Smart Talk #22

According to a June (2023) PEW Research poll, “73% of U.S. (smart) adults think illegal immigration is a moderately or very big problem.” Along with stubborn and punitive rampant inflation, our ‘ya’ll come’ open Southern border (now our Northern one as well), are the two current biggest national problems irritating, worrying, and outright hurting far too many Americans. The border issue could be solved in less than a week, if this hopefully now short-term administration would begin to take any real action on this very serious problem.  But of course, thinking only about future Democrat voters, not the damage being done, Washington will do absolutely nothing to stop the short and long-term damage this lunacy is doing to our America.  Unfortunately, the inflation issue is not so easily, nor quickly, solved, now with a large percentage of households reportedly living pay-check to pay-check, no doubt causing much apprehension and, frankly, fear.

Remarked a Brownsville,Texas resident concerning the illegal migration surge: “Americans who don’t live next to the border may not see the impact.  They don’t see it day-to-day.  They hear about it, here and there, to no fault of their own, but to see it everywhere you walk – the people on the streets, the trash that’s been left behind.”  While a less concerned resident up in Maryland, well insulated from the chaos, claimed: “I don’t understand what all the hoopla is about. They’re not here to take out jobs.  They’re not here to take out homes.” How sweet is the isolation from this regrettable, nation-damaging issue for way too many Americans, as with this woman.  Thankfully, however, polls tell us that, smartly, most of our citizens do realize illegal immigration is a very serious issue, and it is truly hoped they will remember that on Election Day 2024 !

As a short-term assist to a near-by migrant shelter, Buffalo State University (part of the State University of New York university system) provided on-campus dorm housing for 44 illegal migrants from May to August of this year.  With the upcoming return of its students to campus for fall classes, the University decided not to extend the migrant housing agreement any further.  The principal reason for the decision: Student safety.  That makes every bit of sense, as two migrants had recently been charged with ‘sex crimes’ at hotels located just ten miles from the Buffalo State campus.  Not meant to imply that all, or even most, of the illegal migrants granted shelter across America are a danger, but some rapes (or worse) by migrants in other parts of the country have been noted.  And do note that most of the migrants entering the U.S. illegally are 20-something single males.  Apparently, there were some families housed in this particular dorm situation, but the problem still comes down to the large number of single males that are still coming across our sieve of a border. The school’s interim president stated, in part, that the decision was made to “ensure the best possible learning environment” for students and to maintain the “smooth functioning of university operations.” And, ultimately, that and other objectives, all have to do with protecting their students.  The university made the right decision to remove the migrants from the school’s dorm rooms, rather than leave anything at all to risk and perhaps beyond their direct control. Affected parents were certainly relieved by this smart, correct, pro-student decision.

This new border fence was declared to be a great success.  Unfortunately, it was NOT ours.  The nation was Hungary, whose “96-mile long, 14-foot tall, double-line fence includes several layers of razor-wire capable of delivering electric shocks.” Prior to the new fence’s completion, 6,353 illegal migrants per day were coming in.  By the end of the first month, the number of illegals entering was below 40 per day. Their very successful new barrier “features cameras, heat sensers, and loudspeakers ready to tell migrants they’re about to break Hungarian law, if they so much as touch the fence.”  Hungary also intends to train a great number of volunteer “border hunters” to assist the police assigned. There’s much that we in America could and should be doing in this border protection arena, if we currently had a smart, realist, responsible, and most of all, a pro-America administration in office.  But we don’t. Our purposely negligent approach to these seemingly endless large swarms of migrants breaking the law by entering illegally is a dangerous and costly disgrace.

Wrote New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz: “Every year, our family celebrates the day we arrived in America from the Soviet Union. The year, on July 20th, our family was free. Nothing is promised and nothing is guaranteed but getting to be an American had always filled me with pride and optimism.”  As she goes on, her beliefs and optimism are now clearly being tested. Continued Ms. Markowicz, believing that: “Our founding documents would lead us. Our common goals would blaze our path forward. We were unstoppable. This is the first ‘Americaversary’ I feel somewhat less optimistic.” She then quoted a famous Ronald Reagan truism: “Freedom is a fragile thing, and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction.”  She cited that our freedom was tested during the pandemic “and it came out bruised and scarred.”  As she begins to conclude her article, she correctly states that “there is no perfect country, and the one we have is closer than most. The rest is up to us individually. Return to religious and civic institutions.  Help to rebuild them if they have faltered. Preserve our collective freedom whenever you can.” A compelling and smart wish at a time when she correctly states that our level of trust in most of our institutions has diminished, some greatly.  “Preserve our freedom” is a refreshing and important piece of advice, from an astute writer who has personally seen and lived under the total opposite.

Virginia’s Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin seems to be doing smart things regarding the issue of ‘transgender advocacy’ in his state’s public schools. For starters, his new guidelines mandate that all state-funded schools “abide by the names and pronouns listed on each student’s official birth records.”  He also directs those schools “to ensure that students participate in the athletic program and use facilities (restrooms & locker rooms), that correspond with their biological sex.”  And schools there are also prohibited from withholding information from patents, via teachers, that might “conceal a student’s gender confusion.”  Some districts have threatened not to follow the Governor’s guidance. Democrat dominated cities Richmond and Alexandria are two mentioned. Responded Youngkin: “It’s the law, so I don’t really have a lot of patience for folks that see a law and don’t comply with it. Protecting parents’ fundamental rights to make decisions for their children is in the Virginia code, and I fully expect that each one of the school districts should comply.”  An enlightened, pro-parent leader, Governor Youngkin is being mentioned as a potential candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.  Might possibly expect to see him participating in a future primary debate(s).

And quite surprisingly, a school district in California (Chino Valley) voted to “require schools to inform parents if their child identifies as a transgender.”  That pro-parental ruling also applies to a child wishing to be called by a different name or pronoun. Said board president Sonja Shaw: “We’re going to safeguard parental rights. That is a constitutional right, and we’re going to make sure that our parents at Chino Valley know they’re sending their kids here to be taught, not to be anything else.” A correct move and a daring one.  Do remember this is happening in California!

A final news item, connected to the previous two, a U.S. Court of Appeals has reinstated an Alabama law, the ‘Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act’ intended to protect minors from gender-transition puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. Said the Court: “This case revolves around an issue that is surely of the utmost importance to all of the parties involved: the safety and wellbeing of the children of Alabama.”  There was objection to the ruling, but thankfully common sense and existing state law prevailed.  Another victory for student safety and, importantly, providing for the knowledge and participation of their parents.

(Fact Sources: Illegal immigration seen as a major issue via foxnews.com, Griff Jenkins, 8-22-23; Buffalo State removed short-term migrants via foxnews.com, Nikolas Lanum, 8-21-23; Hungary’s successful border fence experience via connect.xfinity.com, 8-1-23; The critical need to preserve our freedom that is bring diminished via nypost.com, Karol Markowicz, 7-21-23; Governor Youngkin promotes key directives to protect students and parents via breitbart.com, Alana Mastrangelo, 7-20-23; CA school district supports parental rights of notification via newsmax.com, Theodore Bunker, 7-21-23; Alabama law protecting children from transgender treatment issues via dailysignal.com, Joshua Arnold, 7-23-23).