Rights for illegal immigrants? Hogwash...

Check out this article from CNN.com...

This, my friends, is completely and utterly ridiculous. These people are walking out of their jobs and schools to protest for a group of people that have NO rights in the United States. While they may be citizens of Mexico, Panama, Ecuador, or another South American country, any rights they have under that country's rules do not apply here. The only people in this country that are entitled to the rights of a US citizen are...You guessed it...US CITIZENS! Besides the rights that a US citizen has, they also have responsibilities; paying state/federal/local taxes, obeying state and federal laws, registering for the draft (if they are appropriately aged and sexed), paying into their social security, etc. What don't illegal immigrants do? Well, if I need to spell this out for you, please, click the "Next blog" button at the top of the screen.

So why does the topic of illegal immigration grind my gears? First of all, these people have come to a country to advance themselves after drawing a shitty lot in life. I applaud them for trying to make something of themselves...Hell, that's what my family did when they came here. The difference is that my mother's family waited their turn, from the Ukraine and Poland, in the early 1900s. My father's family has been in the US since the mid-1700s and helped forge this great nation. Am I saying that I don't want anyone to immigrate into the US? Of course not, but I do want the immigration to occur through proper channels.

In my opinion, immigrants should only be permitted into the country if they are needed for a particular industry. Having too many people who do nothing but sweep floors does nothing but give you a bunch of people that can sweep floors. No, we want the nuclear engineers, the automotive engineers, businessmen and women, etc. These people will take an active roll in our economy, which brings me to my next point: illegal immigrants are a drain on our economy. Why? They cost our judicial system many millions of dollars to track, prosecute, and either imprison or deport. Too few are simply deported, as that word seems to have developed a non-PC connotation to it...Most are detained and incarcerated. They cost our Homeland Security department money when additional agents are employed to stop the transit of illegals into California and Texas. They cost the government money when they go to hospitals. They don't have a social security number, so obviously they don't have any health insurance. Couple that with the fact that US hospitals are required by federal law to provide emergency care to anyone, regardless of whether they can pay or have insurance, and realize what that means. I have decent health insurance, and my emergency room co-pay is $100. Imagine what an emergency care visit by an illegals costs. Those doctors aren't working for free...

The immigrants also do not pay into Medicare or Social Security, yet they will receive benefits once they finally become citizens, as will their children. As I said earlier, they also do not register for the draft. The US hasn't had a draft since 1973, yet all men that turn 18 are required to register, and required to update the Selective Service Administration of address changes until their 26th birthday. Do I believe we should have a draft? No...Do I want all people (and yes, women are people) currently residing in this country, legal or not, to register? Hell yes. While I have ambivalence towards a conscripted military, I do believe that everyone living in this country, enjoying the rights and prosperity that comes along with it, should be required to register for the draft in case of war. Will a draft ever be needed again? I can't answer that question.

Anyway, enough of my problems with illegal immigrants...On to the article. What's my beef? These people, who were protesting, should have been at work or school. If they were school aged, they should have been arrested for cutting. If they were supposed to be at work, they should be reprimanded, and depending on the situation, fired. My biggest issue is that these people were out protesting for people who don't have any rights! These people are not American citizens. They deserve none of the rights that I, as an American citizen enjoy, unless they are granted by their own government, and they are in their own country. Sometimes I wonder if people really stop to think about what they're doing...