Thinking Through Immigration

I try not to talk politics too often around here, but I'd like to express some ideas about immigration that have been on my mind.  Here goes:

1 - I Think Illegal Immigration Creates Problems

I don't think it's OK to open our borders and let anyone wander in and stay wherever they want in an undocumented manner.  I'm not allowed to live off of the grid, so the same should be expected of everyone who is going to live here.  I think that's fair.  And I don't like to see immigrant families living in poverty because their employers know that they can keep them in poverty since they are not legal citizens.

2 - I Don't Have a Problem with Mexicans

I have to say that, or the racialists out there will send my blog to MSNBC as an example of racist hatred and KKK recruitment.  I don't think anyone should live here illegally, and I don't care where they're from.  Of course, we're talking about Mexicans these days because that's the only economically struggling country that borders us, but my comments have nothing to do with peoples' heritage.  I don't mind if Mexican-Americans outnumber whites in my neighborhood, and that sort of thing has nothing to do with immigration as far as I am concerned.  If a bunch of caucasian Canadians sneaked across the border listening to U2 and talking about their favorite episode of Friends on their way to the Gap would feel the same way.

3 - The 14th Amendment is a Good Thing

I'm glad that anyone born here becomes a citizen automatically.  I think that process cuts down on government paperwork and policing of hospital delivery rooms.  I'm largely in favor of people becoming U.S. citizens, because our country needs people in order to have the resources it needs to build a strong economy.  The 14th amendment means that we have fewer illegal immigrants than we would otherwise.  I don't see the problem with it.

4 - Amnesty is an Unfair and Imperfect Solution - But That's OK with Me

Again, I'm in favor of increasing the number of U.S. citizens.  Is it unfair to grant amnesty to current illegal immigrants and just let them in?  You bet, it is, because there are people doing it by the book who are going to have to wait in line behind them.  It's not a perfect solutions, but it's still the best solution I have heard.  All of those illegal immigrants would become citizens who could no longer be expected to work for low wages and they would no longer be hidden from society.

And, of course, some immigrants are really funny.  We should grant amnesty to anyone who can make SNL funny, again...

5 - A Further Solution Must be Found

This problem is happening because we stopped enforcing the law (or, we were unable to do so), and it needs a solution of some sort that will keep this problem from being a regular occurrence.  Maybe that means we build a stronger border fence, or maybe it means that we make legal immigration easier and less expensive so that people don't have to do it the wrong way.  Either way, I think something needs to change or we will have this discussion forever.

6 - Those Who Disagree With Me Should Try to Change the Law Rather than Ignore It

There are plenty who disagree with me and think that immigrants should not be obligated to have a legal status.  That's fine, we're all entitled to our opinions, but it's not a good solution is to ignore the immigration law and let anyone live here as they please.  That's not a good precedent because it means not enforcing a law that is in place.  If you think that open borders is the way to go then you should lobby the government to change the laws rather than asking the government to ignore them.

7 - Bad Arguments

I hear a lot of bad arguments about immigration.  Here are some things to avoid saying:

"We are a nation of immigrants!"

So is Mexico.  And Canada.  (With the exception of Native Americans, obviously.)  So, what?  This isn't about hating immigrants, it's about the problems caused by illegal immigration.  Let's solve those problems.  I'm all about encouraging immigrants and honoring the words on the Statue of Liberty.

"Illegal immigrants are taking our jobs and some of them are criminals that escaped from Mexican jails!  Let's repeal the 14th amendment!"

That's like saying you want to solve the drunk driving problem by letting the air out of everyone's car tires.  Legal citizens aren't causing the problems so repealing the 14th amendment won't fix any problems related to illegal immigration.  And I'm well aware that people come here just to have babies who will be legal citizens - I might do the same thing with my family in that situation.

"Didn't This Land Once Belong to Mexico?"

Yes, it did.  But I fail to see what this means in relation to immigration.  France owned parts of Texas in the past, but we don't let undocumented strangers wander around our neighborhoods just because they are carrying breadsticks and watching mimes.

"I think you should have more kids to deal with this problem."

I hope that sounds ridiculous to most of you, because I was horrified to find out that some people want to combat immigration by having more children.  This bizarre genealogical warfare is not stemming the tide of illegal immigrants into border towns, nor is it helping those immigrants to live a good life.  It's just a sick way of ensuring that the kids in your neighborhood don't look like Mexicans - and that's unacceptable.

"If we build a wall, people will just come in on boats!"

Duh.  But if you lived in a border town and saw new strangers in your neighborhood every week who outran the Mexican authorities to get into your town, you would appreciate a better fence.  Am I saying that all illegal immigrants from Mexico are criminals?  No, I'm not (but people who failed logic will assume that and try to burn me).  But border towns face an unfair burden in this dilemma, and I can see why a stronger wall would make them feel safer.

"Those people just want a happier life.  Will you deny them that life?"

I would love to see improvements to the quality of life in Mexico.  I don't mind encouraging legal immigration to help, and I don't mind encouraging a simpler immigration process if that's what we need to do (bear in mind, however, that the U.S. does have a friendly immigration process).  But I do grow weary of hearing people criticize the U.S. for building walls and enforcing immigration laws because of the problems that are faced by people in Mexico - I believe that those people are attacking the wrong problem.  If Mexico is such a bad place that people are willing to take great risks to leave it, then the problem is in Mexico and the international community should work to encourage improvements in Mexico rather than calling "shame" on the U.S.

(Of course, depending on who you ask, there are no problems in Mexico.  According to some, it's a fantastic place that is better than the United States in every way.  According to others, it's a terribly impoverished place and it's better to work for $1/hour in the U.S. then to stay there.  I've never been, so I really don't know, but there must be some reason that people are flooding into border states.)

So, there you have it.  I'm sure I'll regret saying this, but let me know what you think.

Friday Links: Ikea Ideas and Gay Rights Confusion

Instapundit had a link earlier this week to a blog called Ikea Hacker where people find new ways to put together Ikea stuff.  Sometimes they rearrange the parts, and sometimes they put two different pieces of furniture together to make something new.  For example, there's a cool hamster playground made from some desktop items (including an exercise wheel made from a lazy Susan) and a treadmill desk.  I love Ikea (I know, everyone tells me I'm not supposed to say that) and I'll be looking for an Ikea hack next time I go.  The site has some really good ideas.

   Pictured - A tiki torch that has been built from an Ikea oil and vinegar set.

Meanwhile, in Proposition 8 news, reader Joshua sent me this comic:

(Original is here.)  This is a good reminder that there's more to politics than Republicans vs. Democrats, and that you can't assume that someone's voting record tells you everything about them. 

Of course, not everyone would agree that the judge in this case was a Libertarian.  The Gay Patriot, for example, doesn't completely approve of this exercise of judicial power because it doesn't use the constitution enough, but simply pushes the ideology of the judge into our lives. 

But you're probably more surprised to find out that there are homosexuals who are law savvy that don't care for the recent proposition 8 ruling.  Most people don't realize that this judge's decision was not unanimously popular with gay rights supporters who are of a more Libertarian mindset because of the precedent it sets for putting the judge's feelings above other parts of the lawmaking process.  Rather than dancing in the streets at the downfall of proposition 8, they have been concerned about the role that the federal government is taking in our lives.  (If you're still the type of person who jumps to conclusions about someone based on their politics, you should know that Glenn Beck things gay marriage is just fine, even though President Obama opposes it.)

Have a good weekend.

3 Things You Never Say to a Medievalist

1 - "Do you, like, dress up in costumes and stuff?"


No. No. No.

When someone tells you that they on their way to a convention to study King Arthur or Viking longships, don't ask them if it's a dorky cosplay convention.  Preparing for a convention involves translating dead languages and comprehending obscure theologies - dress-up games are for kids.

Comparison -  Asking a medical student if he's studying anatomy to get better at playing Operation.

 "So, doctor, you must be pretty good at removing the funny bone."  "Yeah, but the bread basket was my major."

2 - "Do you study that stuff from 'The DaVinci Code?'"

We'll do no such thing.  Dan Brown's books are ridiculous - and they are made even more ridiculous by his repeated claim that they are historically accurate.  They aren't.  And no medievalist on their first day of class believes any single thing presented in that book because every word of it is completely untrue.

Comparison - Asking your ethics professor is Snakes and Ladders is going to be on the final exam.

 Actually, this game will teach you more than Dan Brown's books, so does Candy Land and slapping yourself in the face with a spoon..

3 - "What are you going to do with your degree?"


This is the worst question.  For us medievalists, it's simply a passion.  I would spend time getting lost in Viking legends and stories of medieval monsters for fun even if I never got paid to do it!  I do it because I love it.  And when people ask me what I'm going to do with my degree I have a hard time answering.  What are you going to do with your fishing rod?  Or your love of stamps?

Comparison - Asking someone what they are going to do with their Monopoly game pieces.

 "As flies to wanton boys are we to th' players, they bankrupt us for their sport!"

4 - Medieval studies does matter, however.

What your resident medievalist does really matters - and it's more important than a hobby even though most of us would continue our studies if we were unemployed.  Unlike many other fields of history, the middle ages is still a big question mark in many ways.  There are scores of unread documents that are just waiting for a new scholar to pick up and read (or, "tole lege," as we say).  Each generation of medievalists changes the field and helps us understand how our society became what it is, today.  Some historians have called this time in history the "proto-modern" era, because, at last, the foundations of modern life were being built.  But, for such an important time in history, it's remarkable that we are still in dark about things.   Most historical fields don't have so much left to learn, but the medievalist has entered into an exciting and changing field that is redefining what we know about our heritage at a rapid rate; which is remarkable when you realize that most areas of history, such as Civil War studies or popular WWII subjects, are so well known to us that there is little (if any) new ground to tread upon - we already know the lessons of those times.  But the medievalists are still sorting papers, digging up artifacts, and learning how to properly see the middle ages.  It's a fantastic field that needs our attention.

(Photo credit - that picture of the enormous game of Operation comes from this website about large board games that are for sale.)

Christians vs. Strippers - The Epic Showdown

Pastor Bill Dunfee noticed that a strip club had opened up in his town.  This was serious, and there was really only one course of action - shut them down with extreme prejudice.

Simple protesting being a thing for amateurs, he encouraged his congregation to film the people going inside and to report their whereabouts to their friends and family.  They've also stood outside to block traffic, and blasted people with bullhorns as they tried to go inside.  (Of course, this doesn't deter anyone who was going in there to relive stress.)

When asked about the owner of the strip club, the Pastor Dunfrees replied with words of kind sophistry:

"Tom George is a parasite, a man without judgment," Dunfee said. "The word of Jesus Christ says you cannot share territory with the devil."

I have no idea what that means.  Does he think that Mephistopheles shares a land grant with him because of that strip club?  (Mind you, the club is 7 miles away.)  It's important for us to update our ideas about cosmology and such since we are not in the middle ages any longer.  A strip club down the street doesn't make your church less holy - only your personal devotion can determine your walk with God.  Your neighbors can't affect that.  But, I digress.

The strippers put on their favorite Helen Reddy songs and decided to fight back.  Now, they protest in front of the church on Sunday mornings wearing sexy clothes and attracting potential clients to their club.  So, thanks to this church's less-than-model behavior, the church members can't go to a service without wading through a sea of strippers.  (That's probably the weirdest thing I've ever typed.)

And I don't want to be rude about this, but all of this happened because the church did not act wisely, and that church has now become a national laughing stock because of their immature actions.  Do you think anyone in the press is going to treat the church members nicely when reporting this?  Not likely.  It's an ugly situation that isn't going to get any better while the two sides demonize each other and insist on being enemies.

I'm truly sorry that everyone involved in that strip club now only knows Christians as judgmental and hateful people.  This could have been avoided.

(George Duncan over at End Times Tavern alerted me to this story.)