From time to time, I get sent links to stories from the Washington Post in my e-mail box in an effort to drum up some internet readership and blogging on various news items. Let's see if we can pick out the word which doesn't belong here.
The Washington Post's Aaron Davis reports: Growing frustration with illegal immigration, rising public debt and an effective Internet campaign to gather voters’ signatures have put Maryland conservatives on the cusp of a victory to delay and possibly repeal a new law that would give undocumented immigrants in-state college tuition breaks.
Opponents say they are on pace to turn in a combined 100,000 signatures by Thursday, even though state elections officials say they have certified most of the nearly 56,000 needed to suspend the law and send it to a statewide referendum in November 2012. The law had been scheduled to take effect Friday, but it has been suspended while officials await a final tally on the signatures.
The full story can be read here.
Did you catch the word that doesn't belong?
I read the story, and in every case aside from the very first sentence the Post places the word "undocumented" where they should be saying "illegal."
If I forget to bring a copy of the minutes of the last month's meeting to read to the monthly Wicomico County Republican Club gathering I'm "undocumented."
If I were sneaking across the border in such a manner to avoid detection or overstaying the time on my visa, I am "illegal."
While I can't speak for all 100,000 or so Marylanders who have signed the petition to place SB167 on referendum, I would wager that most are quite welcoming to immigrants who come to our country wanting a better life and go about it in the right manner through the proper channels. After all, a century or so ago I believe my great-grandfather did just that. (He was named Michael Swartz too.)
What we don't like is having those who flouted the law take advantage of the system, too. After all, if they are illegal, how can they be gainfully employed after they complete college anyway? I don't see them being a benefit to our society.
I think Daniel Bongino was partially correct the other night when he said the first step to immigration reform should be securing the borders. But I'm not completely convinced we can't deport 12 million illegal immigrants because a large number would deport themselves if they can't find work. I normally am a pro-business kind of guy, but the Chamber of Commerce is way wrong on the issue of immigration reform - we tried amnesty once and it didn't work.
Tomorrow is the deadline to submit petitions, and today I sent through overnight mail a couple pages' worth of names to add to the list. They may not be necessary but these were people who believe the General Assembly made a grievous error when it passed the Maryland DREAM Act. Let them just try and call all of us "racists." I dare them.
Trust me, I have a lot more to say on the subject.