Letter not an accurate portrayal of immigration
Like many others who regularly read your letters section I was both interested and intrigued to read Lynne Weaver’s letter entitled “No Human is Illegal.” While her letter definitely speaks to compassion, which should always be one of our greatest concerns, it is not an accurate portrayal of the situation and does not deal with the issue fully or fairly.
Of course, no one is “illegal” in the sense of their intrinsic worth or humanity, but that is not the issue. There are several factors to consider here, and we have to be responsible enough to address them. We must run our nations according to laws, and we cannot afford to sanction or encourage illegal activities or outright flouting of the law. Once this happens we are in trouble as a nation; indications are that we may already be, and we can’t afford that.
It doesn’t matter how nice these people are or how much they feel they have a right to be here. They must prove their eligibility and then, Canada being a relatively understanding and compassionate country, we will probably let them in. We are not likely to ignore real refugees these days. But it’s Canada’s decision, and as a sovereign nation with a sovereign border we have the right to control it and decide who enters. It doesn’t work the other way around.
What is more, we need to be careful how we use language and bandy about “facts” here. Trump did not say that all illegal immigrants were animals. He said members of the MS13 criminal drug gang were animals. Before we throw out the term “xenphobic” we need to understand the facts. America is one of the most generous countries in the world regarding immigration, admitting a minimum of one million per year. Xenophobe has now become a catch all term for those the left does not agree with. Like all the other “phobe” terms it has been reduced to the level of name calling and is losing its meaning.
America’s border situation is clearly out of control. One in every three people with children crossing the border is now found to be unconnected to them. The border patrol and ICE are now so overwhelmed they are just releasing people in bus stations, and on the border as well. Cities like El Paso are just giving up. The drug cartels and their coyotes are running the migrant caravans, as are radical organizations tied to the far left, most notably three out of Chicago.
Does this sound like a situation lawful and under control? Hardly. Security concerns are a legitimate issue. Canada just discovered 400 high ranking members of the Mexican drug cartels in our nation. Former ISIS terrorists are here in Canada and their terrified female ex-victims are now recognizing them in daily life.
If we can’t control our borders we can’t be called a responsible nation. If we are not interested in controlling them can we be called responsible citizens? We need to find a way to deal with mass migrant excesses and it is not, as in the U.S. and Canada, just to declare areas “sanctuary cities, states or provinces” in violation of federal law.
Ms. Weaver’s implication that the elderly cannot understand the issues and have to be educated was an unfortunate choice of illustration. Many elderly understand this situation perfectly well and have done extensive research on it. They know their stuff and in a country where the elderly are increasing it is not wise to infer that they don’t.
In closing let it be said that we need to look at this situation more clearly and consider all aspects of it. Catch phrases and a negation of the realities of the situation as well as international law is not the way to do it.
Perry Foster
Duncan