America, A Country Divided Politically Over Immigration?

Immigrations seems to be dividing this country like nothing else in recent history. Immigration is also dividing bloggers , "late last night Lori Byrd, a popular guest blogger on Polipundit, informed readers at her own site:

I received a lengthy email from Polipundit tonight alerting us to an editorial policy change that included the following: “From now on, every blogger at PoliPundit.com will either agree with me completely on the immigration issue, or not blog at PoliPundit.com.” Hat tip Never Yet Melted

The country seems to be divided, but is it as bad as it looks in recent polls?

There is no denying the fact that America is politically divided today. Some say we are more divided than ever in history, though we have not yet reached a second civil war level of division. ...

After some issue-by-issue in depth research on our divisions, I have come to believe that (a) we are not really as divided as we appear on the surface; (b) we have been systematically, politically divided by design, and (c) only one group benefits from that division. ...

Poll results always vary somewhat due to how the questions are framed and what the days headlines are. But the Harris Poll of May 5-8, 2006 which asked an open-ended question, "What do you think are the two most important issues for the government to address?" here’s how the people responded.

The War on Terror 28%
Immigration 16%
Gas & Oil Prices 14%
The Economy 13%
Health Care 8%
Iraq/Hussein 7%
Education 5%
Taxes 5%
Employment/Jobs 5% (read all results here)

Americans allow themselves to be divided politically, even though they are not so divided individually on the issues. Surprisingly, we actually seem to know what we want and we are pretty sure about it when asked. Not so surprisingly, politicians often want something else and that’s when the efforts to confuse and divide the electorate begin.

A nation governed of, by and for the people is obligated to follow the will of that people. Though we are not a democracy, but rather a representative republic, our representatives are no less obligated to oblige our will.

When those representatives are politically at odds with that will, the will of the people must prevail and it eventually will. Elections should not be a beauty contest. They should be about who will best carry out the overwhelming will of the people they are elected to represent. Politicians are free to believe in anything they want, but they are at the same time obligated to carry out the will of those who elected them to power.

On this, we should be united! Divided by Design

The cost of building a fence, which is what the majority of Americans want, is cheaper than what we are paying now for the illegals presently in the country.

If American politicians had a backbone, they would demonstrate it by finally authorizing construction of what I'd like to call the Steel Patriot: a state-of-the-art fence to provide defense against border incursions from the south. Once the fence is in place, Juan Hernandez (seen on Fox News Channel with O'Reillymight just have to concentrate on fixing Mexican economic and security policies, not dictating ours.

How much will the Steel Patriot cost? Well, what is the cost of illegal immigration to the nation - $10 billion, $20 billion per year? How much do taxpayers pay in the education and emergency medical costs for illegals?

How about the costs for the criminal justice system? What about the cost of drug smuggling on American society? And what of the cost of terrorists crossing the border with nuclear, chemical or biological weapons? source

Concerning Mexico's President Vicente Fox and his threat to file a lawsuit against the United States:

[U.S. Rep. J.D.] Hayworth had this to say to Fox's opposition to the fence: "President Fox should shut up . . . He should shut up about all of this because he is only fanning the flames of poor relations between our two nations. He needs to cease and desist." source

We are NOT just talking about Mexicans though, we are talking about people from many other nations, potentially terrorists. Americans are getting tired already of politicians who do not listen to THE PEOPLE of this country. Take Herndon, Virginia for example:

Angry voters in Herndon, Va., swept out their bleeding-heart mayor and two of his allies on the town council and replaced them with candidates who are not expected to renew the lease of a controversial hiring site set up to help illegal aliens find work.

Lost in all the controvery, however, is the more disturbing fact that the site -- a covered building featuring picnic tables and bathrooms -- was founded by a Muslim charity with ties to suspected Saudi-backed terror front groups. Its town operating permit won't expire until the fall of 2007, allowing the group not only time to aid and abet hundreds more illegal immigrants, but possibly recruit them. ...

Years ago the Saudis and their Wahhabi lobby set up a terror-support network in Northern Virginia, right across the Potomac from the White House. Not coincidentally, Northern Virginia now boasts the fastest-growing Muslim population in the nation. Immigrants from the Middle East are flocking there, along with immigrants from Mexico and Central America attracted by a local construction boom. Authorities fear the demographic convergence is facilitating the religious conversion of possible future Jose Padillas.source

We will see more of this 'cleaning house' as more states have elections.

**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let me know at what level you would like to participate.

Linked with:

Free Constitution, "New Immigration Bill, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly"
Double Barrelled Opinions
Pursuing Holiness, "Senator Vitter, Talk is Cheap, Especially in Congress"
Red Hot Cuppa Politics, "Senate Creates Half A Sausage"
The Violence Worker, Cross posted

Comments

[Violence Worker]

Debbie, I haven't noticed any problems with the trackback so long as I include a link in the body of the post. I'm not sure about the link to blogger. What specifically were you talking about.

VW

[Ma r t i n @ b l o g b a t]

And the illegals and islamofascists are strange bedfellows in more ways than one!

[Debbie]

You are right about the inconsistencies with Washington's treatment of illegals. You could also use Islam/Muslims etc. as an example of that. Wouldn't want to 'offend' anyone by profiling. Duh!

[Ma r t i n @ b l o g b a t]

Not too surprising the majority of respondents of that poll you cited pointed to issues that directly or indirectly tied into foreign policy and national defense (not counting the economy), with the War on Terrorists, immigration, and Iraq attaining a plurality. Interesting too that at the same time a majority disapprove of how Bush is handling terrorism and foreign policy.

At the same time many are concerned about their privacy, they see the federal government bending over backwards not to offend illegal aliens and those who've overstayed their visas. While grannies get the shakedown at the airport, police officers are prevented from asking a suspicious person about his or her citizenship status.