Candidate Shipe on Immigration Dilemma

I believe that the issue of Immigration must be looked

at as a complex set of interrelated problems.  First,
it is a basic question of humanitarianism. Every parent has the right and duty to provide for their
children. The traditional family is the basic unit for
the whole human society- No State can make laws that prevent parents from being able to provide for their
children, and no border will be respected if crossing
that border means feeding your child, and providing
her with a decent life.

I believe that the issue of Immigration must be looked
at as a complex set of interrelated problems. First,
it is a basic question of humanitarianism. Every
parent has the right and duty to provide for their
children. The traditional family is the basic unit for
the whole human society- No State can make laws that
prevent parents from being able to provide for their
children, and no border will be respected if crossing
that border means feeding your child, and providing
her with a decent life.

Secondly, the situation of excessive immigration from
a given country or region, usually indicates extreme
economic and/or political dysfunction. Looking at the
situation in much of Central America, it is obvious
that political/economic order is failing the majority
of people. The causes of the failure are very much
part of the responsibility of the United States, as
well the national governments that rule Mexico and
elsewhere. The connection between the US and these
other nations is overtly found in the institutions of
the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The US appoints the president of the World Bank-
interestingly the current head of the Bank is Paul
Wolfowitz, the architect of our Iraq invasion. A
previous choice for Bank president was Robert
McNamera, the architect of our Vietnam debacle.

The World Bank/IMF essentially sets the conditions for
international assistance and loans offered to
developing or poor nations like much of Central
America. These “Conditionalities” are usually of
benefit to a small oligarchy within the target
country, and to multinational corporations and banks.
Those who are part of the majority Have-Nots, usually
end up much worse off ( As documented vividly in a
couple of excellent books- Lords of Poverty- by
Graham Hancock, and Confessions of an Economic Hitman-
by John Perkins). Recall how NAFTA was supposed to
bring prosperity to Mexico and alleviate the push of
Mexico’s poor into the US. It failed because the
global economic powers-that-be, are chasing after the
lowest common denominator when it comes to worker’s
pay, benefits, protections, working conditions,
collective bargaining rights, and environmental
standards. And so it should be no surprise, that when
China opened up to Wal-Mart et al, Mexican workers
were quickly abandoned. Senator Byron Dorgan’s bill on
establishing a legal framework to protect workers in
the global marketplace should be pushed for by all
people of goodwill- especially those who claim to
follow the “Do unto others…” Golden Rule.

The Third part of the Immigration question is
security. Americans must have protected borders, and
Mexicans/Central Americans must be able to raise their
families with economic security. We are all in this
together- like it or not. The millions of undocumented
workers here in the US are not loitering in our
streets- they are working, earning money, or else they
would be back in their homeland. They are already part
of our society. We must provide them with a
first-come, first-served opportunity towards
citizenship. Call it amnesty if you will, but those
who come forward will be able to continue working,
they will pay a substantial monetary penalty, and they
will be identified and given papers to allow them to
remain in country, and if they have children they can
bring them here.

With the reality of Terrorism, we can’t play games
with the immigration issue- posturing, acting tough
and macho won’t help our nation. We need to recognize
the humanity of all concerned, and we need to deal
with the real world circumstances that make illegal
immigration a problem in the first place. I would urge
Americans to look more closely in the mirror. Abortion
kills a million American children every year- wonder
why there are so many gaps in our working ranks- why
there is a social security crisis looming down the
road? And instead of blaming poor immigrants for the
global economy, why not use our superpower status to
change the rules of global commerce and financing? We
could start with Senator Dorgan’s bill, and develop
international laws such like we have developed here in
the United States, like those that came in FDR’s New
Deal. We created a stable middle-class by combining
free enterprise with worker rights- economic
opportunities and social justice. We have been undoing
this compact here in America, and we are moving in the
direction of the Mexican economy, while their economy
remains corrupt and impoverished. In Mexico, the
wealthy few pay little in taxes, and no one else can
afford to even pay taxes. Is this America’s future?

My final piece of advice is this. The young men and
women of Mexico and elsewhere should seriously
consider staying in their countries, and before they
start families, make a supreme effort to take back
their governments through non-violent political
action. Young, patriotic Mexicans should be attempting
to run for public office, and demonstrating against
their corrupt leaders and their unjust policies. And
all Americans should stand up and change the direction
of our nation as well. We need to re-establish the
legal framework for a just national and international
economy- one that puts the common good in the first
place- people first, even above profits. Family
rights, and related children’s welfare, are to go
straight to the top of our list of priorities. Every
child in the world must have access to comprehensive
health care- if the US cannot guarantee this right for
all children living in our country, then we have no
right to call ourselves a country in the first place.

Thank You,

Tim Shipe

Candidate 31st district Florida
State House

(www.timshipe.com) 321-987-6000