The Immigration Controversy

According to whose statistics you believe, we have 8-12 million people within our borders that are very capable of helping us, hurting us or killing us and we have no idea who they are.

Let's not get sidetracked. America does not have a controversy over immigration. The vast majority of Americans have a problem with illegal immigration. Undocumented immigrants and uncontrolled illegal entry into our country hurt our economy, institutions and services.

Let's go by the numbers, according a published report in the L.A.Times....

1. 40% of all workers in L.A. County ( L.A. County has 10.2 million people) are working for cash and not paying taxes. This was because they are predominantly illegal immigrants, working without a green card.

2. 95% of warrants for murder in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens.

3. 75% of people on the most wanted list in Los Angeles are illegal aliens.

4. Over 2/3 of all births in Los Angeles County are to illegal alien Mexicans on Medi-Cal, whose births were paid for by taxpayers.

5. Nearly 25% of all inmates in California detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally.

6. Over 300,000 illegal aliens in Los Angeles County are living in garages.

7. The FBI reports half of all gang members in Los Angeles are most likely illegal aliens from south of the border.

8. Nearly 60% of all occupants of HUD properties are illegal.

9. 21 radio stations in L.A. are Spanish speaking.

10. In L.A. County 5.1 million people speak English, 3.9 million speak Spanish.

and let's add from other sources....

11. Less than 2% of illegal aliens are picking our crops, but 29% are on welfare.

12. Over 70% of the United States' annual population growth (and over 90% of California's , Florida's , and New York's ) is from immigration.

Undocumented immigrants also hurt themselves by being outside of our legal system. They rob themselves and their children of respectability. Let me solve this problem for you. Either enforce our laws or repeal them. If our lawmakers repeal them, then open the floodgates and let everyone in (terrorist included). If our legal and law enforcement agencies are going to enforce the law, then do what the law requires. This is very simple and very uncomplicated.

Once the law has been adhered to, we can discuss in an intelligent and forthright manner any extenuating circumstances impacting future citizenship. Not before. This is the essence of true justice. If illegal aliens were sincere in their intentions, they would confess their crime of illegal entry and throw themselves on the mercy and justice of the American people. I'm certain they would find sympathizers.

Such an act would demonstrate sincerity of purpose and a willingness to honor our laws and respect our institutions. In the absence of contrition, regardless of how innocent an undocumented individual's actions and activities may be, we must conclude that they willfully and knowingly choose to ignore our laws and thus disrespect us all. How can an undocumented individual enter our home (country) uninvited, violate our trust, trample the very essence of our sovereignty and then expect us, as a nation, to ignore their abuses and call them friends?

Trust must be earned not given, therefore, how can we ever trust them without just and verifiable acts? If undocumented aliens sincerely wanted our trust and friendship, they would have done the right thing. Even the 9/11 hijackers did that. To my knowledge, before 9/11/2001 not one hijacker committed a crime, major or minor and entered our country legally.

Situational ethics is a dangerous intellectual game. If earning money is our only criteria for citizenship and legality, then every cut throat, thief, murderer, con artist, drug lord, crime boss, corrupt politician and drug smuggler that earns money is a model citizen. Surely, you nor I want this level of depravity for ourselves, our nation, our society, or for our children. Undocumented individuals must do the right thing by coming forward, leaving voluntarily or we must find them and deport them because we can not play that dangerous game of situational ethics