God Bless America, Land that I love, Stand beside her and guide her...

Hi Folks!  Patriette here, weighing in on the great immigration debate. 

I am a first generation American.  I am willing to stake a few bucks on the fact that the majority of people 40 years and younger in our country don't even KNOW what the term "first generation American" means.  My Grampa left Italy and his wife and my dad to come to the land of opportunity.  He was able to get a Canadian visa and because of his mining experience in NE Italy, he was able to get work at the tail end of the Klondike gold rush. 

After the area hit a "borrasca" (opposite of "bonanza" for you non-mining types...) Grampa did what every other foreigner did; he  somehow crossed into America (I don't know what his status was), worked his ass off and because of WWI had to wait almost 10 years before he was able to bring my Gramma and my Dad to America.

Grampa declared his intent after a few years and relinquished his Italian citizenship for the United States of America.  Grampa learned English.  He was able to successfully take care of his family.  He NEVER waved an Italian flag.  He was an American through and through; to the point that he and Gramma (who also became a naturalized citizen) insisted everybody speak English in their new "land".  They are interred in California, in the United States of America. 

Fast forward a few years:  My Dad, an Italian citizen met my Mom, a British citizen in Redwood City, CA.  Mom worked for her father, also a US naturalized citizen, along with her Mum, who became a US naturalized citizen also.  When Mom and Dad decided to marry after dating for 5 1/2 years they also declared their intent to become citizens of the United States of America.  This was shortly after the US decision to enter WWII. 

Dad became a citizen of the greatest nation in the world on a Tuesday and the next day, Wednesday, he went to the Selective Service Board and told them he wanted to serve his country and fight for others to defend the liberties that he so cherished himself.  Because he was 28 years old the SSB told Dad that he was a little on the "old" side; he was married, and a father of a baby girl (my eldest sister).  Dad insisted on helping in the war effort any way he could.  They asked him if he knew how to do anything, and in FLAWLESS ENGLISH my Dad told them he was a trained union (IBEW) electrician.  They sent him to China Basin, San Francisco (they lived on the Peninsula at the time) and Dad wired the engine rooms aboard the US Navy battleships.  Dad said they had Greeks, Portugues, Italians, Slavs, you name it, they were there working for their new country. 

Fast forward a few more years...The Vietnam War...my brother, also a first-generation American did not wait to be drafted.  He had an AA degree in electronics and said he wanted to serve his country.  He joined the USAF and at that time spent his 3 1/2 years on various SAC airbases (which the USAF no longer has.)  OK, he is not a war vet; but he did serve his country with honor. 

What is the point of all this?  Like our Congress, I am torn between what to do in this illegal immigration slop that we have allowed ourselves to get into.  We recognize that the amnesty program President Reagan and his advisors (let's be real, the President of any administration may take the credit or the blame, but the advisors have a lot of clout) took to their Congress didn't work.  We have almost tripled the amount of illegal aliens SINCE that attempt at fixing the problem.  I think we all realize that to actually and successfully find every single illegal alien in this country and send them home is a financial as well as logistical impossibility. 

I have reviewed the Kennedy/McCain bill.  First of all, why John McCain continues to rub elbows with Teddy is beyond me.  I am all for bi-partisanship; however, the big difference is that McCain, at least in the interview I saw this week, said that he was supportive of President Bush.  WE WILL NEVER HEAR A KENNEDY SAY THAT.  Also, Teddy is going on to equate this bill with the Civil Rights Bill under the LBJ administration (1969?).  Oh, I'm sorry, I thought the Civil Rights Bill was directly aimed at equality for OUR CITIZENS.  I guess this is another reworking of history.  I recall LaHilary comparing this bill to "kicking Jesus out of the country". 

Now, let me tell you what Patriette wants: 

1. Will someone build that damn fence on the borders?  PLEASE!  This is where our first several billion dollars needs to be spent. 
2. Rush Limbaugh brought up a good point today (Thursday, March 30) on his program when he said, "So where are the 'DISINCENTIVES' to coming here illegally?"  He makes a good point.  So have other members of Congress, who because they don't have the celebrity of McCain, Kennedy, LaHilary, etc. we, the people, are not routinely aware that bills have been introduced previous to this one, and those bills are not nearly as generous as the Kennedy/McCain bill. Although, on paper, I honestly understand this is NOT amnesty, that it is NOT a give away program, that the learning of English is a requirement for citizenship, a regular job, criminal background checks, etc. all going hand in hand to helping the illegal immigrant get a hand up, not a hand out...it still rankles, I think for folks who are here legally.  However, because I never found my grampa's visa, etc. in the family documents box, I am not sure about how "legal" he was either.  That was also 1912-- a LONG TIME AGO...almost 100 years. 
3. As a side issue, were you folks as PO'd as I was watching that Latino teenager waving his Mexican flag ON UNITED STATES SOIL, IN A SCHOOL UNITED STATES TAXPAYERS PAID FOR, RECEIVING A FREE EDUCATION?  Who the hell does that POS think he is?  Where are our kids waving the USA flag?  Oh, sorry, that's not politically correct.  We don't want minority peoples to feel disenfranchised.  Patriette gives that a big "Bull Shit".

We need to have Congress appropriate funds to build the fence, position better surveillance/tracking devices on our borders.  Put into law that ENGLISH is the language of our country and make it an absolute requirement for US citizenship.  For the 8 million plus illegals in our country, I understand the Kennedy/McCain bill is not the "disincentive" many conservatives desire.  However, finding these folks, shipping 'em home without the big FENCE in place, what's the point?  They can turn around and come right back in.  They do, and they will. 

Forget shipping the bad guys back after criminal checks.  Do you think the Mexican government will incarcerate them?  Hell, no, those are Mexican citizens.  They only incarcerate foreigners, like Americans.  Incarcerate them here.  They will find many a "companero" in our US prison system.  Plus, they will get to hear Paul Rodriguez, a Mexican-American comedian.  He is extremely funny.  He is to comedy what Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard were to country music.  They all played to captive audiences (snicker). 

Finally, until we prosecute and fine the companies and agri-businesses that hire illegals to work for them, nothing will be done to end the problem.  For those that have spent the majority of their lives here, illegally, I honestly hope that if this bill passes, they will come forward, declare their desire to "make good" and then burn their old country's flags in favor of flying the Red, White and Blue of the nation that everyone wants to come to; whether they do so legally or otherwise.

Patri-ette

Comments

[SemperFi]

This second-generation German remembers the stories of his paternal grandfather coming through Ellis Island — LEGALLY! — as a young boy, learning ENGLISH, learning a TRADE, and eventually ending up as a plant manager for a major manufacturer. His son, my father, went on to similar success as an American. The only German word I ever heard from either one of them was "hunt," which I believe means "dog." The only flag I ever saw flown was The Stars and Stripes. The only time "German" was mentioned was as part of the name for a certain kind of potato salad. Said another way, when my grandfather came to America, the primary motive was to become American — not bring a piece of Germany, nor the German flag, nor the German language to dilute and despoil the American culture.