For purposes of this post, Polimom wants to focus on Mexico.
No matter how many ways I look at the illegal immigration issues, and the House v. Senate approaches, I can’t help feeling we’re missing the boat.
For any solution to be considered comprehensive, it must answer why people are so determined to come here.
Folks have, of course, discussed this question, but it’s always in terms of our common humanity; the economy there, quite frankly, sucks, and people are trying to improve their lives. We all understand their situation, and sympathize (or at least, Polimom does).
But let’s stop right there.
Securing the borders doesn’t do anything to answer that foundational question. Guest worker programs won’t address it. Amnesty (even if I thought the Senate Bill said that, and I don’t) won’t fix it.
People will continue to look north as a way to find more opportunity, no matter which plan or compromise is adopted.
Have I missed an important amendment somewhere? Surely someone has added something to all this complicated and divisive legislation that addresses the systemic problems in Mexico?
If they haven’t, then we’re just flushing our money down the toilet, because all of our proposed solutions are nothing more than band-aids that in no way close the wound.
Myself, I think we should be strongly requesting (and even assisting with incentives or something) Mexico’s participation in a solution, particularly with economic and political adjustments that are so obviously needed.
I understand that they’re a sovereign nation. I also understand that Mexico’s government has, at the moment, little or no incentive to reduce the flow of illegal immigrants to the United States; we’re an escape valve that is enabling Mexico’s system to maintain its currently corrupt methods. (Ha! We’re enablers!)
But Is that that? End of story?
Has anybody but me been wondering about this?