Immigration Debate Defined

Alan Keyes, in his WorldNetDaily column today, has defined the immigration debate in terms that bring the kind of clarity that's been missing to this point. "Immigration, yes. Colonization, no."

When people come from abroad to make a new home for themselves, and they are committed to the goal of becoming part of our nation – that's immigration. When they come to exploit economic opportunities while proudly flaunting their determination to continue in their allegiance to a foreign flag – that's colonization.

During the Los Angeles march, large numbers of foreigners marched proudly under the flag of a foreign country, to demand the right to live in the United States. They claim that the issue is immigration. But by their own actions, they reveal what is in fact a determined effort to force Americans to accept large foreign colonies in our midst, and to pay handsomely for the privilege of doing so. We have both the right and the moral obligation to say no.

Here's what dictionary.com has to say:

im·mi·grate ( P ) Pronunciation Key (m-grt)v. im·mi·grat·ed, im·mi·grat·ing, im·mi·grates v. intr.
To enter and settle in a country or region to which one is not native.

col·o·nize ( P ) Pronunciation Key (kl-nz)v. col·o·nized, col·o·niz·ing, col·o·niz·es v. tr.
To form or establish a colony or colonies in.
To migrate to and settle in; occupy as a colony.
To resettle or confine (persons) in or as if in a colony.
To subjugate (a population) to or as if to a colonial government.

Keyes is right. The resistence that the "immigration" activists like to call racism is, in fact, an aversion to having our country colonized by people who don't want to become Americans, but who instead demand that we pay them for the honor of their presence.

We, as a nation, open our arms to people from all over the world. I've worked with people from Burma and Singapore, India and Iran, Nigeria and Armenia. And I'm fascinated--as are so many Americans--at the differences in our cultures and backgrounds and yet the sameness in our desires for our families and for the future.

We welcome people who want to immigrate and become American. And we should resist those who want no part of us beyond our cash. Somebody needs to tell Washington that there is a difference.