ADN

Americans who cared revolted when Washington prepared to give amnesty to illegal immigrants. We were labeled racist bigots by weak willed politicians of the left, middle and right varieties because we believe in the rule of law wherein illegal behavior is not rewarded. Especially not at the expense of those who follow the rules. Many Americans refused to stand by and watch politicians give our country away to people who have no desire to become part of it and who only want to reap the harvest of the greatest country God ever blessed. A harvest the seeds of which, unlike generations of legal immigrants, they never sowed. Instead of a desire to become Americans, learn our language, and pledge allegiance, they want to bring with them the failed societies from which they escaped and back to those societies transfer our wealth. This is not how immigrants built the United States, but it is how other nations have fallen.

This is not a rehash of immigration policy or enforcement or the lack of coherence of either. This is about the power of a voting constituency when it finally decides that enough is enough. Politicians were so hammered by the People’s collective voice over illegal immigration and amnesty that it scared them. When career politicians fear being ridden out of town on a rail, they respond. This time the response was inaction. They didn’t follow through with stupid legislation, but they did nothing positive either. Our problem grows and Washington, collectively, lacks the will and competence to solve it. The problem is not a lack of ideas. The problem is that one political party fears the other may appear to come out on top. Political power trumps what benefits the nation, what benefits you and me and our families or what it takes to defend and preserve our sovereignty.

gmsnctry wrote: This is about the power of a voting constituency when it finally decides that enough is enough.

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Political power trumps what benefits the nation, what benefits you and me and our families or what it takes to defend and preserve our sovereignty.

Your position seems to contradict itself. . . you seem to approve of the "power of a voting constituency when it finally decides that enough is enough", but then you say "Political power trumps what benefits the nation"-- but that pretty much is "power of a voting constituency".

The failure of the immigration reform bill to pass demonstrates that politics works more or less the way the founders intended it to.

The immigration reform measure lost because politicians judged that the people that they represent opposed it. A number of politicians-- on both sides of the aisle-- did their best to convince Americans that the immigration reform bill was in the nation's best interest, but they failed to convince the voters of their position.

Legislators, looking at the voters who elected them and understanding their views, did what they're supposed to do in a democracy, and voted in the way that they thought best represented their constiutuents' interests.

That's exactly how the system is supposed to work.