U.S. Immigration

President George W. Bush recently failed in his effort to reform the antiquated US immigration system thanks in large part to his friends in the Republican Party. The Democrats are not lacking in blame either but this article is not about who is to blame for the failure or who did or didn't do what. There is enough blame to go around. This article is about the opportunity missed by the USA.

Everyone will agree that the immigration system is in need of urgent reform; the contention is about "how". The immigration system will never be reformed as long as both sides believe that doing so will benefit the other party more. And the only way to overcome that myopic view is to look at the bigger picture. To begin with, Americans believe they have the best country in the world. Maybe so, but that may not be for long. At the very least, that notion is arguable.

Individuals worldwide are drawn to this county because of it's openness, it's ability to absorb newcomers regardless your education, nationality or race, and the willingness to give anyone a chance to earn decent wages if they are willing to work for it. A few weeks ago we saw a remarkable shift from these ideals. The GOP sought to make it impossible for immigrants to qualify for citizenship or even reside in the country by adding draconian amendments to the bills. The result was a resounding collapse of the entire process.

So why would a party which professes to love legal immigrants seek to torpedo the process aimed at creating more legal immigrants? Two words; ignorance and fear.