This blogburst post is a day late because… well, it just is. I let myself get jammed up on time yesterday and just didn’t get it posted. Nathan’s done his typically good job of addressing issues with this one, though, and it’s worth your time to read.
by Nathan Bradfield at Church and State
Groups such as the 21st Century Paul Revere Ride and “You Don’t SPEAK For Me” are taking a stand against illegal immigration and trying to push the issue back to the forefront so Americans can hold their elected officials accountable at the polls.
Via The Montgomery Advertiser:
Election day is more than three months away, but a group of border state residents wants to push the issue of illegal immigration to the forefront of campaign issues.
The six men, members of the 21st Century Paul Revere Ride, stopped Friday morning in Montgomery to speak to local residents at the state Capitol. The men are touring the country on motorcycles, stopping in each state capital.
“We are facing a human tsunami of population,” said Frosty Wooldridge, a retired schoolteacher and leader of the 54-city motorcyle tour. “If we don’t put a stop to illegal immigration and limit legal immigration, we’re turning America into a Third-World country.”
Speaking to a small crowd gathered at the base of the Capitol steps, Wooldridge said his message is neither racist nor classist, but is an answer to “a human dilemma.”
Wooldridge said the message engraved on a plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty has no bearing on the 21st century. “‘Give me your sick, your poor,’ those are 19th- and 20th-century ideals,” Wooldridge said. “We’re in a different era, with different problems.”
Along with advocating construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, members of the Ride are offering the issue of illegal immigration as a litmus test for congressional candidates.
“Find out who is for keeping illegal immigrants out of this country,” Wooldridge said. “If they’re for it, keep ’em in. If they’re against it, kick ’em out.”
The ride is more than half over, but Ride member Rick Chiesa said his message isn’t reaching enough people. “We can only do so much,” Chiesa said to the crowd. “Our message won’t get to Washington without your help.” Chiesa, along with the five other members of the Ride, advocates limiting immigration and ending illegal immigration altogether.
Randall Kirkland, who listened to Wooldridge from the shade of the Capitol, said he agreed with the message of the Ride. “I see it everyday where I’m from,” said Kirkland, of Prattville. “My friends or family try to get work at a construction site and it’s full, there’s always people there working for less.”
I attended the rally and enjoyed seeing Americans taking proactive action in their beliefs.
The group also has a blog and their FAQ section addresses their stance on the issues.
Do immigrants benefit the US economy by performing work no one else will?
The average immigrant according to the Center for Immigration Studies costs the US taxpayer $55,000.00 over a lifetime in social services over and above what that immigrant earned. Net drain annually for all immigrants is $70 billion to US taxpayers. Bear-Sterns Report shows $301 billion in uncollected IRS taxes from illegal aliens working under the table.
Immigrants don’t take jobs from Americans; they create jobs don’t they?
According to Professor Borjas at Harvard, they cost $200 billion annually in lost wages to American workers. They comprise the second largest underground economy in the world costing US taxpayers a loss of $301 billion in income taxes not collected according to Bear-Sterns Report.
Don’t immigrants catch up quickly economically and culturally, blending into society within a generation?
Today’s illegal aliens are not blending, not melting into society, not speaking English and not assimilating. Rather, they are separating into enclaves and creating apartheid within the USA. As former Colorado Governor Lamm said, “My sixth plan for America’s downfall would include dual citizenship and promote divided loyalties. I would celebrate diversity over unity. I would stress differences rather than similarities. Diverse people worldwide are mostly engaged in hating each other—that is, when they are not killing each other. A diverse, peaceful or stable society is against most historical precedent. People undervalue the unity it takes to keep a nation together.”
The ride will end August 12 with finale in Washington, DC.
Fortunately, both Alabama senators are opposed to the Senate Immigration Bill.
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL):
“The American people were counting on us to secure our borders and restore the rule of law to our immigration system,” Sessions said. “Unfortunately, the United States Senate today let the American people down by passing a deeply flawed bill that gives the illegal alien population every benefit this nation can bestow, and increases future legal immigration levels by three to five times the current level. Additionally, the immigration levels for the future ensure that 70 percent of the large influx will be admitted without having to meet any educational, skill or language requirements.”
Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL):
“I am extremely concerned about the details of President Bush’s plan. I believe that it diminishes the notion of citizenship and undermines the foundation of law on which our country is built. I have long believed that our nation must have strong controls on the continual influx of immigrants. This proposal rewards those who have broken the laws to get to this country by allowing them to stay. In addition to being wrong in principle, the plan should also offend the legal immigrants who have stood in line and played by the rules to enter this country, as well as those still waiting to legally enter.”
But we’ll need more this fall at the polls.
The group “You Don’t SPEAK For Me”, of hispanic decent, is speaking out against other hispanics who have no place demanding rights and they refuse to support any amnesty plan.
Their website has links for the following:
- The U.S. Constitution
- The Democratic Process
- U.S. History
- English Language Training
- Pledge of Allegiance
- Care and Handling of the U.S. Flag
How refreshing!
Their five guiding principles are one that all American citizens and politicians should embrace.
All immigration should be legal
Illegal immigration hurts everyone, while carefully planned legal immigration helps. We believe in stopping illegal immigration and securing the national and economic future of our nation.
Illegal aliens from any country should never be rewarded with benefits or privileges
Becoming an American citizen is a unique and wonderful privilege. The legal route to becoming a citizen is not easy and requires patience and hard work. Those who break the law and come illegally should not be granted any benefits or privileges. No driver’s license, no welfare benefits, no free health care, no in-state tuition – simply put . . . no state or federal benefits!
No amnesty – no way!
Amnesty is rewarding people who break the law. From past experience we have learned that granting amnesty only leads to increased illegal immigration. Those here illegally are taking advantage of our compassion. We say No Amnesty-No Way!
Secure our borders now and fully enforce immigration laws
The best way to stop the flow of illegal immigration coming across our borders is to build a high security fence along the length of our southern border where the majority of illegal traffic takes place. We must also vigorously enforce our existing immigration laws. Local and state law enforcement should be free to enforce immigration laws. Employers who hire illegal workers should be heavily fined and if a pattern of practice is established their owners/corporate officers should be fined and jailed for the offenses and the corporate charter revoked. Identification documents must be limited and strong security measures like biometrics applied to documents of foreign workers. American citizens driver’s licenses are now secured by the Real ID Act, non-citizens should be required to present documents not susceptible to fraud and counterfeit, and include biometric security measures – especially for work purposes.
Learn and speak English
Learning the language of this country is the very least an immigrant can do. Learn and speak English. Learn the history of this country. Learn the Constitution and civics. Learn and practice the principles that make America the greatest country in the world.
Amen brothers!
This has been a production of the Guard the Borders Blogburst. It is syndicated by Euphoric Reality, and serves to keep immigration issues in the forefront of our minds as we’re going about our daily lives and continuing to fight the war on terror. If you are concerned with the trend of illegal immigration in our country, join the Blogburst! Send an email with your blog name and url to euphoricrealitynet at gmail dot com.
Amen to that. Especially about speaking English, we see a lot of that down here, kinda scary.