Making America safe again

Our country is drifting away from the real issues. As a registered voter, I try to become as educated as possible on the core issues. Therefore, I’m voting on the issues, rather than the person. Yes, I realize it’s obvious I’m a conservative and I’ll most likely vote Republican every time. This is especially true since the Democratic and Republican parties couldn’t be more opposite than they are now. However, there is a thought process that goes on before I take a stance on any issue. Something very important to me is the safety and security of the people in this country. Therefore, I will be discussing the hot-button topic of immigration.

I would like to point out a recent victory for the GOP, which was the House of Representatives passing of Kate’s Law. I would also like to point out that the Republican Party seems to be on a winning streak right now. Maybe that last sentence was a little out of line, but I’m not going to pull a CNN and retract that statement. Too much? Anyway, Kate’s Law was brought about after a young woman, Kathryn Steinle was shot and killed while walking in San Francisco, by an undocumented immigrant who had been deported from the United States multiple times after repeatedly entering the country illegally. This law, if implemented, will crack down on sanctuary cities and toughen penalties for people who were previously deported who re-enter or try to re-enter the country.

KGO/Steinle Family

There are reasons why sanctuary cities are unnecessary and a danger to the people who live in them. Of 8,145 undocumented immigrants released from detention requests between Jan. 1, 2014 and Aug. 31, 2014, 5,132 (63%) had previous criminal convictions or were marked a public safety concern; 2,984 (36.6%) had felony charges or convictions; 1,909 (23.4%) had misdemeanor convictions or charges related to violence, assault, sexual abuse, weapons, or drug distribution; and 239 (2.9%) had three or more misdemeanor convictions.[1] Also, sanctuary policies prevent police officers from doing their jobs. According to Heather Mac Donald, JD, Thomas W. Smith Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, many Salvadorian gang members living in Los Angeles entered the United States illegally, but because of sanctuary policies, LA police officers cannot arrest the undocumented immigrants for illegal entry. Instead, law enforcement must wait for a second crime to be committed to get the criminals off the street.[2]

We have the statistics and stories like Kate’s and countless others’, so why does the left insist on open borders and defending illegal immigrants? The only answer I can come up with is that they’re utterly oblivious. Joe Biden once said, “…These people are just waiting, waiting for a chance to contribute fully. And by that standard, eleven million undocumented aliens are already Americans, in my view.” Do you feel comfortable knowing that our former vice president would bring eleven million undocumented (which is a nice way of saying “illegal”) immigrants into our country? This is the United States of America. We are living in a place that everyone dreams of living in some day. My great grandfather was a toddler when his parents brought him to America from Germany. They came here knowing how much of a privilege it would be to have the opportunities that would soon be available to them because they would be in the greatest country in the world. They didn’t ask for anything, because America didn’t owe them anything.

We’re all aware of the horrors the people of Syria are facing at the hands of the Assad regime. To this day, I’m still confused as to why the Democrats, who want to welcome Syrian refugees with open arms, criticized President Trump so harshly for standing up for Syria’s people when they were attacked with deadly chemicals. Syrian refugees are trying to get away from that oppression, so wouldn’t it make sense to try to stop the oppression right at its source, the Assad regime, and bring them back to their homeland? Since when has America taken the weaker approach? The Republican in me wants to shout out, “SINCE THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION!” However, I’m not going go on about the past, when the present is the Trump administration. This administration has made it clear that America is back. We are putting the interests of our people first and making sure the people who are coming into this country will make positive contributions to our society and abide by our laws. I’d like to see someone try to live in China, not follow their laws, and demand assistance from their government. Actually, please don’t do that because that wouldn’t end well. My point is, why do we have to be the ones to compromise our safety by letting everyone walk all over us? Let me make one thing clear before I hit “publish.” We are not against immigration. We are against illegal immigration.

[1] Jessica Vaughan, "Ignoring Detainers, Endangering Communities," cis.org, July 2015

[2] Heather Mac Donald, "The Illegal-Alien Crime Wave," city-journal.org, Winter 2004