YES - BUT!
by Barry M. Linder
Yes, all countries have the right to exercise control over their borders. Yes, there are threats that are more enhanced today in a world of global terrorism networks. And Yes, good intentions and altruistic trust risks getting you a premature demise.
But, if we are to have a border policy at all, it is no use living with contradictory, conflicting and confusing policies. The result is already before us, a steady path towards chaos.
Millions of words have been written and patronizing hand-wringing has been vividly displayed throughout the country over the past several decades. Much has been mere political correctness, a foolish, ineffective and misnamed term that I only use for convenience. On the other side, overt racism and ignorance of facts and history glare at us from hateful headlines. In between are heard some voices of reason and compassion mixed with stark reality and awareness of practical limitations. I hope that this document falls within the latter category. American factories and farms want them. American homes want them. American service industries want them
Them are they, and they are migrant workers (both legal and undocumented) who will toil for a pittance, make no demands, accept minimal (or none at all) health care, and be fearful of protesting when abused and/or denied well-earned wages. They are now also a basic necessity of the American society and economy. We want them, disparage them, abuse them, cheat them and sometimes beat them.
We holler, “CLOSE OUR BORDERS!” But we whisper, “Pssst, please let them keep coming so we can maintain our lifestyle and pleasure, as long as they don’t live in my neighborhood.”
We can’t have it both ways. The real threats or problems must be analyzed and logically appraised. If we keep switching between warnings and promises, offering lip service to either harsh or compassionate actions, such mixed messages will always encourage violations of our laws.
One example is the recently much-heard, guest-worker program proposals. If such a concept is finally doable, then abandon the self-defeating procedures of the past. If decent wages are an issue for both migrant and current native-born citizens of all ethnic groups, maybe our society just has to get used to paying more for certain goods. The extra money spent by all of us for such a change could come back to us through billions saved in not administering and not enforcing regulations of useless agencies and departments, all working at cross-purposes.
Think of it like the gas we buy at the pumps - so cheap compared to the rest of the world. Try and guess how much our country might save by funding alternate fuel research and more expensive extraction/refinement of lower grade or harder to get at petroleum reserves at home. I mean, save by avoiding expensive foreign manipulations with evil governments and/or wars with them.
And, never forget, they are really no different from us! No "Buts" about it.
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