5.11.2005

Am I missing something?

I just read an article about a Senate bill that just passed that bars illegal immigrants from getting a driver's license. The bill would require anyone applying for a driver's license to confirm his or her legal status in the United States.

In the article Senator Ted Kennedy, who I've always admired, said the measures were pushed by "anti-immigrant extremists" and were "highly controversial, harmful and unnecessary." Why do I find myself on the conservative side of this issue? I don't have a conservative bone in my body. Since when do we embrace people who sneak into our country illegally?

I have no qualms about legal immigration. If we didn't allow legal immigration, most of us wouldn't be here today. It's what our country does best. We've always opened our collective arms to welcome people who want to come here for a better life. I fully agree with "Give Us Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Huddled Masses..." as long as they go through the process like my grandparents and great granparents did. Otherwise what's the point of having borders?
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2 comments:

Tom said...

I think the issue here is that you cannot use a drivers license as a means of border control. If you're realistic and know you're going to have illegals, and you know they're going to be driving, might as well get them legal in that sense. They should have a drivers license and insurance...

Unless, you really want to keep all the illegals out - which would drive up the cost of a lot of produce and other goods..

Illegal immigration is a joke in this country. Our economy needs it, but we want to pretend it's not healthy for America..

10:07 AM
John in Atlanta said...

Illegals already drive up the cost of health care, education and emergency services. I doubt if the cost of produce would be relatively effected that much. If they were able to get a driver's license, what makes you think they would take the next step and buy insurance? That has not proven to be the case here in the Atlanta area.

But I digress. Why does our economy need illegal immigration? It doesn't. What it needs is to make legal immigration easier to obtain for those who deserve to be let in. Illegall immigration allows criminals and such to sneak in that would otherwise not be admitted.

What's wrong with going through the process? Immigrants from other countries seem to do it just fine.

10:25 AM

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