{ r oo b ik }

If I had known you could post comments without a blogger ID I would have. Anyway, I understand the illegality of it all. Those caught should be punished. Whether that means expulsion from the country or whatever. There have been women who are in labor who run across the border to plop the baby on American soil so her and her child may become citizens.

The problem is not illegal immigration but the lack of enforcement. Doubly so the lack of adequate laws to accomodate those who desire to enter this country. The onus should be on Mexico to provide subsidies and benefits for worker who are here illegally. The fact that we have not saought this recompense from the Mexican government is a fault on our part.

Now I take issue with the fact that you said you would emigrate legally were you a Mexican resident who wanted into the US. I know a Doctor who recently immigrated to the US, it took him 9 years to be granted the necessary papers to move here and become a citizen. Another friend of mine I work with took approximately 13 years to be granted citizenship (however when he came he overstayed a work visa to live here). Both of these men speak perfect English and were well educated. Knowing what I know of America, and were I in the situation that the majority of border hoppers are in (lower class laborers with little education), I would hop the border in a hearbeat. Because even though I might not be able to ever live the life I wanted, my children would be able to. 9 years is a long time when you have mouths to feed.

Don't misinterpret this by thinking that letting everyone who wants in is the answer. There are Mexican criminals here, and some of the seedier members of the Mexican underworld slip by. The problem is Mexico. They need to start taking more responsibility for their citizenship. Corruption is the order of the day in the Mexican government. It's true that you should take some cash with you if you take a trip to Mexico, so you can pay off cops if you get pulled over or harassed. They will extort you for gain. Well we can't fix Mexico, but we can fix the US. Generally the people coming here are not well educated but they are willing to work, and work hard. Our economy needs a competitive lower wage workforce. Either the jobs are done here cheaply, or they will be done somewhere else cheaply.

A family of illegals lived up the street from me from several years growing up. Their daughter was born here so she was a citizen. I had no problem with Hector because he worked, paid taxes, had employees and was a very skilled mechanic. He also used the time alotted to him to become an American citizen. He was a member of the community and he respected the community.

My problem is mostly just a respect for the law of the land. If you dont like it help to change it. Our ancestors took the time to make this country what it is. Its high time for the world to buckle down and make their own countries into the way they want to live their lives.

I understand the want to make their lives better for themselves and their children. Everyone in this country wants to same thing but you have to respect the law or else we have nothing.

If we count the speed limit, copyright law, stop signs, and until a few years ago, blow jobs, then it is already nothing.

Now, I agree that the rest of the world should be as wonderful as America. There is nothing we can do about that though ... We're currently trying to do that with Iraq, and it's not working out very well.

In the eyes of God a sin is a sin but to us mere (im?)mortals one can hardly rank the speed limit in line with offenses such as illegal immigration. We must take a much more broad view of our lives and the way in which we regulate the interaction between each other in our civilized society.

I do agree though that we have overstepped our purpose in Iraq. We should have been involved with sort of pre-Saddam resistance before going in and simply turned the country over to them once we caught him. The style of democracy we advocate will probably never work where people place so little value on human life.