Possible presidential candidate Jeb Bush reportedly said that entering the country illegally can be an “act of love.” I’ve got to wonder, does anyone actually dispute that? Many of the people who come across the border into this country are clearly doing it for their families.
The Daily Caller reports:
“There are means by which we can control our border better than we have and there should be penalties for breaking the law,” the former Republican Florida governor argued during an interview with Fox News’ Shannon Bream from the George H.W. Bush presidential library in College Station, Texas. ”But the way I look at this — and this is not, you know, I’m going to say this and it will be on tape, and so be it — the way I look at this is someone who comes to our country because they couldn’t come legally, they come to our country because their family’s, you know, a dad who loved their children was worried that their children didn’t have food on the table. And they, you know, wanted to make sure their family was intact and they crossed the border because they had no other means to work to be able to provide for their family. Yes, they broke the law, but it’s not a felony. It’s kind of — it’s an act of love. It’s an act of commitment to your family.”
I know some people are outraged over this comment but I personally don’t see why this is controversial. I also don’t see why declaring it an act of love makes it legal. I could think of several acts of love that should not be legal. If someone steals bread to feed a hungry child, we don’t advocate theft on a grand scale.
I think the problem some are having with Jeb’s comments is because they know he’s not really for securing the border at all and is pro-amnesty. So his declaring border jumping an act of love seems conveniently political and just another way to shame those who wish to secure the border.
April 8, 2014 at 1:00 pm
I don't see where we're disagreeing. It seems completely sane to me to secure the border.
April 8, 2014 at 4:34 pm
I believe people are just tired of being lied to on this issue. How many iterations of "we'll secure the border but do blanket amnesty just one more time" do we need to have before we get wise?
I'm fairly open when it comes to immigrants coming here but we need to secure the border not only for our own good but for their good too. A fluid border makes it easy to victimize immigrants who attempt to bypass the "front door."
April 8, 2014 at 9:58 pm
Wow. A new type of “crime of passion?” Seriously, it’s disgusting how politicians and prelates infantilize entire groups of people for whatever purpose.
Jeb Bush is a convert to the Catholic faith. He obviously follows the guidelines of CCC
#2433 and #1351. Frankly, that’s a good thing. However, Bush seems to ignore CCC #2241… especially the last sentence.
Wonder what ole Jeb thinks of those who fill out the paperwork and “wait in line” [some for years] to go into the US? Haters, maybe?
April 9, 2014 at 9:02 pm
Its not really an issue of fairness between that group and many who enter illegally. The official immigration process is a convoluted and corrupt mess, just like everything else run by the federal government. It takes hundreds of forms and costs hundreds of dollars to immigrate legally today, an obstruction many of our immigrant ancestors wouldn't be able to overcome if they were alive today. Most well-educated Americans probably couldn't navigate the process, so how well will poor, minimally educated blue collar workers from elsewhere fare? For those immigrants who decide the only way they can provide a positive life for their family is to come to America, I think their decision to come here IS an act of love. It is illegal, but shouldn't be. We need borders that are safe and secured, but which allow honest, non-criminal foreigners have a chance at working to further themselves and build up our country.
The reason the GOP is so intractable with immigration reform is because the party is completely beholden to the Protestant "religious right." If all the immigrants were well-to-do northern or western European protestants we wouldn't hear a peep about immigration. But they're not. They're more of them awful Catholics. They didn't like the Irish, they didn't like the Italians, and they don't like the Mexicans, Peruvians, Salvadorians, and all the rest.
The worst part is so many Catholics have gotten caught up in this know-nothing ideology, probably out of concern for party orthodoxy, and aren't standing up for their brothers and sisters today who want the opportunities our parents and grandparents had in days past.