Stupid Is, As Government Does
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
October 20, 2011
Stupidity is merely a symptom of what ails the United States of America regarding the salvation of this once and future great nation.
Former Speaker of the House and current GOP nomination hopeful Newt Gingrich said it correctly without mincing a single word when he pronounced the creation of the 12 member super-committee charged with deficit reduction by Thanksgiving “stupid.”
A perfect example of this stupidity comes from the category of Band-Aid® on the proverbial bullet hole when the absurd suggestion to eliminate the paper dollar bill and move to a coin only concept. Nothing against the concept, but this brainstorm deficit cutter will trim $5.6 billion from a deficit that is currently more than $14 trillion – and it won’t reach that mark of savings until 2041 – yes, 30 years from now, when the deficit will reach numbers that have yet to be invented or defined.
While saving pennies on the millions, the penny should also be eliminated, which currently costs three cents per to produce. These two suggestions, the first actually presented by the super-committee of a dozen, and the second coming here and now, are akin to removing one leaf from a hundred acre plot and calling the raking job complete.
What are being raked, are the American people, and over the coals – coals that the liberals do not want produced in this country. But the fuel issue is a column for another day. Where real cuts can, and must be made are in the areas of illegal immigration and the continuing free ride millions of miscreants are getting that we, the taxpaying citizens and legal residents are blithely funding.
Yes, blithely, because as more and more jurisdictions become sanctuary cities, protecting rights illegals really don’t have, little, if anything, is being done to combat a trend that is so capricious, the safety of the nation is in grave peril.
The city that is the forefront of all governmental activity, our nation’s capital, Washington, DC has joined a growing list of locales declaring war on law and order in the United States by agreeing to harbor illegal aliens. DC Mayor Vincent Gray signed an executive order on Wednesday, October 19 protecting illegal aliens and banning police officers from inquiring about the immigration status of said lawbreakers. Yes, let’s remember, that the moment these people crossed the border without proper permission, they became criminals.
But Gray said it is not the job of the DC police to verify the status of its residents. No? Should not legal resident status be determined when doling out taxpayer funded aid for food stamps? How about for free medical care in hospitals? How about for children being enrolled in the public schools? How about for illegals demanding legal aid upon arrest for committing the myriad crimes bandied about in the news – vehicular homicide by an illegal drinking and driving – and without a license or insurance, by the way.
The United States simply cannot be home to six billion people, roughly the current global population. The welcome mat reading bienvenido or ahleen simply cannot apply to any Toma, Ricardo or Henri. However, with the ever expanding list of sanctuary cities, the United States seems to be saying, “if you can get here, you can stay here and you can get free stuff to boot.”
What message is being transmitted to honest, law abiding legal residents who are proceeding in the proper manner to become citizens? What message is being given to American children when the government turns a blind eye to constant and continuous law breaking? Bad precedent after bad precedent continue to be rolled out in favor of those who laugh at our laws and our Constitution and feel justified in sneaking into the United States for one reason or another.
Gray further said that DC is not in the immigration business and will not help the federal government do its job. DC claims to be home to between 7,000 and 10,000 illegal aliens, but experts suggest that number is closer to double, or even triple because so few illegals actually identify themselves as such. Perhaps all sanctuary cities who feel they are above the law and can behave with such aplomb and licentiousness should be denied federal funding while they thumb their noses at federal law enforcement.
Gray and other mayors have said by not concerning themselves with the immigration status of people, they will be more willing to come forward if they have been a victim of a crime.
The comfort of illegal aliens should not be the goal of any government – federal, state or local. This system of don’t ask, don’t tell regarding illegals should make all law abiding citizens and residents apoplectic as their tax dollars continue to fund their criminal behavior.
Since it is unreasonable to deport upwards of 20 million possible illegals, it should be the objective of the government – at all levels to encourage them to self-deport. This can easily be done by denying them any aid or assistance whatsoever. This is an unlikely scenario because both major political parties have something to gain by illegals’ presence in this country. Democrats want illegals here to curry favor with the Hispanic voting rank and file. Republicans want illegals here to curry favor with the businesses that hire these people at lower wages than would be required of a legal resident or citizen. Businesses hiring illegal aliens should be fined an amount greater than the value a legal worker would earn in a year.
It should be incumbent upon the voters to elect candidates committed to reducing the numbers of illegal aliens who have already invaded our borders as well as preventing more from continuing this trend. This crisis has reached pandemic status and it is costing this country trillions of dollars as well as breaching national security in ways unimaginable to the uninitiated. Candidates not committed to this plan should be given no electoral support and defeated at the ballot box.
While he may have been joking, the notion presented by Herman Cain, another Republican seeking the presidential nomination, to erect an electric fence on the southern border of the United States is sound. Electric and topped with barbed wire. This plan is certainly better than the defeatist attitude presented by Governor Rock Perry (R-TX) in a recent GOP candidate’s debate when he suggested that to not allow illegal aliens to attend school is heartless. This is the same governor who signed into law legislation granting illegals living in Texas the right to pay in-state tuition at state colleges and universities.
Rewarding bad behavior is partly why the flood of illegals continues and shows no sign of alleviating. Adopting the above plans will reduce that trend, make available jobs to put Americans back to work and create a more secure environment around the nation. To do otherwise would just be plain stupid.
The following data lists the states, the number of sanctuary cities within their borders as well as naming some of the more prominent locales.
Alaska (2) – Fairbanks
Arizona (2) – Phoenix
California (32) – Berkeley, Fresno, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose
Colorado (9) – Denver, Fort Collins
Connecticut (2) – New Haven
Florida (5) – Miami
Georgia (1) – Dalton
Illinois (5) – Chicago, Cook County
Maine (1) – Portland
Maryland (3) – Baltimore
Massachusetts (3) – Cambridge
Michigan (2) – Ann Arbor, Detroit
Minnesota (3) – Minneapolis, St. Paul
Nevada (1) – Reno
New Jersey (11) – Newark, Trenton
New Mexico (4) – Albuquerque, Santa Fe
New York (15) – New York City, Albany
North Carolina (9) – Charlotte, Durham, Raleigh
Ohio (2) – Columbus
Oklahoma (2) – Oklahoma City, Tulsa
Oregon (4) – Portland
Pennsylvania (1) – Philadelphia
Texas (15) – Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio
Utah (2) – Provo, Salt Lake City
Virginia (2) – Fairfax County
Washington (2) – Martin Luther King County, Seattle
Wisconsin (3) – Madison
Wyoming (1) – Jackson Hole
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.
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