Sunday, April 30, 2006

Illegal & Darned Proud Of It

[by Mary Mostert, Analyst, Banner of Liberty. Reposted with permission]

Activists for illegal aliens have proposed a boycott on May 1st to show, presumably, American citizens their power by staying away from work. Apparently they believe that by staying away from work it will prove that we American citizens cannot possibly function without them.

We are told that there are 10-12 million illegal aliens in this country – not all of whom are in the workforce, but millions are. They think that ''A Day Without an Immigrant'' could paralyze businesses such as farms, hotels, restaurants, hospitals and construction firms that are dependent on immigrants for much of their unskilled workforce – and, in construction, for much of the skilled workforce.

As you might expect, in America, that threat promptly generated ANOTHER idea. Mac Johnson writing for Human Events, has proposed that the rest of us use May 1, the traditional socialist labor union holiday, as a “Conservative Shopping Day.” He points out that, should the boycott take place, we will all be able to identify the businesses who are hiring illegal aliens and avoid spending our money there in the future.

Now, that is a plan I can enthusiastically support. I simply don’t believe that it is fair to put all the blame on the illegal aliens, who are, admittedly, breaking the law, when, if it were not for Americans breaking American law also by HIRING illegal aliens, most of them would not come or would go home when they found they cannot get a job. I particularly believe it is unfair to treat children, who did not make the decision to sneak into the USA, the villains after they turn the magic age of 18 by making them take the punishment for what their parents did.

My first reaction to hearing about illegal aliens marching in protest in cities across America was that they were making it really easy for law enforcement and the immigration department to locate them. That didn’t seem to me to be a very smart thing for time to do, but the marches came and went and apparently no one bothered to ask to see their papers at the end of the marches.

This seems to be related to a totally incorrect notion that the police have to KNOW you have done something illegal before asking you for you identification. Since it is not the police who have the authority to judge who is guilty and who is innocent, under the U.S. Constitution, all the police actually need to find is a probable cause to arrest someone. It is up to the courts to sort out their actual guilt or innocence – and we are all innocent under US law until we are PROVEN guilty in a court of law.

For example, if the police come across a situation where a man is lying on the ground with a bullet in his head and nearby there is a man holding a gun, they do not have to PROVE that the man holding the gun actually did the shooting. After all, he may have just picked up the gun after someone ELSE shot the victim. And, the police would not have to PROVE that people marching for the “right” of illegal aliens to break US laws were actually illegal aliens. But, obviously, many of them were and it would be logical police work for them to ask to see their proof of citizenship or valid visa.

The fact that that didn’t happen indicates to me that there really isn’t a sincere desire on the part of most Americans to actually DO anything about illegal aliens.

That is why I like Mac Johnson’s “Conservative Shopping Day.” intrigues me. Johnson noted that “The aim of the boycott is to demonstrate the purchasing power of the 11 million immigration criminals demanding amnesty…. If the boycott and strike are successful, this means that May 1 will be A DAY WITHOUT ILLEGAL ALIENS! Lines will be shorter. Clerks will all speak English. Businesses that have been honest enough to hire legal residents will be poised to finally enjoy a competitive advantage! It will be morning again in America. Every actual American should make a point to get out and support those businesses and counteract the criminal boycott movement.”

Inasmuch as it does not appear that the US Government and the local law enforcement agencies have either the inclination or the legal framework needed to identify those millions of illegal aliens and their employers, what more could we ask for than they decide to identify themselves on nationwide television? If they are needed, we could quickly find out they are needed. If they are not needed for our economy to survive, then we could round them up and escort them back to the border while arresting their employers.

So, it is my hope that on Monday the illegal aliens WILL stay away from work and school and that those who would like to support businesses who do not break the law by hiring illegal aliens WILL go out and buy stuff – whether they need it or not. We might be able to quickly come to decision as a nation, WITHOUT the congress passing any law, as to whether or not we need 11 or 12 million illegal aliens and the businesses that hire them. If we do, we change our laws. If we don’t, then we might even decide to enforce the laws we already have that makes it illegal for aliens to sneak into the country with false or no papers and illegal for American employers to employ aliens who are here illegally.

Unfortunately, the last time I checked, it was the Latino activists who were getting cold feet about the boycott. Apparently, many illegal aliens have decided they better not push their luck by staying away from work AGAIN so soon after the nationwide marches that took place in April.