Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] [POLITICS] Iowa results

[Mike Miller <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On Fri, 4 Jan 2008, Stephen Montgomery-Smith wrote:

> The Bush/Huckabee approach to immigration is, to my mind, the only 
> workable solution.  Obviously you need strong borders, for security 
> purposes if nothing else.

You can't have really strong borders without lots of armed guards or some 
kind of sensing system and a pretty large number of guards.  I doubt that 
it is worth the effort.  It is a delusion to believe that we can block out 
all the bad guys at the border.  They come in on tourist visas, student 
visas, etc., or they are born here!


> But we also need to face two realities (a) the economy of America 
> depends strongly upon the hard work currently performed by illegal 
> immigrants, and (b) illegal immigrants are human beings and should be 
> treated as such.

How true!


> But more than that, the whole American culture and experience is based 
> upon an open society, and welcoming new peoples and ideas.

Definitely.  Everyone came here from somewhere else at some point -- even 
the native Americans.


> Furthermore, from my Christian perspective, immigrants from South of the 
> border are typically going to bring with them strong Christian (Roman 
> Catholic) ideals, as well as strong family values.

That's true.  Just so you know:  They will vote predominantly Democrat 
though.  Only the Cubans vote Republican.


> Finally this whole thing about preserving the English language is 
> nonsense - English is an evolving language, already with tremendous 
> Latin, Germanic and French influences.  It is values, not culture, that 
> I want to preserve.

English language won't go away, but there will be more Spanish speaking 
here if we let more Spanish speakers in.  I'm already there - my wife's 
first language was Spanish and my daughter might turn out that way too, 
but she's getting both languages at once.

Some people say that it is "racist" to call for a national language and 
that the national language be English.  That's ridiculous.  Of course we 
should have a national language and it should be English.  That isn't 
racist.  The thing I don't understand is why we haven't done it already. 
Everyone who comes here should learn to speak English.  Kinda like if I 
moved to France -- I'd learn to speak French and I would never suggest 
that they should speak English to me.  We should help people to learn 
English, but we shouldn't help them to get by in Spanish (or other 
language) because it is not good for them or for anyone else.

Mike

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