Immigration

It's been awhile since I've written. I've been doing a lot of reading, but not too much writing!

One of the next big items that I believe will become a topic of debate in the USA will be immigration. There are many facets to this problem, and I believe that it would be wiser to tackle them separately, rather than all at once. I believe that it is foolish to try and solve all the problems at once. There's too much that can go wrong. (See my posting on health care and unintended consequences.)

So:
1. What do we do about the people that are already here illegally, who came as adults?
2. What do we do about people who are here illegally, but who came as minors? (presumably with their parents)
3. What do we do about those who wish to come in the future?

The following are my opinions only, and subject to change based on intelligent arguments and discussion. Please don't throw any accusations about racism. No name calling.

1. I believe that those who came here illegally as adults should permanently lose their chance to become US citizens. They should, subject to certain conditions, be allowed to stay legally.

• No serious criminal record (Let the legislators decide how serious)
  
• Payment of a fine - not enough to be crippling, but enough to show the seriousness of their actions. The fine would be payable over several years, and not all at once.
  
• Employment and being productive members of society

2. Minors who came would be allowed to become citizens, again with certain conditions including at least:

• Successful high school graduation with at least a "C" grade point average (Special needs students would obviously excepted)
  
• Sufficient English skills
  
• Employment or college
• No serious criminal record
• Those who enlist in the military should be given a fast track to citizenship, barring other factors.

Minors who wish to attend college should be allowed to do so with instate tuition, if their parents are pursuing legal status (as above) and the minor children meet the conditions listed in #2.

3. Here I'm out of my league. We need to control the borders, and who is allowed in. A guest worker program might best fit the bill. From what I've heard the entire immigration system needs reform (but not all at once). It's byzantine, unfair, and keeps people whose skills we need out of the country.

Anyway, there are some thoughts. What are yours?

Praying for the budget crisis?

It's cold and snowy here in Denver. We just got a foot of very wet snow, and we're all here watching it melt. I just listened to the news.

One item caught me attention. The Missouri legislature is praying over the budget crisis.

What an idea! Why not? I don't think that in and of ourselves we have the wisdom or discipline to solve the problem. We have tremendous problems in this country and in others as well. There are budget shortfalls everywhere.

• at the state level
• for many cities
• for most schools
• for Social Security
• for Medicare/Medicaid
• for pensions
• for personal and family finances
  
• for the new health care that was just passed
• Iceland, Greece, Ireland, Portugal are having major financial problems
• we're talking about new taxes and controls that will stunt economic growth
  

Are these financial problems our fault? Mostly, yes. We've wanted too much, borrowed too much, and spent too much. We're not content with what we have, we always want more. And we want someone else to pay for it.

God's people should humbly ask God for the wisdom and discipline to solve these serious problems.

Let's pray. Alone, in families, as churches, as states, and as a nation. (Whichever nation you are part of)

Otherwise, there may be disaster looming.

American Politics and Psalm 2

I just finished reading the following from hotair.com:

With 93 percent reporting, he’s winning by five. The AP called it around 20 minutes ago but Coakley called to concede even before that. Just as I’m writing this, MSNBC is reporting that The One phoned Brown to say congrats. Everything, and I mean everything, has changed.

So there (possibly) goes the Democrat's ability to pass health care and other items of Obama's and the Left's agenda. A few weeks ago gloom and despair held the Republicans. A few years ago, the situation was reversed and the Left was in despair as the evil Bush, Cheney, and Republicans held the country in their evil grip. How quickly things change!

I am reminded of Psalm 2, where God laughs at "the kings of the earth . . . and the rulers" who gather together against the Lord's rule. I don't want to insinuate that either side of American politics faithfully follow how God would have his people live (although I think that one side at least gives better lip service), so I'm not necessarily stating that the rulers of today are rebelling against God. Instead, I want to notice that God laughs at those who think that they can do as they please in politics and economics. God has a way of confounding those who are haughty, and giving hope to those who are in despair.

Our hope in any case (and I think that we should be active politically if we live in a society where we have that right and responsibility) is not in the political structures of the world, but rather in the one who will rule the world as his inheritance. (Psalm 2:8) Meanwhile, ALL the world's rulers should take note, and "serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling." (Psalm 2:11)