The real driver of illegal immigration is the U.S. business and social situation
Dear Mr. Nelson,
You can slam Bush all you like. He has earned it. He is a bungler, and a lousy president and I am doing everything in my power to unelect him(again). However, if Kerry gets in, we'll hold HIS feet to the fire too. As you point out, this is a "bi-partisan party" problem (as is so much else!). We need a viable third party.
As for Hastert, he may be doing right on this issue, but I don't like or trust the guy one iota.
However, you must be aware (as I am sure that you are) that the real "driver" of illegal immigration is the US business and social situation.
This goes all the way from the little guy who hires an illegal nanny, or a few illegals to cut his yard once a week, to the big ranchers, industrialists, etc., who use hundreds or even thousands of illegals regularly, many of them exploited terribly and in virtual slavery!
If ALL employers were totally scrupulous about who they employ, and if they were slammed HARD for employing illegals, we wouldn't have as big of a problem.
The other issue is the social issues - not as easy to solve - except that if America stopped exploiting their countries and people, and backing brutal dictators who "do business" with us, they wouldn't have the desire or need to emigrate. Social responsibility and justice cannot stop at our borders if we want to really solve the immigrant problem. (Of course, 4 more years of this regime and those qualities well may stop at our borders - on the far side of them!)
Last, our imperialist stupidities, especially the latest bungling in Iraq, may well spell a bigger problem to come for our country. If our forces were home, they could be patrolling OUR borders instead of Iraq's! Of course, our insatiable addiction to oil makes it imperative that we control the source of supply, one way or another... no telling where this one might lead, but all roads look equally bad at the moment. Stay and we are in an American Intifada (think of Israel's 18 year Lebanese incursion). Leave and we lose all credibility in the Middle East and world-wide as a military force.
Well, looking forward to passing this bill - just one step, but if we address all the root causes instead of the symptoms, we may solve the problem.
Regards,
Jim Taylor