Back to the Madness

All right, now. had a nice weekend and a stormy, but quiet Monday and I' m ready to go. I think. That's the thing. Sometimes, I read and watch the news and my brain sits idling and the poor thing just doesn't know where to go.
Well, let's just jump right in.
A long time Congressperson (is that right?), Maxine Waters, from California, is calling for Trump supporters to be harassed and driven from the marketplace. Literally. I can think of no more frightening comment. The lunacy and danger of her statements should be apparent to all. My first thought was, 'okay, she has just killed the Democrats in the mid terms', but, I see actions around this Nation, mostly, and sadly by the young and the minorities, and I realize that many, many feel the same. We Americans are rapidly descending into a state of near war between the opposing factions and the up coming elections will not be pretty.
There are street demonstrations blocking immigration hearings and more concern is being shown for illegal immigrants than for America's impoverished families. Veterans, kids, the handicapped and the elderly are shown less compassion than  drug smuggling violent thugs crawling into the Southwest.
Day by day, the level of discourse is growing harsher. People, not all, but many, can no longer have dialogues. They either scream and threaten or refuse to speak.
Any mention of God, has, for some time now, been met with scorn. For the last several years, it was a gentle scorn, a condescending ridicule. Sort of,'oh, isn't that cute that they believe in such a thing." Remember Obama 'a comment about 'clinging to  their guns and Bibles." Now, the rhetoric is hostile and any mention of beliefs will likely get you shunned. Next comes active persecution and a banning from the marketplace. Remember Revelation? "He without the Mark of the Beast could not buy or sell." This is why Water's call for ousting Trump supporters from businesses and social events, and ousting in a forceful manner, is so disturbing. Folks of that mind set need to remember that line about clinging to guns. Those who cling to guns tend to use them when threatened and Americans are a cranky lot, especially in the conservative regions. And, whether the left like it or not, there are a lot of those folks.
No one in their right mind wants violence and there is no need for it, if we can just get back to civil discourse. One side seems willing and the other does not and that is the problem. Many on the left are determined to have their way, with no compromise. Well, that's not going to happen.
There is another option. If things get bad enough and elected officials cannot govern, and things are closer to that than anyone wants to believe. a group who thinks they have the power, can seize control and suspend the Constitution. That was codified under Obama, after being a well kept secret for years. All that information is available on line if you want to hunt for it. I did once and it is a daunting task which I once did and won't do again, I have far too much to do. If that were done,  it would be nightmarish for some and not too bad for many. The Military would likely run things and a rather conservative wane would sweep the land. I really doubt it will come to that, but who knows? The way to stop such drastic measures is to grow up and learn to speak civilly and listen.

Immigration - Let's Get a Few Things Straight

I am sick of the immigration issue. Americans, and others, need to get a few points straight in their heads.
Illegal immigrants are, by definition of the word 'illegal,' criminals. We are a Nation of laws and they have broken them. They are not citizens and have no rights. We do not beat them or starve them. They should be detained until deported. Part of our problem stems from past policy. We let them loose if they promised to show up for hearings. They did not and we now have no idea how many there are or where they are. Now we detain them.
We separate them from their kids. Okay, that is sad, but detention facilities are not a good place for kids. This is not new. When citizens are imprisoned, they don't take their kids with them and in abusive and neglectful home, child welfare removes them. Separating kids and parents is not new. Regretful. but standard procedure..
Do not believe this 'we always welcomed immigrants' nonsense. I am old enough to remember the 'no Jews allowed' signs and in my grandmother's day, the Irish and Italians were scorned. The Asians and Hispanic were never welcomed with open arms.
In our early days we encouraged immigrants because we were sparsely populated and needed people to develop the land. Then, we industrialized and needed factory workers. In case you haven't noticed, we are no longer sparsely populated and since we need things like food and water, we have little land left to develop. And we no longer do a lot of heavy industrial work and much of that is robotically done/ Like it or not, and I don't, get over it. That's just the way it is now.
Immigration should be allowed in an orderly lawful manner. Applicants should have to prove that they can support themselves for some period and that they have something to offer that we need. We have a woeful lack of skilled workers and if an applicant has needed skills, let them in. Maybe that will wake up young Americans and they will get busy learning something. If not, I hope they enjoy picking fruit.
The same scenario is playing out in Europe. Germany's Chairman Merkel is threatened with a loss of power if she does not get a grip on immigration.
Compassion is always required but so is Justice and good common sense. Pay no attention to that inane little poem on the Statue of Liberty. Most people were never enamored of immigrants except when they needed cheap labor. It is just a silly poem, not National law or policy.

America and The Wall

I am almost completely befuddled. It seems that in the next day or 2, President Trump will sign new Executive Orders on immigration. However, those analyzing the advance notices about them say that they are invoking already existing laws. May be I'm missing something but, if that's true, whay all the fuss about the new Orders.

They will call, so it seems, for work on the infamous Wall to begin in earnest. I have no issues one way or the other with the Wall, but one thing is being overlooked, The Federal Governe=ment does not own most of the land it will be built on. Buying that land will cost a large, large fortune.

In addition, many of the owners may not, probably won't, want to sell. Okay, if the Feds want it, they can get it, but the whole mess will then end up in the courts and I will bet large sums that no Wall will be built any time soon.

Now, putting more agents on the border will help. Why not put hem to work sealing the many tunnels leading from Mexico to the US.  You know, the ones where countless tons of hard drugs are flowing through. That should be top priority.

Another thing. I hope they're going to buy those agents a lot of boats because no one wants to acknowledge the fact tha a boat can leave Mexico's Eastern shore and shoot up through the Gulf, landing on the Texas Gulf shore. It is a very short easy trip.

In other words, there are a few things that need tending to before we worry about a Wall that very likely will never be built.

America and Immigration

Today, the new Administration begins the daunting task of dealing with immigration. We really have no idea how many illegal immigrants there are in this Country, but it is a massive amount. We once welcomed immigrants to this Country, but things have changed. People refuse to get this. We are no longer a sparsely populated agrarian economy, nor are we a burgeoning industrial economy. Economically, we are in some period of transition. We just have no idea what we are transitioning to. But, one thing we have no lack of is workers. Economically we do not need more of them.

Illegal immigrants work cheap and are willing to do so because, when they go home or send money home, it is more than they would make in their native land. This willingness to work for low wages, drives down wages for the rest of us. I have lived in areas where illegals are present in large numbers. Because they make little, they are willing to cram as many people into small dwellings as they can. The more people, the less each has to pay for rent. This, in turn, depresses the housing prices in those areas. It also taxes sanitation, education and medical facilities in those areas. Also, poverty breeds crime. These may be politically incorrect statements, but, too bad; they are true.

That whole crime issue should be stressed. Of course not all illegal immigrants are hard core criminals (although the fact that they are here illegally does make them criminals), but things are not what they used to be. A great many have brought with them their gang affiliations and the Mexican gangs are responsible for an enormous amount of drugs entering the Nation.

We simply do not need these people here. They need to go home and, fix the things are that bad there, start a movement to change their homeland.

As far as legal immigration goes, when some one has a skill that is needed in America, great, let them enter, with some noted exceptions and conditions. People from the various terrorist torn lands should not enter. The conditions are simply too volatile and we cannot do adequate vetting. The screening processes would be too time consuming, too costly, and quite frankly, any skills they may have are also possessed by our own people, many of whom are in need of jobs.

The other condition must be acceptance of American law. Keep your religion. Keep your customs. But, only when they do not violate our laws. I bring this up for two reasons. First, there are cultures in Africa, India, and the Mid East that practice such repulsive traditions as female genital mutilation and honor killings. This cannot be tolerated in America and if these people believe that any insistence that give up these reprehensible practices violates their religious freedom, too bad. If they are still in their native lands, let them stay there. If they have immigrated, deport them.

The second problem links to the first. In Europe, Muslim communities have set up areas that are governed by sharia law, a brutally harsh set of laws. There are a few American Muslim communities who would do the same. This is not acceptable. Those who think that we should allow them freedom to do this are idiots. Sharia law includes dress codes for women, restricts education for women, all but prohibits such American traditions as boys and girls dating, practices arranged marriages, and prescribes as penalties for violations of the law stoning and beheading.

In short, why are we debating this? Illegal aliens  are just that, illegal. Deport them and let them apply for legal immigration. Allow that only if they have a marketable skill. Do not allow immigration from lands that are problematic. It really is that simple.