Amnesty is a “Terror-ble” Idea

By Raynard Jackson

Am I the only one who is sick and tired of illegals telling me what their rights are in this country?  Am I the only one who is sick and tired of pro-amnesty groups trotting out all the sob stories from illegals—“their mother brought them here when they were little kids, etc?”  It’s not about rights; it’s about what is right!

Is it right for illegals to get free healthcare when citizens do not?  Is it right for illegals to get in-state tuition for university when citizens do not?

Amnesty for illegals is a terrible idea if for no other reason than the right of citizens to be safe.  Our intelligence community has known for decades that terrorists have infiltrated our country by crossing the border from Mexico.  Americans have right to be safe in their own country.  So, for once, let’s talk about the rights of U.S. citizens over the “non existent” rights of illegals!

According to an Associated Press (AP) story last week, “the Department of Homeland Security warned Houston law enforcement that a Somali terrorist named Mohamed Ali could be in their area. Ali is a member of al-Shabaab, the terrorist group currently fighting for control of Somalia. Al-Shabaab has proven to be frighteningly effective at recruiting Westerners, including Americans.”  The point of entry for Ali was through Mexico.  I find it quite interesting that the alert was never released to the public, but was leaked to media outlets.  This government doesn’t want you to know the seriousness of the border problems.

Let’s assume for the sake of discussion that amnesty was granted.  Illegals in the U.S. from various countries come forward to register with the government.  If Jose Santaballo or Mohammed Akbar presents themselves as coming from Mexico and Somalia, respectively; how do we know if they are who they say they are?  What vehicle will we use to prove these are their birth  names and how can we prove they were not criminals or terrorists in their home country?

More than likely, they created a whole new identity with fake documents when they entered the U.S. illegally.  For those who came in legally and overstayed their visa, how do we do a retroactive background check?  Or do we just let everyone self-certify that they are good people?

Illegal immigration is not about the rights of illegals, it’s about the rights of American citizens to be safe and to know who is in our country.

So, enough of the boring sob stories about the illegals; no more discussing their rights; and please, no more lecturing from foreigners about our immigration laws.

Americans were insulted two weeks ago by Mexican president, Felipe Calderon, last week by a Somali diplomat, Omar Jamal (first secretary of the Somali mission at the United Nations), and this week by Peruvian president, Alan Garcia.

Calderon called Arizona’s recently passed illegal immigration law “discriminatory” and said it would lead to “racial profiling.”  But he failed to mention that Mexico’s own immigration laws are a lot more stringent than Arizona’s or our federal law (and unlike the U.S., they enforce their immigration laws).  Jamal, of Somalia, has the gall to talk about law and order when he is from a country that has no laws!  Garcia called the Arizona law a “completely irrational response” to illegal-immigration. Like Peru is the citadel of human rights!

Am I the only one who is sick and tired of America becoming the international punching bag of choice because, we the people, demand to know who is in our country?  This is not just about Obama; this is about Obama, our president.  I have never seen a U.S. president insulted (and by extension the American people) on our soil so continuously and yet seems to accept it.  America is becoming the laughing stock of the world.

This has ominous foreign policy implications.  Say what you will about George W. Bush, but he would not have allowed this to happen.  Many countries hated Bush, but they never challenged our might.  It is far better to be feared than it is to be loved when it comes to foreign affairs.

If our laws and our country is so discriminatory, if we need lectures on law and order, or if our laws are “completely irrational;” then why is everyone trying to get into America and not the countries that are lecturing us?

Therefore, giving amnesty to illegals is not only a terrible idea; it is extremely dangerous when you don’t know who is in your country.  Before the year is out, there will be a terrorist attack on our soil and the perpetrator (s) will be traced back through the Mexican border.  Then and only then will we get serious about securing our border.  Then, the thought of giving amnesty to illegals will not only be a terrible idea, but a terror-ble thought.

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public relations/government affairs firm.  He is also a contributing editor for ExcellStyle Magazine (www.excellstyle.com).