Obama Immigration Speech

[Pancho Villa]

I am flabbergasted. I HATE Barack Obama. He is ruining this country.

But he just gave perhaps the best speech I've ever heard on immigration.

All text from http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/0...n-immigration/

Now, about a week ago, I delivered the commencement address at Miami Dade Community College, one of the most diverse schools in the nation. The graduates were proud that their class could claim heritage from 181 countries around the world. Many of the students were immigrants themselves, coming to America with little more than the dreams of their parents and the clothes on their backs. A handful had discovered only in adolescence or adulthood that they were undocumented. But they worked hard and gave it their all, and they earned those diplomas.

At the ceremony, 181 flags – one for every nation represented – was marched across the stage. Each was applauded by the graduates and relatives with ties to those countries. But then, the last flag – the American flag – came into view. And the room erupted. Every person in the auditorium cheered. Yes, their parents or grandparents – or the graduates themselves – had come from every corner of the globe. But it was here that they had found opportunity, and had a chance to contribute to the nation that is their home.

That’s the promise of this country – that anyone can write the next chapter of our story. It doesn’t matter where you come from; what matters is that you believe in the ideals on which we were founded; that you believe all of us are equal and deserve the freedom to pursue happiness. In embracing America, you can become American. And that enriches all of us.

And I’d point out, the most significant step we can take now to secure the borders is to fix the system as a whole – so that fewer people have incentive to enter illegally in search of work in the first place. This would allow agents to focus on the worst threats on both of our borders – from drug traffickers to those who would come here to commit acts of violence or terror.

And fourth, stopping illegal immigration also depends on reforming our outdated system of legal immigration. We should make it easier for the best and the brightest to not only study here, but also to start businesses and create jobs here. In recent years, a full 25 percent of high-tech startups in the U.S. were founded by immigrants, leading to more than 200,000 jobs in America. I’m glad those jobs are here. And I want to see more of them created in this country.

We need to provide farms a legal way to hire the workers they rely on, and a path for those workers to earn legal status.

I'd say about 90% agree with. He touched - very briefly - on some class warfare nonsense, but it was just a quick pass. Certainly much better than the hickish GOP playing up the "evil businessmen are giving jobs to those who will work the hardest and cheapest instead of people born in America, how unAmerican" angle.

Read the whole thing. You might even like it, even if you despise Obama.

[sneakerd]

I watched it, it's all just talk in my opinion. Nothing short of complete amnesty and virtually open borders will satisfy most liberals.

[Zundfolge]

Well you can tell the boy is back in full on 100% Campaign Mode.

Talk is cheap Barry ... lets see what you do.

[ChunkyMonkey]

He might as well campaign South of the border!

[Pancho Villa]

What's wrong with "virtually open borders"? I wouldn't mind a lot of legal residents here if they come to work, and it should be relatively eay to craft visas and means testing that ensure the immigrants in question don't draw on welfare rolls. Some 14th amendment concerns, but there are relatively easy ways around that (ie not denying them benefits but revoking their visas if they draw benefits for more than x months.)

Citizenship is another matter, but it already takes at least 5 years to get that.

To my mind, someone who has traveled up from Honduras by way of Mexico, risking life and limb (tens of thousand are simply missing, while thousands more are either killed or horribly maimed catching trains north) just to pick fruit for $7/hr is way more deserving of my esteem and respect than some lazy ass who won't see a day of hard work in his life, but his momma plopped him out in the USA.

[ghettodub]

Anyone have a link to the video of it? I'd like to listen to it, but don't have time to read right now.

From the points I read, seems like a pretty good speech. But I'm not a lib hater like a lot of folks, so maybe I'll read more objectively. I'm an all-politician hater, so I judge and dislike both sides equally

[ChunkyMonkey]

To my mind, someone who has traveled up from Honduras by way of Mexico, risking life and limb (tens of thousand are simply missing, while thousands more are either killed or horribly maimed catching trains north) just to pick fruit for $7/hr is way more deserving of my esteem and respect than some lazy ass who won't see a day of hard work in his life, but his momma plopped him out in the USA.

Sure, I don't mind trading off one liberal to Honduras per each hard working legal Honduran.

I think the better question is if they entered the country illegal, they are a criminal to start with. You want to treat these criminals the same as someone like me who paid thousands upon thousands to get here legally and who actually had to prove beyond reasonable doubt that my skill/ability will benefit this country (per required by law)?

[Pancho Villa]

Sure, I don't mind trading off one liberal to Honduras per each hard working legal Honduran.

I think the better question is if they entered the country illegal, they are a criminal to start with. You want to treat these criminals the same as someone like me who paid thousands upon thousands to get here legally and who actually had to prove beyond reasonable doubt that my skill/ability will benefit this country (per required by law)?

The law sucks, and I am sorry you had to go through it. That doesn't mean that everyone should, though - and when we recognize that a certain law (like onerous, counterproductive immigration requirements) is not what we want, we typically grant clemency to those who have broken it.

(As an aside, the low-skilled labor people are so fond of near the border simply can't come here legally - the wait-time is longer than a human lifetime, basically.)

Take this example, for the rule of law types. Suppose it took 10 years and $20,000 to get an AR-15, per 'background check' laws. Would you turn yours in and go through the background check?

Would you turn a neighbor in who didn't?

Yeah, you had to jump through a million retarded hoops to get here legally. On behalf of all Americans (and I have my birth certificate to prove I'm one,) sorry.

Aside: immigration is a civil matter, which means it is tried in civil courts, not criminal courts. So, yes, illegal immigrants broke the law. They get handled by the same people who handle such heinous crimes as speeding tickets and parking in front of a fire hydrant.

I BELIEVE (don't quote me on this) that a second jump across the fence becomes a criminal matter, but illegal immigration per se is the same level of crime - legally speaking - as other matters handled in civil court.

[Ed_S]

Of course his speech was a good one, he's a good talker but his actions well......

He's in full campaign mode and suckers will vote for him again just like the first time. Only thing is if he gets in for a second term we're all doomed!

[ghettodub]

Of course his speech was a good one, he's a good talker but his actions well......

He's in full campaign mode and suckers will vote for him again just like the first time. Only thing is if he gets in for a second term we're all doomed!

Well, it's not like the republican party is bringing out any better choices so far...

And while I'm not a huge fan of Obama, I think our country would still be in the shit shape it is now if McCain and Palin would have been elected, minus health care and some TSA nonsense. It's gonna take a hell of a lot more than just a non-dem in the white house to make a real difference in this country....