Finally, after almost two years of unparalleled illegal immigration across our border with Mexico, the Right and the Left can agree on one point.  Almost everyone now sees the situation as a crisis, although both sides see the cause and resolution differently.  Hey, in American politics today, any agreement gets a Gold Star for improvement, no matter what.

It all comes down to the point of view of the respective sides.  The Left, whose ideology is largely based on feelings, looks at the migrant crossings at the border and sees innocent, starving women and children, fleeing from an oppressive regime in their home Latin American country.  They come to the US seeking freedom from that oppression, and a chance to start a new life, with liberty and the pursuit of happiness at its core.

The Left sees children in cages, mothers having children ripped from their arms, and migrants being forced to drink water from toilets.  They see detainees imprisoned and denied basic human rights, such as soap and toothbrushes.

The Left believes we should just open the gates and let everyone in as a humanitarian gesture, but they fail to consider what happens next.

The Right sees starving women and children as well, but they are also concerned about what happens after these migrants are well-fed and released into the country, with no means of support, no housing, and unable to speak the language, are unlikely to find work that can support those children for the coming months.

Those on the Right worry that these poor people, fleeing from an oppressive environment, will only wind up as sex workers, or drug traffickers, taking these life-threatening and demeaning jobs because they are the only ones they can find, and possibly could see their situation become worse than what they left behind.

The Right believes this because the US does not have in place a system of support to handle the influx of illegal immigrants currently flooding across the border.  Inaction by Congress has left the nation in this predicament, as both parties have consistently kicked the immigration reform can down the road for decades.

The Left believes we should welcome all people into the country.  I say that because the Left has basically said that, with Sanctuary Cities, states that issue IDs and Driver’s Licenses to illegal aliens, and the latest pledge by the Democratic candidates for president vowing to give free healthcare to non-citizens.

The Right believes in immigration as well, but they seek to control who comes into the United States, not based on skin color or religion as suggested, but based on verifiable facts about the applicants.  They want to know if they can provide for themselves if allowed to enter.  They want to know if they have any ties to terrorist organizations and are possibly planning an attack from within our borders.

The Left wants unfettered immigration, with the promise of 40 acres and mule for everyone, but our economy cannot support such a utopian goal, no matter how lofty and idealistic it may be.

The Right wants immigration as well, but controlled immigration, that includes vetting migrants to determine if they are true asylum seekers, or if they have other motives for crossing the border.

The US does not have unlimited resources available.  To open our borders wide would lead to economic collapse, and the US would eventually become one of those countries from which these migrants are fleeing.

Immigration into the US is a good and righteous thing, and it should be continued, but it also must be controlled, monitored and should not be done to the detriment of our own citizens.  It’s time to stop bickering over photo-ops and campaign rhetoric and finally reform our immigration laws.  It will take cooperation and concessions from the Right and Left to get it done.