Immigration Control - More than "we" bargained For

As the visible battle heats up in the congress over which version of who's bill is going to be presented to the President, an undercurrent of frustration and animosity towards all of our elected officials is growing. The funny thing is that this particular issue has done what leaders of both parties have promised over and over - it has united middle America, as well as the right and the left. Most people that identify themselves as "Democrats", are not exactly crazy about the idea of a debate over immigration reform legislation. There is going to be a message sent this November, to individuals of both parties, that the people want what the people want and that is - border control. All the finger pointing in the world isn't going to help the sad sack politician who doesn't comply with his constituents wishes. American's are finally paying attention.

What about the NSA phone taps, Iraq, Iran, Bird Flu and Al Gore's latest attempt at creativity? These issues have been surpassed by an urgent call for Border Control.
A gross miscalculation on the part of activists for illegal immigrants is what set this "movement" into motion. When Joe and Jean America viewed hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants parading through the streets of American cities, demanding rights and waving Mexican flags, inertia gave way to: anger, fear and frustration.

There seems to be a conundrum in Washington. On one hand, George W. Bush is the President who will bend over backwards to keep our country safe from terrorist, while at the same time, refusing (until recently) to even address the issue of controlling our borders. What's the deal?

American's want troops on the border, fences, dogs, surveillance equipment and, yes, they want this nonsense stopped - now. It is not that, as a nation of immigrants, we have no compassion for those here illegally who have thrown down roots, bought homes, raised their families - surely, we cannot round up 11 or 12 million people and just deport them? Surely not, but we can prevent more from crossing our borders illegally. For every decent illegal alien, or every 1000 or 10,000, the chance that one or two might be criminals is a chance American's are no longer willing to take.

The arrogance of the Mexican government coupled with the Milk-toast response from the President is further adding to this very unstable situation. The Mexicans are not happy with a plan to militarize our own border? Too Bad. They also want to bring lawsuits against our troops, in the US Courts! Apparently, the Mexican government worries that our national guard might rough up one of their citizens who is attempting to enter our nation illegally. Are our politicians so out of touch with reality that they are allowing another nation to demand that the United States not protect its own borders?

One cannot reasonably expect American's who are frightened and angry to sit quietly by and let Washington take its sweet time with this particular issue.

For a list of Senators who have rejected Border Enforcement visit Michelle Malkin's website. Michelle, like so many of us, is either a legal immigrant or a son or daughter of a legal immigrant and she urges her readers to "pick up the phone" and call the fence-sitting, border control oppossing, senators in question.

One can except, and rightly so, that Ms. Malkin is not the only blogger, journalist, left or right, that is taking this stance.

The day troops should have been deployed to our borders: September 12, 2001. Who's zoomin who here?

Personal Note: And yes, Ralph, I need an editor.