TR and Today's Issues

I was browsing through the History Channel's website today and came across an interesting quiz, The Citizenship Quiz. I took the full version and scored a 98%. I didn't know the number of Representatives in the House and I didn't think about the history question on wars of the 1800's.
There was a link to the official USCIS website and I found this on the FAQ page:

"What study materials are available to help applicants prepare for the new test?
USCIS has a range of study materials available for the new naturalization test. These include the 100 civics (history and government) questions and answers in English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, and Vietnamese; Civics Flash Cards for the New Naturalization Test, and Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons for the New Naturalization Test. Additionally, there are vocabulary lists that contain the terms that will be used for the English reading and writing tests."

This started me thinking about English as the National Language issue. That lead me to look for the Teddy Roosevelt [one of my two favorite presidents] quote about being an American. I found several interesting quotes at Brainy Quotes.
"Every immigrant who comes here should be required within five years to learn English or leave the country."
"There can be no fifty-fifty Americanism in this country. There is room here for only 100% Americanism, only for those who are Americans and nothing else."
And
"We can have no "50-50" allegiance in this country. Either a man is an American and nothing else, or he is not an American at all."
"The man who loves other countries as much as his own stands on a level with the man who loves other women as much as he loves his own wife."

If people want to be American citizens let them speak English in public. If they wish to speak their Native language at home, with other immigrants from the same country and teach it to their children, FINE. But let there be no more bi-lingual signs in public spaces, no more bi-lingual government forms. Either you are fluent in English or you LEARN, but there will be NO more pandering by government to non-English speakers. Does the Mexican government print their forms in English and Spanish to accommodate English speakers? Do they allow illegal immigrants from El Norte to remain in Mexico, working there? I think NOT.
Also, there should be a ban on terms of “Something – American.” You are either a citizen or you're not. You may have come here from another country, but once you have gone through the process of becoming a CITIZEN, you are an American. Part of the process of Naturalization is swearing allegiance to the US of A, ONLY. Not to Mexico and America, or China and America or anywhere else and America. One of the responsibilities of a Citizen is to be LOYAL to America.

And if you are Black, and born here, you are an American! Not an African- or Afro-American. Your ancestors were freed from slavery here in America more than 140 years ago! If someone high up in your family tree was captured and sold by Mohammedan slave traders or a rival tribe in 17- or 18-something, that doesn't make you African. It makes you an American.

Now TR was our 26th President and took office in 1901 after McKinley was assassinated. 100+ years later, I think we could use some “retro- sensibility”. We need to remind ourselves and everyone we know what this wise man had to say about immigration, the law and the economy.

The issue of immigration, for me anyway, comes down to a question of fairness. Why should we reward illegal activity, by any immigrant, by granting them amnesty? What about the millions of citizens who immigrated LEGALLY? Why did they have to wait years and years in some cases to be legally admitted to this country? Because they were following the LAW.

TR had these thoughts on the law:
“Obedience of the law is demanded; not asked as a favor.”
“No man is above the law and no man is below it: nor do we ask any man's permission when we ask him to obey it.”
So why are we allowing 12 million ILLEGAL immigrants to break our laws? Why are we not clamoring for the current laws to be enforced?

And the economy?
I feel certain TR would have carried his “big stick” into the halls of government if he had heard of the proposed [and implemented in part] economic policies promulgated by the current Administration.
“The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life.”
“It is difficult to make our material condition better by the best law, but it is easy enough to ruin it by bad laws.”
I think the above quotes are self-explanatory in relation to our current economic crises. Or maybe I'll expound on this in a subsequent post.

An Illegal Immigration Rant

I just read this at Dragon Watch:
This is what our "hard working neighbors from the South are doing for us!
Stolen from the BMEWS
2006 (First Quarter) INS/FBI Statistical Report on Undocumented Immigrants
CRIME
95 % of Warrants in LOS ANGELES are for ILLEGAL ALIENS
83 % of Warrants for MURDER in Phoenix Arizona are FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS
86 % of Warrants for MURDER in Albuquerque New Mexico are for ILLEGAL ALIENS
75 % of those on the most wanted list in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Albuquerque are ILLEGAL ALIENS
24.9 % OF ALL INMATES in California detention centers are Mexican Nationals here ILLEGALLY 40.1 % of all inmates in Arizona detention centers are Mexican Nationals here ILLEGALLY
29 % (630,000) Convicted ILLEGAL ALIENS felons fill our state and federal prisons at the cost of $1.5 Billion Annually
53 % Plus of all investigated burglaries reported in California, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and Texas are perpetrated by ILLEGAL ALIENS
50 % Plus of all gang members in Los Angeles are ILLEGAL ALIENS
71 % Plus of all apprehended Cars stolen in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California were stolen by ILLEGAL ALIENS or “Transport Coyotes “
47 % of cited / stopped Drivers in California have NO License, NO Insurance, and NO Registration for the vehicle of that 47 %, over 92 % were ILLEGAL ALIENS
63 % of cited / stopped Drivers in Arizona have NO License, NO Insurance, and NO Registration for the vehicle of that 63 %, over 97 % are ILLEGAL ALIENS
66 % of cited / stopped Drivers in New Mexico have NO License, NO Insurance, and NO Registration for the vehicle Of that 66 %, over 98 % were ILLEGAL ALIENS

BIRTHS
380,000 Plus “ANCHOR BABIES” were born in the U.S. in 2005 to ILLEGAL ALIEN PARENTS, making 380,000 babies automatically U.S. Citizens
97.2% of all costs incurred from those births were paid for by American taxpayers.
66 % OF all births in California are to illegal alien Mexicans on Medi-Cal whose births were paid by taxpayers

HOUSING
300,000 plus illegal aliens in Los Angeles Country are living in garages
Nearly 60 % of all occupants of HUD properties in the United States are illegal aliens.

TV & RADIO STATIONS
14 out of 31 TV stations in L.A. are Spanish only
16 out of 28 TV stations in Phoenix are Spanish only
15 out of 24 TV stations in Albuquerque are Spanish only
21 radio stations in Los Angeles are Spanish only
17 radio stations in Albuquerque are Spanish only

SCHOOLS
34% plus of Arizona students in grades 1-12 are illegal aliens and 24% plus are non-English speaking
39% plus of California students in grades 1-12 are illegal aliens and 42% plus are non-English speaking.
In Los Angeles County, 5.1 million people speak English - 3.9 million speak Spanish

SOCIAL SERVICES
43 % of all Food Stamps issued are to illegal aliens
41 % of all Unemployment Checks in the United States are to illegal aliens
58 % of all Welfare payments in the United States are issued to illegal aliens
Less than 2 % of illegal aliens are picking crops but 41 % are on welfare

POPULATION
Over 70% of the U.S. annual population growth (and over 90% of CA, FL, and NY) results from immigration

EMPLOYER PROFITS
The estimated profit to U.S. corporations and businesses employing illegal aliens in 2005 was more than 2.36 trillion

TAXES
62 % of all “undocumented immigrants” in the U.S. are working for cash and not paying taxes, predominantly illegal aliens are working without a green card
The cost of immigration to the American taxpayer in 1997 (last known calculation by Professor Donald Huddle, Rice University) was a NET (after subtracting taxes immigrants pay), $70 Billion per year. [What are the 2006 costs?]
The lifetime fiscal impact (taxes paid minus services used) for the average illegal alien is $55,000 cost to the American taxpayer in a 5-year span. You personally pay $11,000 every year to illegal aliens.

JOBS (per Center for Immigration Studies - September 2006):
Between 2000 and 2005, 4.1 million immigrant workers arrived in the U.S., accounting for 86% of the net increase in the total number of employed persons (16 & older), the highest share ever recorded in the U.S.
Of the 4.1 million, between 1.4 and 2.7 million are estimated to be illegal aliens.
Also, between 2000 and 2005, the number of young (16 to 34) native-born men employed declined by 1.7 million - at the same time, the number of new male immigrant workers increased by 1.9 million. [Do you still believe the gov’t employment rate stats?] This is unsustainable. Spread it, till every one hears.
Posted by DW at 4:41 AM

Why do we continue to tolerate this BS? Now that DW has edumacated me, I've passed it on to you. I will be calling John Cornyn at 202-224-2934 and Kay Bailey Hutchison at 202 224-5922 TODAY! They are the Senators for TX. I'll also be calling my U.S. Representative Michael Burgess, for those of you also represented by him, his # is 202-225-7772. For those of you who don't know WHO your local representative or Senators are, call your newspaper or Library. They will be happy to inform you and give you contact info. But please, take a few minutes and attend to this Today or Monday. Before we're all speaking Spanish.

Seis de Mayo

I read a really bad joke about the 5th of May...you can read it on Law Dog's page. Just click on my link...over there on your right, in the link section. But, I warn y'all, it's a groaner.

It's kinda strange, when I stop to think about it. Mexico has had this holiday since 1862. But it wasn't a big holiday HERE, in the Texas, until about what...1985 or so? Why? Did the numbers of Mexican immigrants, legal and illegal, reach a level that it finally became profitable for marketers of beer and other party supplies to sit up and take notice? Or is it something else.

I first started to REALLY notice the big City-wide, city sponsored celebrations in the mid-90's. That was about the same time we began to be inundated with the diseases of Political Correctness and Diversity, IIRC. Politicians were starting to court more "minority" votes and so this Mexican National Holiday became a day for them to make appearances among their Hispanic voters. A day to "press the flesh", get some "face time" with potential voters, register voters, and present themselves as a"Friend to the Hispanic Community".

Now, some of those same political panderers want to grant full citizenship to aliens who snuck into our country illegally. They want to do this so those aliens will be able to vote for them, thinking the "New Citizens" will be forever grateful to their "patrons" for granting them citizenship and the rights that accompany it. There's just one problem with their little plan... humans, as a general rule, rarely value that which they have not EARNED! And these illegal aliens, the ones who swam the river, or snuck in under, over or through the fence, or came in with the assistance of a coyotero, haven't earned the right to be citizens. I don't care if they have been here 2 months or 20 years, if they cut in line to get here, they didn't earn the right to be here! If they haven't been paying Social Security and Income taxes, they don't have a right to be here! And they should go back to the country which gave them birth whether that is Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, or some other Central or South American country or it's a different third world nation. We have enough UN-educated, UN-skilled labor in this country already. How about we increase the quota of educated, skilled immigrants we allowed in from Europe and Asia and decrease the number of immigrants we allowed from our Southern border, unless they can prove they are in possession of a skill or knowledge our workforce needs?

And how about we put pressure on our politicians to STOP using OUR tax dollars to celebrate a Mexican National Holiday? I mean, really, how hard is it to defeat a French occupation force, anyway? Unless, and until, Mexico wants to start funding July 4th and April 21st celebrations.

The High Costs of Illegal Immigration

I copied the below from Chuck Z's blog:

From the L.A. Times (Ack. Spit)
1. 40% of all workers in L.A. County (L.A. County has 10.2 million people) are working for cash and not paying taxes. This was because they are predominantly illegal immigrants, working without a green card.
2. 95% of warrants for murder in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens.
3. 75% of people on the most wanted list in Los Angeles are illegal aliens.
4. Over 2/3 of all births in Los Angeles County are to illegal alien Mexicans on Medi-Cal, whose births were paid for by taxpayers.
5. Nearly 25% of all inmates in California detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally.
6. Over 300,000 illegal aliens in Los Angeles County are living in garages.
7. The FBI reports half of all gang members in Los Angeles are most likely illegal aliens from south of the border.
8. Nearly 60% of all occupants of HUD properties are illegal.
9. 21 radio stations in L.A. are Spanish speaking.
10. In L.A. County 5.1 million people speak English, 3.9 million speak Spanish.(There are 10.2 million people in L.A. County, so approx. 1.2 million people speak something other than English or Spanish, prolly Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, or Dutch).(All the above from the Los Angeles Times) (Ack. Spit)
Less than 2% of illegal aliens are picking our crops, but 29% are on welfare.

Over 70% of the United States ' annual population growth (and over 90% of California , Florida , and New York ) results from immigration.
The cost of immigration to the American taxpayer in 1997 was, (after subtracting taxes immigrants pay), a NET $70 BILLION/year, [Professor Donald Huddle, Rice University ].
The lifetime fiscal impact (taxes paid minus services used) for the average adult Mexican immigrant is a NEGATIVE number. (That mans other people pay for it--you and me.)

29% of inmates in federal prisons are illegal aliens. (We should have a special section of law--if you're arrested for any crime, and are here illegally, we kill you and shoot your body over the border with a big catapult.)

If they can come to this country to raise Hell and demonstrate by the thousands, WHY can't they take charge over the corruption in their own country?
Because the MexGov a) Supports their protests; b)would crush them if they tried it at home; and c) they know we'll feel sorry for them and rush to meet their "needs."

We cannot afford the cost of illegal immigration. If immigrants want to come here, assimilate, pay taxes, obey the law and have marketable skills, let them in. Otherwise, send them home...NOW.

Illegal Immigration, A bad idea

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith, becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American... There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Maybe it's because I'm getting more mature, or maybe it's because the times they are a changin', but TR has been replacin' FDR as my favored Roosevelt over the last few years.
The above excerpt succintly states all that is at the heart of the current immigration debate. The political rhetoric, on both sides, is vitriolic subterfuge, meant for media sound bytes, and vote courting.
Our Congress critters are, by and large, more concerned with fund raising and reelection than policies that will serve the long-term public welfare. And I most certainly do NOT mean welfare programs for Illegal Immigrants, including health care for them and their children {even if they are born here} and education for the children of illegal immigrants who are sending a collective $200 million out of this country every year. WHAT PART OF ILLEGAL DON'T THEY UNDERSTAND?!?!?!?
I am not against health care or education for immigrant children, as long as they and their parents are here LEGALLY. They must be attempting to assimilate into American culture, and learn and become fluent in English.

I am for a cap on Immigration limits. Five million immigrants per year from Mexico is four million too many. Are you aware that Mexico has more billionares living within its borders than any other Latin American country? Should the government of Mexico see fit, they could improve their own infrastructure so that so many of their citizens would not find it necessary to flee to "El Norte" to seek the opportunity for a better life for themselves and their families.

The United States has been a land of generosity for too long. Too many people have come here with an outstretched palm, seeking welfare instead of working to better themselves. The culture into which many immigrants are born, and I will be bold enough to call it what it is and risk sounding like an honest amateur sociologist/anthropoligist or a bigot depending on the reader's opinion and education and political leanings, teaches them to grab whatever you can get from whatever source you can get it. If someone is richer than you, they should share their bounty with you. It doesn't matter that the prosperous may be prosperous because they worked hard, or they saved their earnings, or they studied in school or they risked their earnings in investments that paid off and got lucky, what matters to the poor is that the prosperous have wealth and the poor think that the prosperous should share with the poor just because the poor want it.

Another reason I am againt the downtrodden illegal immigrants is that it is really difficult to tell them from the terrorists in a group crossing the border at night. Illegal immigration by terrorists across our borders should have been stopped about 5 years before September 11. 2001. Another failure of Slick Willie. {OMG, I just heard several long time friends grab their chests, and choke and sputter}

Get ready, long time friends and neighbors. The drug traffickers crossing the borders should have been stopped 30 years ago. The time to legalize drugs like marijuana and tax the holy he(( out of it has come. We need the money, people aren't gonna quit smokin' it and it'll give tobacco farmers in Virginia and the Carolinas another crop to grow. Stop the smugglers at the border, they are another form of illegal border crosser. And while we're at it, let's allow the Border Patrol AND the National Guard to shoot armed smugglers and coyoteros as soon as they point any weapon at any LEO or any innocent.

Well, that's pretty much my case in a nut shell. The Minuteman Project can be found through Google. I enjoyed listening to their speeches, reading their website, and think they make some very valid points. I don't totally agree with them, but then, I don't totally agree with anyone.

I did peruse some website I found through my Google bar for products related to The Minuteman Proj. Found a couple of good Tees. I offered
to get one for my daughter's boyfriend's Dad. He just moved to Phoenix. It has a pic of a Saguaro cactus and the words, " Arizona, Mexico's Bitch". Haven't heard from Jim yet about my offer.
The one I'm gonna order for me has the Twin Towers against that beautiful blue sky from that day, with the smoke rising from the holes. The caption reads : "Illegal Immigration Should Have Stopped on September 12, 2001."
That's All, Folks,
HollyB