Cheapened citizenship

Via Carl

 

Just a few years ago, an outraged American people managed to prevent Congress from passing “comprehensive immigration reform” that amounted to amnesty.

But now it’s more likely to pass – not because the legalities or moralities have changed, but because the politics have. Democrats, who see 11 million illegals as potential Democratic voters, hold the White House, the upper house and the upper hand. And Republicans, if they ever want to win another national election, pretty much have to swallow their principles and go along.

Demagoguery has won the day. If you’re against illegal immigration or blanket amnesty for illegals, you’re supposedly anti-immigrant. All immigration is the same, whether legal or not, we’re supposed to believe, and regardless of whether there’s any assimilation involved or any true desire to become American.

Those of us who have been privileged to be involved in naturalization ceremonies – for which legal immigrants study our country and its history and swear their allegiance to it – have seen what a beautiful, moving, meaningful process it is. It provides us with grateful, knowledgeable new Americans, the same way Ellis Island did.

Illegal immigration, meanwhile, manufactures workers, whose identities, allegiances, whereabouts and tax contributions are largely unknown, whose wages are often sent out of the country, and who, to accomplish all this, have jumped the border to cut in front of those who wait patiently in line to come here legally.

By all means, let’s reward that!

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