What Did You Do To Win The Iraq War?

A group called Freedom's Watch is starting an ad campaign to convince wavering politicians not to "cut and run." The campaign has inflamed anti-war activists who claim the war is lost, we need to pull out. If the anti-war activists really want us out of Iraq, what are they doing about it, other than complaining? The simplest way to get our troops home is to win the war, so what are activists doing to win the war.

The biggest complaint seems to be "this is a war for oil." If this were true, and the point is simply to feed America's need for oil, activists should be fighting to use less oil. How much oil was do you think was wasted by Cindy Sheehan's movement. Every car that drove a supporter, every plastic cup that a protester drank from, every bottle of water used, all came from oil. If you believe we're there for oil, stop using so much of it.

If you believe that the war is not effective as a means of stopping terrorists, you should be working to secure our borders. How can we protect ourselves if we don't know who is crossing our borders?

In World War II, every American fought the war. Food and energy were rationed. Since then, American citizens have looked at wars as something that just the military fights. That simply isn't the case. If you want to stop a war, then do something to win it. Don't just whine.

Immigration Activist Elvira Arellano Arrest Overdue

Elvira Arellano was arrested on Sunday. Immigration activists are protesting the arrest. What are they protesting? The fact that the law was upheld.

Elvira Arellano was deported in 1997, after moving to Washington State illegally. In 2000, she returned to the United States illegally, moved to Illinois and was arrested in 2002 for working under a false social security number. She was told to report to authorities last August. Instead, she claimed sanctuary, hiding in a storefront church in Chicago. She left the church for the first time so she could go to another church to speak out against immigration reform. After visiting three Churches, she was arrested and deported in Los Angeles before she could attend a fourth.

Javier Rodriguez, a Chicago immigration activist who worked with Arellano stated, "How dare they arrest this woman?"

How dare they? How dare they not? She broke the law twice, defied the order of the authorities, and was working to encourage others to break the law. During her arrest and deportation she was not harmed or harassed. She was picked up, her paperwork was processed, and she was handed over to Mexican officials in Tijuana.

This is exactly how these situations should be handled. No one was harmed or humiliated. It was simply a matter of the law being upheld. Arellano broke the law twice by entering illegally. She had a son, who by the benefit of being born while she was here illegally, is a U.S. citizen. She was given the option of taking him with her or allowing him to stay. She allowed him to stay.

Her rights were not violated. She broke the law. She consciously worked to evade capture. She was arrested and deported. The activists have nothing that they should
be complaining about.

New Haven Welcomes Terrorists

Never mind sending us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free. New Haven, Connecticut raised the stakes yesterday by starting its municipal identification program. The program, which provides identification cards to resident of the city, has been promoted as allowing illegal immigrants to finally avail themselves of all of the city's services. While that may be enough to inflame those who believe that no illegal behavior, including immigrating, should be tolerated, there's another more deadly reason to be concerned.

Terrorists can get this identification card.

If any illegal immigrant can get a card, that means terrorists can get them too. It means that New Haven has just made it easier for terrorists to create new identities. After all, if you can't get identification because you're here illegally, how can you prove you are who this new card says you are.

This is why you have to monitor the borders. Because the person who is sneaking in to try to make a better life could be blown up by the guy sneaking in behind him.

What Part of Illegal Is Unclear?

New Haven, CT announced that it will make a municipal id card available to "undocumented residents." Undocumented is pc-speak for illegal. New Haven wants to give services to illegal immigrants that are paid for by tax payers.

No other crime would be ignored like this. If someone stole, they would expect to be punished. New Haven has decided to "welcome" illegal immigrants. Will it "welcome" thieves and drunk drivers too? After all, if you're going to forgive one lawbreaker why not another.

The new immigration bill is running into problems in Congress because people think its grants amnesty to lawbreakers. That law requires that illegal immigrants pay a fine, leave the country, and then return. That's called paying your debt. It's no different than a criminal being given a fine and probation. That is a workable solution. New Haven is just saying we don't care if you break federal law, we didn't pass it.

The Key Word Is Illegal, Not Immigration

One year ago today, hundreds of thousands of people marched for the right of illegal immigrants to stay in the United States. One year later, protests are again scheduled to take place but far fewer people are expected to participate.

The atmosphere has changed dramatically in the past year, and not in favor of the illegal immigrants. Deportations are up 20%. Enforcement at the borders is much greater, and as a result fewer people have gotten into the country illegally. Raids have been conducted on factories that employ illegal workers. In short, the crack down on illegal immigrants has already begun, and has been successful.

The idea of the protests is mind boggling. Would anyone support protesters who were claiming that shoplifters had the right to steal? Would anyone support drunk drivers who protested for the right to be on the road while intoxicated? Of course not. So why do people feel that it is fine to break immigration laws with impunity?

One person who is in the country illegally was interviewed in the New York Times. He stated that he and his wife came here illegally because it is too hard to get into the country legally because so many people want to come here. People are literally dying to get into this country. What makes this man think he deserves to get in faster than anyone else? There are people trying to get into the United States who will be killed if they stay in their own country. They should have to stay out so that this man, whose only reason for coming here is to get a better quality of life, can come in?

While it is noble to want to provide a better life for your children, how is living like a criminal setting a good example for them? Everybody wants a better life. But the United States government has an obligation to the people who live here legally. Social services such as unemployment, social security, etc. are stretched as it is. The people who pay into the system deserve to get the benefits of the system. Illegal immigrants put a strain on emergency room care, fire and police departments, emergency medical teams, etc.

People are quick to point out that our country was built by immigrants. They're right, but it was built by immigrants who came here legally, learned English, and became citizens. The key word in this debate isn't immigrant, it's illegal. Come to the country legally and the welcome mat is out. Many illegal immigrants claim that they should be allowed to stay because they are law abiding people. They are not. They broke the law by entering the country illegally and they continue to break the law by staying illegally. Like any crime, they must pay the consequences. Then, they should be able to start over with a clean slate.