The U.S. should not follow Europe’s path
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Michael Ragland
Published: July 9, 2008
Recently the European Union made a legal decision to detain illegal immigrants for up to 18 months before deporting them. There has been criticism of the EU’s new law which will take effect in 2010. It
would be a mistake for the U.S. to take the same path Europe has for historical and political and socio-economic reasons. The U.S. is not Europe when it comes to history and demographics although
there are some similarities. America’s “legal immigrants” and minorities represent much more political, social and economic power than in Europe; illegal labor to big business as well. Europe
is “generally” more nationalistic than the U.S. In terms of democracy, the U.S. has a history of democracy whereas Europe has had several police states or undemocratic regimes. That’s not to say
America hasn’t had its trying moments, such as the genocide of the Native-Americans, slavery, sufferage, civil rights, etc, and it still struggles with these to an extent. But American history, while
intricately linked with European exploration, has its own unique history.
I hope to never see a term of up to 18 months imposed upon those arrested who are found to be illegal aliens in the U.S. First, it would likely be impossible. The U.S. legal, judicial and correctional
systems would likely not be able to take in all those arrested and found to be an illegal alien in the U.S. There are millions in the U.S.
Prince William County’s new anti-illegal immigration law stipulates anybody, irrespective of whether they’re a citizen or not, will have their immigration status checked. What happens to the arrested
individual who is found out to be an illegal alien? It then becomes a federal matter and it’s up to the feds.
Although there has been an increase in criminals deported who are illegal aliens, Congress has yet to come up with comprehensive immigration reform under the Bush Administration. Is the illegal alien to be held (for how long?) in jail or prison until he or she can be deported to whatever country he or she came from? How many illegals are currently in our correctional system serving time for crimes they have committed? Quite a few I imagine. Are they deported after they serve their 30-year sentence?
MICHAEL RAGLAND
Triangle
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( Ragland ) on July 10, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Your in denial Sammy B. about Native Americans having genocide committed against them and I know by your type you will not alter your views.
Michael Ragland
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Posted by ( phdee ) on July 10, 2008 at 2:31 pm
On youtube CNN Cafferty today, there is a news item of the Bush admin trying to pardon itself for war crimes dayting back to 2001. The repubs in the House have passed a law that would give these criminals protection from prosecution. The repubs are afraid that if thenDems win control of congress in Nov., such a law would not pass. The US Supreme court ruled that the Geneva convention provisons apply with regard to torture and mistreatment of Taliban and Al Qida prisoners, leving the bush thugts open for prosecution, including prison time. Protection was needed for these hoodlums. Bush and Cheney et al should long ago been impeached. The war effort and killings and WMD lies are more than enough. So they all thought up how to torture. Reap the consequences thugs. If the US did not have its world stnding, forces in the world would have arrested and tried in a world court the Buszh crowd. The Repubs et the criteria during the Clinton admin for impeachments - the Bush crowd is far far worse. The Repubs in congress are basically rift raft conversvatives - lon in need of a big house cleaning.
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Posted by ( willow703 ) on July 10, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Sammy,
Most of the Native Americans who died after the coming of Europeans died from the diseases the Europeans brought with them.
The Trail of Tears was a result of poor planning & lack of financing which could not be overcome once it was underway. Sand Creek & Washita were not ordered by our government. Wounded Knee was the result of ignorance on the part of the commander involved. Had understood the actions of Native Americans involved, he would have known they were nothostile, but mournful. Had he turned and rode away nothing would have happened.
Genocide is a deliberate action. When you come up with documentation of a deliberate policy to kill all Native Americans, such as Hitler’s well documented plans to kill all Jews, let me know. I’ve been studying the history of the Americas for more than 50 years & haven’t found any such documents.
There are many poor Native Americans, but there are are also many well-to-do, as a result of their own actions, selling oil leases in Oklahoma, opening casinos everywhere, taking advantage of the interest of their culture in New Mexico & elsewhere, etc. I’m open to debate, but not from phonies like Ward Churchill.
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Posted by ( Sammy B ) on July 10, 2008 at 9:47 am
“There was NO genocide of Native Americans.“ Are you kidding Willow?!? It is estimated that there were 12.5 million indigenous persons on this continent prior to the arrival of Columbus. By 1900 there were about 250,000. If that does not “meet the definition” for you, read about the way the Spanish enslaved native tribes and tortured or killed them for not converting to Catholicism. You can also look up the Cherokee Trail of Tears (1838), Sand Creek Massacre (1864), the Washita Massacre (1868) and the Massacre at Wounded Knee (1890).
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Posted by ( willow703 ) on July 10, 2008 at 7:57 am
First, Mr. Ragland, there was NO genocide of Native Americans. The actions of the government, well documented, came nowhere close to meeting the definition of that term.
You need to stop listening to the likes of Ward Churchill and Russell Means.
“Is the illegal to be held ... in jail or prison until he or she can be deported ...?
Did you not read the articles in The Washington Post about how deportees are handled by ICE? Did you not read any of the numerous articles in The Potomac News?
Most of t5he people in our prisons are serving time only for the crimes for which they have been “convicted”. Few are ever tried for or found guilty of more than a few of the crimes they have “committed”.
Illegal aliens should be tried for those felonies & violent misdemeanors of which they are suspected. If convicted, they should serve at least 80 percent of the maximum sentence. ICE should be notified of the sentence and notified, with sufficient lead-time, of the pending release so that they can be deported immediately.
That said, we are in need of a border security solution more efficient than a fence.
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Posted by ( Sammy B ) on July 09, 2008 at 11:44 pm
If the government takes action to deport a person who is here illegally, the process should be made as fast as possible. The tax-payers should not be made to fund a lengthy detainment and the potential deportee should be allowed to get on with life either in the country of origin or here with legal status should the case merit it. Leaving people in limbo for long periods benefits no one.
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