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by Greg_Groogan from Houston

Last Post 15 days, 16 hours Ago


Second Thoughts on a Hardline
Nov 4, 2007 | 12:47 AM
Category: Political
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The latest edition of a Texas exclusive Rasmussen poll asked a question that goes something like this "If a police officer makes a traffic stop and the driver is an undocumented immigrant, should that person be deported ?"
Without revealing what the numbers were I guess most of you can guess what a majority of folks in Texas would say.
While reporters arn't supposed to reveal personal opinions (oh yea, we've got them), it's likely you could have counted me among those who would say, "hey, they broke the rules, took the risk and came here the easy way while millions stand in line trying to do it right."
Hours after reading the question and preparing for a report on the results I picked up my three year-old daughter and went to the grocery store. As i stood in the check-out line I came in contact with another father accompanied by his tiny daughter.
Call It racial profiling if you wish, put based on 21-years worth of reporting and a good bit of life on the Texas border, I made an educated guess that my fellow parent was probably one of the millions who crossed for opportunity the only way he knew how.
Right or wrong, I progressed to what I see as the far more important hypothetical. What if five minutes from now this young man, clearly adored by his daughter, was stopped by authorities for a bad tail-light, identified as undocumented, cuffed and hauled away in front of his little girl ? Seperated, perhaps, forever.

I wasn't okay with that.

Maybe because in the few moments I watched them together, I wittnessed the same love, the same desire for a secure and nurturing home, the same hope, that's at the core of my own life.
I did not see a person whose first contact with America was to break its law by entering illegally. I did not see a person who can rely on free emergency medical care funded by my tax dollars. I did not see a laborer undercutting the wages of the native born by his willingness to work for less.
What I saw was a father, devoted to his daughter and a little girl who looked at her daddy the same way my 3-year-old angel looks at me.
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Member Comments Total Comments: 9
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chassan read my blog view my photos
Nov 4, 2007 | 8:27 AM

Greg,

You've done what most of us in the blogs have failed to do. Put a face on the issue. When you talk about the scenario of the illegal being arrested in front of his daughter, that certainly tugs at the heart. Makes me want to holler at the cop: "Hey, let the man go!

But in reality, police have no authority to arrest a person for being in the United States illegally. Only a federal agent, particularly Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, can enforce the federal statute prohibiting a person from being in the country illegally.

That's why Immigration and Customs Enforcement has gone out of its way to offer training to police departments across the country to "certify" their officers to enforce federal immigration laws. Most police departments, including Houston's, have not had their officers certified.

Without looking at the poll, I know most Americans would say a police officer should arrest any illegal alien they find in a traffic stop.

With that being the case, why haven't citizens demanded that their police departments get their officers "certified" to enforce immigration laws?

A poll is one thing, but speaking up and demanding action is another thing. Most Americans are passive.
kenny77449 read my blog
Nov 4, 2007 | 8:54 AM

Ya know, We all feel for the children caught up in ILLEGAL migrants situations. But WE ARE A NATION OF LAWS. The father caused the problem not any U.S. citizen. I get tired of people trying to make ME feel bad when SOME IRRESPONSIBLE dad BROKE THE LAW. Why don't we point out the VILLAIN he is, and HE put his daughter in that situation. Not the police officer, not me, not you. The child in this situation was just a SYMPTOM sadly, but the PROBLEM was the DAD being here ILLEGALLY.
Don't get me wrong, I feel sorry for the child, But SO SHOULD THE DAD
Sassy11 read my blog
Nov 4, 2007 | 12:15 PM

Understand this and see it every day. It does tug at one's heart. No one wants to be cruel, we are not like this here in Texas. For the most part many of us want everyone to be treated fairly. Yet, our loopholes in this country need to be rectified. There are too many excuses for this issue to occur. It simply should not, but it does. There are options and I'm confident that in the near future things will be amended through our legal system and its laws. Do you think that the same options are afforded to the legal citizens of this country? No, we would be carted off to jail for breaking our laws. So why is this any different? Agree with Kenny as well, his response said it eloquently.
kenny77449 read my blog
Nov 4, 2007 | 12:34 PM

TY sassy
I just HATE IT when people throw IT IN MY FACE, because some ILLEGAL neglected his child.SURE laws need to be ENFORCED not changed tho. Fences make good neighbors
kenny77449 read my blog
Nov 4, 2007 | 12:36 PM

If a DAD in the U.S. a citizen did that, CPS would be all over him. BUT if they are illegal?....hmmmmm
Happens in Mexico, DAILY
murphy2747 read my blog
Nov 4, 2007 | 1:42 PM

Every immigrant ,legal or not, has a story. But if we ,Americans, do not put some kind of limit to how much we give up, we will lose everything we have ever stood for, fought for and all our brave souls have died for.All in an attempt to be "politically correct".We are being taken advantage of and we can not even get a decent answer from our government as to why we continue to allow it.
It should be a "no brainer" as to wheather or not our police officers should be certified! Where is the rational in that? Look around you...DO YOU THINK SOMEBODY SHOULD BE CERTIFIED IN SOMETHING???
They need to take all of thier cute little babies and funny little dogs and GET ON THE BUS! They need to tackle the problems in thier own country.Deal with thier own issues and leavs us to see if we have anything left to salvage.
REDNAKED87
Nov 15, 2007 | 2:41 PM

STAY IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY AND FIND YOUR OWN JOBS, THIS IS A-M-E-R-I-C-A. NOT LETS HOUSE, FEED, AND PROVIDE FOR LAZY IMMIGRANTS! GO BACK THEY ARE SCREWING UP JUST LIKE ALL THE BLACK PEOPLE STILL IN HOUSTON FROM KATRINA "LAZY" THEY JUST WANT SOMETHING FOR NOTHING, I GUESS I WAS BORN THE WRONG COLOR.....GO TO WORK PEOPLE WE OWN YOU NOTHING!!!
francois2807 read my blog
Nov 15, 2007 | 10:29 PM

If we adopt the writers veiw then why do we even have a country, if you don't enforce the law then the law means nothing and if the law means nothing then nothing changes. Perhaps we can spend our money to take care of every person on the planet but I just don't see how?
soliel12 read my blog
Dec 17, 2007 | 2:12 AM

Social responsibilty is the answer, or anarchy will take hold and we will all lose our country!
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Greg_Groogan

For as long as I can remember, all I've cared about is telling stories about Texans and what matters to them. These days that's pretty much all I do, so I guess I'm livin' the dream. Toss in 2 toddlers and a wife and my life is full to the brim. I'm greedy, I know there are great untold stories out there and I want them all. Help me do it.

Member Since: 3/20/2007


 

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