Give Me Liberty or I'll Just Take It!

Statue of Liberty National Monument, Ellis Island and Liberty Island, Manhattan, in New York County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
― Emma Lazarus

       Do you recognize these lines?   They come from the poem "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus.  The sonnet was engraved on a plaque that was placed on a wall inside the pedestal upon which rests the Statue of Liberty.  Those of us who live in the United States have undoubtedly heard the lines recited sometime in our lives or might have even seen the plaque itself.

      I was reminded of this quote recently while watching Alfred Hitchcock's World War II era suspense film Saboteur.   This fine film is filled with patriotic monologues and concepts regarding loyalty and justice.  After a trek across America, the action culminates in a thrilling sequence in the upper reaches of the Statue of Liberty.   If you've never seen this, it's a film I would highly recommend.  Besides, it's Hitchcock and that's enough for me.

        Do the lines quoted above seem as sensible in our age as they did in the late 19th century when they were written?   How accepting should we be of sojourners to the U.S. who do not follow our laws and have a desire to change our culture to adapt to theirs?    Are there a good many peoples from other lands who want to take advantage of America's idealistic generosity and at the same time bring us down?      How would you define "immigration reform"? 


      I've got some posts lined up on this topic, but I'm not sure when I'll get to them.   They're in my queue waiting.  The immigration reform issue has never left the news, but it's coming to the forefront now that elections are behind us.
       

Related articles

• Someone Said... (Of Life, Liberty and Eternity)
• Happy 128th birthday to the Statue of Liberty!
• Accompanying the Huddled Masses: the Homeless of New York
• Mexican Government Helping Illegals Stay in America

What Does Immigration Reform Look Like?

              The immigration controversy is big here in California and Arizona.   In fact, the issue of immigration is one of the major issues that Americans are most concerned about after things like the economy and unemployment.   The immigration law that was passed by Arizona has caused a furor among liberals with cries of racism and invasion of constitutional rights.   There are many calls for immigration reform.

              What does immigration reform look like?

             As usual words have been charged and falsehoods created to help raise emotions.  So before we start the debate let's clarify the issues and define the wording properly.  The issue is not immigration.  The real issue is illegal aliens coming into this country to establish themselves without going through the legal channels and often having no true respect for the values that are the foundation of the United States.  Letting the floodgates of immigrants flow across the borders unchecked has led to more drug opportunists, gang members, human traffickers,  and terrorists to come into the country blended into the horde coming here to take advantage of our great country.  We are allowing a dangerous trend to occur.

               These immigrants are putting a burden upon our law enforcement, social services, educational systems, and the job market.  Standards are being lowered in our society.  Schools are suffering as the education process is slowed for those with advanced learning potential who are held back by non-English speakers and those with a lower quest for education.  Recent statistics in California show the dropout rate at 46% with a whopping majority to be Hispanics.

             There have been indications of movements such as La Raza and Azatlan that would like nothing better than for certain parts of the United States to revert to Mexican rule.  Mexican flags and those of other Latin American countries are becoming common sights as disrespect for the flag of the USA grows. 

              The furor raised by the Arizona law regarding immigration is based on a sham fueled by liberal and Hispanic activist propaganda.  The Arizona law merely states that the police will actively enforce federal law.  What a novel concept!  The police enforce law?  Where did they get such an idea?

             I don't like what's happening.  And before you suggest that I am racist or anti-immigrant, keep in mind that my wife is from Latin American.   She and her entire family came to the United States through legal channels, completing all of the necessary processes and legal papers over many years to eventually become proud citizens of the United States.  Her daughter and nieces and nephews have been honor students and college graduates and have gotten good jobs.   They did it right and I have no problem with anyone who wants to take this approach to immigration.

              If people aren't going to respect our laws of citizenship, why would we expect that they would respect any other laws that were inconvenient for them?  The way I see it employers who are hiring illegals need to be penalized and the anchor baby clause of the constitution needs to be amended. 

              What to do with all of the aliens who are currently living in the United States illegally?   There are estimates of anywhere from twelve to twenty million.  How should these people be handled?   What about future immigration?   Are you happy with the flood of illegals or are you against it?    What is the upside?