Spring Break
Buchanan speaks on immigration reform
Paul Petrone
Issue date: 10/29/08 Section: News
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Buchanan, who spoke in the Student Union ballroom, was harsh on what the government had to offer recently, calling the majority of elected officials "sheep."
"We do not have leadership in Washington," she said. "Their [most politicians] number one priority in life is to keep their job."
Buchanan explained that most candidates are either silenced or bullied to through "the politics of intimidation."
This included people in her party, the Republican Party, especially in the last eight years.
"They took what they believed in most and threw it out the window: small government," Buchanan said.
She then discussed another huge issue in today's America, illegal immigration, and how Washington has done nothing to stop it.
"If we give 20 million illegals amnesty today, then expect 35 million here in ten years," Buchanan said, referring to recent attempts by members of both parties to grant amnesty to all current illegal immigrants.
She favors a double wall that would surround the entire United States-Mexican border.
"When we went down there and asked the guard patrol what they needed, they showed us charts and a picture of a fence," Buchanan said. "Fences have been put up in some areas of the country. It works."
However, Buchanan believes that we cannot afford to wait for the federal government to solve the problem.
"We cannot just sit around and blame others for [illegal immigration]," she said. "If Washington will not solve the problem, it is up to us to fix it."
Buchanan gave an example of a small-town man in Pennsylvania who lobbied for harsh punishments against people who hire illegal immigrants.
Not only did his law pass, he later ran for town mayor and won not only the Republican primary, which he ran in, but also the Democratic primary, which he did not run in, through write-in votes.
She ended with a message from former President Ronald Reagan about how America's freedom is not simply passed down from generation to generation, it must be fought for. Fighting must be done by becoming a leader, according to Buchanan.
"Start to be a leader, start to debate the issues, start to see where you stand," she said.
Travis Mustian, chairman of UConn youth for western civilization, which sponsored the event, was impressed with Buchanan's message.
"Conservative leadership is extremely important," Mustian said. "We need people to go out there and actually do stuff."
Tim Plungis, a 5th-semester American studies major, also enjoyed the speech.
"I think she was excellent," he said. "I really liked how she tried to bring conservatism back."
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