First Principles

Source: newsobserver

For illegal immigrants, more fear of arrest

Vicente Guerrero trims grass and blows the clippings off the parking lot at the Willow Creek Shopping Plaza in Carrboro. The Food Lion there was one of several local grocers that fired Hispanic employees a few weeks after Sept. 11, 2001, because Social Security numbers didn't match their names in a federal database.

At the time, the supermarket cited heightened government scrutiny. Five years later, many unauthorized Latino workers say they live in fear of losing their jobs or being deported.

"You're afraid they're going to arrest you," Guerrero said in Spanish. "We're here, but we're working, and we're fine. We're not hurting anybody. ... What we want is for them to let us work."

One of the myths of the pro-illegal folks is that enforcement doesn't work. Yet, in the insane style of reportage that swirls around this issue we're constantly treated to articles like this that simply refute that notion.

I'm reminded of this quote from the movie 'Silence Of The Lambs'...

DR. Lector
First principles, Clarice. Simplicity.
Read Marcus Aurelius. Of each particular
thing, ask: What is it, in itself, what
is its nature...?

In this case, what is the first principle we can glean from this article? It is a basic home truth, the very same home truth Rudy Guiliani employed to clean up New York.

Enforcement works. It always works, without exception and without fail. In fact the whole 'Broken Windows' law enforcement strategy, which has been such a resounding success, is predicated on that very idea.

Enforcement works.

First principles, seek the truth of the thing itself. I suppose when you support something that is in itself unlawful and immoral your arguments must, almost by definition, be based on lies.

I particularly liked this para...

Enforcement has had an effect on undocumented workers, according to
retired Air Force Col. P.J. Crowley, director of homeland defense with
the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank based in
Washington. Immigration raids are like speed traps or IRS audits, he
said: Fear of getting caught is more important than actual penalties.

"In terms of enforcement, symbolism actually matters," he said.

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