A huge debate in Congress about whether people who have come to our country illegally should have the right to purchase health care insurance has prompted me to offer my two cents worth.
The growth and success of the United States has been driven by people who have immigrated to America, most all of them were seeking a better way of life, it’s true that some came to our shores against their will, but even those people, for the most part, found a better life than they experienced in their homeland.
Irish, German, Italian, Norwegians, Swedes and many other Europeans along with slaves from countries in Africa were early immigrants to our shores, they provided labor for the demands of a country that was booming because of opportunities provided by the foresight of our founding fathers, those early settlers who had the vision to realize the power of people to succeed when they are provided opportunity.
Some of the early settlers in America were indentured slaves; they were bound by a contract for a period of time to a master who, in essence, owned them. America has dealt in slavery from its beginning but few Americans realize that slavery still exists here. Slavery was not condoned by the founders that fashioned our constitution but compromises involving greedy special interests allowed slavery to continue for many years. Special interests and their influence on Congress allow defacto slavery to continue even today.
The issue of illegal immigrants in America is being perpetuated by those special interests who want to keep illegal people in bondage in order to profit from low wages. Nothing has really changed since the writing of our constitution and nothing will change until we close our borders and enforce the law.
Slavery is defined as “bondage to a master or household” so the majority of the early immigrants to our country could be considered slaves since most had little choice but to work as slaves, or be employed by slave masters in companies seeking people who would work for low wages, much the same as today when illegal immigrants come to our country seeking a better life.
Chinese people immigrated to America during the time the country was expanding to the west and many were employed building railroads. Chinese immigrants were treated much the same as black slaves, the only difference was that they made a choice to come here.
The success of the American experiment was due largely to labor provided by people immigrating to our shores, but more than that it provided opportunity for many of those same people to elevate themselves from slavery by becoming entrepreneurs, or what some might consider modern day slave masters.
Many changes have occurred through the evolution of the United States and, other than the illegal immigrants from Mexico and other South American countries, few people are enslaved by their employer (though many may feel they are). The biggest change we have seen in recent years is the destruction of opportunity for those who would like to lift themselves up from a perceived sense of slavery. The view of many, who want to junk the capitalist free enterprise system in favor of central government solutions, is mostly responsible for the killing of opportunity in America.
The big question Americans must ask themselves is this, would you rather be enslaved by your employer who you can tell to “take this job and shove it”, or enslaved by your government, with no options except to find another country.
Back to the original question, whether illegal immigrants should be able to purchase health insurance, it does make sense economically because the more people who participate to spread the risk the cheaper insurance rates are. However, the United States has laws and unless enforced they have no worth, when anyone who breaks the law is rewarded for doing so, what message does that send to future law breakers.
Because of bad government policy since the early 20th century, which has resulted in productive companies with better paying jobs leaving America, the United States doesn’t need immigration for low paid, low skilled jobs, it has plenty of people in the labor pool to fill those jobs, but most are unwilling because of a feeling of entitlement that has been created by politicians attempting to maintain a very prized position on their throne.
A recent news story about the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, that showed her connection to a slave, five generations ago, should fill all Americans with a feeling of pride about how America has dealt with the black slavery issue, but America still has people enslaved because of pure politics and greed.
As soon as we get rid of our guilt feeling about race and slavery and realize that all people perceive themselves as a slave at some point in their lives, and if we bond together to fix our income tax system that allows politicians to keep some people in bondage, and make government accountable to the people, we can restore the lost opportunity for all people in America.
This opinion article was written by Geezil, the Headmaster of the GeezilSchool. Http://geezilschool.net
By: Keith Brandon
Posts Tagged ‘Europeans’
Immigration and Slavery
January 25th, 2010The Constitution Vs The Declaration of Independence
January 11th, 2010In exploring the workings of governments; the bureaucracies that define how they interact with the citizenry, and how the citizenry are manipulated for political and economic purposes; I have learned that there is a great deal of confusion in the average citizen concerning the formation of governments and the power available to preserve those governments.
A good example is the lack of understanding of our own historical foundations. Europeans discovered the Americas and associated islands over 250 years before some of the British colonies seceded from the British Empire, and established their own governments. For over two and one half centuries the laws of Britain along with the colonial laws, approved by Britain, provided to the citizenry their social, economic, and political structure. With the increasing development of the colonial economies and the abundance of resources for manufactures and trade, England continually taxed the Colonies of their productive labor and resource wealth. Economic disparity with England, reinforced by the social and political disparities between England and the Colonies, was the motivation for colonial self-determination and desire for complete control and ownership of the wealth generated by the Colonies. » Read more: The Constitution Vs The Declaration of Independence
The Constitution Vs The Declaration of Independence
December 30th, 2009In exploring the workings of governments; the bureaucracies that define how they interact with the citizenry, and how the citizenry are manipulated for political and economic purposes; I have learned that there is a great deal of confusion in the average citizen concerning the formation of governments and the power available to preserve those governments.
A good example is the lack of understanding of our own historical foundations. Europeans discovered the Americas and associated islands over 250 years before some of the British colonies seceded from the British Empire, and established their own governments. For over two and one half centuries the laws of Britain along with the colonial laws, approved by Britain, provided to the citizenry their social, economic, and political structure. With the increasing development of the colonial economies and the abundance of resources for manufactures and trade, England continually taxed the Colonies of their productive labor and resource wealth. Economic disparity with England, reinforced by the social and political disparities between England and the Colonies, was the motivation for colonial self-determination and desire for complete control and ownership of the wealth generated by the Colonies.
Thus was born the Declaration of Independence; a very strange document, whose validity cannot be argued in any court, since it predates any court that its formulators would recognize as a valid court. The authority claimed by those who wrote this document is placed by them above all other. However, the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution with its Bill of Rights, are in such great conflict with each other, that they mutually exclude the authority of the other to be the vehicle by which society may establish, promote and preserve its government; to enforce the authority of one is to negate the authority of the other. It is impossible to believe that both of these documents are valid in their exclusive philosophies.
From the Declaration of Independence:
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them,…} {…That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.}…..{ We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions do, in the Name, and by authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” » Read more: The Constitution Vs The Declaration of Independence
