Tancredo Talks Immigration
Saturday, October 20, 2007
By Tyler Brace
Monday, October 15, Republican Presidential candidate Tom Tancredo addressed students, professors, and local residents at the Hinman Forum in the Rockefeller Center. Before his speech even began, everyone in attendance rose to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. This was to be the first of several aspects of Tancredo’s speech that seemed to differ from the norm.
The overarching theme of the Colorado congressman’s speech was immigration, particularly illegal immigration he referred to as a “phenomenon” as opposed to a mere issue. Unchecked illegal immigration, he says, affects many other issues as well. For example, California spends an estimated $1 billion annually on services for illegal immigrants, and a full 90% of arrest warrants for murder issued in Los Angeles were issued for illegal aliens. Tancredo also mentioned the strain illegals put on the hospitals, schools, and prisons in the areas where they live. He stressed the importance of enforcing immigration law to help address not only these problems but also the all-important issue of national security.
The other key focus of his Tancredo’s speech with regards to immigration was cultural. He lamented the rise of the “cult of multiculturalism,” which tears at our nation’s social fabric and sense of unity. According to the congressman, the recent wave of immigration has been characterized by a lack of willingness to assimilate and, in particular, speak English. He brought up one of President Clinton’s executive orders, which required that all official government documents to be made available in roughly 120 languages (he was not sure of the exact number). Bilingualism on a personal is admirable, he stressed, but a bilingual country should be avoided. Congressman Tancredo taught in the Denver public school system for nine years and was the regional representative for the Department of Education under Ronald Reagan for over ten years. This experience gave him insight into the failure of bilingual education to integrate immigrant children. Without external pressure to assimilate, America risks being divided into English and non-English speaking regions. Tancredo pointed to Miami as an example of this. He quoted one Miami resident as saying, “The great thing about Miami is that there’s no pressure to be an American.” This attitude, he says, is a direct threat to the American tradition of the melting pot.
After discussing the immigration issue at length, Tancredo moved on to discuss the war in Iraq. Tancredo supports gradual U.S. disengagement from the conflict but maintains that there will always be a U.S. presence in the region, regardless of who is elected. One of the most striking comments he made was that the U.S. is not engaged in a war on terrorism. Rather, terrorism is merely a tactic used by our real enemy, radical Islam. Referencing Harvard Professor Samuel Huntington’s famous essay on the clash of civilizations, Tancredo stated that the United States was the West’s best hope in standing up to the hateful ideology of radical Islam that stands in complete opposition to the ideals of the West.
Overall, I was very impressed by the congressman. He is often portrayed as a deluded, xenophobic right-winger, but that description does not do him justice. His beliefs were well-thought out and articulated, and his honesty was refreshing in an age where most candidates speak in canned platitudes. His concerns about immigration and multiculturalism are well-founded and seem to be driven by genuine concern for this country. The one issue that I do not feel he addressed adequately is the relationship between immigration and our economy. America is part of a global economic community, and immigrants do help supply a cheap workforce that helps enable U.S. companies to stay competitive. I would have liked to hear more about how his immigration plans would ensure that our economy was not negatively impacted. However, the congressman did an excellent job articulating the threats multiculturalism poses to national unity and identity. This is a discussion that needs to be had, and I appreciated hearing such a high-profile figure discuss it honestly and openly. In all, Tom Tancredo’s speech was worthwhile and interesting. Hopefully, Dartmouth will host this passionate, patriotic individual again. n
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