Joseph Hertzlinger submitted the following comment on one of my immigration posts: "We can make immigration lawful by legalizing it. Why is that so difficult?" When I say that I oppose illegal but not legal immigration, I'm not playing around with words. What I'm saying is that I'm not opposed to people coming into this country; I'm opposed to people coming into this country without permission. Compare: "I'm not opposed to people having sex; I'm opposed to people having sex without permission." Joseph seems to be saying, in the case of immigration, that we should give everyone permission to come into this country. In other words, we should erase the line between legal and illegal immigration. Should we erase the line between legal and illegal sex? Should people be allowed to have sex with whomever they choose, with or without permission?
Maybe I'm missing Joseph's point.
Addendum: I'm trying to be charitable to Joseph, even though, by the tone of his comment, he's not being charitable to me. Perhaps Joseph thinks that my opposition to illegal immigration is simply and solely that it is illegal. If that is the case, then, if we "legalize it" (his words), it will no longer be illegal, and my opposition will dissipate. But that's not my view. My opposition to illegal immigration is not simply and solely that it is illegal. My opposition to illegal immigration is that it bypasses the legal processes that we have set up to ensure that those who immigrate have certain qualities. That's why it's called "illegal." This is also why I oppose illegal sex (i.e., rape)—not simply and solely because it is illegal, but because it's disrespectful of the person. Individuals are sovereign. It's up to each of us whether to allow others to have sex with us. Those who don't secure permission are violating our personal sovereignty. The same is true of immigration, except on a larger scale. It's up to each nation (such as the United States) whether to allow people to immigrate. Those who don't secure permission are violating our national sovereignty.
