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I've been thinking again. I know some of
my readers regard that as a dangerous thing. For instance, the guy
who ended his last letter to me with a "your hypocrisy knows no
bounds". I get these sorts of letters all the time.
But, I have been thinking and, of course,
I have been thinking about America's obsession with shutting down
the Mexican-American border. You would wonder why I don't tire of
this rhetoric and the reason is simple. America needs the likes of
your humble and gracious columnist reminding them to get out of
that box of uncritical thinking and untested assumptions.
So here goes:
1. When last I wrote on this issue, I
dealt with just one of the
"Let's-run-out-all-those-diseased-Mexicans-out-of-our-country
group's axes to grind--The American health care system. I made the
point that at last some studies are coming out which show that
Mexican immigrants, legal or otherwise, are NOT sucking dry the
American health care system.[1] More studies are needed. This one
needs replicating (see this footnote[2]). More will be forthcoming
I am sure.
2. Another issue that all the Minuteman
Project groups and their ilk espouse is whether Mexican immigrants,
legal or illegal, are destroying the American economy. The Chris
Simcoxs[3] of this world would have you believe that immigrants of
any kind are a bad thing all around. They go beyond the pale to try
to make the point that Mexicans do NOT come to America to try to
better their lives but to take back the portion of America that
America stole from Mexico--they call them invaders.
Think about these few points:
· Most Mexican immigrants, both
legal and illegal, come to America to seek an opportunity to better
their economic circumstances. If you hold a different view then
show me the proof. Show me the evidence in the form of properly
conducted studies with replicated results in additional studies and
then we will talk.
· Did you know that less than 20
million Americans will visit Mexico this year as tourists? That is
a mere drop in the bucket of those who could come and drop some
money into the Mexican economy that would provide more jobs for
those illegals who come to America to find work instead.
· Legals or illegals come to
America to offer their ability to work. They understand that in
order to "get" they have to "give".
· The Minuteman Project and their
kind claim to be anti-illegals only. That is suspect with a capital
"S". However, for the sake of argument, let's give them the
benefit of the doubt. Their ideology is that illegals are "bad" for
America--but is that really true?
· The untested assumption that
illegals are bad economically for America is based on the false
notion that there is only a certain amount of jobs available in
America for anyone to perform. It is false because it assumes that
what people want to consume is limited. When you understand that
what America wants to consume in terms of goods and service is
actually UNLIMITED then you will understand that the amount of jobs
needed to provide America's ever increasing UNLIMITED desire for
more goods and services will always be scarce. If surplus labor
EVER occurs, look to the real cause--the government--not to the
false notion that Mexicans are taking away all the jobs.
· What about the idea that illegals
are sucking American health care dry? See footnote number 1 and
read my article. But let's assume for the sake of argument that
this is true. If illegals are sucking dry American taxpayer-funded
social services then cut off the dole to illegals and American
citizens as well. Stop the handouts to people who won't work. I am
not saying to apply this to people who cannot work--the truly
disabled deserve support. What I am saying is to stop the freebies
and put an end, once and for all, to the welfare state! If the
Minuteman yahoos really want to be patriots, then they should
devote their time to getting rid of a system that caters to
malingerers and nonproducers--illegals and American alike. Destroy
the system that caters to the "good-for-nothings" and they will no
longer come. There will nothing for them to take advantage of!
WHY ON EARTH IS THIS NOT SELF-EVIDENT?
"If immigration overloads government
services -- hospitals, schools, et cetera -- it's just another
reason to privatize them. Do Wal-Mart, Kroger, and Blockbuster
Video complain about a flood of new customers?"[4]
[1] Are Mexican's Really Sucking Dry
American Health Care; Doug Bower;
http://ezinearticles.com/?Are-Mexican-Really-Sucking-Dry-American-Health-Care?&id=54683
[2] Read my series on Phone-Baloney
Detection Lessons at
http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Douglas_Bower
[3] Co-leader and founder of the Minuteman
Project
[4] Sheldon Richman is senior fellow at
The Future of Freedom Foundation, author of Tethered Citizens: Time
to Repeal the Welfare State, and editor of The Freeman
magazine.
About the Author
Mexican Living Print & eBooks
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written by Javier on March 25, 2007
me as a mexican and used to be illegal. i thank you for this paper you wrote it proves we do not dry out this land i wished every body thinked like you but they don't we are all difrent. well i am still in college and this is gona help to finish my report and once againg thank you. also work at the walmart in nogales arizona and all of the customers are mexicans and most of them from across the line so they kinda leave all their money heare
written by dave on May 01, 2008
you got to be kidding ever see who's in jail in so. cal, at the free clinic, welfare office, the walmart return line, returning clothes they buy months earlier to then return to get new ones just because they have a receipt and walmarts return policy.(by the way studies show walmart does not like this) for the most part(not 100% of them but most of them) lie,cheat and steal. takers are what they are. stop hiding behind some studies and just look around. we have a huge problem in copper wire theft now they are stealing all things that can be sold for scrap metal recycling. All that have been caught are mexican. most likley illegal. wake up and smell the refried beans soon you will wise up. I would love to put my real e-mail but the mexicans can dish it out but they can't take it. they are the biggest racist group of people there are they always play the race card. they couldn't take what I'm saying without recourse.
written by Simple High School Kid on June 17, 2008
The way I see it, No matter how you look at it, no matter what angle you view it from, no matter what color, Its WRONG. Thats why its called illegal. The work they do is appreciated but thats not the point. Robin Hood would be arrested even though he in the end serves a good cause. They Should get rid of the freebies out here that the government hands out, BUT thats neither here or there. If I work at a candystore where I get free candy jut for being an employee, would you justify a customer stealing candy from the establishment? Its a similar concept. Freebies is the way Our country runs, don't expect it to change for people that sneak in and steal the benefits. You should ask the sneaks to take the honest route and gain citizenship. Just a thought. Taking responses at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
written by High School kid on June 17, 2008
Just remember that my aim is not Legals, but ILLEGALS. Former President Fox of Mexico made help pamphlets for mexicans to cross the border safely and to stay under the radar. Does this sound like people that are looking to help America grow? They are people looking for light in their dark tunnel called life. Dark tunnel because of the deprivation they face in their own country where some people live in one room households, some have no electricity, running water, and adequate jobs. The Mexican Government is great for failing terribly to provide jobs for its citizens. The new Pres Openly voiced words of imperialism when he said "Mexico does not stop at its borders, Wherever there is a mexican, there is Mexico" He also condemns our attempts to secure our borders, and crackdowns on establishments that employ Illegal Aliens. Funny isn't it? I finish my Argument by asking where do you live sir? Because in case you didn't no Illegal Immigrants are willing to steal anything that isn't nailed to the ground. Check the conditions that Southern Arizona is in. Residents live with Jail Bars around their entire homes. They live with fear of being robbed, assaulted, and raped. Most Aliens cought with these crimes commited are thrown accross the border where they started and nothing stops them from hopping the border all over again. You can't voice positive without the negative. Thats why your argument is not fair. Even though the sun rises, it will eventually set and you will see the Darkness. Illegal Immigration is not a gray subject. Its Black and white, Bad with a smidge of good.