I've been investigating the "hard-core" conservative proposals for immigration reform. I have no problem with some of proposed requirements, such as ending birthright citizenship - although my next question is, does everyone born in the US - including those born to American citizens - then have to pass the test for citizenship currently given to immigrants? And if not, what makes you a citizen? But others make me shake my head in disbelief, such as "English will be the official language of America." Please. It already is. My grandparents on my father's side - immigrants from Greece - spoke broken English with a strong Greek accent; my father spoke both English and Greek with a strong American accent; I speak English. Period. That's the way it works. Give it enough time and all immigrant children/grandchildren speak nothing but English.
But the one that made me almost fall out of my chair laughing, was "100% sealed border."
There is, for one, the fact of costs (suddenly we have the billions of dollars to build a fence with barbed wire, machine gun turrets and all the manpower needed to patrol it?).
There is the question of what border? Most of the Southwest was once Mexico. The Hispanics were there first.
And there is the simple fact of history: There is no such thing as a 100% sealed border. Never has been. Never will.
We'll start out easy, with animal control, which leads, naturally, to
On to the obvious:

BUT

When people are determined enough, they're gonna get through. And there's something about walls that bring out that determination.

And of course, today, there's an "Israeli West Bank Barrier" which, when completed, will run about 430 miles. Most of it is steel fencing with trenches; some of it is a 26 foot high concrete wall. The Israelis say it is a security measure, built to keep out Palestinian terrorists, suicide bombers, etc., and I believe them. The Palestinians say it is a way to keep them in poverty and to redraw the map of Israel, and I believe them, especially if you redefine "poverty" as "under control". Does it work 100% to keep Palestinians on their side of the fence? I sincerely doubt it. The unintended consequences? See below:
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Israeli-Palestinian Wall on the road to Bethlehem |
The simple fact is that any wall or fence that keeps people apart is seen, sooner or later, as a bad thing. The sympathy level for the Palestinians - despite their avowed dedication to the destruction of Israel, suicide bombers, etc. - is steadily growing, thanks to the Israeli West Bank Barrier.
People don't like fences. Or walls. There is no such thing as a 100% sealed border, even if you are willing to shoot to kill to keep people (or animals) out, which I doubt the United States will do. For one thing, even if we do have armed guards with orders to shoot to kill, what happens after the first child is shot? I feel certain that, if we do build a 700 mile fence/wall with guards and guns, while it will cut down on the sheer numbers who cross the border, there will be ever-more inventive ways to breach that fence/wall. Great story ideas are coming, folks. Let's just hope that, whatever they are on the page, in real life they're more humorous than tragic.
Disclaimer: I am an immigrant myself, as you know - brought over when I was 2½ as an adoptee, and naturalized by my adopted parents, who were both American citizens. That's one path to citizenship I hope is never eliminated.