The Next Big Public Debate; "Immigration Reform"

Now that government health care has been passed with assurances that it will not cover illegal aliens, it is clear that the next big piece of legislation on the horizon is "immigration reform", which will give legal status to the illegal aliens-so they can be covered.

I have written previously about my views on illegal immigration, so I don't need to repeat them all here. Suffice to say that with the incredible violence going on in the US-Mexico border region, the need to secure our borders is greater than ever. We pray for the good side to prevail in Mexico, but at the same time, we have a duty to secure the safety of our own citizens north of the border.

The last congressional attempt to give amnesty to illegal aliens was thwarted only because an outraged citizenry flooded the capital with phone calls, e-mails, faxes and letters demanding that no amnesty be granted. That was a different Congress. Now we have a Congress and a president that don't care what we think or want.

Again, the public will have to stand up and make its voice heard, even if in vain. I do hope, however, that both sides can do it in a civil manner. On the pro-amnesty side, that means dropping the Mexican and Central American flags and posters that proclaim that the rest of us should return to Europe.

On the anti-amnesty side, it means that we should not demean the majority of folks who come here out of sheer desperation because Mexico or the Central American countries cannot or will not provide a decent education and job opportunities for its masses.

Yes, we must continue to point out the cases where violent criminal illegal aliens have victimized American citizens as a result of our weak policies. We must demand an end to sanctuary policies that allow these criminals to prey on the rest of us. At the same time, we must not forget that the majority of our illegal aliens came here to work when they couldn't work at home. Most of them are good people who find themselves in a position of economic desperation.

Let's have a civil debate. I am prepared to bash the government all day long if they don't do what's right. However, as one who is married to a (legal) Mexican immigrant, I will never forget the humanity of the majority of the people involved.