Thread: We need town halls on immigration

We need town halls on immigration

Commentary
By Julianne Malveaux

Mexican President Felipe Calderon's recent visit to the U.S. included comments that he "strongly" disagreed with Arizona's controversial immigration law that will take effect in two months. Our own president, Barack Obama, called the law "misguided."

Some of the law's provisions are onerous — state agencies that hinder enforcement of the laws can be fined or sued. Still, the law may have been passed out of frustration that the federal government has not done more about illegal immigration.

Because immigration issues affect our entire nation, federal law, not state actions, ought to deal with any policies or reform. With the 2010 elections looming, we won't see new federal laws on immigration before 2011. But the federal government might take steps toward forging an immigration policy by sponsoring town hall meetings across the U.S. to really delve into the issue.

Hasn't enough been said? Not really. I'd like to see teachers, social workers and hospital workers confirm or rebut beliefs that services can't be provided because there are so many undocumented people to serve. I'd like to hear employers, especially farmers, be candid about what the costs of produce would be if there were fewer migrant workers available. I'd like to hear from parents and children about what happens when families are shattered because one parent is not documented. Last week, a second-grader told Michelle Obama about the student's undocumented mother. How many other parents are subject to deportation, and what does this say about our "family values"?

I'd like to see people talk to each other with data, life stories and complexity, not with slogans and invective. I'd like to see town halls held in the porous border states; in states such as North Carolina and Michigan, where there are rising immigrant populations; and in states where immigration is not necessarily brown.

President Obama once noted, "We are not a collection of Red States and Blue States, we are the United States of America." If anyone can cultivate common ground on this issue, it is the president as well as savvy facilitators such as journalists Soledad O'Brien and Ray Suarez, and law professors like Charles Ogletree.

Town hall meetings can be imperfect and are no substitute for considered public policy. But convening national conversations about immigration that provide a platform for people to talk with — not at — each other might prove to be informative as well as productive.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/fo ... _ST2_N.htm

I'm sorry but we don't need town halls to "talk" about immigration. We already have a wonderful set of immigration laws that have been built over time by intelligent smart people who cared both about our country and citizens as well as foreign nationals who want to move here.

All we need is strict enforcement of our immigration laws and punishment for those who break them. There's been enough talk, it's time for action.

Talk is cheap....I want ENFORCEMENT. We dont need a support group but maybe the open border types do. That is because they are LOSING. They can get together and whine and complain, but they still have to go home. In the end they have to go. The wheel is in motion.

Originally Posted by redpony353

Talk is cheap....I want ENFORCEMENT. We dont need a support group but maybe the open border types do. That is because they are LOSING. They can get together and whine and complain, but they still have to go home. In the end they have to go. The wheel is in motion.

Absolutely! I totally agree redpony353. I note Calderon is trying to open up Canada for them to go to when we boot them out. I wonder how well that will sit with Canada when 20 million illegals head North?

Judy, I can give you a Canadian's viewpoint on that ( and throw in the American's view at the same time...LOL!): it sucks! You would not believe the time and effort I have put into "educating" other Canadians.

While I am up here I live on an Indian reservation and we are somewhat sheltered, no way anyone invades our territory! But I do see what is happening in TO ( Toronto), and on our borders.

Invaders are trying to come across the St. Lawrence in NY. I have said many times we have a rez that is in NY, Ont and Quebec... they come looking to hop our boats going across. The hard part is that in many parts of Akwesasne ( NY) there are waterways which amount to creeks; on one side you are in NY on the other side of the creek is Quebec or Ontario! I have begged my friends and family on these waterways to be more vigilant, especially at night! If you hear your dog barking LOOK outside. I am happy to say many now have motion detector lights.

My home rez is near Lake Erie, which is shallow in many many places. The Coast Guard is now stopping many more boats on the lake. It was never hard to cross from NY into Ontario ( or vice versa) on the lake before, but in the past few years it's almost impossible. It's an imposition, but I can live with that!

A lot of my family are "snowbirds", so they have experienced first hand what is happening in the US. And needless to say they don't want it to happen up here! But as in the US, our Prime Minister wants to hispander to Calderone just like Obozo!

On the NDN ( Indian) grapevine I hear it's extremely bad out west too. More and more are trying to pose as Indians, or trying to buy Status Cards. These are a formal ID for every Tribe here in Canada.

So what is happening in the US is gradually moving North! Too bad Obozo hates Canada, we need to work together.[/b]

Originally Posted by Judy

Originally Posted by redpony353

Talk is cheap....I want ENFORCEMENT. We dont need a support group but maybe the open border types do. That is because they are LOSING. They can get together and whine and complain, but they still have to go home. In the end they have to go. The wheel is in motion.

Absolutely! I totally agree redpony353. I note Calderon is trying to open up Canada for them to go to when we boot them out. I wonder how well that will sit with Canada when 20 million illegals head North?

Calderon is a very cruel leader I think. DONT THINK I AM GETTING SOFT, BECAUSE I AM NOT. But think about it....they cross the hot effin desert to get here, now they are going to have to go to Canada. They are illegal how they going to get there? OMG....I just thought of something...the Mexican passports that the Mexican Consulate is giving out....THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE FOR. I bet those passports are to go to Canada.

Anyway, think about how cruel it is not to accept your own citizens back to their homeland. They are like people with no country, no home. Being sent all over the world like beggars for the purpose of sending remittances to Mexico. It is cruel. Does Calderon provide the transportation? No. Does he help them find places to live? No. Everything he does is just to use his own citizens as if they are not really human beings....just units....remittance units.

How does it feel for them to not be wanted anywhere? He is a very cruel and heartless person. Anywhere they go they will not be wanted because there are too many of them. And they have that bad habit of waving their flag around and proclaiming Mexico their first love. But Mexico treats them like cattle.

Originally Posted by redpony353

Talk is cheap....I want ENFORCEMENT. We dont need a support group but maybe the open border types do. That is because they are LOSING. They can get together and whine and complain, but they still have to go home. In the end they have to go. The wheel is in motion.

Ditto RP! I suspect Julianne Malveaux is an open borders, illegal invader lover ; especially since she uses the term immigrants to describe the invasion of this country. This is a deliberate attempt to soften the image of illegal invaders and the devastating impact they are having on this country. It's dishonest and it's meant to deceive those who may not be as knowledgeable or informed on this issue!

Their is nothing further to discuss on this issue! It's time to enfore the law and protect the citizens of this country!

Originally Posted by nomas

Judy, I can give you a Canadian's viewpoint on that ( and throw in the American's view at the same time...LOL!): it sucks! You would not believe the time and effort I have put into "educating" other Canadians.

While I am up here I live on an Indian reservation and we are somewhat sheltered, no way anyone invades our territory! But I do see what is happening in TO ( Toronto), and on our borders.

Invaders are trying to come across the St. Lawrence in NY. I have said many times we have a rez that is in NY, Ont and Quebec... they come looking to hop our boats going across. The hard part is that in many parts of Akwesasne ( NY) there are waterways which amount to creeks; on one side you are in NY on the other side of the creek is Quebec or Ontario! I have begged my friends and family on these waterways to be more vigilant, especially at night! If you hear your dog barking LOOK outside. I am happy to say many now have motion detector lights.

My home rez is near Lake Erie, which is shallow in many many places. The Coast Guard is now stopping many more boats on the lake. It was never hard to cross from NY into Ontario ( or vice versa) on the lake before, but in the past few years it's almost impossible. It's an imposition, but I can live with that!

A lot of my family are "snowbirds", so they have experienced first hand what is happening in the US. And needless to say they don't want it to happen up here! But as in the US, our Prime Minister wants to hispander to Calderone just like Obozo!

On the NDN ( Indian) grapevine I hear it's extremely bad out west too. More and more are trying to pose as Indians, or trying to buy Status Cards. These are a formal ID for every Tribe here in Canada.

So what is happening in the US is gradually moving North! Too bad Obozo hates Canada, we need to work together.[/b]

Thank you, nomas, for this great perspective, and thank you also for all you're doing to help US stop illegal immigration. Yes, we need to stick together. All counties should stick together to stop illegal immigration.

i don't think we need town halls ....

the majority of americans have made up their minds ... now its up to our elected officals to carry out our will .

If you think the town hall meeting on health care were out of control

just have a town hall meeting on ILLEGAL immigration.