The Border Crossing 500

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/03/AR2006040301621.html
No, I don't know why I would compare the border crossing to a race. Be that as it may, the referenced article is an excellent opinion piece on the immigration issue. My thanks to Mark Evanier for spotlighting this one for me.
Many Americans have become enamored of the European approach to immigration -- perhaps without realizing it. Guest workers, penalties, sanctions and deportation are all a part of Europe's mode of dealing with immigrants. The results of this approach have been on display recently in France, where rioting migrant youths again burned cars last week. Across Europe one sees disaffected, alienated immigrants, ripe for radicalism.
In the context of his article this makes even more sense. One thing that often gets overlooked is that many, many of the immigrants are not coming to be here temporarily...they are chasing the "American Dream"...not necessarily the house with the picket fence and the 2.5 kids, .5 apparently having visited Jeffery Dahmer or something...but the ability to have that idyylic scene if they so desire...or to live in a trailer with 17 rotting out muscle cars on the lawn and a rifle rack on their bycicle if that is what they choose. That is the point...it is THEIR dream, not mine...just as for the people already here who think going weeks without a bath, living in a tent and backpacking across the country have that right. Not my cup of tea, but might be theirs. And here, they have that right.
Part of his argument is that by removing that carrot, we remove a certain amount of hope. They are not leaving a poorer life behind, they are simply delaying their participation in it. The life here is under constant duress because at any moment it could be taken away. Yes, that is part of the danger of performing the illegal crossing, but it does not remove that element from THEIR viewpoint.
But let us understand the forces at work here. "The income gap between the United States and Mexico is the largest between any two contiguous countries in the world," writes Stanford historian David Kennedy. That huge disparity is producing massive demand in the United States and massive supply from Mexico and Central America.
The income disparity is often cited. Sadly, it sounds more disturbing than it is. Costs are higher here, also. Or, in the words of Patrick Ewing, "Sure, we make a lot of money, but we spend a lot of money, too." In two weeks in Mexico 200 bucks was far more than I needed. For TWO WEEKS. And that was with trying to buy souvenirs for people back here. 3 tacos were a buck. Here the same meal would be about 15 - 20 bucks. And so forth.
Please note, I am not arguing their standard of living even approaches what we have here. It doesn't. But the ability to make a living is not as vast a discrepancy as the difference in wages would seem to suggest. And the arival here of so much "talent" in the words of President Fox (of Mexico, in case you were not aware) creates a huge talent drain in Mexico. Many of their best and brightest have left the country which leaves a talent and education drain.
For economic development, you need capital investment, whether governmental or private, you need a willing workforce, and you need an educated workforce. Under Fox the education and investment have improved. As we have seen in the U.S., there IS a willing Mexican work force...they just don't happen to be in Mexico.
So should they ignore their self-interest for immediate improvement of lifestyle or sacrifice for later generations and a future that may never arrive? Fox is, by law, 1 and done...will the next Pres be another reformer or a redux of the disasters they have usually had?
Beyond the purely economic issue, however, there is the much deeper one that defines America -- to itself, to its immigrants and to the world. How do we want to treat those who are already in this country, working and living with us?
Now see, back when this country was founded on a belief in God, in the principles therein...and the writings of the Founding Fathers conclusively demonstrate this truth despite revisionary history of recent effort, the answer would have been the Scriptural Golden Rule; "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". Nowadays, however, it is the U.S. Golden Rule: Either Do unto others before they can do unto you or else He who has the Gold makes the rules. I would think how each of us reacts to the immigration issue would depend at least partially on where we fall on that continuum. And, to be honest, his article did shift my view a little bit more in favor of letting be those who are here, even if they did cross illegally. Still some stuff to think about, but this quotation was brilliant. Well done.