter the United States.

And many Mexican-Americans are probably tired of being expected to defend the indefensible of foreign nationals breaking immigration laws simply because they may share an ethnic heritage with illegal aliens.

Great article, you should read the whole thing.

My biggest frustration is that the banner of civil rights is used to excuse behavior from illegals that Americans wouldn't tolerate from anyone else. If an illegal commits a violent crime, I want them deported now. I want to be able to debate La Raza without being called a racist.

If someone immigrates here, I don't think it is too much to ask that they respect the rule of law.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Mon - January 21, 2008 at 02:31 PM  Tag


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