Sowell on Amnesty

He gets it right.

Imprisoning known and apprehended lawbreakers for the crime of illegally entering this country (in addition to whatever other punishment they receive for other laws that they have broken) and then sending them back where they came from after their sentences have been served would be something that would not be lost on others who are here illegally or who are thinking of coming here illegally.

Just as people can do many things better for themselves than the government can do those things for them, illegal aliens could begin deporting themselves if they found that their crime of coming here illegally was being punished as a serious crime, and that they themselves were no longer being treated as guests of the taxpayers when it comes to their medical care, the education of their children, and other welfare-state benefits.

Here’s a thought – Has Sowell ever gotten something wrong? I assume me must have, but I’ve missed it.

Loophole OTD

Clever, but kinda redefines desperate.

Are you angry?

To be angry is to be human. To be angry all the time is, as Thomas Sowell points out, “progressive“.

Particular issues can arouse passions here and there for anyone with any political views. But, for many on the left, indignation is not a sometime thing. It is a way of life.

How often have you seen conservatives or libertarians take to the streets, shouting angry slogans? How often have conservative students on campus shouted down a visiting speaker or rioted to prevent the visitor from speaking at all?

Important Letter From Petraeus

Michael Yon has a letter sent by the General to all forces in Iraq. It is a powerful reminder of what sets our guys apart from the enemy.

I fully appreciate the emotions that one experiences in Iraq. I also know first hand the bonds between members of the ” brotherhood of the close fight. ” Seeing a fellow trooper killed by a barbaric enemy can spark frustration, anger, and a desire for immediate revenge. As hard as it might be, however, we must not let these emotions lead us—or our comrades in arrns—to commit hasty, illegal actions. In the event that we witness or hear of such actions, we must not let our bonds prevent us from speaking up.

Consider it required reading.

Outrage OTD

Michael Chertoff, as we say in Spanish, se pasa.

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: You know, Wolf, first, I understand there’s some people who expect anything other than capital punishment is an amnesty. The reality is the proposal here requires people who came in illegally who want to stay to pay a penalty. Like a fine. That’s a punishment. That’s not an amnesty.

If we get this kind of Orwellian violence to the language from someone in a supposedly Republican administration, I shudder to think what a Democrat would say.

¡Di no a la amnestía!