Immig-Rant 2.0

My blogging time is limited today, but I had to chime in about the tough new immigration bill signed into law by Arizona's governor this afternoon. This whole thing brings up a few questions that I'd love to see answered:

• Why do so many people appear to care so much about the so-called rights of people who are breaking our laws simply by virtue of being here?


• And why are so many "activist" groups rallying for criminals' rights simply because they happen to share an ethnicity with the criminals? (It's way past time for this nation to move beyond race.)

My take on illegal immigration is can be summed up by the signs that appear throughout Six Flags and other amusement parks: "LINE JUMPERS WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE PARK." You want to come here? Get in line like everyone else. Of course, the ridiculous bureaucratic policies that have people waiting a long time to become legal citizens should be streamlined, but people also have to realize that we'll never be able to let everyone in who wants to come here, especially the high number of refugees from the nearly-failed nation to our south. It's too bad some of the people who would sneak in here can't put some of that time and energy into reforming their own corrupt government.

And again, please stop it with the tired argument of "illegals are just doing jobs that Americans refuse to do." With around 10% unemployment in our nation right now, and a job market for high school/college students that's been abysmal for nearly a decade, I think there are plenty of people who would be more than happy to work at McDonald's or mow lawns. We can help out the rest of the world when we have money or resources to spare, but we have to take care of our own first.

I don't go off on things on this blog like I used to (if nothing else, I do have limited blogging time, and I like to talk about positive stuff as much as I can), but sometimes, things just have to be said.

A review of what should be a great jazz concert I'm about to attend will follow tomorrow.

(My original "Immig-Rant" from 2006 may be found here.)