Saturday Morning Musings

A Poor Defense of Illegal Immigration

From CNN

And Father John Herman, a Roman Catholic priest whose Spanish language Masses are packed with illegal immigrants, blames the fence for more risky crossings in less-populated desert areas. “We know that the way enforcement has gone has driven many people into the desert and caused more deaths. Needless deaths. If we could only get together and work for comprehensive immigration reform.”

With all due respect Father, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that the U.S. government is not being very accommodating for those trying to come into the United States without proper documentation. Let me paraphrase Father Herman’s opinion.

“How dare you put a wall in the path of those trying to break the law! You’re forcing people to go around the wall, and that’s just silly. It’s not as though these folks have a choice!”

Father Herman makes us believe that these deaths are the fault of the American government. Nothing could be further from the truth. Certainly, any death is tragic, but if I

• Drive to Nevada in August
• Take a 100 mile walk through the desert
• Perish in the process
  

I’m pretty confident that we should not and cannot blame the government. People have the right to make their own decisions. However, for those who are thinking about walking through the desert, please do not walk through the desert. Again, in the interest of avoiding needless suffering and even death, please do not walk through the desert.

If folks just follow my advice, Father Herman will be pleased...because there will no deaths in the desert, because people will not be walking through the desert.