UMW Monthly Minute for Social Action
Immigration has certainly been in the news over the past month. As of this writing (6/13/07), Congress has failed to pass a immigration bill and the prospects for doing so soon do not seem likely.
Last month I introduced you to the website of Public Agenda. Public Agenda suggests there are three different points of view held by both experts and the public regarding the immigration issue. These perspectives are:
Perspective #1: Honoring our commitment to newcomers
Perspective #2: Cutting back to preserve our security and culture
Perspective #3: Cutting back in response to economic realities
Any future immigration reform package will almost certainly be based on ideas from all three.
Last month's Monthly Minute included an expanded argument for Perspective #1. The arguments for #2 and #3 are...
Cutting back to preserve our security and culture:
We need to control immigration to secure our borders and protect our unity. Sept. 11 showed how our immigration policies have failed to keep criminals and terrorists out of the country. Millions of people have evaded our immigration laws and the government has no idea whether any of them pose a threat to us. In addition, the recent wave of immigration has brought increasing pressure to accommodate immigrants by accepting bilingualism. We should honor diversity, but not at the cost of breaking the bonds of cohesion — common ideals, a common language, and common political institutions — that hold the nation together.
Cutting back in response to economic realities:
The first concern should be the economic cost imposed by the huge influx of immigrants and their effects on wages and jobs. The fact is that we need to educate and employ the people already here before we can worry about paying for the education, welfare, and health care of hundreds of thousands of newcomers each year. Plus, the burden isn’t spread evenly – most immigrants settle in big cities and Sun Belt states. We should restrict the number of newcomers, and look more closely at how their arrival affects us. The immigrants we do accept should either have jobs waiting here or have the skills to support themselves. The nation’s first obligation is to protect the welfare and well being of those who are already American citizens.
Article submitted by Julie Zerbe
(Source)
Last month I introduced you to the website of Public Agenda. Public Agenda suggests there are three different points of view held by both experts and the public regarding the immigration issue. These perspectives are:
Perspective #1: Honoring our commitment to newcomers
Perspective #2: Cutting back to preserve our security and culture
Perspective #3: Cutting back in response to economic realities
Any future immigration reform package will almost certainly be based on ideas from all three.
Last month's Monthly Minute included an expanded argument for Perspective #1. The arguments for #2 and #3 are...
Cutting back to preserve our security and culture:
We need to control immigration to secure our borders and protect our unity. Sept. 11 showed how our immigration policies have failed to keep criminals and terrorists out of the country. Millions of people have evaded our immigration laws and the government has no idea whether any of them pose a threat to us. In addition, the recent wave of immigration has brought increasing pressure to accommodate immigrants by accepting bilingualism. We should honor diversity, but not at the cost of breaking the bonds of cohesion — common ideals, a common language, and common political institutions — that hold the nation together.
Cutting back in response to economic realities:
The first concern should be the economic cost imposed by the huge influx of immigrants and their effects on wages and jobs. The fact is that we need to educate and employ the people already here before we can worry about paying for the education, welfare, and health care of hundreds of thousands of newcomers each year. Plus, the burden isn’t spread evenly – most immigrants settle in big cities and Sun Belt states. We should restrict the number of newcomers, and look more closely at how their arrival affects us. The immigrants we do accept should either have jobs waiting here or have the skills to support themselves. The nation’s first obligation is to protect the welfare and well being of those who are already American citizens.
Article submitted by Julie Zerbe
(Source)
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