12/06/2007
Border Security and Immigration
When are we going to get serious about these two separate but related issues? The latter is actually the one we need to tackle first. By putting into law exactly the steps, standards and practices expected of those wishing to live here be it for five months, five years or for the rest of their life we can make a lot of things happen. The simplest of them will be to cut down spending on a bloated bureaucracy that like many federal departments probably wastes more money than it gainfully spends. Next is that it would provide a fair, easy to understand set of checkpoints for those moving here with one standard for those coming to America. Making the language clear, and easy to understand would lower confusion on both ends of the immigration process making the jobs of numerous Americans simpler. With a clear, detailed and above all simple immigration policy we would lower the desire for people to risk illegal crossing that is hazardous to their health and could land them in the hands of unsavory employers and importers who are nothing but domestic slavers. Giving people the information they need to live here before they arrive, will make it easier for them to navigate not just criminal law which is information we all hope they never need to apply, but our school systems, property laws, various personal contracts for services like cell phones or medical insurance that probably don't work or don't work the same way in their nation of origin.
Some countries like Germany have a fairly transparent system in place that let's people know in unambiguous terms. Our firmest ally the United Kingdom is working on a bill to enact their own crisp immigration process. Other countries seem to have the type of border security certain segments of the population seem to think ours is or will be if we fortify our own in any way. Not true. With a fair and simple immigration policy that let those with legitimate reasons into the country we could make serious cuts into the smugglers who endanger the lives of the people they bring in, with less criminals attacking the border we would be able to not only better control who does come in, but leave more money where it belongs, in the tax payers pockets.
Labels: and you thought america was bad, border security, immigration, national securit, politics, society
