The Lack of American Flags Provokes The Right Response From Chertoff
We live in an age where activity has become an acceptable substitute for results in many quarters and nowhere is that principal more obvious than in regards to the immigration debate.
For years, the American people have been told that the I.N.S. is doing a bang-up job regulating the border while thousands of illegals pour in every day. Those Americans with land along the border have been unfortunate enough to watch illegals stream across while most Americans are blissfully unaware of the problem. That is, until now.
The sight of a half a million illegal Mexicans flowing like a river through the streets of Los Angeles waving literally thousands of Mexican flags with nary an American flag in the bunch sobered up an America in denial in a hurry. In response to the outcry from citizens calling for action, our political leadership (that’s an oxymoron, by the way), afraid to do anything that might be perceived as an insult to millions of potential future voters, has accomplished absolutely nothing.
But the image of illegals defiantly waving Mexican flags has proved to be a powerful catalyst for change. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has stepped up to the plate, aggressively chasing businesses that “knowingly and recklessly” employ illegals. After all, who needs Congress to pass another law when the laws we need to stem the tide are already on the books?
This latest move by Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff may be political gamesmanship by the White House, but it’s still the right move, and none too soon. The Minutemen are threatening to build a wall themselves if the Government doesn’t act quickly, and we applaud them. That’s what America is all about - citizens who will get the job done when politicians refuse to act. But while a wall is an important step in the process, putting the brakes on a system that rewards businesses for breaking the law is the key.
Let’s hope that this week’s crackdown on businesses that flagrantly break laws for selfish gain is just the beginning and not a one-time show to appease an angry public.