Borders

Borders

Border- \ˈbȯr-dər\ n.

Border-  1. the part or edge of a surface or area that forms its outer boundary; 2. the line that separates one country, state, province, etc., from another; frontier line: i.e. One cannot cross the border without a visa; 3. the district or region that lies along the boundary line of another; 4. the frontier of civilization; 5. the border: i.e. the border between the U.S. and Mexico, especially along the Rio Grande     (source dictionary.com)

It is often said that America is a nation of immigrants. Even Native Americans migrated from Asia, to the land that eventually became the United States, centuries before Europeans first arrived. America has always been the place to which people come- and all for the same reason.

Exactly twenty years prior to the very day my mother was born, my grandfather arrived on Ellis Island in 1901, having immigrated to this country from a small village in Sicily, at the age of ten, with exactly twenty-five cents in his pocket. He was accompanied only by his older brother (who was twelve years old), as an “installment”. In those days, the father would come over with the eldest son, work here in America to save up enough money for the second installment, of his family, and then the third, and so on, until at last my great grandmother came with this youngest member of their family- a process that took eight years to complete. Their story was repeated millions of times during the years 1892- 1954, by people from all parts of the world, who came here in search of a better life than they had experienced in the places they left behind. They worked hard, learned to speak English and assimilated into a new and emerging American culture, leaving the trappings of their old country behind. Every single individual who was admitted through this port of entry did so legally.

“Legally”- that is the real issue of immigration. A country without borders is NOT a country, plain and simple, as the definition above clearly states. Politicizing the issue of immigration is nothing new. The “copperheads” of the 1850’s did their level best to discourage Irish immigration (including my father’s maternal grandparents). Then as my mother’s father was immigrating, there were all types of concerns regarding immigrants from southern and eastern Europe. Politicians have also exploited the new arrivals, promising all sorts of jobs and benefits in exchange for votes which kept them in office (i.e. Tammany Hall). History substantiates the fact that such exploitation has been the exclusive purview of the Democratic Party going back well into the 19th Century.

Today, we have many politicians from the very same Democratic Party wishing to exploit immigrants from our southern borders, in the very same manner… “come here, we’ll take care of you, we’ll give you low paying jobs, and medical care and education for your children…all to a greater degree than you will get from your homes in Mexico and Central America” seems to be the mantra from far too many of these leftist opportunists who really don’t give a damn about their country, just their precious office seats, instead. The difference nowadays is that these politicians couldn’t care less whether these immigrants come here within, or outside, the law. They smugly know that somehow, these poor people will eventually become voters, citizenship not necessary, not really, not eventually- their precinct cronies will see to that. If they bring communicable diseases, “so what? …we have got the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) that’ll handle it…” Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis taking place in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas continues on at an accelerated place “but don’t blame Obama – it’s George Bush’s fault.” George Bush’s fault for signing legislation passed by both Houses of Congress (at the time, both houses in the control of Democrats) as a means to stop child sex trafficking. Never underestimate the power of liberals to play the part of that hockey goalie, which fends off every shot and blames it on the GOP.

And yet…. While the problem festers in the real world, a world created by Barack Obama and his continued refusal to enforce immigration law, thus turning our US Border Patrol into a vast day-care center, the President couldn’t give enough of a damn to even visit the beleaguered border, opting instead to raise money for his party in Texas on this very day. He is exploiting this crisis, and the unfortunate children pouring across the border, in an effort to secure more money from Congress without bothering to include in his request funding necessary to better secure the border- all because he didn’t get the “Dream Act” he wanted, and all because he hasn’t gotten the immigration reforms that he wants- the kind of reforms that will only ensure more voter registrants to Democratic party, borders be damned. In essence, our borders will never be secure until such time as the “boarders” at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have relocated, thus ending another example of how President Barrack Hussein Obama is in direct violation of his oath of office by refusing to uphold the Constitution, the laws of his country, and common decency.

 

-Drew Nickell, 9 July 2014

 

© 2014 by Drew Nickell, all rights reserved