Illegal Immigrants: Gambling on the Goodness of Americans
Posted on Nov 23, 2011 by Trevor in Politics
Now that a couple of states (Arizona and Alabama, namely) have signed into law their notoriously strident anti-immigration legislation, we’re starting to see the fruits of such labors. And what a heartwarming story it is. Unintended consequences are stacking up, and we’re hearing legislators admit they may have “overlooked” the collateral damage of certain provisions.
Anybody who didn’t see this coming has blinders on. In their uninformed zeal to enforce harsh measures on a people they don’t understand, these legislators and those that support them are breaking up families. I’ll be quick to note that I have no sympathy for the troublemakers, but in my experience, there’s an abundance of goodness in the people I’ve known personally that are here illegally.
In the above CBS Evening News segment, a woman interviewed comments that these illegal immigrants “took a risk” when they came over here. They gambled that their families might be broken up, she coldly shrugs. I actually agree with her that they gambled.
They gambled that the American people would be humane and understanding. They gambled that the wink-and-nod immigration system we’ve had in this country for decades would continue to grant them unofficial permission to stay here. They gambled that their children, who themselves had committed no immigration infractions, would be treated fairly. They gambled that they could work hard, keep their noses clean, and thus earn the respect of citizens and hopefully some day use that capital to obtain legal status. They gambled alright.
In last night’s GOP primary debate, Newt Gingrich, in what some pundits are calling a risky re-invention of his political platform, explored the possibility that some GOP primary voters would sympathize with his rhetoric. “I don’t see how the party that says it’s the party of the family is going to adopt an immigration policy which destroys families which have been here a quarter-century,” he said. The headlines immediately honed in on his enormous “gamble”. Will he be the next Republican candidate to see a sharp rise to front-runner status, only to see his popularity melt away just as fast, all because of what he said on immigration?
I hope that the Newt’s gamble, and likewise the gamble of good, honest illegal immigrants, pays off. I hope that bold steps forward such as the Utah Compact serve to knock some sense into the blood lust that’s consumed far too many Americans. We talk the talk about how we’re the country that shows the world the way when it comes to benevolence and generosity. Let’s walk the walk.
