We The People Politics

As St. Patrick’s Day nears, the blessed holiday of corned beef, cabbage, green beer, and hours of delightfully memorable hangovers, I thought it would be nice to discuss the history of the Irish in this country, and the implications that it holds today.Nowadays we see a lot of folks promoting their Irish heritage. Old Navy makes wonderful shirts and such in forty shades of green, just in time for the “holiday season.” However, there were times in this country when the Irish were scorned, disdained, avoided, and persecuted.

Between 1820 and 1880, three and a half million Irish immigrants entered the country, consisting of about one-third of all immigrants to this country at the time. There are remarkable stories, like those featured in Herbert Asbury’s collection (and now major motion picture, directed by Martin Scorsese and enacted by the steamy, dreamy Leonardo DiCaprio), Gangs of New York, where Irish immigrants were pelted with paving stones as they got off their boats, and forced into poor neighborhoods. Signs were hung in shops and businesses, reading “No Irish Need Apply.” Times were hard, but true to the Irish in the Old Country, the people persevered.

Where the Irish sought to better themselves was the realm of politics. By 1900, the Irish had taken complete control of Tammany Hall in New York, and from their political high-ground made appointments. All-Irish army brigades, like New York’s “Fighting 1st” and “Fighting 69th,” also helped to improve the image of the Irish in America. The reputation grew and grew, reaching its pinnacle in 1960 when John F. Kennedy, an Irish-American, and an Irish Catholic at that, became the President of the United States.

Well, that was all well and good, but we face a similar situation in this country right now. While I am writing this article, people are picketing, congressmen are arguing, employers are struggling, and the Latino community in our country is fighting for their own place in our supposed “melting pot.” According to the Department of Homeland Security, in 2006 alone, about 900,000 Latino immigrants came into our country…legally.

A study done by the Pew Hispanic Center, referenced in the Wall Street Journal, estimates that 11-12 million illegal Hispanic immigrants entered the country in 2006 alone. The latest polls show upwards of almost 20 million illegal immigrants coming in the past year. For reference, that is about seven percent of the population of the United States, or about one-third of the population of Mexico City, or (better still), the entire population of Paraguay. With this in mind, how can we find some kind of a solution to the issue of immigration?

While it would be nice to look back on how the Irish handled it, and assume it would work just as well for the Hispanic community, this is simply not the case. The stark difference between the two cultures, which historically speaking have had similar experiences in coming to America, is the legality of how they actually came.

The Irish came to this country because of problems in their home country, just like most illegal Hispanic immigrants. The Irish were persecuted when they arrived here, because they were different, just like most illegal Hispanic immigrants. The Irish took dangerous jobs, like in factories, shipyards, and the police force, because they would work for less than most native-born Americans in the same jobs, just like most illegal Hispanic immigrants. The Irish worked hard, paid their taxes, voted in the elections for Irish politicians, and fought long and hard before becoming a welcome member in American society. Just like…..the Hispanic population that comes to this country through the proper channels, getting work visas, becoming naturalized, etc.

That is the issue at hand. I am not against the immigration of a people looking for a better life. That is the basis for which most ethnic groups came to this country and established themselves. It is when that same group of people comes to this country, disregarding the proper channels, and burdens our tax system, our healthcare system, our economy, all because they are not taxed on the money they make while working here, and send the money home to their families suffering in their homeland.

In order to keep systems like food stamps, welfare, and Medicaid working in at least a manageable fashion, people need to be taxed. These social programs are already at the mercy of defense spending. To explain, last year the government spent $2.9 trillion, with $661 billion in national defense alone, between the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security. Only $56 billion or about eight and one-half percent of the national defense budget went to the Department of Education. However, nothing the government does, from war to welfare, could be financed without the American people paying their taxes.

It is not the fact that illegal immigrants are sending money home that bothers me - I just want to make sure that Uncle Sam gets his share first.

Whether Congress decides to deport every illegal immigrant, or naturalize all of them in one fell swoop is of lesser importance than the issue of time: the longer it takes for us to make a decision, the worse the issue will become.

Until we can find a solution to the issue of illegal immigration, it seems these tempest-tossed, huddled masses will continue to ignore Lady Liberty’s lamp beside the golden door, hoping she will not catch them as they hop over the fence in her backyard.