I just wanted to vent the following:

1. Illegal aliens are just that, ILLEGAL. Why is the media and so-called activist groups calling it differently? I am angry that my tax dollars support illegals when it comes to medical and social programs that are supposed to be going towards US citizens. Is this a human rights issue? It is if you're the Mexican president who doesn't seem to provide for his people enough to the point where they have to risk their lives to make the journey up north into another country. He should be ashamed that this is happening. Mexico is a beautiful country with a lot of resources-it makes you wonder where the money flows? These past few weeks, I've seen true pride in many Mexican-Americans for their homeland but if anything, they should be angry-angry that their government isn't doing more to provide for their people. It makes me wonder that maybe all the Mexicans that took to the streets in protest the past few weeks should be doing the same-in Mexico. I would challenge any to do so. Oh, and why is it that Mexico has a tougher security on their southern borders as well as stricter laws when it comes to illegal immigration? And don't throw that bs racist card at me. I'm a minority, the son of an immigrant who gave 22 years of his life to the US Navy. He did it the right way. He swore his allegiance to this country. He forever loved his homeland and never forgot nor would let me and my younger sister forget our heritage but he always knew that this country was his new home. He got in line, he didn't cut or run to the front asking for free handouts. If you're a legal immigrant, you should be angry, rightly so. I'm not for deporting all the illegals we have here because that's just plain stupid. Let's hurry and put some laws into place that solely address all the undocumented immigrants, pay the fine, go through the waiting period, but please don't demand something that many others have to wait for and sometimes don't get.

2. Are we not a sovereign nation anymore?

3. Cindy Sheehan-my heart goes out to you in the loss of your beloved son. You have a right to grieve. You have a right to protest. I have the right to tell you that I'm disgusted in the way you use your son's death to justify your stupid words and actions. Your son died a hero and he will always be remembered that way. You however, have gone the way of the gnat-irritating and needing a slap.

4. The so-called Hollywood elite and musical artists-stick to movies and music and don't try to plug your political views on me because the world is an already messed up place without you having to add your bs to the mix. Stick to movies so that I can remember you fondly, not be taken aback by the goofy comments you've made. I enjoyed watching Shawshank Redemption, Thelma & Louise, The Hunt For Red October, and frankly, I still love the song, "Day-O" so leave me liking you for what you do best, making decent movies and music for me to enjoy.

5. President Bush-I voted for you, I trusted you in doing what was best for the country. I can think of no better person that could have lead the US after 911. You were the right man to hold that seat during that time of crises. You have let me down. Stop with the one world/new world order mumbo jumbo. You want to impress me? You want to get back on my good side? Secure our borders, move ARMED National Guard troops into place and start building some walls and fencing where they need to be. Middle East and South American oil? Screw Em! Start building some long awaited refineries and start drilling for some oil off our coasts and the Pacific states. Environmentalists? Screw Em! By the time we've sucked up all the oil or polluted the air so bad that dying from ciggie smoke is secondary, they won't give a rat's behind because they'll all be part of this green earth. Take away our dependency on foreign oil! Mr. President, bring our boys home from Iraq. It's time to let that country start fending on it's own. History has shown that democracy will flourish only in societies that are WILLING to make it their own. The Iraqi people must want democracy and not just have it in the back of their heads like some afterthought. They must embark upon their own revolution. Do these things. Your the president of the United States for godsakes! Remember how you were after we got attacked on 911? You were walking with some authority and purpose. I miss that George Bush of old. Bring him back. Because of what you've done and not done in the past few months, I've left the Republican party and registered as an Independent. Whenever I hear your voice now it makes me sick. I don't trust your words anymore. You still have time though-get to work!

6. Congress and The House-many of you have forgotten where you came from and who put you there. You're like a bunch of rowdy siblings and sometimes I just want to line you all up in a row and slap all you at the same time. There needs to be serious reform when it comes to holding down your jobs. Many of you don't deserve those seats anymore. You know who you are.

7. Activist lawyers and judges-what comes around, goes around. I believe in karma and someday, you'll be judged.

8. Polical Correctness-bite me! You burn the American flag in front of me, I burn whatever country your waving instead in front of you. You don't want to recite the Pledge of Allegiance with "under God" plug whatever makes you happy, Allah, Buddah, great forest spirit, I don't care but whether you like it or not, it is a part of our culture. You want to live in the US then you need to take pride in this country. Am I hurting your feelings? Am I not being sensitive to your kind? Quit your whining and get with the freakin program. Debate and argument are things that make this country great. What blows it the fact that we start bending rules because of this group that's sensitive to this and that group that's sensitive to that. When is it all going to stop? Keep your customs and traditions. Be proud of your heritage, never forget where you came from but pledge your allegiance to this country first and be willing to assimilate. This country isn't asking you to give up your identity, it's telling you that if you want to be called an American, you will abide by our rules and traditions. If not, then don't come and if you do end up staying but still won't follow then at least do me this favor and shut up because you haven't earned the right to voice your opinion in my country.

Thanks for letting me vent-

kaikai

Ready... set... GO!!!

And the debate is on. Come one, come all-- the door has just been opened, the gauntlet thrown down.

Now, lemme just go get some popcorn and a soda so I can watch this 4th of July fireworks display with a snack.

I can't say I agree with everything he says, but I agree with enough that we could enjoy a few cold ones and some good cigars over discussing the rest! PREACH ON shipmate!

I still say, as I have said before, we are handling this immigration problem the wrong way. Quit going after the illegal immigrants. Go after those that employ the illegal immigrants. If they arrested, and incarcerated all employers that hire illegal immigrants, used asset forfeiture laws, to take assets gained by employing illegals, and made the employers felons there would be no more jobs for illegals, and they would go home.

Just my .02.

Dave (A.K.A. Homebrew)

P.S. Hey Tey, Is that racist???

Homebrew,

What you are describing would involve enforcing current laws as well as adding new laws. New laws would require something like an act of Congress!

It is a tricky situation and requires complex pandering. Employers generally donate money to election campaigns but legal immigrants vote in elections. We must always remember to say that we love all legal immigrants and only hate the illegals as we threaten to shoot them or blow them up with landmines. We don't want the legal immigrant voters to get turned off and think everyone is a bunch of xenophobic racists.

This kind of tightrope walking is difficult. It is much easier to just invade a country than to deal with issues like immigration.

What Homebrew and Hockey said.

Hey Hockey How's it going bro? Enjoyed our talk at the the Orlando herf. Take Care,

JD

Kaikai1102,

1. How the media or anyone else frames the story can tell you a great deal about their bias on the subject. If they use the term "illegal immigrant" that would imply major crimes have been committed and they should be thrown in jail with the rest of the criminals. If they use the term "undocumented worker" that would imply that they just forgot to fill out a form and there is no harm/no foul. Another example you can look for is the number of how many illegal immigrants are in the United States. The best number out there are 10-12 million and these come from the US Census Bureau. If you see someone mention 25 million illegal immigrants, they got this number from the many "I will terrify you" sites out there such as the KKK, buildafence.com, buildawall.com, landminetheborder.com, buildanevenbiggerwall.com, theyspreaddisease.com, theytookourjobs.com, and theyarehereforourwhitewomen.com.

2. No, we are not a sovereign nation any more. In absolute dollars, we have the largest national debt of any nation. About 1/4 of our national debt is to fer'ners. The collateral is our national assets including government owned property. We are now learning rapidly that we make independent decisions at our financial peril. Oil and cash are the most effective weapons against the United States short of all out nuclear destruction of the planet.

3. Cindy Sheehan has been manipulated by some scary groups. It is unfortunate because it marginalizes her statements and makes her look like a nut, which she just might be. I think she's being used as a tool to be later discarded.

4. The so-called cigar elite should stick to cigars and not try to plug their political views. Oops, too late! I guess the Hollywood crowd deserves free speech as well. It doesn't mean they're necessarily intelligent. That's the beauty of this whole free speech thing and it will be a shame to see it go by the wayside. Shawshank Redemption was a great movie.

5. You're either with us or you're against us. The President knows best and should not be second guessed. He has a mandate and is on a mission.

6. The Republican controlled US Congress remembers who they are and exactly who put them there. As long as they keep talking up the whole conservative family values/small town southern good ole days evangelical/Pentecostal/Southern Baptist "Left Behind" theocracy talk, they will stay right where they are without even having to pass a single law. They will deal with your issues when they get around to it.

7. Everyone likes activist judges when they overturn the right things! I wonder if there are Republican appointed activist judges or is the term reserved for Democrat appointees. That seems to be how it is most often used. Many are hope hoping some activist judges will overturn Rowe vs Wade.

8. I don;t know if I would go as far as to say that the "under God" part of the Pledge of Allegiance is part of our culture. I guess it is in terms of the United States versus the godless communists of the Soviet Union.

Jrdacd,

All is well. I've been on the road ever since the Orlando herf. I'm glad I was able to make it there. It is always good to meet a bunch of fine people. I didn't get home until about 1AM.

Minefield.

And like Homebrew said, penalize the employers. Maybe deport them to Mexico through that same minefield.