Tin Man: “If I only had a heart – I would see poor immigrant families risking their lives to follow the yellow brick road to prosperity in the United States. They borrow money from their families in Mexico and Central America to pay a “coyote” or some other shyster to get them over the border, and If they survive the trip, many end up working for slave wages and living in the shadows. Some fathers leave their wives and children behind, sending their pay back home to feed the family and pay off debt. Those who bring their families with them dodge immigration officials and hostile neighbors who don’t want them in their neighborhoods and schools.”
Scarecrow: “If I only had a brain, I would know that the US economy can’t afford the loss of millions more jobs. The huge influx of low-skilled immigrants only pushes down wage rates, and the cost of social services for them is unsustainable. And our open border allows more than just immigrants to enter the country – do we need more drugs, crime, and terrorism?”
Cowardly Lion: “If I only had the nerve, I would stop worrying about getting elected. I should be doing the right thing for the future of our citizens, their kids, and even our neighbors who want to live the American dream. I would come up with a plan that protects the security and prosperity of legal Americans, creates a sensible way for productive foreigners to share and contribute, and allows families to improve their lives through effort and ingenuity.”
Dorothy: “I think I’m still in Kansas. Why is everybody speaking Spanish?”
Wizard: “Don’t look behind the curtain! Nothing to see here! I uh, I’m the Wizard, and everything will be, umm, all right . . . oh blast it, I don’t know what I’m doing!”
Well, there’s the script. You can choose your own favorite actors to play the parts (I have a favorite for the Wicked Witch, too).
Unfortunately, there is no resolution to the plot. Everybody is looking at the symptoms instead of the cause of the problem.
It’s understandable that people want to move here – we have a rich history of opportunity and economic success due to our free market economy, honest government and commonly-held values. Even though these staples of our American heritage are at risk, enough of our founding fathers’ wisdom still remains to make the United States a leading attraction to the world’s strivers.
There is only one way this story can have a happy ending. We have to deal with the reason why Latin Americans want to leave their homes and move to the United States: their own governments are corrupt and dysfunctional.
What prevents our political leaders from devising a plan to help our North American neighbors improve their own nations? Cost can’t be the problem – we are apparently willing to risk all of our wealth – and that of our children and grandchildren – to allow them to move and stay here. It’s not that the people of other nations don’t want to be like us. If that were true, they wouldn’t be risking all to be here. And it can’t be that we don’t want to exert undue influence on how neighboring countries manage their affairs. We don’t seem to have a problem meddling in other parts of the world.
If we are going to spend a bazillion dollars accommodating people who leave their own countries to come here, why not try spending a half a bazillion to make their home countries livable? We might even find out that our neighbors can help US with some things if we treat them like friends instead of poor cousins. Obviously, some regime changes would be in order in some of these countries. Maybe even in ours.
Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side
Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man
That he didn’t, didn’t already have
Here’s a great clip from an amazing but somewhat overlooked duo – America. Enjoy.
Rockin' On The Right Side 