Monday, October 17, 2005

Immigration Reform

Excellent post over at Big Lizards (HT: Hugh Hewitt) on yesterday's KRLA Talkfest that featured Dennis Prager, Michael Medved, Hugh Hewitt, and Mike Gallagher.

The part that interested me was Dafydd's analysis of the immigration issue. I can't quite tell how much of what he posted was summary of the panel's discussion and how much was his own alalysis, but really it doesn't matter. He made sure to cover all the facets of the issue in a way that looks workable.

Most people on one side or the other of immigration only look at their pet facet of this question. Some people say that immigration is and always has been good for our country, but they ignore the negative consequences of unchecked immigration. Other people say the illegals are breaking the law and must be deported now, but they ignore the need for low-wage workers in our economy.

Dafydd starts with a wholistic look at what's needed, what's beneficial, and what's harmful. His proposed policies can help us get to that ideal.

The most crucial point that he makes is that assimilation into the American culture is essential to any viable immigration policy. Without it, we end up with the kind of fifth column that the Western Europeans are facing in their Muslim populations.

We must change our educational system to teach our children--all of them--what it means to be an American. People leave their native countries and come to America for a reason, and we need to be sure we communicate that reason to our citizens and our citizens-to-be.

Along with the Americanization of Americans, Dafydd says we need to make legal immigration easier, and he proposes an excellent solution. When I read his proposal, I feel hope over the immigration issue.

Now we have to figure out how to get Dafydd into a policy-making position, so his proposals can actually be implemented. Read his whole post.

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