April 26, 2006

Amnesty Through Irish Eyes

By Kieran Michael Lalor
The "one—time" amnesty of 1986 legalized two million aliens.  However, it inspired six times that number to enter the United States illegally and emboldened them remain until their numbers reached a critical mass big enough to demand a logically absurd "second one—time" amnesty.  As that critical mass begins to mobilize it is helpful to view the illegal immigration issue through the paradigm of Irish illegals, avoiding the hyper—emotional rhetoric of race politics, which can make honest debate impossible. At a recent speech by Senator John McCain (R, AZ) in an Irish section of the Bronx, the truth about so—called "earned citizenship" legislation like the McCain—Kennedy bill was exposed.  McCain bristles when the bill that bears his name is said to grant amnesty.  Yet the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR) which hosted Senator McCain and views him as the "champion of the undocumented immigrant" bluntly condemns in its...(Read Full Article)