We ARE A Nation of Immigrants, But...

Every time anyone talks about the hazards, dangers, or costs of all our illegal immigrants, one of the "open borders" crowd can be counted on to leap up and shout, "But we're a nation of immigrants."  Assuming it's meant to be taken seriously, this retort seem to be saying, "Immigration built the US so we should keep on allowing illegals to come here."

They forget that until recently, there was no such thing as the tidal waves of illegal immigration we're seeing today; it simply wasn't permitted.  Without really meaning to, the New York Times documented the stark, unbridgeable chasm between how the successful immigration of the past worked and the de facto open borders policy we have today.

Their article discussed the upcoming sale of $190 million worth of artifacts salvaged from the Titanic wreck.  When the ship broke apart, the heavy, streamlined bow plunged rapidly to the bottom while lighter items such as hats, gloves, boots, and other clothing floated down more slowly.

The mile-deep water is utterly dark and very cold.  Even though the water isn't frozen, the environment at the bottom is so cold that many garments are preserved well enough to be worn today.

And there, in the lightless saline netherworld, a vest, a trilby hat, a pair of laced boots, a belted valise and an alligator bag (along with a huge range of artifacts) lay scattered across a broad apron of remnants.

The Times went into detail about Marion Meanwell’s alligator bag.

First chartered to sail on the liner Majestic, Mrs. Meanwell rebooked on the Titanic after that vessel was removed from regular service. Tucked into her handbag were a number of documents, among them a letter from the London landlords Wheeler Sons & Co.

This innocuous note, stating blandly that “we have always found Meanwell a good tenant and prompt in payment of her rent,” carried an extra freight of meaning for an immigrant hoping to build a new life.

“If you were coming over without credentials or with no prospect of work,” Mr. Davenport-Hines [author of “Voyagers of the Titanic: Passengers, Sailors, Shipbuilders, Aristocrats, and the Worlds They Came From,”] said, it was not uncommon for examiners at Ellis Island to refuse entry to new arrivals and to send them home as “vagrants or tramps.” [emphasis added]

Knowing that the American authorities wouldn't admit her unless she could prove that she was a person of good character, the widowed Mrs. Meanwell carried her parents' marriage license, her own marriage certificate, and the letter of recommendation from her landlord.  She was far from being one of those "undocumented Democrats" so beloved of Mr. Obama; she was careful to bring along written proof of her status as a worthy citizen who intended to leave her past behind and assimilate herself into America.

Yes, it's entirely true that we're a nation of immigrants, but this nation was built by legal immigrants who were well aware that they could be turned aside at the border.  America is a nation built by immigrants, but the immigrants who built America were legal immigrants who intended to stay and contribute to their new country.

There's all the difference in the world between someone who collects all possible documentation to prove their worth, and someone who sneaks across only to take advantage of us with the intent of returning after ripping us off.

Unfortunately, our ruling party sees so much advantage in persuading illegals to vote that they're suing states that try to require proof of citizenship before voting.

How ironic!  The Times is as open-border as any paper could be, but in their enthusiasm to write a vivid human-interest story, they showed why immigration was so successful in the past - we were choosy about whom we let in.