New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is pushing to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. In a debate last week, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton stumbled when asked about her feelings on the issue. But the American people deserve clarity on this issue because it is the latest chain in a disturbing trend. The security, sovereignty and culture of the United States are being sacrificed on the altars of multiculturalism, cheap labor and outright disregard for the rule of law.Clinton skirts around the issue for political reasons, something she shares with the Washington mainstream. However, her poll numbers have already begun to dip because a majority of Americans are opposed unequivocally to the idea. In a recent Rasmussen Reports poll, 77 percent of American adults oppose giving licenses to illegal immigrants. Even among Democrats, 68 percent are in opposition. This is perhaps the one issue that truly unites people across the political divide, which is all the more reason for the government to act.
The most important reason by far for clamping down on illegal immigration is national security. Even as the United States is engaged in a global War on Terror in which it invades other countries, its own borders and ports remain vulnerable. This is pathetic. To blame are the Bush administration and the present and former Congresses, who have repeatedly cowered on this issue because they are politicians and not leaders. This latest debate is the most frightening of all.Supporters of the plan contend that it will make the roads safer because authorities can identify people more accurately and illegal immigrants will supposedly be more likely to purchase insurance. They have overlooked the much broader security issue. America is one of the few modernized nations that does not require its citizens to carry government-issued photo IDs, a testament to our commitment to individual freedom and privacy. This is made possible because state-issued driver's licenses have largely filled this void. They are accepted as identification for nearly all purposes, which often include access to government buildings and airports. Al Qaeda and its allies must rejoice at decisions like these. Gov. Spitzer's policy and others like it streamline our enemies' access to innocent victims.
So what are the justifications for undermining America's security by excusing and accommodating illegal immigration? Economic convenience is a big one. Free enterprise is the cornerstone of this country, but corporations cross the line when they knowingly hire illegal immigrants merely because it will save them labor costs. The federal government has begun to tighten the screws on such employers, but much more should be done. Hiring illegal immigrants should always guarantee a lengthy prison sentence. When this is enforced consistently, the practice will come to an end and the incentive for unlawful invasion of this country will no longer exist. But not until Republicans and Democrats both stand up to the corporations that own them. The economic bottom line should never come before the law.
Multiculturalism is the other tool used to excuse illegal immigration and the policies that facilitate it. Whereas national security is the more imminent concern, cultural erosion is the long-term threat. This is of course a free country, but it is necessary to uphold the culture that has made such freedom possible and keeps it alive today. The multicultural leftists, blinded by their commitment to open-mindedness
are missing the point again. The United States has one of the most liberal immigration policies on Earth. People love to come here, and who can blame them? All that is asked is that they do so legally. A vital part of this is the need for a minimal degree of cultural assimilation. An American can move to China or Saudi Arabia, but it is not possible to become Chinese or Saudi. However, people from all over the world can indeed become American. This does not mean surrendering their heritage altogether and sacrificing everything they once were, but it does mean embracing a set of core values that keep America lit as a beacon of hope for humanity.
Xenophobia. Racism. Ignorance. These are the accusations thrown at those who wish merely to preserve a way of life dearly purchased with the blood of noble men and women. American culture is indeed superior because of its unique commitment to freedom, progress, reason and science. The illegal immigration crisis threatens to subvert all of this.
We are entitled to our ethnocentrism. And if the immigration rates are any indication, many around the globe agree.
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Joe Vance
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