Response to Ondria ("Yes You Can" on Immigration)

Ondria-

I agree, the conservative Right does seem to be hostile towards immigrants. Chris was also right in that the conservative Right seems to be callous towards poor people. This is exactly what I'm trying to get away from. I want the Right to recognize the compassionate stance that is inherent in their ideology. It is the root of their ideology. But it seems they fail to understand it and therefore end up with problems like hating on immigrants and ignoring the plight of the poor because they don't know how else to respond.

The "Yes You Can" and the American Dream ideas are only available to us through the system that has been created. If you allow that system to be undermined or ignored, the American Dream will collapse. This is why illegals can not be allowed to remain here illegally. They have circumvented the system and, in doing so, are creating a lot of instability in that system.

So, how do you maintain the integrity of the system and still show compassion on the illegals? It's a very tough question. But, I think the key is to approach the problem from that fundamental, uniquely American, classical liberal way. The words on the Statue of Liberty, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free", illustrate this idea of compassion. We want them to come because we believe in their ability to contribute here. We believe in their ability to make a great life here. We believe in the power of the individual. That is the message that we need to send to these immigrants. They need to know that we care.

However, because the power of the individual is only free to manifest itself in a system that protects it from hindrances, such a system must be preserved else their very reason for coming will be compromised. So, along with telling immigrants we care about them, we also have to tell them we care about the system. This is a very difficult thing to do because the two messages appear contradictory, although they actually have the same root, which is that we believe in preserving the freedom of the individual. However, I do think it is possible to convey this message, and if done in the right way, I think many immigrants will be very understanding.

This message needs to be conveyed through words and action. Laws can be written and enforced that help send this type of message. For example, the law passed in Arizona by Rep. Pearce (not my favorite guy, politicians usually aren't) that cracks down on business owners who hire illegal workers can send a great message. This law is great because it doesn't attack immigrants directly. If this law were coupled with the right kinds of diplomatic speeches by talented politicians it could send the message, "Look, Mexicans/immigrants, we don't hate you. But we do have laws and we're willing to enforce them on our own people." Then, when they realize there are no jobs here for them if they are illegal, they go somewhere else and maybe, hopefully, try to come back legally. It's certainly better than the round 'em up, stick 'em in a truck and give them their "one way ticket back to poverty" as they're dropped off in the first random Mexican city that the truck gets to. Not only does the Arizona law have the potential to send a better message, but it's also much more effective at accomplishing it's goal, which is to maintain the integrity of our system.

Now, the other part of sending the "we care about the individual" message is, of course, to reform the immigration system and make it easier for hard working, powerful individuals to enter and be assimilated into America so that they too can partake of the American Dream.

What I'm trying to stress here, is that the Right's desire to rid our country of illegal aliens is motivated by their love for the principles of our country. They love those principles because they love the idea of empowering the individual. They love the "Yes You Can" concept. They need to realize that that is what they care about most. That is what is so important. Once they really see that and see how it applies to the immigration issue, I think they will send the right message through various verbal statements and policy actions. In my experience, people's motives are generally obvious as their actions and words make the motive apparent. If the Right will apply the "Yes You Can" concept to immigration, illegals will feel their compassion.