Pirate's Cove

From the Raleigh N&O letters to the editor

In response to your June 12 editorial, "Stagnation," I wholeheartedly disagree that passing the Senate’s cart-before-the-horse immigration legislation is better than enacting no reform at all. The Senate immigration bill rushes to legalize millions of illegal aliens, which is not the urgent matter at hand. I stand ready to work to first address the real crisis — the security of our borders and the enforcement of our laws.

I have heard from thousands of North Carolinians who ask me what is being done to address these pressing needs and to make our communities safer. Understandably, folks have no confidence that this is occurring. Consider last year’s authorization of 700 miles of border fencing — astoundingly, just two miles have been constructed! And the catch-and-release of illegal aliens who are committing crimes, such as drunken driving, has become commonplace.

When Congress passed an immigration bill in 1986, an estimated three million illegal aliens residing in the United States were granted amnesty. At that time, promises to secure our borders and enforce our laws were made … but not kept. The result: Today, an estimated 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens live in the United States.

The Senate has an opportunity to truly address the past failures that have put us in the current crisis. We must not ignore history’s lessons — we must get immigration reform right this time.

Elizabeth Dole

U.S. Senate

Washington

Now, I have posted the entire thing, based on fair use laws, and the fact that this is an official government representative writing it.

Senator Dole makes quite a bit of sense. Why rush to pass an atrocity of a bill, simply to say we "did something?" We need to get it right.

If only we could hear something from Senator Burr.