I am a conservative. I almost always vote republican because though I feel that they have abandoned their core consituants they are the less of two evils at this time. I was born in the south and raised in a small NE Texas town. For most people outside of the south, that would make me a redneck. Though I don’t necessarily agree with that label, I am not ashamed of it and will wear it proudly if that is how you choose to characterize me.
Here are the facts though. Just because a person is conservative and opposes illegal immigration does not make them a racist. As I stated in another post, I have traveled a lot in my life and met a lot of fantastic people all over this world. Not only have I met with them during my normal course of business but have also been honored to visit with them as a guest in their homes, been to dinner with their families, and many other activities outside the business world. I have made great friends in countries that I may not agree with on a political level but learned that the people are pretty much like people that I meet here at home. Most just want to live happy and fulfilled lives and be able to provide for their families. Some of the kindest and most sincere people I have met were in China, Thailand, Mexico and several other countries. I sincerely enjoyed the time that I spent with them and would have no problem at all with the majority of them living next door to me.
I am also adamantly opposed to the U.S.A. not securing their borders and upholding the laws already in place in regard to anybody coming here illegally. While most people crossing our borders illegally are simply looking for a better way of life, once they come here illegally, they have broken our laws and are criminals. Our government is constitutionally required to uphold the laws and yet make no real effort to stop the flow of illegal immigrants or to aggressively find and deport those here illegally. Our elected officials are supposed to work for us and are supposed to uphold the laws that have been passed by our elected officials.
The most important function of our government is to ensure the security of the American citizens. A country without secure borders is not secure in any way. Immigrants coming into the U.S.A. must be fully and properly vetted to to ensure the safety of the American people regardless of which country they are coming from. It is way past time to vote out all these career politicians who refuse to uphold the laws of our land.
I am not racist. I just believe that we should obey the laws that are already on the books. I have compassion and empathy for people of all races and nationalities. I will never be agreeable though to any path to citizenship for people who became criminals when they crossed our borders illegally.