Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/07/11

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Subject: Re: [Leica] airport security kinda really long. ;-) Way the hell off topic.....
From: Mike Cahill <mcahill@laurelgroup.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 17:23:47 -0400

on 7/11/02 4:19 PM, Tim Atherton at timatherton@theedge.ca wrote:

>> 
>> The point I was getting at earlier is that if we extend certain
>> privilegesto illegal aliens we may (and have) done so at our own
>> peril. Those here
>> illegally have been and should continue to be removed immediately
>> and if
>> necessary forcibly, many without the same due process guaranteed
>> to US
>> citizens (your INS reference).  The first and absolutely primary
>> responsibility of the government is to defend its citizens, all else,
>> including the rights of those here illegally is secondary.
>> 
>> The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Most of the paving
>> work has
>> been done by liberals.
>> 
>> Back to camera stuff.....
> 
> I guess that throws the US Constitution out of the window then...
> 
> What a lot of xenophobia and isolationism floating around recently.
> 
> tim
> 
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No xenophobia here, Tim.  If by isolationism you mean the desire to defend
my country and its citizens from attack, then I guess I'm guilty. (I'm not
too big on this one-world-hold-hands-and-sing-Kumbaya crap and I hope to
live long enough to see the concept put in its grave, both here and abroad.
Peaceable coexistence doesn't mean sacrifice of national sovereignty, the EU
will figure this out eventually)  At home, there IS a strong desire to have
our government do what it's supposed to do, protect this country's citizens
from foreign and domestic enemies.  Had the INS simply done it's job 9/11
wouldn't have occurred.  I'm not talking martial law or any other suspension
of individual rights, I talking about the government simply doing it's job.

My grandparents were immigrants from Ireland and Poland earlier in the last
century.  They came here legally. They had sponsors here in the states that
took responsibility for them.  They had jobs waiting for them.  They became
US citizens in due course.  This story is no different than tens of millions
of others in this country.  If they were here illegally they would have been
tracked down and deported, no questions asked, no attorneys present.

Why do we give the current generation a pass?  Why are we less vigilant than
previous generations? Why do we require less that was required of our
grandparents? Maybe we just don't value what we have enough; in which case
the Constitution isn't worth the parchment it's printed on.

Freedom requires vigilance more than tolerance, individual obligations more
than individual rights. The cost is high.

9/11 shows us very clearly the cost of failure.



(I've taken enough of this forum's time.  My apologies being being so
off-topic for so long. I just felt the need to spread the word. If any
offense was taken, I apologize, none was intended.

Lastly, once again, back to cameras.......for good   :-)


MC


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