For 6 years now, America's politicians and news/opinion organizations have been telling Americans that the U.S. borders are not secure; that dangerous terrorists of all kinds lurk just over the horizon... giving you their personal promise that nuclear Armageddon will crash down upon suburb shopping malls everywhere should America choose not to be properly frightened by their warnings. With that oft-repeated threat echoing in the wind, Washington managed to whip up a xenophobia the likes of which America hasn't seen since the Irish potato famine.
Quickly taking advantage of the national mood, conservatives everywhere started linking "terrorism" and "secure borders" with "illegal immigrants". (If Julio from Ciudad Juarez can make it to Dallas, then why can't Hassam from Iran?) Suddenly, border fences were being built (to stop the terrorists, naturally), and armed vigilante groups were patrolling parts of the border where the government was stretched too thin. The Republican rallying cry (sensing a "red meat" issue) quickly went from "secure our borders" to "no amnesty for illegals" as conservative talk show hosts brought out examples of illegal immigrant malfeasance, illegal immigrants draining social welfare resources, illegal immigrant criminals crowding our jails, and even illegal immigrants waving Mexican flags at protest marches.
Now, after all that work the conservatives did of getting "True Americans" hot and bothered about illegal immigrants, the Republicans (stuck at the "yeah, but whatcha gonna do about it?" point of the debate) come up with a plan of "amnesty for illegals" (more or less), and are just so surprised at the anti-immigrant sentiment their immigration plan is facing. Oopsies. Well, you made this bed, guys, have fun lying in it.
Quickly taking advantage of the national mood, conservatives everywhere started linking "terrorism" and "secure borders" with "illegal immigrants". (If Julio from Ciudad Juarez can make it to Dallas, then why can't Hassam from Iran?) Suddenly, border fences were being built (to stop the terrorists, naturally), and armed vigilante groups were patrolling parts of the border where the government was stretched too thin. The Republican rallying cry (sensing a "red meat" issue) quickly went from "secure our borders" to "no amnesty for illegals" as conservative talk show hosts brought out examples of illegal immigrant malfeasance, illegal immigrants draining social welfare resources, illegal immigrant criminals crowding our jails, and even illegal immigrants waving Mexican flags at protest marches.
Now, after all that work the conservatives did of getting "True Americans" hot and bothered about illegal immigrants, the Republicans (stuck at the "yeah, but whatcha gonna do about it?" point of the debate) come up with a plan of "amnesty for illegals" (more or less), and are just so surprised at the anti-immigrant sentiment their immigration plan is facing. Oopsies. Well, you made this bed, guys, have fun lying in it.
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