It's just a kick in the derriere Thing

Dear America,

Not to point fingers at California, 

but why would you give free healthcare 

to illegal immigrants

 when your streets are littered

 with homeless legal residents, 

trash, and tents. 

California is a beautiful place, 

so let’s keep it that way. 

@CNN @FOX4 @NBCNews @DonaldJTrumpJr

exactly @HerschelWalker  (although, took the liberty to correct a spelling error there, but, other than that, it's all you) so thank you; and a thank you also goes to @ fox news for where I found it.

this is my state, precisely -- be it of the physical or in the shadows of my mind.

But, speaking of football, here's the kicker...

California officials have estimated the benefits would be available to about 90,000 low-income illegal immigrants at a cost of $98 million per year. 

To pay for part of it, the state agreed to start taxing people who don’t have health insurance. It’s a revival of the individual-mandate penalty that had been on the books nationwide under former President Barack Obama’s health-care law until Republicans in Congress eliminated it as part of the 2017 overhaul to the tax code.

yup, you heard that right.

California lawmakers not only wish to cover the healthcare for poor illegal immigrants, they wish to pay for it, in part, on the backs of poor American citizens with no health insurance -- issuing them a penalty tax!  Here's more from Arnold Ahlert, @The Patriot Post.


someone please explain what universe this makes any sense?

explaining the twisted nature of all of this --- let's go to Town Crier Tucker....last night...

"No one is above the law," they thunder. Except, of course, the more than 20 million foreign nationals currently living in our country illegally, all under the care and the protection of the Democratic Party. They are, by definition, above the law. We can't punish them, Democrats tell us; that would be racist. 

...All crimes are no longer allowed to be acknowledged as crimes. There are huge new classes of people who are literally above the law.

for more, go here.

California's illegals are being treated as if they are above the law...and yet, the average poor American living in California...the same Californian who can't afford health insurance... not so fast, suddenly there is a law for you to follow; YOU, my dear Californian, you get punished. 

For more on the lawlessness at the border, go here.

and for more kicks up the wazoo, here's how Tucker finishes --

What you're watching from the left is really an attack on society itself. The basic bargain in any society is straightforward: People who follow the rules get rewarded, people who don't get punished. If you get rid of that standard, then everything inverts. Suddenly, power flows to the worst people in your society, the most ruthless and aggressive. Decent law-abiding people, meanwhile, are mocked. They're just suckers who can be exploited by everyone else. 

That's where we're heading, by the way and fast. It's pretty obvious when you look around. The threads are frayed. It's coming apart - hundreds of years of hard work and self-discipline designed to create what we used to call "civilization" before the term civilization was deemed racist.

hmmm let's talk civilization, shall we?

CIVILIZATION

• an advanced state of human society, in which a high level of culture, science, industry, and government has been reached.
• those people or nations that have reached such a state.
• any type of culture, society, etc., of a specific place, time, or group: Greek civilization.
• the act or process of civilizing, as by bringing out of a savage, uneducated, or unrefined state, or of being civilized: Rome's civilization of barbaric tribes was admirable.
• cultural refinement; refinement of thought and cultural appreciation: The letters of Madame de Sévigné reveal her wit and civilization.
• cities or populated areas in general, as opposed to unpopulated or wilderness areas: The plane crashed in the jungle, hundreds of miles from civilization.

thank you, @ dictionary.com

what makes America attractive to people from other countries, other cultures, IS our level of sophistication of civilization; our high level of advancement in most areas of importance to a life well lived is here -- from the culture, itself, to the sciences, to the extent of individual and collective industry, to the standard of living, to the very ability to advance in society as an individual, to the highest level of health care in the world and fully available from sea to shining sea. We got it all going on, in America.

The illegal immigrants are leaving a less-civilized society and coming to America to reap her benefits, like a parasite (just keepin' it real, as always, here on the old g thang).  

SO here's a refresher -- as I know this girl has said just so many times before -- 

By definition, a parasite is "an organism that lives in or on an organism of another species (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other's expense." 

Yes, organism -- as in something best defined as "an individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form; it's synonyms include: living thing, being, creature, animal, plant, structure, life form, entity, body; it's also recognized as the material structure of an individual life form.

thank you @ Google search

There used to be a requirement for ALL immigrants coming to America to have, in place, a host -- someone who would take full responsibility for all costs, all needs, including shelter, healthcare, and welfare in every way, until such time the immigrant could fully assimilate into civilization, the American culture, on their own.

Now -- however -- the individual host mandate has been foolishly replaced by government, like that in California.   And democrats are leading this charge.

Now, illegal immigrants who illegally break the law and cross our border, human traffic, leech government resources, assault border patrol, run roughshod over every law, rule, stipulation to comply, let alone be responsible enough to show up for your very own asylum hearing,  get a pass?!  Are you serious?  All the while, American taxpayers, who can't afford a damn thing anymore being trillions of dollars in debt --not counting personal debt -- have to foot the bill?  Are you serious?  

As the world turns, in America --  as we keep kicking the can down the road, as we keep kicking ourselves up the politically correct butt, as we keep kicking it via the social media mayhem of the world we have created, as we keep kicking it towards the total absence of individual liberty through wanton socialist dreams --  there will come a day when we will all wake up and America will be a civilization that once was.  We will be kicked to smithereens and six feet under; the only trace will live inside the  history books, and right alongside Greece and Rome, under the heading of fallen civilizations we have known and loved. 

what a kick in the derriere...

just a euphemistic term for a person's buttocks :)   

just can't stop google searching definitions...

somebody, make it stop.

anywho...

so this is where we all must take a knee on the sidelines, letting it all just happen right before our very eyes?  Are you serious?

NO.  Not on my watch.

Oh @HerschelWalker !  -- thank you for lighting a fire under this girl this morning!   I love you, man!

To all my muses of the morning -- Herschel, Tucker, The Patriot Post, Dictionary dot com, Google...put it all together and it's just another day the old G thing kicks it out of the park (and apparently, it's also the same day she lost her humility somewhere along the way, not sorry...teehee)

Make it a Good Day, G

It's about the Commons, they are a'changing Thing

Dear America,

somebody needs to start writing things down, in an easy to read and understand format, all the things considered bipartisan,  you know, like, common sense type things; things that all Americans should be able to rally behind; and distribute it widely, indiscriminate of race, creed, religion, level of education, or location.

oh wait.

that would be me.

day in and day out, this day in the life of an American girl ventures to spell out the very nature of how we -- as a culture and as Americans -- either come together, or divide, in one way or another.  You're welcome.  But enough about me --

Under the original plan, laid out by our founders and outlined by our Constitution and expressed in our Declaration of Independence, we were given something like a guide to follow, compass included. 

Nothing from our origins intended to be a guide in managing obscene amounts of frivolous lawsuits, or reckless amounts of government spending, or the making of a mountain of unconscionable debt, now 22 trillion dollars; nothing from our origins intended to bound the American people to a system of governing that gives total validation to various and outrageous government programs, departments, and crazy entitlements.  Not one thing.

The ONE great power and authority extended to the powers that be, chiefly falls under the keeping of a militia,  with the sole purpose of protecting America from enemies foreign and domestic.  The creation of a military force and the rigid adherence to the protection and security of our sovereign nation  was THE ONLY THING the government really had to do -- besides just keeping the peace and order among the people, ensuring that all people followed the law of the land.  National Security was THE mandate of the president and our congress.

And yet, for some odd reason, it now takes a declaration, to the level of a president designating the conditions on the ground to be a NATIONAL EMERGENCY, in order to do just that: to protect and secure our nation.

Oh and let me count the ways of how much I would like to put Chris Wallace in a time out...his line of questioning and tone on Sunday was bordering rude and argumentative.  Clearly, his goal was to not only diminish the authority of the office of this president, but use the White House adviser as a political punching bag and reduce him to nothing more than a Trump political hack.  We get it, Chris; you do not like this administration one itty bitty bit.  That is not news to me, let alone anyone else who routinely watches you.... what everrrr  And how about that Lara Logan's honest commentary of just about everybody else in media (captured in a post by Greg Gutfeld).

But not to worry -- Stephen Miller is just that smart; nothing phased him.  It was as if, the longer the interview went on, the more Miller had to dig deep to make his point (on behalf of the president); and the more he did.  But I digress.  I don't need Stephen Miller to make my point.......consider this mention of the well-timed interview just an added benefit on the day, just another dimension to appreciate and captivate...it's what I do.

You know, if only Chris Wallace simply recognized, and understood, the senseless and reckless actions of this congress, by virtue of the people's house not supporting the security demands of this president of the United States -- considering that he is the one adhering to the primary duty of his office -- then perhaps that interview would have proceeded in a manner a wee bit more fair and balanced.   Instead, Wallace chose to go on the attack.

Truth is -- up until Trump's presidency -- every presidency and congress has been unanimously in favor of securing our southern border, recognizing it to be an issue all American people cannot ignore.  It was, an issue some might profess to be just common sense; and most Americans felt the same way about it -- legal immigration, yes; illegal immigration through a porous border, no.

And yet, in reality, up until now, their choice of action has been precisely that -- to ignore it.

a little American history:  circa 2006 -- from The Boston Globe:

The bill before us will certainly do some good,” Obama said on the Senate floor in October 2006. He praised the legislation, saying it would provide “better fences and better security along our borders” and would “help stem some of the tide of illegal immigration in this country.” 

Obama was talking about the Secure Fence Act of 2006, legislation authorizing a barrier along the southern border passed into law with the support of 26 Democratic senators including party leaders like Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Chuck Schumer.

later in the same article,

“I voted numerous times when I was a senator to spend money to build a barrier to try to prevent illegal immigrants from coming in,” Clinton said at November 2015 town hall in New Hampshire, “and I do think that you have to control your borders.”

And yet, here we are today.

Circa 2016 -- Trump not only used it as his main issue and campaign promise when running to become the next  president, he has continued to lead with it in his policy making, and for the better part of his first two years, has done everything in his power and position not to ignore it and force congress to deal with it.    

It is congress who is negligent, forcing the national emergency.

It is congress in contempt, showing blatant disregard of the laws currently in place to protect our sovereign nation and keep our border secure.

It is this congress, and mainly the democrats, using border security as a political tool, contradicting not only their own policies of yore, but making the hypocrisy, itself,  the basis of a pure dereliction of duty in this very day!

The thing is, there are so many things the nation used to consider to be of the common sense realm, that are now litigated in the flurry of the left leaning mainstream media, and through avenues of social media managed and directed by left-leaning media giants, like Facebook and Google, whereas public opinion is swayed within a nano-second, and many times swimming through channels where even the initial claims are utterly and irretrievably false...or, at the very least, manufactured and tweaked to promote a narrative.

Under the pressure of such a tsunami of opinion, common sense doesn't even stand a chance.

Common sense is drowned by the raging political tide, reflected in the new wave of a more radicalized American congress -- believing it can justify turning what was once a system based upon sound and conservative governance and policy into pure muck, a free-for-all.

Common sense will tell you, America doesn't work like that.

Call it the S.S. Trifecta:  America's government was designed choosing the successes of Greece, Rome and Jerusalem; choosing to elevate a natural independence, ambitious capitalism and entrepreneurship, alongside a humble and unwavering faith in God   These are the  things that set America apart from all the rest.  

America set forth upon a certain path with a plan, a guide, and somehow, in ways seen and unseen, somewhere between the pioneering spirit within us and Divine Providence, each new generation set out to improve upon the previous generation.  And it was not only good, it worked.

We, as a nation, worked.

We, as a nation, worked together.

We, as a nation, did our part.

We, as a nation, relied upon ourselves, our talents, our family, our ambitions, our God -- to make our way.

If you came to America in the early immigration system -- you required a sponsor, to ensure that you and your family would not be a burden to America, and Americans.  That's just common sense.

But let's see, where to start --
here's some common sense, slightly exaggerated -- in numbers. 

In truth, the Iranian regime became 100- 150 billion dollars richer, through the lifting of economic sanctions during the negotiations of the nuclear deal, under the Obama Administration.  Oh, but don't get me wrong -- the U.S. did give them money, in the company of a host of other European nations; it was sent under the cover of darkness, probably in the range of about 2 billion dollars, in cash.  Money the Iranians turned around to  use to support terrorist organizations and shore up their nuclear arsenals.  Oh, and did I mention, the Obama Administration sent the money right about the time Iran released the four prisoners?  and who says we don't pay for hostages.... 

From Marc Thiessen, Obama took lying to new heights...

In other words, the Obama administration: (1) told Congress it would not allow Iran access to U.S. financial institutions; (2) issued a special license allowing Iran to do exactly that; (3) unsuccessfully pressured U.S. banks to help Iran; (4) lied to Congress and the American people about what it had done; (5) admitted in internal emails that these efforts "exceeded" U.S. obligations under the nuclear deal; (6) sent officials, including bank regulators, around the world to urge foreign financial institutions to do business with Iran; and (7) promised that they would get nothing more than a slap on the wrist for violating U.S. sanctions.

And for more, read The Iran deal is dead -- Iran killed it, by Kenneth R. Timmerman.

How about this -- just thinking outside the border lines now --- how about we get our share of this 2 billion in cash back, from the Iranians, and use it to fund part of the wall?

And then, get the 2.5 billion previously granted to the lovely state of California -- for efforts to build its high speed rail, now defunct; oh, and ask for the additional billion dollars it planned on giving towards this project at a later date, directly to the fund to build the wall.

this is gonna be fun....I could do this all day.

but I'm not.

What else has come out in the last few days -- oh, how about that commentary by Martina Navratilova when she stepped in the clay with this: "A man can decide to be female, take hormones if required by whatever sporting organization is concerned, win everything in sight and perhaps earn a small fortune, and then reverse his decision and go back to making babies if he so desires," she wrote.

“It’s insane and it’s cheating,” she continued. “I am happy to address a transgender woman in whatever form she prefers, but I would not be happy to compete against her. It would not be fair.”

IT WOULD NOT BE FAIR, she said.   And she would be right.  IT would not be a fair playing field.

Gosh this business of trans-athletes playing in female sports makes absolutely no sense.  Their bodies are not the same as women's bodies no matter what they do cosmetically.  It's about the pure, unadulterated muscle they were born with; no!   Martina is right -- it's not the same!

But look at how she is being treated for just speaking up with the truth!

Folks, we are in for a bumpy ride if we don't get ourselves situated and aligned with the things that bind, with the things that unite, with the things that are just common sense.


Clearly, there are lines between right and wrong, just by way of common sense.

oof
maybe that's it -- the commons has been taken over with perhaps a cultural coup of the century.  It hasn't taken all that long; probably dating back to the liberals and socialists and communists and marxists mentored by Saul Alinsky.  Those with direct influence include the likes of Hillary Clinton and Bernie... and even Obama followed the followers.

for a better grip on what we are dealing with -- from

Saul Alinsky and the Rise of Amorality in American Politics

by D. L. Adams (January 2010)

“Change” is both the tool and the goal, but it is rarely defined in any way that is not strictly local and economic; better housing for the poor, better economic opportunity, better wages, better municipal services, etc. However, at the national level "change" is left undefined. In fact it seems, the process of change itself, not the implementation of "change," is the goal.
This is amoral political agitation that appears to be about something positive but is really about deconstruction. Once the institutions of "oppression" that require "change" are destroyed, there is no plan delineated by Alinsky (nor his current crop of followers) as to what will replace them. The goal apparently is "people power" (whatever that means). However, since the concept of destroying the institutions of society specifically to "empower" people is foundational, this is the same message of Marx.
Alinsky is a Marxist without the red flag. Any institution that allows one group of people to advance at the expense of another is to be brought down even if those who advance within it do so as a result of honest hard work and talent. The essence of Alinsky is a radical idea of universal equivalence, though this has been seen before both in Marxist theory, and in Communist states. In order to agitate for “change,” Alinsky and his adherents require the population to be on edge; "rubbed raw." This desire for endless agitation as a goal is bizarre and disturbing.

in a nutshell, and if I had to choose -- this era of Alinsky and his kommanders would be the origins of America's downfall.

For decades now, we have just let these ideas seep into our education of our children, creep into the annals of our government, and *bleep* us into an abyss so deep, daylight is nowhere to be found.

But it's this endless agitation that has made America what it is today.  It's in place of what should be, the endless pursuit of happiness....with liberty and justice for all, under the law, under the protections of a sovereign land, and totally secure from all enemies, foreign and domestic.

and boom, just like that, the end of this day is here.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's a Sovereignty Thing

Dear America,

"Federal power over immigration 

comes from the same source 

as state power over immigration: 

it is an inherent attribute -- perhaps the fundamental attribute -- 

of sovereignty.   

The states, of course, are sovereign, 

the United States being a Union of sovereign states.  

To be sovereign 

is necessarily to possess 

the power to exclude 

unwanted persons and things 

from the territory."  

Supreme Court Justice Scalia, Bench Statement

 This country, believe it or not -- accepted or not -- wanted or not -- was made with the MOST power going to the people, the individual; coming in second, to the state; and coming in last but certainly not least (with a little irony thrown in on the fly), to the oh so limited federal government.

"No federal law says the States
cannot have their own immigration law."  

Scalia

"Of course, the Supremacy Clause establishes that the federal immigration law is supreme, so that the States' immigration law cannot conflict with it, cannot admit those whom federal law would exclude or exclude those whom the federal law would admit.  But that has not occurred here.  Arizona has attached consequences under state law to acts that are unlawful under federal law -- illegal aliens' presence in Arizona and their failure to maintain federal alien registration.  It is not at all unusual for state law to impose additional penalties or attach additional consequences to acts that are unlawful under federal law -- state drug laws are a good example. That does not conflict with federal law."  Scalia

And yet, something happened to me just last night that reveals a twisted interpretation of this out here in the wild, wild west, living in the hallucinogenic reality that is California:  someone who looked much like a drifter knocked on my door, holding a clipboard with medical marijuana paraphernalia attached.

"hey, what's up, are you aware of um, ah, the growth of the medical marijuana needs in your community..." 

or something like that, anyway.

now honestly,
I was on my way out,
or I would have talked his ear off for awhile...and not even because I'm like totally against it, or anything...it would have been an interesting exchange, I'm sure.

For me, it's simple: It falls back to that one itty bitty detail that keeps getting in the way:  Marijuana is an ILLEGAL SUBSTANCE and against the law.

Current federal law has deemed it unlawful to grow, use, smoke, eat, sell.... in all forms. When it becomes legalized -- then we can all partake in the good and the bad and the ugly that comes with it.  But at this time, why should it be allowed and accepted to use freely by only a portion of society?  Just because they are ill?  Why is it "legal" for just the infirmed (and those who find a doctor for the fringe who just wanna get high)?

Given the arguments made by our lowly supreme court on the SB1070 law -- sanctuary marijuana clinics must cease and desist, as of yesterday; medical marijuana shops must close down.  California is acting against federal law all over the place.  [especially considering another reality --  being in the midst of a scandal within the DOJ over the Fast & Furious "tactic" that got two border agents shot, and hundreds of Mexicans killed, and at the heart of unspeakable violence of the drug war crossing our borders everyday.]  [but let's just have the federal government cherry pick where they take issue with states having it their way with federal law, right]

The thing is, STATES, acting on behalf of the people, in whole or in part, NEVER would have entered into a UNION if they had to give up their sovereignty.  NEVER.

This country was not intended to have a king of any kind; this country was not intended to grow under the controlling confines of a central, federally mandated, government, easily reduced to organized crime built upon crony capitalism, corruption, waste, fraud, leading us to this very day where we have a president usurping the power of congress and the supreme court simultaneously [see executive decisions, privileges, to date].

Do you really think this president didn't think the timing of his amnesty announcement all the way through?

He did it just days before the Supreme Court announced it's decision on the Arizona law; it sort of pulls the magic carpet to enforce it right out from under them, no?

"The true theory of our Constitution is surely the wisest and best, that the states are independent as to everything within themselves, and united as to everything respecting foreign nations.  Let the general government be reduced to foreign concerns only...reduced to a very simple organization, and a very inexpensive one; a few plain duties to be preformed by a few servants."  Thomas Jefferson

How many of us would characterize our federal government as operating with "a few plain duties to be performed by a few servants?"  pardon me, while I get in a good belly laugh.

"In sum, Arizona is entitled to impose 

additional penalties and consequences 

for violations of federal immigration laws, 

because it is entitled to have its own immigration laws."  

Scalia

It's so simple it makes my head spin.

When, or if, Arizona is ever allowed to it's own entitlements, ILLEGAL immigration would immediately stop; these ILLEGALS would simply go somewhere else; they would go somewhere else, possibly to some other state, until such time that that state decides it can no longer support the illegal immigrant (financially, through free education, free medical care, public assistance welfare, etc.).

On a G-note closer to home ---

Yesterday, another decision by the Supreme Court, directly affected a local memorial:  the SCOTUS decided not to hear the case regarding the Mount Soledad war memorial cross.  The decision not to hear the case means that the unconstitutionality of the cross on site stands, as established by the Ninth Circuit court.

The good news, it's not over until it's over; and the court may ultimately take it up once a final rendering of a decision of what to do with the cross is made  -- again, by the Ninth Circuit court. For a brief update, go here.

A cross has been atop Mount Soledad since 1913, the current one erected in 1954.  People, of the State of California, more specifically San Diego, affirmed and fully supported by the "free exercise thereof" clause, to put a cross on top of a hill. Since it's inception, the war memorial has evolved and it has grown into a community cornerstone.

Perhaps the community of people in this area would never approve of erecting such a landmark again -- there is that.  But shouldn't it remain, grandfathered in, according to the lay of the land and community we have all grown?  There was a time -- confirmed by the very stone in the shape of a cross atop a hill -- that this community embraced a spiritual reverence.

It simply isn't about a cross anymore.  It has been built into a landmark the community has grown around and attached itself to, like moss to a tree, like patina is to brass  -- compounded over time, wind, rain, and sun, it isn't just about the cross, it's also about all who have come into contact with it over the years, all of us who have left it's side with a memory, and all of us who wish to live in community with one another here now.

But now, back to the larger community that is the United States.

The prevailing belief at the time of our Constitutional convention is that the States UNITED on the basis of keeping their sovereignty, reinforcing the power to the people, locking in the individual's inherent rights and privileges passed on to us by our Creator, not the king.

The federal government serves us.

As a nation of immigrants -- where every nationality was a minority at one time or another -- the emphasis has always been upon assimilation; reinforced by the belief that it entirely up to the individual, the one in the minority, to apply themselves to the American culture -- communing in language, by bettering themselves in education, becoming a self-sustaining, productive, asset of the community.

"So the issue is a stark one:
Are the sovereign States at the mercy
of the federal Executive's refusal to enforce
the Nation's immigration laws?

A good way of answering that question is to ask:
Would the States conceivably have entered
into the Union
if the Constitution itself contained the Court's holding?
... The delegates of the Grand Convention
would have rushed to the exits
from Independence Hall."
Scalia

and that's where we will end it today.

Make it a Good Day, G

ps can hardly wait til thursday.

Dear America,

Dream a Little Dream of Mine

happy thursday and may you be forewarned -- this is LONG.  It is the full transcript from the entire speech, complete with interruptions by the audience -- and now, by G.  Take it over a few days, or not at all, it doesn't matter...but please, if nothing else, read and pay attention to the words chosen by the president, our president.  they are easy to see, for they are in blue...carry on...

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
ON COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM
Chamizal National Memorial
El Paso, Texas
1:21 P.M. MDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, El Paso!  (Applause.)  Well, it is wonderful — wonderful to be back with all of you in the Lone Star State.  (Applause.)  Everything is bigger in Texas.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back!  (Applause.)  Even the welcomes are bigger.  (Applause.)  So, in appreciation, I wanted to give a big policy speech outside on a really hot day.  (Laughter.)  Those of you who are still wearing your jackets, feel free to take them off.  I hope everybody is wearing sunscreen.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We live here.

THE PRESIDENT:  You say you live here?  You don’t need it, huh?  (Laughter.)  Well, it is a great honor to be here.  And I want to express my appreciation to all of you for taking the time to come out today.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  I appreciate it.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

You know, about a week ago, I delivered a commencement address at Miami Dade Community College, which is one of the most diverse schools in the nation.  The graduates were proud that their class could claim heritage from 181 countries around the world — 181 countries.  (Applause.)

Many of the students were immigrants themselves, coming to America with little more than the dream of their parents and the clothes on their back.  A handful had discovered only in adolescence or adulthood that they were undocumented.

G:  oh details...

THE PRESIDENT: But they worked hard and they gave it their all, and so they earned those diplomas.

And at the ceremony, 181 flags — one for every nation that was represented — was marched across the stage.  And each one was applauded by the graduates and the relatives with ties to those countries.  So when the Haitian flag went by, all the Haitian kids — Haitian American kids shouted out.  And when the Guatemalan flag went by, all the kids of Guatemalan heritage shouted out.  And when the Ukrainian flag went by, I think one kid shouted out.  (Laughter.)  This was down in Miami.  (Laughter.)  If it had been in Chicago, there would have been more.

But then, the last flag, the American flag, came into view.  And everyone in the room erupted in applause.  Everybody cheered.  (Applause.)

G:  But if the American Flag were to be raised in Tucson...no telling what might happen...(if you are following the issues of the school board and curriculum condoning the complete overthrow of government...)

THE PRESIDENT:  So, yes, their parents and grandparents — some of the graduates themselves — had come from every corner of the globe.  But it was here that they had found opportunity.  It was here that they had a chance to contribute to the nation that is their home.

And it was a reminder of a simple idea, as old as America itself:  E pluribus unum.  Out of many, one.

G:  right...one...one nation under GOD, INDIVISIBLE!  We all speak the same language, salute the same flag, and respect the same CONSTITUTION under the same principles and values for all.

THE PRESIDENT:  We define ourselves as a nation of immigrants — a nation that welcomes those willing to embrace America’s ideals and America’s precepts.  That’s why millions of people, ancestors to most of us, braved hardship and great risk to come here — so they could be free to work and worship and start a business and live their lives in peace and prosperity.  The Asian immigrants who made their way to California’s Angel Island.  The German and Scandinavians who settled across the Midwest.  The waves of Irish, and Italian, and Polish, and Russian, and Jewish immigrants who leaned against the railing to catch their first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty.

This flow of immigrants has helped make this country stronger and more prosperous.  (Applause.)  We can point to the genius of Einstein, the designs of I. M. Pei, the stories of Isaac Asimov, the entire industries that were forged by Andrew Carnegie.

And then when I think about immigration I think about the naturalization ceremonies that we’ve held at the White House for members of our military.  Nothing could be more inspiring.  Even though they were not yet citizens when they joined our military, these men and women signed up to serve.

We did one event at the White House and a young man named Granger Michael from Papua New Guinea, a Marine who had been deployed to Iraq three times, was there.  And you know what he said about becoming an American citizen?  He said, “I might as well.  I love this country already.”  That’s all he said.  Marines aren’t big on speeches.  (Laughter.)

Another was a woman named Perla Ramos who was born and raised in Mexico and came to the United States shortly after 9/11, and joined the Navy.  And she said, “I take pride in our flag and the history we write day by day.”

That’s the promise of this country — that anyone can write the next chapter in our story.  It doesn’t matter where you come from — (applause) — it doesn’t matter where you come from; it doesn’t matter what you look like; it doesn’t matter what faith you worship.

G:  RIGHT. It doesn't matter...IT does matter, however, HOW you get here and what you do when you get here.  but again...just details to you, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT:  What matters is that you believe in the ideals on which we were founded; that you believe that all of us are created equal, endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights.  (Applause.)  All of us deserve our freedoms and our pursuit of happiness.  In embracing America, you can become American.  That is what makes this country great.  That enriches all of us.

And yet, at the same time, we’re here at the border today — (applause) — we’re here at the border because we also recognize that being a nation of laws goes hand in hand with being a nation of immigrants.  This, too, is our heritage.  This, too, is important.  And the truth is, we’ve often wrestled with the politics of who is and who isn’t allowed to come into this country.  This debate is not new.

G: BUT apparently our president has the debate entirely wrong.  "wrestled with the politics of who is and who isn't allowed to come into this country?"  really?  THIS DEBATE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH POLITICS!  you just told us, "we also recognize that being a nation of laws goes hand in hand with being a nation of immigrants."  IT IS the breaking of the LAW that we have a problem with -- it is undermining of our immigration policy, and the blatant disrespect of "the law," that is the problem.

THE PRESIDENT:  At times, there has been fear and resentment directed towards newcomers, especially in hard economic times.  And because these issues touch deeply on what we believe, touch deeply on our convictions — about who we are as a people, about what it means to be an American — these debates often elicit strong emotions.

G: AGAIN -- stop polarizing the issue -- it is NOT "fear and resentment directed towards newcomers" just because they are newcomers, or even Mexican or Russian or Cantonese, it is just pure emotion based on millions of people seemingly getting away with breaking our law.

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s one reason it’s been so difficult to reform our broken immigration system.  When an issue is this complex, when it raises such strong feelings, it’s easier for politicians to defer until the problem the next election.  And there’s always a next election.

G:  OR, one could look at it from the perspective that even when you, Mr. President, held an overwhelming majority in both houses of Congress to write the new policy and legislation, you didn't take it (or didn't really have enough of your own people supporting it; it's easier for "we the people" to assume you can't be serious...or wonder, why you didn't you make it so...or question, someone's true commitment, or underlying motives, during the political process...just sayin'.

THE PRESIDENT:  So we’ve seen a lot of blame and a lot of politics and a lot of ugly rhetoric around immigration.  And we’ve seen good faith efforts from leaders of both parties — by the way, I just noticed, those of you who have chairs, if you want to sit down, feel free.  There’s no rule about having to stand when I’m –

G:  so is it "blame and rhetoric" or "good faith efforts"?

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  — we love you!  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  But we’ve seen leaders of both parties who try to work on this issue, but then their efforts fell prey to the usual Washington games.  And all the while, we’ve seen the mounting consequences of decades of inaction.

Today, there are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants here in the United States.  Some crossed the border illegally.  Others avoid immigration laws by overstaying their visas.  Regardless of how they came, the overwhelming majority of these folks are just trying to earn a living and provide for their families.  (Applause.)

G:  "regardless of how they came?"  Now, your presidential stance counters directly with our actual, official, federal law?  and the "overwhelming majority...are just trying to earn a living..."  Unless, you take a look at our jails or take a good long walk through the barrio.

THE PRESIDENT:  But we have to acknowledge they’ve broken the rules.  They’ve cut in front of the line.  And what is also true is that the presence of so many illegal immigrants makes a mockery of all those who are trying to immigrate legally.

G: Finally.  Only what, twenty minutes in, we get to a fact undermining whatever good faith there was, is -- "they've broken the rules."  It is just not fair to those who do come to AMERICA following the law.

THE PRESIDENT:  Also, because undocumented immigrants live in the shadows, where they’re vulnerable to unscrupulous businesses that skirt taxes, and pay workers less than the minimum wage, or cut corners with health and safety laws, this puts companies who follow the rules, and Americans who rightly demand the minimum wage or overtime or just a safe place to work, it puts those businesses at a disadvantage.

G:  OMG.  Now Illegals Immigrants are the victims.

THE PRESIDENT:  Think about it.  Over the past decade, even before the recession hit, middle-class families were struggling to get by as the costs went up for everything, from health care, to college tuition, to groceries, to gas.  Their incomes didn’t go up with those prices.  We’re seeing it again right now with gas prices.

G: which by the way, first thing tomorrow, you should begin taking immediate steps to correct the "gas prices;" Mr. President, allow AMERICA to DRILL for OIL and Natural Gas!   This will increase our own line of supply, directly challenging the speculators in the Futures Marketplace, and positively impact the price almost within hours.

THE PRESIDENT:  So one way to strengthen the middle class in America is to reform the immigration system so that there is no longer a massive underground economy that exploits a cheap source of labor while depressing wages for everybody else.

G: ... stop condoning the bad behavior...enforce the law...actually provide a secure border..(and much like the way it works for the price of gas)  all of a sudden, illegally coming to America, via our soft, porous, open borders, will immediately cutoff the large supply of cheap labor and sharply curtail illicit, illegal business practices that "exploit" illegals in the first place (or is it in the second place?).

THE PRESIDENT:  I want incomes for middle-class families to rise again.  (Applause.)  I want prosperity in this country to be widely shared.  (Applause.)  I want everybody to be able to reach that American dream.  And that’s why immigration reform is an economic imperative.  It’s an economic imperative.  (Applause.)

And reform will also help to make America more competitive in the global economy.  Today, we provide students from around the world with visas to get engineering and computer science degrees at our top universities.  (Applause.)

But then our laws discourage them from using those skills to start a business or a new industry here in the United States.  Instead of training entrepreneurs to stay here, we train them to create jobs for our competition.  That makes no sense.  In a global marketplace, we need all the talent we can attract, all the talent we can get to stay here to start businesses — not just to benefit those individuals, but because their contribution will benefit all Americans.

G:  Mr. President, first off, you are muddling the real issue at hand -- which is ILLEGAL migration to this beautiful country.  And in then second, if you are so worried about corporations going elsewhere in the world, change the corporate tax laws, let go of the obsessive control of the federal government over business, make AMERICA more amenable to keeping all our talent here.

THE PRESIDENT:  Look at Intel, look at Google, look at Yahoo, look at eBay.  All those great American companies, all the jobs they’ve created, everything that has helped us take leadership in the high-tech industry, every one of those was founded by, guess who, an immigrant.  (Applause.)

G:  RIGHT. A LEGAL ONE.  AS a nation entirely of immigrants (unless you are part of the Native American culture)  this argument goes nowhere; of course, those born in America, to a pair of American citizens, and living today, are not really "an immigrant" any longer, now are we?   WE ARE SIMPLY AMERICANS.  THIS lineage and heritage has long stood on it's own two feet. The thing is,  I don't call myself a "Swedish-English-Danish-Moravian-German-AMERICAN" (or what we like to call in my family, a Heinz 57).  I am an AMERICAN girl through and through. And we get the notion that perhaps a long, long time ago, we were all immigrants -- but no longer is that the case when you look at the whole -- the entire picture -- and who we are today.  We have created our own culture, tweaked our own language, and created a society based upon a generational recipe built into the melting pot -- and fully reliant upon our own self-reliance, duty, and assimilation with the whole.

THE PRESIDENT:  So we don’t want the next Intel or the next Google to be created in China or India.  We want those companies and jobs to take root here.  (Applause.)

G: Sure.  We do.  But doesn't this idea also run kinda counter to your "One Nation", One World philosophy, aligned with your Global Economic Vision -- you know, the one that runs along undermining everything this nation called America stands for.  or maybe that's just me. but please, continue...

THE PRESIDENT:  Bill Gates gets this.  He knows a little something about the high-tech industry.  He said, “The United States will find it far more difficult to maintain its competitive edge if it excludes those who are able and willing to help us compete.”

G: it's not about the people...the loss of the competitive edge is rooted in mistakes and mishaps surrounding our economic policies; it is more about our failure to live within our means and the excessive, reckless printing of money on borrowed time.

THE PRESIDENT:  So immigration is not just the right thing to do.  It’s smart for our economy.  It’s smart for our economy.  (Applause.)  And it’s for this reason that businesses all across America are demanding that Washington finally meet its responsibilities to solve the immigration problem.  Everybody recognizes the system is broken.  The question is, will we finally summon the political will to do something about it?  And that’s why we’re here at the border today.

G:  your "political will" seems either misguided or suspiciously timed.  YOU HAD TWO YEARS with all the liberty in the world to create Immigration Reform to your party's liking...what happened to your will, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT:  And I want to say I am joined today by an outstanding Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, who’s been working tirelessly on this issue.  (Applause.)  Our commissioner who’s working diligently on border issues, Alan Bersin, is there, and we appreciate him — Bersin.  (Applause.)

So they’re doing outstanding work.  And in recent years, among one of the greatest impediments to reform were questions about border security.  And these were legitimate concerns.  What was true was a lack of manpower and a lack of resources at the border, combined with the pull of jobs and ill-considered enforcement once folks were in the country.

All this contributed to a growing number of undocumented people living in the United States.  And these concerns helped unravel a bipartisan coalition that we had forged back when I was in the United States Senate.  So in the years since, “borders first, borders first,” that’s become the common refrain, even among those who were previously supportive of comprehensive immigration reform.

But over the last two years, thanks to the outstanding work of Janet and Alan and everybody who’s down here working at the border, we’ve answered those concerns.  Under their leadership, we have strengthened border security beyond what many believed was possible.   They wanted more agents at the border.  Well, we now have more boots on the ground on the southwest border than at any time in our history.  (Applause.)

The Border Patrol has 20,000 agents — more than twice as many as there were in 2004.  It’s a build-up that began under President Bush and that we’ve continued, and I had a chance to meet some of these outstanding agents, and actually saw some of them on horseback who looked pretty tough.  (Laughter.)  So we put the agents here.

Then they wanted a fence.  Well, the fence is –

AUDIENCE:  Booo!

G:  you see, this is where, if I were president up on that stage, I would have stopped right there... and say something like, "now now...a secure border is a secure border.  that kind of outburst marks a clear disrespect to the law of our land...now if you should be so kind, please, allow me to continue."

THE PRESIDENT:  The fence is now basically complete.

G:  complete?

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Tear it down!

G:  what?   Again, if I were president, I would look over to the direction that voice came, and say, "wow.  we are not Berlin here.  we are the United States of America, and we have a duty to protect and defend our citizens and our country...please.   Now show America some respect and stand up and put your hand over your heart and give me ten Pledges of Allegiance."

THE PRESIDENT:  Then we’ve gone further.  We tripled the number of intelligence analysts working at the border.  I’ve deployed unmanned aerial vehicles to patrol the skies from Texas to California.  We have forged a partnership with Mexico to fight the transnational criminal organizations that have affected both of our countries.  (Applause.)  And for the first time — for the first time we’re screening 100 percent of southbound rail shipments to seize guns and money going south even as we go after drugs that are coming north.  (Applause.)

G: and that's funny, considering you have recently been charged with selling automatic weapons to the drug lords and have been accused of a misguided gun tracking strategy, that, if you'll excuse the added pun, backfired.  but details right...

THE PRESIDENT:  So, here’s the point.  I want everybody to listen carefully to this.  We have gone above and beyond what was requested by the very Republicans who said they supported broader reform as long as we got serious about enforcement.  All the stuff they asked for, we’ve done.  But even though we’ve answered these concerns, I’ve got to say I suspect there are still going to be some who are trying to move the goal posts on us one more time.

G:  and after just having encouraged everyone not to make this political -- wanting us to work together and find the common legal ground to walk on.    HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT with a straight face and a clear conscience?  And is it really just republicans wanting a secure border, a fence that works, and an enforcement of our law?  Is it?  really? seriously? NO other democrat or independent or libertarian wants that too?

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  They’re racist!

G:  I don't even know what to say -- but you, sir, should have immediately vilified the vitriol spewing from the sidelines.

THE PRESIDENT:  You know, they said we needed to triple the Border Patrol.  Or now they’re going to say we need to quadruple the Border Patrol.  Or they’ll want a higher fence.  Maybe they’ll need a moat.  (Laughter.)  Maybe they want alligators in the moat.  (Laughter.)  They’ll never be satisfied.  And I understand that.  That’s politics.

G:  No sir, YOU are politics.  Wasn't it just twenty minutes ago...you discouraged the politicizing of this issue?  and to demean a serious conversation with such untruths just to get a laugh.  that is beneath the office of a president who stands for America, for ALL Americans, especially considering we are half of your constituency under the highest office of the land.

THE PRESIDENT:  But the truth is the measures we’ve put in place are getting results.  Over the past two and a half years, we’ve seized 31 percent more drugs, 75 percent more currency, 64 percent more weapons than ever before.  (Applause.)  And even as we have stepped up patrols, apprehensions along the border have been cut by nearly 40 percent from two years ago.  That means far fewer people are attempting to cross the border illegally.

G:  ahhh duh...because there are no jobs; because business is not booming; even the illegals can't find a decent job.  why bother coming over the border now.

THE PRESIDENT:  And also, despite a lot of breathless reports that have tagged places like El Paso as dangerous, violent crime in southwest border counties has dropped by a third.  El Paso and other cities and towns along this border are consistently among the safest in the nation.  (Applause.)  Of course, we shouldn’t accept any violence or crime.  And we’ve always got more work to do.  But this progress is important and it’s not getting reported on.

G:  because the violence has moved...it's no longer just on the border...it has expanded, branched out.

THE PRESIDENT:  And we’re also going beyond the border.  Beyond the border, we’re going after employers who knowingly exploit people and break the law.  (Applause.)  And we are deporting those who are here illegally.  And that’s a tough issue.  It’s a source of controversy.

But I want to emphasize we’re not doing it haphazardly.  We’re focusing our limited resources...

G: if I may interrupt....regarding those "limited resources"  --- you just said that you have " tripled the number of intelligence analysts working at the border.  I’ve deployed unmanned aerial vehicles to patrol the skies from Texas to California.  We have forged a partnership with Mexico to fight the transnational criminal organizations that have affected both of our countries.  (Applause.)  And for the first time — for the first time we’re screening 100 percent of southbound rail shipments to seize guns and money going south even as we go after drugs that are coming north."  ...but go on...

THE PRESIDENT:  and people on violent offenders and people convicted of crimes — not just families, not just folks who are just looking to scrape together an income.  And as a result, we’ve increased the removal of criminals by 70 percent.  (Applause.)

G: unless you are in California....

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s not to ignore the real human toll of a broken immigration system.  Even as we recognize that enforcing the law is necessary, we don’t relish the pain that it causes in the lives of people who are just trying to get by and get caught up in the system.

G:  right, the system that THEY exploited.

THE PRESIDENT:  And as long as the current laws are on the books, it’s not just hardened felons who are subject to removal, but sometimes families who are just trying to earn a living, or bright, eager students, or decent people with the best of intentions.  (Applause.)

And sometimes when I talk to immigration advocates, they wish I could just bypass Congress and change the law myself. 

G:  yeah yeah, why not...you have done it before....DOMA...rewriting EPA regulations...and yet, again, when the democrats had the full majority, you guys didn't get it done.  ?????

THE PRESIDENT:  But that’s not how a democracy works.  What we really need to do is to keep up the fight to pass genuine, comprehensive reform.  That is the ultimate solution to this problem.  That’s what I’m committed to doing.  (Applause.)

G: or just enforce the law already there.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Yes, we can!  Yes, we can!

THE PRESIDENT:  Yes, we can.  We can do it.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Yes, we can!  Yes, we can!  Yes, we can!

G:  si sempuede si sempuede

THE PRESIDENT:  The most significant step we can now take to secure the borders is to fix the system as a whole so that fewer people have the incentive to enter illegally in search of work in the first place.  This would allow agents to focus on the worst threats on both of our — both sides of our borders, from drug traffickers to those who would come here to commit acts of violence or terror.  That’s where our focus should be.

So, El Paso, the question is whether those in Congress who previously walked away in the name of enforcement are now ready to come back to the table and finish the work that we’ve started.  (Applause.)  We’ve got to put the politics aside. 

G:  ...just after sticking it to republicans and getting a good laugh out of it...

THE PRESIDENT:  And if we do, I’m confident we can find common ground.

Washington is lagging behind the country on this.  There is already a growing coalition of leaders across America who don’t always see eye-to-eye, but are coming together on this issue.  They see the harmful consequences of a broken immigration system for their businesses and for their communities, and they understand why we need to act.

There are Democrats and Republicans, people like former Republican Senator Mel Martinez; former Bush administration Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff; leaders like Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York; evangelical ministers like Leith Anderson and Bill Hybels; police chiefs from across the nation; educators; advocates; labor unions; chambers of commerce; small business owners; Fortune 500 CEOs.

I mean, one CEO had this to say about reform:  “American ingenuity is a product of the openness and diversity of this society.  Immigrants have made America great as the world leader in business, in science, higher education and innovation.” 

G: was that whispered in your ear from Jeffrey Immelt?  ...and our answer, coming right up...

THE PRESIDENT:  You know who that leader was?  Rupert Murdoch, who owns FOX News, and is an immigrant himself.  I don’t know if you’re familiar with Rupert Murdoch’s views, but let’s just say he doesn’t have an Obama sticker on his car.  (Laughter.) 

G:  haha ha ha ha

THE PRESIDENT:  But he agrees with me on this.  (Applause.)

So there is a consensus around fixing what’s broken. And now we need Congress to catch up.  Now we need to come together around reform that reflects our values as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants; reform that demands that everybody take responsibility. So what would comprehensive reform look like?

First, we know that government has a threshold responsibility to secure our borders and enforce the law.  And that’s what Janet and all her folks are doing.  That’s what they’re doing.  (Applause.)

Second, businesses have to be held accountable if they exploit undocumented workers.  (Applause.)

Third, those who are here illegally, they have a responsibility as well.  So they broke the law, and that means they’ve got to pay their taxes...

G:  based on an imaginary income they pull out of their @**?  Taxes based upon what? or is that just future taxes we're talking about?

THE PRESIDENT:  they’ve got to pay a fine...

G: something like the new gas tax you are proposing for every citizen and business, large and small, in America?  Like per every mile we drive kind of thing?  Or is this a one time flat tax/fine/penalty kind of fine -- will it get charged annually, like your health care penalty, or is it once and your done?

THE PRESIDENT:  they’ve got to learn English.

G:  and so, why, then, do we advocate businesses, road signs, election materials, school materials (only to name a few) be duplicated, at a huge cost,  in Spanish?

THE PRESIDENT:  And they’ve got to undergo background checks and a lengthy process before they get in line for legalization.  That’s not too much to ask.  (Applause.)

G: "before they get in line for legalization."  That sounds good, doesn't it.  Sounds fair. But considering our track record, and the mess we make within our bureaucracies far and wide,  it's not really realistic, is it?

THE PRESIDENT:  And fourth, stopping illegal immigration also depends on reforming our outdated system of legal immigration.  (Applause.)  We should make it easier for the best and the brightest to not only stay here, but also to start businesses and create jobs here.

G:  they are "the best and the brightest" -- thanks a lot, Mr. President -- that bodes well for the rest of us losers now, huh?

THE PRESIDENT:  In recent years, a full 25 percent of high-tech startups in the U.S. were founded by immigrants.  That led to 200,000 jobs here in America.  I’m glad those jobs are here.  I want to see more of them created in this country.  We need to provide them the chance.  (Applause.)

We need to provide our farms a legal way to hire workers that they rely on, and a path for those workers to earn legal status.  (Applause.)  And our laws should respect families following the rules — reuniting them more quickly instead of splitting them apart.  (Applause.)

Today, the immigration system not only tolerates those who break the rules, but it punishes folks who follow the rules.  While applications — while applicants wait for approval, for example, they’re often forbidden from visiting the United States.  Even husbands and wives may have to spend years apart.  Parents can’t see their children.

G: and yet, seems like just yesterday, an American from Yemen stormed the cockpit and had to be subdued while flying from Chicago to San Francisco.

THE PRESIDENT:  I don’t believe the United States of America should be in the business of separating families.That’s not right.  That’s not who we are.  We can do better than that.  (Applause.)And we should stop punishing innocent young people for the actions of their parents.  (Applause.)  We should stop denying them the chance to earn an education or serve in the military.  And that’s why we need to pass the DREAM Act.  (Applause.)

G: because they are all like that.  Come to Solana Beach, Mr.President.  Just about an hour from the border, a beautiful neighborhood, Eden Gardens, has a few issues from the "innocent children" who somehow, can't seem to honor their teacher, do their homework, care about showing up for school, and if they do, show up with a sincere desire to learn (English, or anything else). And, have you seen the real L.A.?

THE PRESIDENT:  Now, we passed the DREAM Act through the House last year when Democrats were in control.  But even though it received a majority of votes in the Senate, it was blocked when several Republicans who had previously supported the DREAM Act voted no.

G:  oopsy-daisy...do the math and tell the truth...you must not have had a few democratic votes either...oh what's this: "Five Democrats voted against the bill: Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Jon Tester (D-Mt.), Max Baucus (D-Mt.) and Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), who switched her vote to a "no" at the last minute. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) skipped Saturday's votes for a Christmas party."

THE PRESIDENT:  That was a tremendous disappointment to get so close and then see politics get in the way. 

G:  yes. that had to hurt, considering, in part, at the hands of people within your own party.

THE PRESIDENT:  And as I gave that commencement at Miami Dade, it broke my heart knowing that a number of those promising, bright students — young people who worked so hard and who speak about what’s best in America — are at risk of facing the agony of deportation.  These are kids who grew up in this country.  They love this country.  They know no other place to call home.  The idea that we’d punish them is cruel.  It makes no sense.  We’re a better nation than that.  (Applause.)

G: what these kids could use is a role model  Like perhaps a president, lifting the law to the highest order of business; one that, instead of talking smack against America, in places like Egypt, speaks highly of Her, with all due respect -- for she made a you into a President of the United States.  Indivisible.  What we could use is a president who unites us on our common ground  (and not like "Common" the rapper/poet/activist/rev.wright follower) and not divide us; what we need is less rhetoric, ridiculing by example, and running a continuous stream of making haphazard, senseless remarks discrediting people who simply disagree with you.  IF you stand as an example, showing kids how to respect America, I am most certain we will all get along and adjust just fine.

 

THE PRESIDENT:  So we’re going to keep fighting for the DREAM Act. We’re going to keep up the fight for reform.  (Applause.)  And that’s where you come in.  I’m going to do my part to lead a constructive and civil debate on these issues.  And we’ve already had a series of meetings about this at the White House in recent weeks.  We’ve got leaders here and around the country helping to move the debate forward.

But this change ultimately has to be driven by you, the American people.  You’ve got to help push for comprehensive reform, and you’ve got to identify what steps we can take right now — like the DREAM Act, like visa reform — areas where we can find common ground among Democrats and Republicans and begin to fix what’s broken.

So I’m asking you to add your voices to this debate. 

G: that goes for all of us, right? 

THE PRESIDENT:  You can sign up to help at whitehouse.gov.  We need Washington to know that there is a movement for reform that’s gathering strength from coast to coast.  That’s how we’ll get this done.  That’s how we can ensure that in the years ahead we are welcoming the talents of all who can contribute to this country and that we’re living up to the basic American idea that you can make it here if you try.  (Applause.)

That’s the idea that gave hope to José Hernández.  Is José here?  Where’s — José is right over there.  (Applause.)  I want you to hear — I want you to think about this story.  José’s parents were migrant farm workers.  And so, growing up, he was too.  He was born in California, though he could have just as easily been born on the other side of the border, if it had been a different time of year, because his family moved around with the seasons.  So two of his siblings were actually born in Mexico.

So they traveled a lot, and José joined his parents picking cucumbers and strawberries.  And he missed part of school when they returned to Mexico each winter.  José didn’t learn English until he was 12 years old.  But you know what, José was good at math and he liked math.  And the nice thing is that math was the same in every school, and it’s the same in Spanish as it is in English.

So José studied, and he studied hard.  And one day, he’s standing in the fields, collecting sugar beets, and he heard on a transistor radio that a man named Franklin Chang-Diaz — a man with a surname like his — was going to be an astronaut for NASA.  So José decided — right there in the field, he decided — well, I could be an astronaut, too.

So José kept on studying, and he graduated high school.  And he kept on studying, and he earned an engineering degree.  And he kept on studying, and he earned a graduate degree.  And he kept on working hard, and he ended up at a national laboratory, helping to develop a new kind of digital medical imaging system.

And a few years later, he found himself more than 100 miles above the surface of the Earth, staring out of the window of the shuttle Discovery, and he was remembering the boy in the California fields with that crazy dream that in America everything is possible.  (Applause.)

G: Jose sounds fabulous.  Would love to meet him and shake his hand.  And I believe, even Jose, would admit that he might just be a cut above the norm.  He may be an exception to the rule.  Even Jose might see that not all illegal immigrants follow through with such passion, determination, and sheer grit against all odds.  Not all immigrants really care for America.  Some come here to find seasonal work, as their own country is so corrupt they have lost all hope.  While some, come here for a short time, only to get a good education and take it back home -- because in their heart, America is not their home.  And then some, come here to kill us.  

Think about that, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT:  Think about that, El Paso.  That’s the American Dream right there.  (Applause.)  That’s what we’re fighting for.  We are fighting for every boy and every girl like José with a dream and potential that’s just waiting to be tapped.  We are fighting to unlock that promise, and all that holds not just for their futures, but for America’s future.

G:  we are also fighting for our lives and security and justice fair and square. 

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s why we’re going to get this done.  And that’s why I’m going to need your help.

Thank you.  God bless you.  And may God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

END           1:56 P.M. MDT

G:  that was an uber-political, uber-polarizing, uber-liberal thing to do there in Texas.   The upcoming election must have you concerned -- considering the economic disaster on the horizon, the complete erosion of whatever respect America might have had around the world, while operating under the great illusion that you truly care. 

I have questioned your loyalties, your alignments, your associations, your message and your intentions for what seems like forever and a day.  I'm tired, Mr. President.  I want a new one.

Make it a Good Day, G

and you can blame the longwinded-ness on the president today. but with any luck, I might be silent tomorrow.

Dear America,

I am surrounded in the realization that there really are no accidents.

Even though while tidying up on Saturday I zigged when my vacuum zagged and put me on the couch for nearly twenty four hours before I could move again, the time served me well.

I read the newspaper cover to cover, clipped coupons, cut out articles I wanted to keep my hands on, and managed to watch back to back (ba dump ba) John Wayne movies.

Inquiring minds wanna know, how many of you read the latest news out of the Library of Congress about a minor (major) detail of the Declaration of Independence? 

Anytime we get a feel for the mindset behind the man of one of our forefathers we must be grateful, but this little tidbit of admission is simply astounding.  The American public, at first glance, were considered to be merely subjects (reverting back to the days physically and emotionally captured under the spell of the King of England, no doubt, hard to escape olde allegiances like that -- bringing to mind the proverb "song a sparrow learns in youth is its song for life"...).

But upon serious second thought, Thomas Jefferson changed the defining text to say "citizens."

Just looking at the printed "digitally enhanced" rough draft, showing the manuscript itself, the actual penmanship of the man widely recognized as the father of our Declaration, gives me goosebumps.  I mean, the guy actually wrote on this historic document -- along with the reality of the many hands of Americans who somehow managed to keep it -- is still here in black and white (or green) is simply amazing. 

Normally, the document is kept under a "130-pound oxygen-free safe" -- outside of it's protective custody for the first time in fifteen years, this magical moment is only made possible through the latest hyperspectral imaging of digital technology.   Unbelieveable.

But oh what Thomas must be thinking nowadays, woe is me...

This morning's news brought immediate anguish as the Federal Government makes widely known of it's intention to sue Arizona for real, over the SB1070 Immigration legislation; all the while, illegals have resorted back to other methods of entry, as in coming by boat -- whereas one of San Diego's own beach cities, Encinitas (just a hop skip and a jump from my backyard) landed a boatload of fifteen illegals, washed up with the Coast Guard waiting for them.

Thank goodness our declaration made the change, no?

Another article in Saturday's Union-Tribune included a two page spread on the immigrants who join our armed forces legally, and await citizenship while serving our country.  Still having to wait years to be able to say the pledge of allegiance for the first time as a bonafide citizen, the military welcomes men and women of honor, and offers an opportunity to be all that they can be in more ways than one.

What a difference in stories.

These people not only wanted to come to America for a better life for themselves, and their families, but they did so by giving something of themselves to America first -- in strength of courage, commitment, and character, they asked what they could do for the country they wished to belong to before demanding anything else.

The thing is, an occasion like this one, here in San Diego harbour (aboard the USS Midway Museum -- note to Chris and remembering one of my best days ever!),  the celebration was ripe for a President to sail in on eagle's wings to lend his gracious thanks and praise for immigrants of this stature --raising awareness to an avenue of citizenship hardly ever mentioned, let alone gain the elevated attention of the Commander in Chief.  How easily a paradigm shift could have been made -- for those who come joyfully and honorably through proper channels such a this. (But that didn't happen, did it.)

Friday's Naturalization Ceremony was a dream come true for 300 people, birthed in nearly 50 different countries!  Maglan Laizer was one of them -- his hometown a village in Aruscha, Tanzania, and son of a Masai tribesman.  Before coming to America, he helped kill a lion as part of a "coming of age" process; I guess, after that, going through the rigorous routine of becoming a member of our fine military and venturing down the path of naturalization, is child's play.

Thank you, Maglan; I realize I don't know you, but in this moment I wish I did.

My brother, Chris, as briefly mentioned earlier, is the most patriotic kid in America --  I say kid, for with his downs syndrome he will remain a kid at heart forever; he's practiced being a kid for 49 years now, and counting.  Did I mention he is my big brother?  Always the older and the wiser; my mind keeps wandering back to him for he is really to blame for me watching the John Wayne marathon...

If it weren't for him, I never would have let the channel surfing hold up on Operation Pacific --  a movie he mentioned to me for the first time while visiting just two weeks ago.  No accidents there, no sir ree.

I teased him, thinking he had it confused with something else... all the while I had no idea John Wayne was even in a submarine movie -- and he teased me back like as if he knew I really was being the idiot -- and we moved on... 

Yes so cut to the chase...long story short... who is the idiot now...

And it was actually pretty good! Never would I have imagined myself getting sucked in, but Wayne, Submarines, and Hollywood oh my  -- did I.

Uncanny the similarities in the personal relationship between the Duke and his wife; with her going off and ranting in one scene... "[how you] don't need a girl, Duke, you don't need anyone" (and just picture Patricia Neal, in every bit of raspy-ness and divine upstaging you can muster) -- change a letter or two, and you've got me fussing and moaning like a conversation of recent days...but I digress.

The other movie I couldn't keep my eyes off of was "The Wings of Eagles" -- a classic tale of the life and times a real officer and a gentleman, Frank "Spig" Wead.  This was no accident either, for what happens to old Spig was a fall down the stairs, upending his naval career (for awhile, anyway) and he lands on a hospital bed for months -- having a slim chance to none for full recovery, unable to walk, and subject to neck and back surgery for decades. Half the movie, Spig is laying out flat on his stomach -- only able to move a pencil -- in which he begins to churn out books and movies made for Saturday afternoons...

This movie had everything you could ever want in a patriotic Fourth of July John Wayne weekend extravaganza -- roses and romance, coming back from paralysis to save the fleet in WWII, in the meantime plenty of wanton shots of scotch, with the bonus of a strong willed wife (played by Maureen O'Hara, whom I adore) moving on to have her own career in posh San Francisco (a picture worth a thousand words if you ask me ...long before feminists ruined it for women... just sayin'...but save for another day...)

Okay, so in between the movies we would get little soundbites of nostalgia.  The one that really brought the aha moment was when I realized John Wayne had never actually been in the military; and apparently, one of the Duke's life regrets.

But after watching his magnificence for a day, one would have thought he had never been anything else.

Today, days after celebrating our country's 234 years, I have surrounded myself with the thought that nothing is by chance, really; the serendipity of life bringing our attention to exactly what we need to hear, see and do in any given moment is around us at all times -- it speaks to us if we stop to listen long enough. While even those moments, with angels unaware, we are restricted from doing anything of importance at all, while laid up on our back perhaps, without direction or ability to move a thing, it remains true and constant. 

As I pour over the clippings and pictures of my mind over the last few days, I have a wish.

I am just hoping Maglan Laizer, with his wife and daughter by his side, not only celebrates his new beginnings here in America -- having proven to be of sound mind, firm footing and exemplary character (just what America needs and is looking for in a new citizen, never a subject) -- but that he uses his liberty wisely(referring obviously to his new-found American Liberty with a capital "L" -- as well as, his everyday "time off" in nav-speak); perhaps spending it watching the good stuff... like an entire afternoon of John Wayne...back to back to back to back...

It will lift him up when he is down, it will fill him up when he is empty, and it will stir deep inside the American Spirit he now recognizes to be his very own.

Make it a Good Day, G

funny side note...as the story goes round and round and the world gets smaller and smaller...one of Spig Wead's daughters, Doris, married a guy named Bill Copley.  For San Diegans, the Copley's are the founders of the San Diego Union Tribune newspaper -- a family of hometown legacy and pride.  She didn't marry the John Birch side (James); she married the other Copley's son, William -- an avantgarde artist, who hung out with actors and Hollywood elite while living in Santa Monica --  a man who, oddly enough,  was also a member of the Communist party.

Dear America,

I would be remiss if I didn't bring it up; for I am just a girl, her name is Gretchen, a day in the life of an American girl...

So how about that Miss America last night?  What a beautiful flip of the hair to the irony of the times, no?

Never mind Miss Colorado, and the return of pageant's past in flubbing the dreaded question portion of the evening, for I have no idea what she said. Let's just race to the finish and the first nationalized, Arab-American girl, Rima Fakih -- from the state of Michigan, no less -- being crowned our nation's most beautiful girl in the world.

Now think back fifteen minutes.

There she was, Miss Morgan Woodland of Oklahoma, answering the most controversial question of the night -- judge, Oscar Nunez, could barely get the question out of his mouth before a bevy of boos came at him from the crowd of commoners in the background...he's like, 'now hold on...you haven't even heard...' 

It didn't matter where Nunez was going with it -- the audience wanted no part of it; he asked it anyway.

And without skipping a beat, the poised American maiden replied,

"I'm a huge believer in states' rights.  I think that's what's so wonderful about America.  So I think it's perfectly fine for Arizona to create that law,"

adding also, that she doesn't approve of illegal immigration and her concern for racial profiling.  In less than a minute, she honestly maneuvered around the most volatile subject of our day with compassion and rare American-girl guts, grasping the founder's intentions without blinking an eye, but quite possibly, with a wink.  She nailed it and she knew it.

Tell us what she won, Johnny?

Little Miss Morgan from Oklahoma got first runner up and was beat out by the only immigrant in the bunch -- for the baby girl born in Lebanon, a far cry from one of our fifty states, took home the prize; and with a twist of immigration nation kicks and giggles it was over. (Rima's question, if birth control should be covered by insurance...please, and you call that equal billing with immigration reform, coupled with protests and boycotts, but I digress.)

Truth be told, Rima is actually the second "Arab-American", but who's counting anymore right -- for the first was a California girl back in 1983 -- Julie Hayek; this born and raised American girl's father came, too, from Lebanon, fleeing from a country taken over by radical Islamic terrorism.

But in the spirit of this fine nation, in the spirit of this nation's LEGAL immigration policy, in the spirit of this nation's open door to all who wish to come through the front door and maybe end up center stage at any one of our umpteen venues displaying the best and the brightest, the fastest or the strongest, the prettiest and the luckiest, play out their live long dreams -- it is here, only in America! for God Bless the USA!

Baby Rima was not even born here and she is now Miss America -- she couldn't be President, so she decided to go for Miss USofA.  Is this not a beautiful country, or what?

Sure, one could make other noteworthy claims after this year's extravaganza -- like how many girls get boob jobs now, or how the more things change, the more things stay the same, when watching a spectacle of this sort.  It still gets down to girls prancing around in bathing suits and evening gowns with pasted white smiles across their well-spackled faces and bouffant hair dos.

This year is no exception -- except for that itsy-bitsy minor error in sound judgement, allowing the girls to masquerade around in their undies, and shoot artistic stills in black and white for cover.  We somehow went from poo pooing any suspect modeling backgrounds, frowning upon any display of sexual deviation from the dignified and reserved head shots and completely clothed portfolios, to a new era featuring the Guess model -- fifty of them.

Interesting that the pictures came out of nowhere, just days before the televised event...hmmmm...and who says sex doesn't sell...

Interesting to note further, even though the Maine girl fully approved -- by the likes of her answer anyway, while still  in the top five -- the photo shoot wasn't something where the girls had a choice.  If they were in it to win it they did it, no questions asked.  I mean seriously, can we really expect Maine to say, you trashed the contest in front of millions of Americans and be able to live to take first place?

So what kind of litmus test is in the future for contestants coming of age down the road?  Or have we broken that barrier too? Does Miss America become just a stage of talking tits, I don't know -- or is that just the way it's always been...hmmm....time will tell... at least it use to...for we certainly don't wait until we are deep into middle age to get a boost anymore, now do we. (not me, of course)

The genuine American girl is becoming a thing of the past -- it may not matter where you are born -- or even if your boobs are real -- but one thing's for sure, if the next Miss America is an illegal alien from Tijuana, you know we've got problems.

Make it a Good Day, G

and go world peace.