Reply from Congressman Emanuel Cleaver concerning Orphan WorksActof 2008

[Jeffrey Watts]

On Wed, Aug 13, 2008 at 8:39 AM, Kelsay, Brian - Kansas City, MO <
brian.kelsay at kcc.usda.gov> wrote:

>
> Currently the US has a quota on how many people are allowed in from each
> country per year and I believe that number is set to keep the numbers of
> types of peoples balanced in this great melting pot of ours.


There's part of the problem.  I'm of the opinion that we ought to not
discriminate based upon nationality.


> If you don't
> like them, then personally work to get them changed.   Write letters,
> protest, try to get into congress or whatever method you can think of if
> it is something that sets you on fire.  BUT, entering this or any other
> country remains an illegal enterprise, just as an improper lane change
> without a signal, although that will not get you a ticket as quickly as
> speeding in this town.
> We are a nation of laws and to me that means something.
>

One of my biggest issues with the immigration "debate" is the fact that it's
disproportionate.  There are many things wrong in this country, yet there's
a certain craziness that some people get when talking about this issue.  I'm
all for comprehensive reform, but I personally feel that this is a much
smaller issue than others.  For many of those folks I'm convinced racism and
xenophobia are behind their "concern".

I attended one of Pat Roberts' conference call / town meeting things a month
or so back.  There was a woman who was hysterically shouting into the phone
that we ought to order border control agents to shoot to kill illegal
immigrants.  I'm not kidding, and I'm not overemphasizing her hysteria.  Her
voice was shaking and she was shouting into the phone.  Pat, of course,
didn't denounce her comments and instead talked about his positions on
immigration.  What a coward.

You must also think about the screening that is supposed to happen when
> a person enters the country.  I know, I know, they didn't do that back
> in 1620, but people also died of a lot of diseases and died of natural
> causes before they hit 50.   So now we test for disease, we vaccinate,
> we make sure they don't carry in food with fruit flies and things
> growing on them.


You must not know this, but that's exactly what they were doing just that on
Ellis Island starting in the 1800s.  It had a massive hospital where
diseased immigrants were held, and many were sent back to their native
countries if they had a communicable disease.  Screening isn't a new thing,
though it's certainly more modern now.

  I must've been asked about fruit like 20 times on the
> way to and from Hawaii in 1996.


Hehe Hawai'i is a state, not a foreign country.  But I know what you mean.
:)


> We make sure these persons have some
> job or vocation lined up and other things so they are not a drain on the
> system.


Also performed at Ellis Island since the 1800s.  They would return folks who
they felt were going to be a drain on society.  Their standards, however,
were lower and they focused on whether or not someone knew a trade, not
whether or not they have lined up a job in advance (which is very difficult
for the poor).


> They must take classes to learn history, they must learn some
> basic English, etc.


I would agree with the history part, except for the fact that people born
here don't know any of this themselves.  I think we hold others to a higher
standard than we hold ourselves.


>   I do believe that putting signs, etc. in Spanish
> is a crutch and a mistake.


I think that if a community or state wants to do something, it should be
allowed to.  I think the Federal government needs to stop involving itself
in things it doesn't need to.  As far as signs go, that's really not a new
issue.  In Italian neighborhoods lots of signs are in Italian.  Same for
Chinatown.  Or Little Saigon.  But I think you're talking about "official"
signs.  I can see your point, but I'm not sure I agree.  I don't see the
harm in America becoming more multicultural.

However given the complexity of the issue I'm inclined to let the states and
local communities decide what's good for them.  I don't think Kansas should
have to print signs in Spanish if they don't want.  On the other hand, I
don't think the Feds should be telling New Mexico what to do.


>  Look at what it is doing to Canada.


Are you referring to the Quebecois?  Or other immigrants?  If you're
referring to the Quebecois then I think you don't know what you're talking
about, as the Quebecois aren't a subculture of Canada, and implying they
ought to learn English when they live in communities composed entirely of
French-speaking people would be silly.  That said, most Quebecois know some
English, and many of the other Canadians know some French.

If you are referring to another language, then I'm not sure what it's doing
to Canada.  I haven't heard of anything.


> Employers are being punished for employing known illegal immigrants.
> Fines are being imposed and they are being watched closer for employing
> illegals.  Those penalties are in the law and again, you can try to get
> them changed to be more forceful.  I figure that once a company is in
> violation of the law with one department, that others may start to look
> their way also.   Maybe have a detailed health inspection and OSHA
> inspection.


Yes, I agree.  My concern is that it's obviously not being enforced.  The
government has been looking the other way on this issue, as it underfunds
enforcement efforts.  Unfortunately we send troops to the border in order
that we can look tough on this issue, when the reality is that cracking down
on illegal employment is far more effective.  There's hypocrisy in how we've
been dealing with this problem.


> Funny you mentioned Cubans.  For one they are a lot smaller population
> base and many were fleeing being murdered in the streets.   Papa Fidel
> was no better than Stalin and killed many of his own people.   For
> reasons of the type of situation they are leaving, certain peoples are
> given leniency from time to time.


The vast majority of the Cuban emigres the last 20 years have been folks
seeking economic freedom.  Just like the vast majority of the Mexican
emigres.  In the mid-80s there was the infamous prison dump, and before then
there were lots of political refugees, but nowadays that's just not the
typical case.

And I'm sorry, as crappy as Fidel is, he's not even on the same scale as
Stalin.  That's an inaccurate comparison.  I get your point, though.

Have a good day, thanks for the conversation.
Jeffrey.



-- 

"He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from
oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that
will reach to himself." -- Thomas Paine
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