G.O.P. Risking Hispanic Votes on Immigration - New York Times

The NY Times posts this headlineG.O.P. Risking Hispanic Votes on Immigration in relation to the debate in Congress over immigration reform.

While the GOP needs to be careful, I don't necessarily believe the GOP is explicitly risking Hispanic votes with their stances on immigration reform, even the hard line stance of the House Republicans.

Those Latino immigrants in this country legally have nothing to fear in these legislative proposals. Hispanics here legally are the only ones who can vote, and I can assure you anti-illegal immigration stances are just as hard line in the legal immigrant community as they are in the native population. Legal immigrants are smeared with teh same brush when the topic of illegal immigration comes up. True, legal immigrants have a legitmate concern in the broad brush strokes given to this issue, but that is where their concerns end.

Most legal immigrants have far more normal concerns, issues of education, poverty, energy dominate polls from both parties. Why then does this one issue glavanize the entire community?

Irresponsible labeling of the issue. This issue is not about legal immigration, not about economics or even about social services, it is about doing that which is right and legal. When illegal immigrants poor over our borders, Americans are justifiable incensed at two matters. First, they are angry that the government is unable to stop the illegal immigration. Second, illegal immigration offends the sense of right and wrong of most people.

Americans are not without heart. We understand the plight faced by those who feel the need to come to America illegally. We are not without sympathy of the hardships they face. Many Americans face similar hardships. Rather, Americans believe strongly in the rule of law and that by following the rules, you have a better chance of success than not.

No one on Earth can dispute teh fact that soveriegn nations have the right to dictate the rules by which they will admit immigrants. If the GOP were to refram the issue in those terms, that it is about following the rules, rules that millions of legal immigrants from around the world have followed for decades, the GOP will lose not one single voter on this issue. The GOP is about the rule of law, laws that everyone must play by. On the other hand the Democratic party wants to forgive those who have broken the rules by patting the on the head, a quick, and light, slap on the wrist and a promise to do more. That is not playing by the rules and that is what America wants.