This is the third in a series on the competition between Jim Gilmore and Bob Marshall for the Republican Party’s nomination to be Virginia’s next senator. Here are the previous two posts
Why a post on illegal immigration?
- Illegal immigrants are the slaves of our era. It is immoral for employers to tempt people into our country and exploit them. Yet it happens. Too many employers seem pefectly happy to have illegal immigrants in our nation as second class citizens. Why? The answer is greed. To do the work they did not want to do (in this case, the work that Americans supposedly won’t do), human societies have attempted to enslave others throughout history. That includes Americans. Remember that peculiar institution of the Old South.
- In our society, a large percentage of the capital assets, the means of producing food and manufactured goods, are owned by a relatively few people. Quite naturally, the owners of these capital assets want those assets to be worth as much as possible. They achieve that by bringing down the costs of production. Labor is often the major cost of production. Illegal immigrants provide inexpensive labor. So what is the problem with using illegal immigrants? Our society can only assimulate so many poor, uneducated people. The rich are not paying the cost to assimulate these poor and uneducated people. You and I are paying the bill, and you and I can only afford to Americanize so many people at any one time. In sufficient numbers, illegal immigrants will balkanize our society and tear it apart. These people do not understand our society. Often, they cannot speak our language. They have difficulty adapting so they set themselves apart. We have already had demonstrations. What is next?
- The issue serves as litmus test. Even though rank and file members detest illegal immigration, the Republican Party establishment supports illegal immigration. Why? Wealthy people, the people who own most of our nation’s capital assets, are influential. Such people know to select, engineer, and FUND the election of political candidates to public office. When elected officials cater to such interest groups, they do not serve the best interests of our society.
Where does Jim Gilmore stand on this issue? This is the sum total of what Gilmore has on his website (from here).
“I am a descendant of immigrants who came to this country legally to seek the American dream. I believe that dream should remain attainable for those who obey the law. However, illegal immigration is costing Virginia taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year. As someone with experience dealing with homeland security, I know we must secure America’s borders and crackdown on employers who hire illegal immigrants if we’re going to stop the illegal immigration that is threatening our nation’s future.”
Gilmore’s explanation appears to be an exercise in semantics. Based upon previous statements when he running for the presidency, there is a strong probability that Gilmore will do virtually nothing to solve the problem of illegal immigration. The key word in Gilmore’s statement is “illegal.” To legalize “illegal” immigrants, Gilmore will register them. Then, after they are “legal,” employers can hire them. I suggest you read this post at the right-wing liberal.
If the right-wing liberal post does not satisfy you about the dangers of Gilmore’s position on immigration, then I suggest you read this OnTheIssues post (here). Consider this quote from their post.
No amnesty for illegals; control the border
Q: Do you favor amnesty for illegal immigrants?
A: No. I believe there should not be an automatic path to citizenship. We should control the borders, and then require illegals to come in and register. Then we can have an honest debate on immigration reform.
Source: Live Chat with Jim Gilmore on his campaign blog Apr 26, 2007
Where does Bob Marshall stand on this issue. Here is a sample of what Marshall has on his website (from here).
At the federal level, the Federal Government must do the following:
- Secure our southern border by construction of a “fence” (electronic, physical or both) and significantly increase border patrols.
- Give back to states the powers they had before the passage of the 1986 federal immigration law which allowed them to penalize employers who knowingly hire or lure illegal workers to the United States.
- Refuse amnesty to those who illegally enter the United States.
- Penalize countries which refuse to take back illegal aliens who have finished serving time for crimes;
- Abolish birthright citizenship which is a large incentive for illegal immigration.
Because both his position on and his record with respect to illegal immigration are unambiguous, Congressman Tom Tancredo has endorsed Bob Marshall (see here), and so has U.S. Border Control.
Here is what U.S. Border Control had to say about Bob Marshall.
“As chairman of U.S. Border Control,” Edward I. Nelson, of McLean , wrote to Marshall on March 29, “I am proud to give you our organization’s endorsement.
“I found some time to review your website, not just the immigration portion, but your views across the board. As important as border and immigration policies are to me, I could not, in good conscience, endorse a person who was right on immigration but wrong on the other serious issues our nation faces.
“I was delighted to see that your position statements on a wide range of issues reflect a thoughtfulness that must be based on all those thousands of books that you read. Clearly, this nation could benefit by having a sound-thinking person like you in the U.S Senate.”
Let’s face it. As Republicans, we know where John McCain stands immigration. We also know we are not going to vote for Barack Obama. So we have a problem? How do we keep McCain from opening the gates at our borders wide open?
We know Bob Marshall‘s reputation. We know Marshall will fight tooth and nail to do the right thing, and he is not going to let the Republican leadership stop him. Do you really think Jim Gilmore will fight the head of his own party tooth and nail? If you believe that, where is the evidence?
Other views
The Mason Conservative tries to set Gilmore’s record straight (here).
STD brags about the money Gilmore has raised (here).
Steven Latimer is overjoyed by Tancredo’s endorsement of Bob Marshall (see here).
The Northern Virginia Conservative explains why he switched to Bob Marshall (see here), and Shaun Kenney (here) and the right-wing liberal (here) echo this post.
Citizen Tom 
Melanie – I was born here. Everyone is born some place. I did not choose to be born here. So I hope you will not hold it against me, but it seems that you do. Nonetheless, because I was born here, I belong here as much as you.
When they cease to understand what it is that made them strong, advanced civilizations fail. America is not strong because the white race stole the land. More Indians died of disease than anything else, and the spread of disease started before Europeans understood what was going on.
What made America strong is that most of its people practiced a Christian ethic that originated with the Protestant Reformation. It is the remnant that still practices that ethic that keeps America strong.
Unfortunately, the large majority of the immigrants illegally entering country know little of America’s history. Moreover, many are too easily persuaded to beliefs that are detrimental to the maintenance of a republic. That is one reason many of our politicians want them here. To a power hungry politician, gullible citizens are a necessity.
Yet you want to make this out to be a race issue. As I said, gullible citizens are quite handy to a power hungry politician. That is where such politicians start. They divide us. And what could be more divisive to a nation than hordes of poorly educated strangers who cannot speak the language?
Everyone I know other than my family are illegal immigrants. My point if you are not native indian then you get out with the mexicans and others you are fighting so hard to kick out of america. An that means all you 1/3 , 1/4 , 1/2 , 3/4 indians. You want tighter borders than get off our land. The only true americans are the 100% native indian.
illegal immigrants aren’t harming us. all you guys are just stuck up in how everything used to be. remember all people are treated equaly. so treat them equaly. and they are not slaves. they are just hard workers who get the job done. walk a mile in their shoes before you start judgeing and stereotypeing them!!
The way I see it is that Government want to take me to prison, just because I won’t trade humanity for Patriotism.
Do we really think our country never sparks up terrorism?
They vote for us to go war instantly, but non of their kids serve an infantry. The stack are against them like a casino, think about it most of the army is Black and Latino. Lets share America with the Americas…