Thread: Congressman addresses immigration, war

http://www.townonline.com/allston/ho...15792791666687

Congressman addresses immigration, war
By Julie Masis/Correspondent
Thursday, February 22, 2007 - Updated: 03:11 PM EST



U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano, D-8th, told Brighton residents Wednesday that immigrants who commit serious crimes should be deported back to their countries — regardless of their legal status in the United States.

“Do I think we should deport illegal and legal immigrants who commit serious crimes? Absolutely!” Capuano said, while responding to one resident’s complaint about the cost of keeping illegals in prisons. “Ship ’em out — I don’t care where they come from. Send them back, I don’t want them.”

Capuano said the illegal immigrants who are already in the United States should be granted legal status, however. Just because they arrived in the country illegally does not mean they are terrorists, he pointed out.

“I think the 11 million who are here, we should just legalize them. Accept reality,” he said.

Capuano made these comments at the Veronica Smith Multi-Service Center in Brighton Center, while responding to residents’ questions. More than 50 people attended the question-and-answer event, which went on for almost two hours. This was the first time Capuano officially met with Brighton residents in about two years.

The issue of immigration was brought up by Ken Boege of Brighton, who said that something needs to be done about all the illegal aliens, more than 8,000 of whom are serving sentences in American prisons, and “who make education in urban school systems virtually impossible.” Boege also presented statistics on the thousands of Americans who are murdered and raped by illegal aliens annually.

Capuano, who is himself half-Irish and half-Italian, cautioned that it’s important to be careful while looking at these numbers because “when you have 12 million of anything, you are probably going to get some bad people.”

“Not every Irishman is a drunk, and not every Italian is in the Mafia,” he joked. “And not every member of Congress is a crook, by the way.”

Despite not equating immigrants with terrorists, Capuano said he does not support the idea of giving everyone a chance to come to America.

When a woman representing a local Brazilian women’s group asked him why he voted for the fence bill, Capuano said that letting everyone who wants to come into the U.S. will bring down wages and have a negative effect on the economy.

“If we just have open borders, our economy will be down in the toilet in a few years. We will soon have the same lifestyle that the Third World nations have,” he said. “For economic reasons, I do not want to everyone [who wants to] to come here.”

In addition to immigration-related questions, Capuano also addressed U.S. foreign policy, abortion, gay rights, the genocide in Sudan and seat belts on school buses.

He said he will do everything he can to “put pressure on the administration” to “stop this [the Iraq] war, but was also asked to explain why he voted for the supplemental $100 billion the president requested to continue fighting the war. Capuano said that this money is not coming out of social services, but is being borrowed from foreign governments, and the president would have found a way to get more funding for the defense department anyway, had Congress not approved his initial request.

Capuano also said he is not “for peace at all costs,” and pointed out that he was the only member of Congress who called for U.S. forces to be deployed into Sudan.

“I can’t sleep well thinking that I had some role in not stopping a genocide,” he said.

Capuano also said he is not “for peace at all costs,” and pointed out that he was the only member of Congress who called for U.S. forces to be deployed into Sudan.

“I can’t sleep well thinking that I had some role in not stopping a genocide,” he said.

And just does this "morally superior dem" think will happen if we just up and pull out of Iraq? It always amazes me that the far left was responsible for millions upon millions of deaths in Africa by banning DDT and when people began to die by the millions, they continued to push the ban. I didn't hear any outcry from the left about saving lives from malaria. The Sudan issue gets them "political points." Allowing huts to be sprayed just isn't an issue dramatic enough to support.

No amnesty for any illegal. Deport all of them and their anchor baby children. Congress listen to what the american people want not what Mexico wants.

Capuano said the illegal immigrants who are already in the United States should be granted legal status, however. Just because they arrived in the country illegally does not mean they are terrorists, he pointed out.

What sort of false connection is that? We don't just want illegals out because they may be terrorists. We want them out because they are lawbreakers who should not be in our country.

This comment reminds me of the gun-grabbers who try to tie Amendment II to hunting. Amendment II is not about hunting. It's about being able todefend ourselves against criminals and tyranny.