Church and State: Guest Editorial on Immigration

Monday, March 13, 2006

Guest Editorial on Immigration

Submitted to The Waco Citizen paper, but not yet published

The federal government should be ashamed that Governor Perry and the leaders of the other border states have been forced to take the lead on border security. Considering all the things federal officials should not be involved in but are, it would seem they would excel in those activities specifically given to them under the constitution. Protecting us from foreign invasion should be the number one priority of the federal government, but to date they have failed on many fronts.

Through my job, I ask people about immigration reform all day long. Almost unanimously, people tell me that they have no problem with immigration done right, but illegal immigration must be stopped. It should not matter why immigrants want to come to America. Along with well intentioned laborers seeking a better life and political exiles with legitimate reasons to fear their home government, we also have terrorists with deep hatred of our government and people. There are also Mexican nationals deliberately involved in a "Silent Conquista," the stealthy conquest of the southern states many Mexican nationals believe were wrongly taken from Mexico. We simply cannot continue to allow the bad to enter beside the good.

Our border security program should act as a filter, to let in those we want and need, and also stop those that may harm us. Some immigrants may not even be aware of their potential to hurt us. The Center for Disease Control reports new strains of Tuberculosis and other diseases have been detected when illegal immigrants get sick and take advantage of our superior medical care system. Biological agents like these could reach epidemic scales if not caught and stopped quickly.

Our citizenship laws should be updated to reflect the problem of illegal immigration. When our Founding Fathers allowed for babies born on US soil to automatically be eligible for US citizenship, most immigrants entered the country at the ports, so there was not a great illegal immigration problem. The intent of the Great Fathers was certainly noble, but the system has been taken advantage of. Now our schools and hospitals have a great population of children, whom we have a responsibility to educate and medicate, whose parents entered our society illegally. The financial burden has become so tremendous in the border states, that some cities have closed Emergency Rooms, and our own school funding problems have escalated. Border patrol agents have reported pregnant women, risking their lives and the lives of their unborn babies, racing through the hot dessert to enter our country to make sure their babies were born on our soil. We need to remove this incentive to madness.

I'm pleased to see the federal government finally taking notice of the issue. Although the problems caused by illegal immigration have become severe, I know we can recover. America is the land of opportunity and ingenuity. When the borders come under control, we will find a way to help our schools and hospitals adjust and afford those they serve. Then we will find ways to deal with the illegal population already here. Let the politicians debate work visas and increased fines to employers, but demand that border security escapes the quagmire of politics. "We the people of the United States of America" must insist that our elected officials deal with this issue.

posted by Steve Harris, 7:34 AM

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God, family, and country. My allegiance stands in that order. Church and State will illustrate my opinions on issues of religion and politics, along with regular thoughts on family.

Name: Steve Harris

Location: Waco, Texas, United States

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