Our President and Congress are at an impasse over how to handle immigration. Our nation is facing an unprecedented invasion along our border. Everyone seems to have a different perspective, and no one is listening to what best serves our nation. We must establish a workable solution that everyone can accept. This means compromise on everyone’s part.

Some things that I believe most can accept are fairly simple. We know that we have many good immigrants here that have been an asset to our communities. We need to agree upon a plan of what terms we would allow them to become citizens or what terms that they must live with to remain and continue to be productive members of our communities. The alternative would be if they are taking advantage of the communities in which they live, they should be returned to their home of origin. Our borders are to protect our nation from those who wish to undermine America, particularly from those who are not willing to follow the laws of our nation, states, or communities.

We should, likewise, have a sane approach to allow those we believe will enhance our communities, not because they want to come, but rather because we want them among us. This has worked reasonably well with workers under various programs that allow workers to come for a set period of time, such as the H2A agriculture program.

RIOTERS ON THE BORDER

It does not include those who try to sneak across the border in the dark of the night. Nor should it include those who try to come across the border in hordes. We should follow the model that Mexico created. If you or I wished to live in Mexico, we would be required to prove that we had the financial resources needed to provide for ourselves. Each year, they must reprove their resources.

NOT JUST HERE

AND NOW

John Kerry, the former Secretary of State under President Obama, recently gave a speech in Europe in which he stated, “Europe is already crushed under the transformation that is taking place due to immigration.” Kerry went on, “In Germany, Angela Merkel is weakened. Italian politics is significantly impacted.” Yet he appears to be afraid to tell the American people that. I assume that is to avoid criticism from the far-left Democrats.

The European issue of immigration has been a problem often in the past, however, it is far worse today than in the past because of the great numbers. The real problems there now began with problems surrounding the Middle East. Wars and civil unrest in Muslim monarchies that President Obama and Secretary Kerry encouraged brought hordes of folks to European nations; much as those who are coming across Mexico toward our country.

These are not new issues for our times, it has happened before. 1,500- 1,700 years ago similar masses moved from Eastern Europe into the Roman Empire, into what is now Italy. The Roman’s had become so weak that they chose to simply protect the major cities while letting the immigrants to simply take over the rural lands surrounding the cities.

If history does truly repeat itself, then we may well be seeing our nation and the European nations transformed in ways that could never have been imagined 20 years ago. If there is a time to act to regain our hopes for a brighter future, then now is the time. Encourage your Washington Senators and Representatives to create a solution that all can understand and follow.

Frank Ruff represents Lunenburg in the state Senate. His email address is Sen. Ruff@verizon.net.