Immigration

One of the most heated topics of debate in today's political arena is that of immigration. Someone is talking about how we should secure the border better, and some politician is making an empty promise about a border fence, simply to speak to the "heart" of the American.

And yet out of all the things I have found time to write about, I have not written much about immigration. So, I want this to be a blog where I post my views on immigration.

One reason I have not written much of it is because the issue is really complicated. I have a theoretical mind, and theories only go so far in the case of immigration. It's similar to the War in Iraq, in which I can have principled ideas on the matter, but it is just too hard to hold to one definite opinion. But I will speak of the libertarian and conservative viewpoints on immigration. Since we can't ever figure out what liberals believe, I'll leave their contradicting viewpoints to the side for most of this blog.

The general libertarian point of view on immigration is very loose and lenient to immigrants. Have a very open border - don't be authoritarian about your controls. Why assume any and every immigrant is a terrorist or criminal? Why not assume them as good until they prove otherwise, as is generally done for the born & bread Americans?

In some ways I see their points, but I do not hold completely to this libertarian principle. The libertarian idea of personal liberty, which I strongly believe in, is here, but I do believe a government should protect its people and their Rights. One of the chief ways to do this is to have a secure border, and have some sort of knowledge of who is coming into the country from abroad. Before starting wars, before "fixing" the economy, the government should have some sort of security on our borders.

However I do not completely hold the mainstream conservative point of view either. Although I do want some sort of security on the border, I get the idea that some conservatives take the issue too far. Most immigrants come here for a better lifestyle. They do not ruin the economy, but actually provide it with more competition, which is better for the economy. History has shown that nations despising immigrants do not last, and nations that are welcome to immigration and diverse culture have the most success and the greatest legacy.

Conservatives wouldn't admit it, but I believe that often they believe that loving America means having negative even racial feelings toward immigrants. Immigration is how we came here, and it is how the blacks came here a little while after.

I do want immigrants to respect our country and her laws. I certainly want them to abide by the laws, and if they do not, then they should be prosecuted like the rest of us. I want them to pay taxes. I would rather see them learn English well than for the rest of us to have to learn Spanish. But some things should be out of the government's hand. I understand that Mexicans who come here may still have some sort of Mexican pride. As long as they do not pledge loyalty to Mexico while living as an American citizen, I do not think it is the government's business or even my business if they own a Mexican flag, any more than it is the government's business that I own a Confederate flag. Sometimes conservatives take the issue a bit too far. While I am all for some sort of control on immigration, it may be better for the control to be smaller and the paper work easier, so that that way we would know who wants to come here and not pay the taxes, and who is willing to pay the taxes.

So the bottom line to my "principled" approach would be that we should treat immigrants as American citizens, once they become citizens. We should make sure they abide by our laws, pay the appropriate taxes, and make sure in time of war they do not pledge loyalty elsewhere. In many ways, this side of the immigration battle is not being fought by our leaders who become so compassionate as to give out extra money for immigrants, on top of many who do not pay taxes. However at the same time, we should be loving, respectable, and honorable to them. We should grant any good-hearted immigrant citizenship, and not judge them by their skin. We should not scare them away with a big border fence or by putting too many people on the border (not to mentions spending a lot of money). We should not control their wages as if they hurt the economy, when in reality, the provide great help to a struggling economy. They should be treated as humans and Americans, nothing more, nothing less.

What do you think?

God bless America

Pray for our Troops

April 27, 2008

Ryan Hampton