Wed 20 Feb 2008
One of the biggest hot buttons in the Unites States today is our country’s immigration policy. Everyone has an opinion about it, and I would venture to guess that most people believe as I do that legal immigration is what our country was built upon, while illegal immigration is tearing it apart.
I’ve always been a great believer in “give me your tired and your poor, your humbled 
masses yearning to be free.” Ellis Island saw nearly 12 million people pass into our country in the years between 1892 and 1954 in search of economic opportunity and the chance to live in a society where freedom of speech and religion is as valuable as the air we breathe.
I even have empathy for the illegal immigrants who come to this country to escape the dangers of drug trade, dictatorship and/or poverty. I wish there were a way that we could take all of them in, but the sad fact is that we cannot. More importantly, we should not.
Why?
The simple answer is that they take jobs away from legal Americans who pay taxes, and they put a huge strain on our country’s infrastructure. One could argue that away, though, saying that they do the jobs no “real” American would want to take, and our infrastructure could use some shoring up anyway.
Frankly, I don’t believe the first part — those jobs are the very ones our young people have traditionally taken. They are the jobs that taught the youth of the past the value of
hard work, loyalty and a job well done. Today’s youth have not been given the same opportunity to learn those lessons, and the fact that they’ve never learned them is taking its toll on our society.
As for our infrastructure, it could use some shoring up, but the added strain all these extra people cause is speeding up the process. The sad fact is that our government can ill afford anything that hastens the need for road repairs, new schools, bigger jails, etc., yet it is being forced to fund these things with increasingly large chunks of change.
Still, some people would argue that, by allowing illegal immigrants to live here, we are performing a greater social good. We are allowing millions to improve their lives and the lives of their families. On a micro-economic scale, that statement would be true, but when you look at the big picture of macro-economics, the statement couldn’t be more false.
If you don’t believe me, take six minutes to watch the following video, which spelled out the problem better than anything I’ve seen, read or heard. For me, watching the video was a huge “aha!” moment that points out the issues behind the issues. No matter what your beliefs are concerning immigration, this video (given the unlikely name, “Immigration Gumballs” will have a profound effect on you.
Immigration Gumballs
To see the full, unedited 13 minute video, select the link below:
Stumble It!
February 20th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Thoughtful article!
One way to get involved more on illegal immagration, is to go to govit.com and vote. You can have your vote sent direct to your reps
http://www.govit.com/H_R_4987/To_require_construction_of_fencing_and_security_improvements/
March 1st, 2008 at 12:35 am
Great article Maggy. Very interesting. But hey, the extra kids keep me employed. yes, 1965 was a pivotal year in American History. Immigration reform and the creation of the modern welfare state.
August 24th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Good ideas. Added links on my site
June 18th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
As to the article (by Maggy), I see many valid points in what you are saying. Especially that the jobs being taken were typically done by our youths in the past.
But as for the video: Its a subtle manipulation in the vein of PT Barnum “there’s a sucker born every minute”. It is a card trick. It dazzles with astonishing skewed numbers and clouds the mind with razzle-dazzle charts. It is basically a Jedi Mind Trick.
I guess if you set the left side of your chart at 200 million people, it *does* look pretty terrifying.
But if you (more correctly) use “0″ as the bottom left corner of the chart, then you can see that the chart used in this video is meant to manipulate the audience. In fact, the graphic representation of the chart exaggerates the issue to the extreme. It is nearly comical, except to the extent that people are so easily fooled by it.
I do like the idea that he clouds the issue more by adding in “Immigrants and Descendants …” Yeah! Damn foreigners! Those descendants (children, grand children, great-grandchildren, etc) of Immigrants are foreigners should stay out! Oh … wait a second … that includes most people reading this - in fact, that includes Roy Beck, the person giving the presentation in the video.
Among his many misleading manipulations, he fails to label the lower portion (in green) as *also* “Immigrants and Descendants”. You see, unless you’re a descendant of Native Americans (like me, BTW), you are “part of the problem” which is precisely described in the video.
The gumball dog-and-pony show is a straw man argument if ever there were one. I’ve never heard anyone claim that we should send out the U.S. Armed Forces to scoop up every single oppressed person and bring them here.
His use of these charts and gumballs just goes to show you:
Figures lie and liars figure.
He’s pretty masterful. They’re eating out of the palm of his hand. I’ve gotta respect that. In fact, I’m a little jealous. I wish I could blank people’s minds like a Jedi and make them believe whatever I say.