Friday, February 15, 2008

Right back at you...

I'm a little ticked off... I saw a news headline as I went to bed last night, heard a little bit of the story, and as I was up with a screaming kid at 2am this morning I thought about it some more.

Let me give some background. Mexico has a corrupt government and limited opportunities for it's citizens. Their government actually encourages illegal immigration across the US Border. The US government has taken a policy of allowing this to take place and actually gone as far as providing protection to these people from law enforcement and even offering welfare benefits and free medical care. It doesn't remove the fact however that the people who choose to cross the border do it illegally and are classified as illegal immigrants. Being illegal means that there is a law and you have broken it. The immigration system is broken and needs to be fixed, but that is a separate issue.

I am an immigrant too. I however came in legally, have spent thousands of dollars becoming naturalized and am doing my best to contribute to the economy. I don't want welfare handouts, and I don't take welfare hand outs.

In recent years, the Utah legislature passed a law that would give illegal aliens the ability to apply for a driving card. This way they could drive legally and apply for insurance. Currently they are considering revoking this program.

From what I understand, the new First Presidency of the LDS Church sent a representative up to Capital Hill to make the statement that the Church urged legislators to consider the lives of those that would be affected by the change in this law, in effect putting their considerable weight behind the cause of illegal immigrants, and with a number of legislators being LDS too, this is a HUGE DEAL.

Lets look at the role the LDS Church has played in Illegal Immigration. Despite an Article of Faith which ends in "obeying, honoring and sustaining the law", they have no problem welcoming in new members and giving them full fellowship despite them being illegal immigrants. They have even set up Spanish only congregations so that these people have no reason to assimilate into the American culture, which is a huge problem too, but a separate issue.

With this last decision of theirs, it looks to me like the Church is just giving illegal immigrants the biggest of thumbs up, which I guess means that someone like me, who has done it the legal way is simply getting the good old middle finger from them.

Thanks guys! Right back at you!

4 comments:

  1. I found this little quote in an unrelated story in the Deseret News.

    The church's public statement gives the legislation almost guaranteed passage, since approximately 80 percent of the legislators are Mormon.

    Well, that's just super, ain't it!

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  2. KSL (Owned by the Church!) isn't carrying this story, shockingly.

    Deseret News has an article, but it's written in such a way as to hide the issues, focussing on compassion and 'undocumented workers'.

    Their story is here, the comments are from both sides, but I wanted to include 2 below:

    Hit and Run
    7:09 a.m. Feb. 15, 2008
    Did the Brethren offer a solution to the byproducts of illegal aliens? Not that I could see. It is great to take an illegal to lunch and find out about their life, but where does that leave us? Really. Long term, what do we achieve by taking a soft stand?

    The Church has hit and run with their input, but isn't going to write checks to school districts or pay to keep hospitals open, or subsidize the social services.

    If they want to help, have them set up an assisted program for self-deportation. Preach the 12th Article of Faith and explain how to liquidate assets and return home in an orderly fashion. Then call on the Saints to add to the fast offering to assist those who have returned home. $50 goes a long way when $1,400 a year is the average annual salary.

    Now, THAT would be proactive on the part of the church.

    What is going on?
    7:50 a.m. Feb. 15, 2008
    Why is it that if you don't pay taxes you can't go to the temple until you pay them but you can crash the border and sponge off of the taxpayers and that is acceptable? Why aren't we telling illegals to go home and follow the law by coming here legally or stay home?

    What happened to the article of faith about obeying the law of the land? Also, where is the compassion for the victims of illegal immigrants who are many and growing every day? All the other states are doing the right thing and enforcing the law, if we don't do it Utah will become the national magnet for illegals.

    If all the local churches want Utah to be a sanctuary state why don't they set up a fund to pay for it? They would lose all their donors, that's why. Bank robbers want a "better life" too and are willing to break the law to do it much like illegal immigrants.

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  3. It's a complex issue.

    Good points.

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  4. Thanks Gats,

    I think the issue is being confused a lot. The Church never actually said they were right behind the immigrants, but that's how they seem to do things - this way they can play the plausible deniability card later.

    The other argument I've heard is the whole woman caught in adultery thing... The only way you could compare this issue to that, is if the law were to say.. We're not pressing charges, but you have 6 months to leave the US. That's the kind of amnesty I would support. But taking people who have knowingly broken the law and then pretending they have as much right as a US Citizen. Bad, bad move.

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