The Corrosion of Conservatism

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by detbuch

How many of these big ones were started by illegal immigrants? Selective, legal immigration, as needed, as they have in Canada and the rest of the world is what Jim would probably be in favor of.

Sure. And I wouldn't only support letting in people who can significantly help the economy.. I'm all for letting in a certain number of people who will struggle, but who want a shot at a better life. But there are limits to how many of those we can let in, and the reason we need limits, is that it's a real burden on the rest of us.

I'm all for letting in a reasonable number of poor and downtrodden. That's a big part of what makes us who we are.

The family who runs the convenience store near my house came from Liberia, maybe one of the 5 worst countries in the history of the planet, with nothing. They worked 80 hours a week in that store, then they qualified for a federal loan to buy it, at which point they worked 90 hours a week in the store. They have 2 kids who went to college for free, one I studying engineering, the other studying medicine. That's the idea, right there, that's the dream.

It's worth noting that the father, who I've gotten to know over the years, tells me that when he watches MSNBC and CNN, he cannot believe that they are talking about the same country that gave his family this chance. He doesn't understand how people can say that only the rich get ahead, and that only white people get ahead.

He also says, and BOY is this a deep statement, that his black kids were better off being born in Africa and then coming here, than they'd be if they were born here but poor. Because if they were born here, there's a great chance they'd be sucked into the victim mentality. All they see, literally all they see, is opportunity. I love going in there every Sunday, filling up my truck, and buying the paper and a snack and asking him about his week. HE should have a show on MSNBC, not Al Sharpton.