The Immigration Question

What makes a nation and nation?

I asked myself this the other day when reflecting on the issue of immigration. Why is it that people move from one nation into another? There is obviously something that makes nations different from each other so that a person would be more disposed to desire to live in one over another. Obviously.

But while this is a rather plain fact, it’s implications run very deep. What makes a country an individual country? I believe it is several things and that among those are: physical borders, language, and type of government (which includes: economic policies, election procedures, rights and liberties).

First, borders. Do you live in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico? The only real way to tell is by physical borders. If we did not have borders there would be no way to tell which country you were in. Obviously.

So in order to have a strong country, you have to have strong borders. If entry and exit is fluid and uncontrolled, then we do not really have borders at all. Merely suggestions.

Second, language. An official language is also necessary to a nation’s success. If fellow countrymen cannot converse with each other the exchange of ideas stops. Not only that, the country will become segmented and divided if people cannot understand each other. That is not to say that other languages cannot or should not be spoken. But there must be an official language.

Third, type of government. America is a constitutional republic by definition. We have a constitution that is the supreme law of the land. We have the ability as citizens of the country to elect people to represent us in our government. In a perfect world, as the populace chooses representatives that reflect what they believe, economic policies, laws, and regulations are put in place that “....as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

We are America. Land of the free and home of the brave. E Pluribus Unum. Out of many comes one. Within our nearly 7,500 mile border is a country as diverse as it is vast. We have an official language so that we may converse, share ideas and live united. The Constitution of the United States is our supreme law. We elect our own representatives to govern us. This is who we are as a nation.

And I want to share that with as many people as possible. Freedom is our most valuable commodity. We have something in America that is unlike anything else in the world.

One of the main ways we share this amazing gift of freedom is through immigration - people coming to this country from another, following prescribed laws, to become Americans. To live in these borders, speak the language and uphold our form of government.

Having a good, working immigration system that is enforced and fair, benefits everyone. It provides opportunities for immigrants. People who go through the system and follow the laws will find jobs and opportunities waiting for them, instead of having them stolen away by people who entered the country illegally. A good immigration system that is enforced will also provide fairness in taxes. Those who are paying into the system are the ones reaping the benefits, instead of those who entered the country illegally getting benefits from a system that they did not pay into.

I said earlier that the Constitution is our supreme law. In Article 1, Section 8, we find that the U.S. Congress shall have the power “....To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization….” Congress has done so. We have laws that say who can become a citizen, how long it will take, etc. It is up to our government to enforce those laws.

There’s a statuesque lady that stands in New York Harbor, a symbol of America’s open arms to immigrants. People that have a desire to come and make this their home. People that work hard and desire to be an American. If we do not ensure that the only way immigrants enter this country is by legal means, it won’t be long before we don’t have anything to offer.

We need strong immigration policy that is fairly enforced so that for the next two hundred years, we can continue to proclaim along with lady liberty,

Jonathan Paine

@painefultruth76

painefultruth1776@gmail.com