Immigrants Fleeing Just for Safety?

Most of us, I believe, feel sympathy and empathy for immigrants and children fleeing from gangs, crime, and corruption in Central America. CNN today put out a story detailing the horrors and poverty of living in places like Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, etc.

But like most problems there are other sides that the media does not report.

Here are a couple:

• Illegal immigrants claim (based on TV interviews) that they are coming to the USA for safety more than anything else. Of course when the media shows us these interviews they fail to point out that other closer countries are pretty safe. But the immigrants either ignore or pass through these countries to get to us. If safety is their main concern why don’t these illegals try Costa Rica which is probably safer than many inner cities in the U.S.? There are also many parts of Mexico which are relatively safe. And these places are much closer (by a huge factor) than the USA. But maybe not as rich and kind-hearted.
   

I am not blaming the immigrants (we all might make the same decision) but let’s face it: the principal reason they choose the U.S. is money, money, money. Refugees here get health care, tax money, and all kinds of benefits including a better future. Journalists: don’t tell me it is safety, safety, safety when other less-lucrative options are ignored.

• The worst countries in Central America are infested with gangs, drug lords, corrupt politicians, and kidnappers along with almost every other crime you can imagine. Since crime there is so pervasive you can conclude that some percentage of the citizens are no angels … 5 percent, 10 percent, 25 percent, 40 percent … who the heck knows. But the media paints all the immigrants as being good people just fleeing bad conditions. How do these journalists know that wave of illegal immigrants does not contain a similar percentage of bad people? Women and teenagers are automatically angels…? THAT IS WHY COUNTRIES NEED, AND HAVE, IMMIGRATION POLICIES THAT TRY TO SCREEN OUT THE BADDIES. Ignore these policies at our peril — and average Americans will suffer from the predator. People like you, your friends and your family.
   

Is it common sense to believe that the more murderers, drug dealers, kidnappers, and gang bangers we allow into our country, the more dangerous it is likely to be? Open border proponents may throw out statistics that might or might not boost their opinions. But how can you argue against common sense…

Surely, we can find a way to be kind hearted but not at an unthinkable safety cost to thousands or millions of Americans. It is the job of Congress to figure out answers like this. Why don’t they sit down and work it out with sensible changes to our laws, instead of this political bickering and TV attacks? The folks in D.C. are either the solution or the problem.

P.S.: Here’s a story idea for the Times, Post, or networks to investigate. Since people immigrating from different countries tend to settle together (Little Italy, Chinatown, etc.) find out how many of our major politicians (both parties) tend to live near — say within half a mile — of such immigrant communities as Hondurans or Guatemalans. Or do they just pass laws but add: not in my backyard.

Scottish-born Iain Calder was Editor in Chief and President of the National Enquirer for more than 20 years. He saw the weekly circulation surge from about 700,00 to nearly 5 million at its peak – with over 20 million readers. Magazines edited by Calder have sold a total of over 4 billion copies. He has no connection with the present day Enquirer, which was bought by new owners not long after he left the company in 2000. Calder has been interviewed by the likes of Mike Wallace, 60 Minutes; Ted Koppel, Nightline; Katie Couric, NBC; and Geraldo Rivera and featured in newspapers and magazines around the world including The New York Times, the Times of London, Time and Newsweek magazines. He has lectured at major universities and once at the Reagan Library, where he had lunch with Nancy Reagan. To read more of his reports — Click Here Now.