Comments
ALPERN AT LARGE - It’s hard to know what’s more alarming in our “enlightened, democratic” society—that we have morons who run our cities, counties, states, and nation…or that people keep voting them in, and back again and again and again while complaining that they’re not doing their jobs.
Sanctuary cities for people NOT here legally in Denver, Chicago and New York have mayors, now freaking out about the newbies entering their cities, after complaining about all the haters in “that political party” and “that demographic group” at the border who are just “too intolerant” to “be kind”.
“Sanctuary City” mayors Eric Adams of New York, Mike Johnston of Denver, and Brandon Johnson of Chicago are declaring “those people” in that “other political party” are bigots…but they’re now begging for federal aid after the border states passed along those here illegally to their “sanctuary cities”.
“Come on over…we’ll take care of you!” it’s been said in these cities. And now en masse they’re here!
…and suddenly these mayors (and don’t forget Californian cities!) are NOW complaining about our President and his team having royally screwed up the borders that were (no matter how Joe Biden spins and lies about it) infinitely more controlled when his blowhard predecessor held office.
In other words, Trump was a liar, and now Biden is a liar. Who was a better and/or more tolerable liar? I guess we’ll all have to make that choice in the months to come.
But I don’t think New Yorkers like having their kids sent home from school to make room for illegal immigrant housing facilities.
And I don’t think that Americans want new (and very large) groups of non-taxpaying, non-Americans squatting in their cities.
I also don’t think that ANYONE wants ANYONE, legally or illegally here, being housed and accommodated with unsafe and subhuman facilities…but it’s also safe to presume that NO ONE wants ANYONE to be rewarded for breaking the law.
Which is what happens when people knowingly cross borders against the law and require resources for their food, housing, health care, etc.
I certainly will entertain the notion of these individuals (over 5 million, mind you, and growing very, very fast in number) having their home nations pay for them…
…or even (and I am NOT being sarcastic here) having these nations vote to give up their sovereignty and become states of the U.S. of A. Then it’s no longer illegal for THEIR citizens to consume OUR resources…because their citizens will become OUR citizens, and those nations’ resources will become OUR resources.
For us to confront the illegal immigrant problem properly, as with any of our societal problems, it must be remembered…AND NEVER FORGOTTEN…that resources (money, food, housing, professional services) are ALWAYS LIMITED.
That means when we give free health care, ignore the law, let those here illegally go free, we do so with simultaneous undermining the resources needed to pay for taxpaying and law-abiding American citizens (who deserve to come first under any and all circumstances).
That also means that when political leaders of any party start to take action on a given crisis (and the border crisis very much IS a crisis!), it must be done out of proper leadership and responsiveness to the citizenry…and not out of political expedience or necessity.
In other words, if either Democratic or Republican leaders fear losing their jobs because they’ve let things go to hell in a handbasket, that is NOT the right reason to put out longstanding conflagrations…because the “solutions” they come up with are usually obnoxious, woefully insufficient, and clearly show the leaders still don’t care.
And, of course, we have homeless veterans…who are behind in collecting our resources because we’re giving resources to those who are not as deserving. Where are the Sanctuary Cities for the veterans?
And, of course, we allow criminals to run free, have no bail or jail time, and our stores are locking up their materials or even shutting down. Where are the Sanctuary Cities for honest business owners and their honest clients?
And, of course, we have sky-high water and other utility costs while refusing to build, zone, create water reservoirs, and provide infrastructure to create a series of new cities allowing middle-class workers with families the ability to commute locally or remotely in a nice home with a yard that’s AFFORDABLE.
Where are the Sanctuary Cities for the middle class and working/lower classes who just want a roof over their heads and 21st-Century utilities at reasonable and sustainable prices?
But, of course, if we keep electing and re-electing the ding-dongs who got us into these messes, and who keep getting us into these messes, and who are clearly unable or unwilling to get us out of these messes, then who are the bigger numbskulls and scoundrels…
…the political “leaders” screwing things up, or the voters who keep enabling them?
Because more and more of us, of all ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds, are trying desperately to find a Sanctuary City where reason and kindness and opportunity can prevail, and where common sense, law and order, and true representative democracy can become the “New Normal” in a city, state, and/or nation gone mad.
(Kenneth S. Alpern, M.D, is a dermatologist who has served in clinics in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties, and is a proud husband and father. He was active for 20 years on the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC) as a Board Member focused on Planning and Transportation, and helped lead the grassroots efforts of the Expo Line as well as connecting LAX to MetroRail. His latest project is his fictional online book entitled The Unforgotten Tales of Middle-Earth, and can be reached at [email protected]. The views expressed in this article are solely those of Dr. Alpern.)
