On Illegal Immigration; Right or Wrong

No

Great news! You gotta love happy endings


U.S. allows car-boat Cubans to stay


MIAMI, June 10 (UPI) -- U.S. authorities will reportedly allow four Cubans who arrived on U.S. shores in a classic car converted into a boat to stay.

The creator of the unconventional contraption, Rafael Diaz Rey, his wife and two children will be allowed to stay in the country because they have the proper paperwork, the Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Friday.

U.S. customs officials intercepted the family off the coast of Florida Tuesday in a bright-blue 1948 Mercury.

The apprehension marked the third time in two years the U.S. Coast Guard apprehended a classic jalopy on the seas heading for U.S. shores.

Last year, a 1959 tail-finned Buick -- also piloted by Diaz -- was found off the coast of Marathon, Fla. In 2003, 1951 Chevy truck was caught near Key West.

In 1994, Diaz tried navigating the high seas to the states for the first time in a car-boat made out of a 1947 Buick.

Source

That is good news! Hurray for the Diaz's and the US government - for a change.

I just started a thread on a potential resolution to this debate.

Cicerone, since you seem to be playing the undecided center, I specifically would like to hear your opinion on the McCain-Kennedy Bill.

McCain-Kennedy Thread

Excerpt:

Border Volunteers to Conduct Anti-Immigration Patrols in New Mexico This Weekend

By Anna Macias Aguayo Associated Press Writer
Published: Jun 10, 2005

Advertisement

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A spinoff of a controversial civilian border patrol group plans to monitor crossings of illegal immigrants along the U.S.-Mexico border in New Mexico this weekend, its leader said Friday.

The New Mexico Minutemen plan to send about 40 volunteers to the border. They will offer food, water and medical aid to illegal immigrants, while also reporting their presence to the U.S. Border Patrol, said Clifford Alford, the group's leader.

Source

The immigration laws of this country were not established by royal proclamation. They are the product of a democratic republic. As such they should either be enforced or repealed. Whether or not slipping through our borders is the moral equivalent of robbing a bank, it is in violation of our laws. The comparison of the two crimes on ethical grounds, results in a very marked difference in the punishment meted out to the "criminals." Illegal immigrants are not sent to prison for 15 to 20 years.

Notwithstanding Eorl's plaintive cry for a world without borders, the people of a sovereign nation have a fundamental right to preserve the level of prosperity they have managed to build for themselves and their children.

While it is debatable whether or not today's rate of immigration (legal or illegal) threatens that prosperity, the right of the nation to control immigration should not be.

Actually, the most effective way to stem the influx of illegal immigrants is to open the borders and allow virtually all immigration.

Someone has already made this point on this thread. Once all immigrants are legal, their employers will not be able to take advantage of them. Once they cannot be taken advantage of, there will be no demand for them. A landscaping company forced to pay all of its workers the minimum wage are not about to hire people who cannot speak English and who do not have driver's licences.

The solution, it seems to me, is to allow entrants Guest Worker status.

Guest Worker status will work only under certain conditions:

1) The GW can remain within the country as long as he or she is gainfully employed and doesn't violate any of our laws.

2) The GW will be guaranteed a minimum wage that is 50% of the minimum wage for citizens.

3) The GW will be required to pay all of the taxes that a citizen must pay and at the same rates as citizens.

4) The GW will not be eligible for Social Security benefits.

5) The GW will not be entitled to vote in any local, state or national election.

6) The GW and his/her family will be eligible for medicaid, providing he/she remains gainfully employed, or was gainfully employed at the time of the illness or disability.

7) If the GW remains gainfully employed for a period of 10 years and has not been found guilty of any criminal charges, he/she will have the option to become an American citizen.

8) If the GW remains gainfully employed for a period of five years, has not been found guilty of any criminal charges and any of his/her children enlist in the US military, he/she will have the option to become American citizens.

9) Any GW who enlists in the US military will automatically become a US citizen upon successful completion of his/her tour of duty.

10) If the GW is out of work (without a medical disability) for more than six months, or is found guilty of violating any local state or federal law, he/she and family will be subject to deportation.

11) Any employer found to be employing illegal immigrants will be heavily fined and subject to jail terms.

I agree with the concept of Guest Worker status.

I differ on some of the details presented by Finn.

so, baldimo, did you get a melanin transfusion since then, now that you're proud not to be white?

I know you've been trying to help me on another thread, but that is one of the most racist, offensive comments I've seen here lately.

i couldn't, and didn't, say it any better myself; i take it you're referring to baldimo's comment about rap music, right? i think you're a political conservative, or not a liberal at any rate, and i'm not a conservative by any means, but it does you credit to chastise him, and i appreciate your reinforcement.

Uh, no, and rap music sucks.

CJ, in another thread, which is now locked, and in which Baldimo indulged some ill-humor by making a remark about n***ers and rap music, Baldimo claimed not to be white and to have a black wife. When challenged, he defiantly demanded to know if he were being called a liar. So Yitwail's question for Baldimo is very much to the point. Baldimo is lying either in this thread, or the other one.

Thanks for the clarification Set.

I may create some controversy, but I do try to be honest. I look at A2K like a diary, an extension of my life. If I lie I'll only confuse myself during the review.

It was a really good thread, with an interesting discussion developing, when Baldimo decided to inject the most digusting remark i've ever seen posted here at this site, CJ. Frankly, i find it hilarious that Yitwail has found this Baldimo gem about being the only white guy on a framing crew. I say, good lookin' out, Yitwail.

Disagree though we often do, CJ, i do consider you to be a honest member of our community, for which i respect you.

Likewise.

Now, enough of that!

Apologies to yitwail too if I misunderstood your post, which it appears I did.

apology accepted, and thanx setanta for the clarification. i seem to have developed a habit of posting something that is essentially directed at one a2k member, which can be misinterpreted if read by anyone else; i'll watch that in the future. this time i put in the phrase "so, baldimo" for that reason, but it needed a parenthetical note for everyone else who hadn't looked at the other thread.