The Irony of Amnesty...

...is that it comes from the same Greek root word as amnesia. They both have to do with forgetting or loss of memory. Ironic because, as our politicians turn blue in the face shouting "It's not amnesty! They have to pay! It's not amnesty!" they conveniently seemed to have developed a case of collective amnesia when it comes to the woeful failure of the 1986 Amnesty.

I remember that it was supposed to be a one-time, amnesty-to-end-all-amnesties deal. I remember that there have already been amnesties since then. I remember that Reagan said the only way the amnesty would work was if there was full enforcement of the penalties for hiring illegal workers. I remember that I haven't seen more than a blip on the enforcement radar since then.

Amnesty is just a word. I don't care if a six-year plan for a green card and potential citizenship, complete with a fine and other requirements, is amnesty or not. It's not enough, no matter what you call it. A fine -- spread out into payments over six years that amounts to a weekly stop at Starbucks -- is an insult to the value of U.S. citizenship and all of us who cherish it.

And I can tell you what else I will be remembering as I vote for a representative this November, for mayor of my city in 2007, and for president, etc. in 2008: exactly what each candidate has -- and HASN'T -- done with regards to solving the illegal immigration crisis and serving the best interests of the American people.

Technorati Tags
Illegal Immigration
Illegal Aliens
Amnesty
Elections
Remember