[lit-ideas] Re: Mexican Immigrants in Canada
- From: Eric <eyost1132@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2006 15:02:38 -0500
Op-Ed piece from Washington Times has some polling
statistics on the issue. Krugman is also cited. -EY
http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20060328-102545-2371r.htm
Mexican illegals vs. American voters
By Tony Blankley
March 29, 2006
It is lucky America has more than two centuries of
mostly calm experience with self-government. We
are going to need to fall back on that invaluable
patrimony if the immigration debate continues as
it has started this season. The Senate is
attempting to legislate into the teeth of the will
of the American public. The Senate Judiciary
Committeemen — and probably a majority of the
Senate — are convinced that they know that the
American people don't know what is best for them.
National polling data could not be more
emphatic — and has been so for decades. Gallup
Poll (March 27) finds 80 percent of the public
wants the federal government to get tougher on
illegal immigration. A Quinnipiac University Poll
(March 3) finds 62 percent oppose making it easier
for illegals to become citizens (72 percent in
that poll don't even want illegals to be permitted
to have driver's licenses). Time Magazine's recent
poll (Jan. 24-26) found 75 percent favor "major
penalties" on employers of illegals, 70 percent
believe illegals increase the likelihood of
terrorism and 57 percent would use military force
at the Mexican-American border.
An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll (March 10-13)
found 59 percent opposing a guest-worker proposal,
and 71 percent would more likely vote for a
congressional candidate who would tighten
immigration controls.
An IQ Research poll (March 10) found 92
percent saying that securing the U.S. border
should be a top priority of the White House and
Congress.
Yet, according to a National Journal survey
of Congress, 73 percent of Republican and 77
percent of Democratic congressmen and senators say
they would support guest-worker legislation.
I commend to all those presumptuous senators
and congressmen the sardonic and wise words of
Edmund Burke in his 1792 letter to Sir Hercules
Langrishe: "No man will assert seriously, that
when people are of a turbulent spirit, the best
way to keep them in order is to furnish them with
something substantial to complain of." The
senators should remember that they are American
senators, not Roman proconsuls. Nor is the
chairman of the Judiciary Committee some
latter-day Praetor Maximus.
But if they would be dictators, it would be
nice if they could at least be wise (until such
time as the people can electorally forcefully
project with a violent pedal thrust their
regrettable backsides out of town). It was
gut-wrenching (which in my case is a substantial
event) to watch the senators prattle on in their
idle ignorance concerning the manifold economic
benefits that will accrue to the body politic if
we can just cram a few million more uneducated
illegals into the country. ( I guess ignorance
loves company.) Beyond the Senate last week, in a
remarkable example of intellectual integrity (in
the face of the editorial positions of their
newspapers) the chief economic columnists for the
New York Times and The Washington Post — Paul
Krugman and Robert Samuelson, respectively — laid
out the sad facts regarding the economics of the
matter. Senators, congressmen and Mr. President,
please take note.
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