2008 Woodie Awards
Illegal Immigrants Don't Deserve A License
Dan Cunningham
Issue date: 12/6/07 Section: Commentary
There is some division on the concept of allowing illegal immigrants to receive driver's licenses. The sub-parties on each side can be classified in one of two groups; idiots and everyone else. Hillary Clinton proudly displayed her ability to not pick a side during one of the primary debates, making her the only common ground between the two groups. Perhaps this stands as common sense, but providing licenses to illegal immigrants is an ineffective safety policy, it is offensive to lower class workers and detracts from debates on legitimate immigration policies.
When a citizen passes a driver's exam, he or she is provided with a plastic card with their photo on it. There's no magic fairy dust bestowing a better driving ability-just a card. Illegal immigrants that get pulled over for speeding or reckless driving have a lot more to worry about other than not having a license. In fact, all an illegal alien needs is $500 to pay off the charge at the time of being pulled over and they can drive off to break the law even more. In the end, the only safety an immigrant receives from having a license is the ability to act like a citizen in the face of a police officer.
Of all policies to help liberalize immigration in the United States, a driver's license is the least significant or effective. A license contains a number, a picture, a name and an address. While immigrants may be absolutely fine with the first three, an address is the most important and incriminating. Any illegal immigrant with half a brain understands that-in the eyes of federal law-they are not wanted. If you live in a country that will cast you away if they find you, there is no reason you would submit accurate data, if any at all, on your whereabouts to any level of government. Then again, if they are foolish enough to submit an accurate address to the DMV, maybe the Republicans are right on trying to send back this generation's wave of illegal immigrants.
Consider what a driver's license for illegal immigrants says to the poorest classes of society. This license would be conferred to a group of people who live outside of both the costs and benefits of the government. Illegals do not pay income taxes, they receive free medical care because they are untraceable citizens and their children can have a free education thanks to the local tax dollars of the working citizens and federal law. This creates a class of citizens that, after factoring in benefits, lives a substantially wealthier life than the lowest quintile of workers. All they have to do to stay that way is not get arrested. To give a license to this group is to validate the support of a black market class on the backs of the hard working taxpayers beneath them.
When a citizen passes a driver's exam, he or she is provided with a plastic card with their photo on it. There's no magic fairy dust bestowing a better driving ability-just a card. Illegal immigrants that get pulled over for speeding or reckless driving have a lot more to worry about other than not having a license. In fact, all an illegal alien needs is $500 to pay off the charge at the time of being pulled over and they can drive off to break the law even more. In the end, the only safety an immigrant receives from having a license is the ability to act like a citizen in the face of a police officer.
Of all policies to help liberalize immigration in the United States, a driver's license is the least significant or effective. A license contains a number, a picture, a name and an address. While immigrants may be absolutely fine with the first three, an address is the most important and incriminating. Any illegal immigrant with half a brain understands that-in the eyes of federal law-they are not wanted. If you live in a country that will cast you away if they find you, there is no reason you would submit accurate data, if any at all, on your whereabouts to any level of government. Then again, if they are foolish enough to submit an accurate address to the DMV, maybe the Republicans are right on trying to send back this generation's wave of illegal immigrants.
Consider what a driver's license for illegal immigrants says to the poorest classes of society. This license would be conferred to a group of people who live outside of both the costs and benefits of the government. Illegals do not pay income taxes, they receive free medical care because they are untraceable citizens and their children can have a free education thanks to the local tax dollars of the working citizens and federal law. This creates a class of citizens that, after factoring in benefits, lives a substantially wealthier life than the lowest quintile of workers. All they have to do to stay that way is not get arrested. To give a license to this group is to validate the support of a black market class on the backs of the hard working taxpayers beneath them.
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 5
Dave
posted 12/06/07 @ 11:47 AM EST
As my friend and co-worker Jose,A Mexican citizen legally here with a greencard says -no license,no job, no handouts,no problema,they will go home.I believe he might be thinking of the higher wages that will come without the flood of cheap labor that drives down wages for American and legal workers. (Continued…)
Kim O'Brien
posted 12/06/07 @ 12:16 PM EST
We are not lower class workers we are working class people. Calling us lower class workers is like calling a Black person a Negro. True our wages are partially determined by the number of workers available however the only way we can raise our wages is to struggle. (Continued…)
A Reader
posted 12/06/07 @ 12:34 PM EST
Here is a link to a pointed commentary that ridicules the idea of giving driver's licenses to illegals:
http://theconservativevoice.com/article/29063. (Continued…)
Larry
posted 12/06/07 @ 3:10 PM EST
A driver license opens the door for a lot of things which a "ILLEGAL ALIEN" does not deserve. http://www.numbersusa.com
Bobby
posted 12/06/07 @ 3:48 PM EST
When you come to this nation illegally (not through legal channels)then you really don't deserve anything but to be sent back to where you came from. This may be disturbing for some folks to hear, but that is their defect not the laws. (Continued…)
Post a Comment