Ignorance loves company



By Tony Blankley
Sunday, April 2, 2006


It's lucky America has more than two centuries of mostly calm experience with self-government. We are going to need to fall back on that invaluable patrimony if the immigration debate continues as it has started this season.
The Senate is attempting to legislate into the teeth of the will of the American public. The Senate Judiciary committeemen -- and probably a majority of the Senate -- are convinced that they know that the American people don't know what is best for them.

National polling data could not be more emphatic -- and has been so for decades. A clear majority of Americans wants the federal government to get tougher on illegal immigration and oppose making it easier for illegals to become citizens, favor "major penalties" on employers of illegals, believe illegals increase the likelihood of terrorism and would use military force at the Mexican-American border.

Other polls show a majority oppose a "guest worker" proposal, would more likely vote for a congressional candidate who would tighten immigration controls and say securing the U.S. border should be a top priority of the White House and Congress.


Yet one poll shows 73 percent of Republican and 77 percent of Democrat congressmen and senators say they would support "guest worker" legislation.

I commend to all those presumptuous senators and congressmen the sardonic and wise words of Edmund Burke in his 1792 Letter to Sir Hercules Langrishe:

"No man will assert seriously, that when people are of a turbulent spirit, the best way to keep them in order is to furnish them with something substantial to complain of."

The senators should remember that they are American senators, not Roman proconsuls. Nor is the chairman of the Judiciary Committee -- Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa. -- some latter-day Praetor Maximus.

But if they would be dictators, it would be nice if they could at least be wise -- until such time as the people can electorally forcefully project with a violent pedal thrust their regrettable backsides out of town.

It was gut-wrenching to watch the senators prattle on in their idle ignorance concerning the manifold economic benefits that will accrue to the body politic if we can just cram a few million more uneducated illegals into the country.

Ignorance obviously loves company.

Advocates of "guest worker" (i.e., amnesty) bills will find it frustratingly hard to defend their arrogant plans by their preferred tactic of slandering those who disagree with them as racist, nativist and xenophobic. When the slandered ones include about 70 percent of the public, it is not only bad manners but bad politics.

The public demand to protect our borders will triumph sooner or later. And the more brazen the opposing politicians, the sooner will come the triumph.

So legislate on, you proud and foolish senators, and hasten your political demise.

Tony Blankley is editorial page editor of The Washington Times.


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