Amnesty By Any Other Name

The immigration reform deal between the White House and several influential senators is being hailed as a breakthrough but it already has opponents. One of the criticisms is that it amounts to amnesty. Not so say its proponents.

One definition of amnesty is: “the act of an authority (as a government) by which pardon is granted to a large group of individuals”. The proposed legislation has a government involved. It concerns a large group of individuals. It does forgive their illegal entry into this country albeit to secure the forgiveness it will cost them some moneta. Call it what you wish but amnesty by any other name smells the same!

In my opinion the sooner we stop arguing over semantics the sooner we can achieve meaningful immigration reform. There is no way that twelve million "illegals" can be returned to their native countries. The problem cannot be resolved without amnesty. Our government failed us by putting this problem on a back burner for decades. As individuals we also bear a responsibility. We nurtured the problem by our appetite for cheap labor and our unwillingness to give our government the funds necessary to secure our borders.

I had forgotten that some twenty years ago we gave three million illegal aliens amnesty. Obviously it was not a solution. An effective solution must be wrapped with the resolve to never ever again turn our heads away from the problem of illegal immigration. The proposed reform is not perfect but it is a start. (I would have liked some deterrents to keep corporations from abusing the quest for cheap labor.)