“On the Right and Never Wrong”

Nicholas Halks
“On the Right and Never Wrong”

Food consumption has dangerous implications in modern society. Some individuals “bite more then they can chew” and literally choke to death. My Grandmother imparted the proverbial warning, advising me to chew each bite forty times or endow myself with a wife who can perform the Heimlich maneuver. On a less fatal note, the increasing number of Americans whose over-indulgence require them to purchase two airline tickets in order to secure comfortable accommodation hints at the looming of a national crisis. It is a generally accepted view that obesity underscores an unhealthy lifestyle. Paradoxically, however, that same majority struggle to acknowledge the undisputed fact that America has imported too many immigrants in too short a time period in order to provide healthy employment opportunities to all who require them.

This reality has become a fatal blunder for this country. More recently, in February 2009, Merrill Lynch reported that real unemployment stood at 13 percent. In other words, forty million Americans currently fill the unemployment gap. Ironically, the issuance of green cards to 1,130,818 within the past year functions to feed a morbidly fat Uncle Sam another huge helping. If that’s a lot to swallow, try digesting another 500,000 illegal aliens who cross every single year and one begins to realize America’s situation surpasses mere heartburn or nausea. She has been consumed into oblivion.

Over-indulgence in food, though, appears to be less crippling. I can join the gym, begin to eat healthy, receive gastric bypass surgery, or even allow Jillian Michaels to verbally flagellate me on NBC’s The Biggest Loser. Somehow, it seems that our country lacks the courage to assert these blatant realities. After all, no one desires to be branded a “racist.” Furthermore, it has become politically incorrect to do so due to the apparent paralysis of our country by apparently lingering collective guilt over regret for those unfavorable chapters in American history.

These realizations though produce a painful vibe. For those who struggle to squeeze into that pair of jeans that no longer fit, 2010 is the time to recognize that it is unfeasible to fill the American workforce with all able-bodied citizens. With 40 million unemployed, how can we allow another 1.6 million looking for work in every year? This isn’t 1938 - we no longer boast the world’s largest manufacturing base. Nevertheless, the same politicians and economists who sold us NAFTA are trying to sell us amnesty for illegal aliens and increasing legal immigration.

Most will agree that America is the land of immigrants. Reflect on the fact that from the Roanoke colony to RFK, a three hundred eighty year span, America received less immigration then it has in the past forty years. Not many would argue about the benefits of immigration. Nonetheless, the time is now ripe to assert that the influx of too many immigrants in too short a time frame threatens to destabilize an already fragile economy. It is as if a prostrate Uncle Sam lies on his back with an open mouth and waiter after waiter run to dump plate after plate of food into his mouth.

Also, consider the Italians, Irish, Poles, Jews, and Greeks who came before 1950 received very little, if any, public assistance or entitlements such as welfare, Medicaid, food stamps, public housing, or school tuition. That cannot be said for today’s immigrants who are entitled to all these hand-outs by a generous American system. Even illegal aliens seem to be claiming their stake in these benefits.

There is a solution which is “easy as pie” and contains four special ingredients. Firstly, limit legal immigration to 190,000 a year. Secondly, build a fence on the Mexican border and secure it using the National Guard. Thirdly, deport all illegal aliens convicted of a crime. Finally, assimilate the legal immigrants already here. Teach them English and help them get on their feet. It really is as “easy as pie.” Once the economy resumes its productivity, mechanisms may be created to expand the number of legal immigrants. However, until we get into shape, there is no need to consider getting off the diet.