Illegal Alien: Calling It What It Is
“What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value.” Thomas Paine
Remember when Obama told us what kind of court he was going to have? “We need somebody who’s got the heart, the empathy, to recognize what it’s like to be a young teenage mom; the empathy to understand what it’s like to be poor, or African-American, or gay, or disabled, or old. And that’s the criteria by which I’m going to be selecting my judges.” Obama, 2009
If people remember his words, then it should come as no shock that Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor who was appointed by Obama claims that calling Illegal aliens Illegal is calling them criminals and that’s insulting. Really? According to the CBS report, Sotomayor was asked at a talk at Yale Law School later in the day about her use of the term “undocumented immigrants” rather than the traditional illegal alien. Sotomayor characterized the issue as a regulatory problem and said labeling immigrants criminals seemed insulting to her. “I think people then paint those individuals as something less than worthy human beings and it changes the conversation,” Sotomayor said.
Again, really? This woman sits in the highest court of our country. Our symbol for Justice is a lady with a blindfold and scales for a reason. Justice is supposed to be blind, but it’s clear Sotomayor is not blind, at least when it comes to illegal aliens.
The article speaks about the world which Sotomayor came from and where she is today, and as most articles I’ve read about her, they praise her compassion because of the fact that she grew up poor. I have no problem at all with people who work hard to overcome the hard circumstances they had growing up. So many people have achieved the American dream in spite of incredible hardships and that’s what has been one of the main attributes of America which has drawn people- Immigrants, from countries all over the world. It’s part of the reason why I came to the United States. The US is an exceptional country for so many reasons, yet for so many people now, America is blamed or claimed to be broken which needs to be fixed… or transformed.
I’m impressed with people like Sonia Sotomayor or Clarence Thomas and millions of others who grew up in tough or poor neighborhoods, resisted the pull of gangs, welfare, drugs and other things which entrap so many of our youth who worked hard and grew up into the people they are today. But something is wrong with what Judge Sotomayor said here, and what many others have claimed- that it’s demeaning, or somehow lacking compassion to call illegal aliens “illegal”.
8 U.S.C. § 1325 : US Code – Section 1325: Improper entry by alien: is as reads, a) Improper time or place; avoidance of examination or inspection; misrepresentation and concealment of facts Any alien who (1) enters or attempts to enter the United States at any time or place other than as designated by immigration officers, or (2) eludes examination or inspection by immigration officers, or (3) attempts to enter or obtains entry to the United States by a willfully false or misleading representation or the willful concealment of a material fact, shall, for the first commission of any such offense, be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than 6 months, or both, and, for a subsequent commission of any such offense, be fined under title 18, or imprisoned not more than 2 years, or both. (b) Improper time or place; civil penalties Any alien who is apprehended while entering (or attempting to enter) the United States at a time or place other than as designated by immigration officers shall be subject to a civil penalty of – (1) at least $50 and not more than $250 for each such entry (or attempted entry); or (2) twice the amount specified in paragraph (1) in the case of an alien who has been previously subject to a civil penalty under this subsection. Civil penalties under this subsection are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any criminal or other civil penalties that may be imposed. (c) Marriage fraud Any individual who knowingly enters into a marriage for the purpose of evading any provision of the immigration laws shall be imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or fined not more than $250,000, or both. (d) Immigration-related entrepreneurship fraud Any individual who knowingly establishes a commercial enterprise for the purpose of evading any provision of the immigration laws shall be imprisoned for not more than 5 years, fined in accordance with title 18, or both.
Now compare that with the immigration laws of Mexico or any other nation, and America is pretty tolerant already concerning those who enter the US illegally. But it is also very clear that someone who knowingly comes through our border without going through immigration services is committing an illegal act, hence the term ILLEGAL.
Lest anyone question my lack of compassion for those who clearly have broken the law, I have to ask, where is the compassion for those who are affected by illegals who break more laws once they are here? What about compassion for tax payers who pay for welfare programs costing upwards of billions of dollars per year, or compassion for our Veterans and troops who find services which should be in place for them have been cut or downsized because of lack of funding due to increase in programs catered to illegal immigrants? What about compassion to those who have their voices stolen in elections when illegals cast ballots or American citizens who lose or can’t find employment because illegal immigrants are hired instead, or lower wages paid because employers know they could hire illegals for lower pay? Finally, what about compassion for those who work hard, obey the laws and come through the process to become legal residents or naturalized citizens?
Do people like Judge Sotomayor stop to think that the term illegal is used for a reason, that America is sovereign and those who come here illegally are stealing our Sovereignty through groups like La Raza, La Reconquista and MEChA which openly call for reclaiming land which they say White Europeans stole from them? “La Raza todo. Fuera de La Raza nada.” Loosely translated means, “For the Race, everything. Out of The Race not at all.“ This doesn’t sound very compassionate or tolerant; in fact this sounds more like what progressives often accuse conservatives of. It may seem outrageous to some, maybe hyperbolic, but considering that the south American Spanish languages are taught in schools so English speaking Americans can better understand Hispanic students, Press uno for Espaniol is common for virtually every business and government office, and Cinco de Mayo has found itself into virtually every town as a huge celebration across the country. Cinco de Mayo is not even a holiday which celebrates Mexico’s Independence, and many people in Mexico don’t even celebrate it because it’s a celebration of the Battle of Puebla, a city 100 miles east of Mexico City against the French. Yet schools in America celebrate it and kids who wear shirts with an American Flag emblem are disciplined for intolerance. Where is compassion for American kids who want to show pride in America in American schools? How about cases where Mexican flags have been flown instead of or above American flags? Where is compassion for the men who have paid the highest prices for defending American freedom?
America is a sovereign country and people who break the laws to come here often show no allegiance to the United States, nor do they care about our national laws as written in our Constitution. Those who defend this illegal behavior, especially from our government and court, have no business feeling compassion for those who break the law- they are supposed to be upholding the law. Instead they have pushed a narrative by calling illegals “undocumented” and by calling them undocumented, making it more palatable to push for amnesty.
As for those who claim it’s un Christian to force illegals to go back to their country of origin, while of course Jesus has love and compassion, He also does not advocate breaking the law. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. John 10:1
Someone who breaks into a dwelling is the same as a thief and robber, which brings me to my last points. If Judge Sotomayor and others in our government who believe it’s wrong to call illegals illegal, and worse yet, propose by so called immigration reforms to reward those who are illegal, how would the good judge or any of our members of congress feel if they had someone break into their homes, steal their food, trash their rooms and never leave, and yet expect to be given more? Would they show compassion or would they rely on the laws of not just our country, but of common sense and call the police to have them removed? Think about it.
I began this article with a favorite quote by Thomas Paine. Let me end it with another: “Those who want to reap the benefits of this great nation must bear the fatigue of supporting it.”
Illegal aliens and those who support them are not supporting America or the laws which have preserved liberty, and to this new citizen, that’s a pitiful disgrace.
