Rick Perry has been doing a wonderful job alienating the Republican base in which he defends his record on illegal immigration by insulting those who oppose allowing illegal immigrants to have access to government benefits. In the CNN/Tea Party debate, he implied that those who oppose illegal immigrants getting their education subsidized by the taxpayers were racists:
BLITZER: Governor Perry, I’m going to move on to Governor Huntsman in a second, but you did sign legislation giving some illegal immigrants in Texas the opportunity to have in-state tuition at universities in Texas, explain what that…
PERRY: In the state of Texas, if you’ve been in the state of Texas for three years, if you’re working towards your college degree, and if you are working and pursuing citizenship in the state of Texas, you pay in-state tuition there.
And the bottom line is it doesn’t make any difference what the sound of your last name is. That is the American way. No matter how you got into that state, from the standpoint of your parents brought you there or what have you. And that’s what we’ve done in the state of Texas. And I’m proud that we are having those individuals be contributing members of our society rather than telling them, you go be on the government dole.
In the Fox News/Google Debate, Rick Perry bluntly stated that those who don't want illegals to have subsidized college education were heartless people:
Here's the transcript from the video above:
"If you say that we should not educate children who come into our state for no other reason than that they've been brought their through no fault of their own, I don't think you have a heart," Perry said. "We need to be educating these children because they will become a drag on our society. I think that's what Texans wanted to do. Out of 181 members of the Texas legislature when this issue came up [there were] only four dissenting votes. This was a state issue. Texas voted on it. And I still support it today."
Mitt Romney spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando today and explained that those who oppose illegal immigration are not cruel and unthinking people:
“My friend Gov. Perry said if you don’t agree with his position on giving that in-state tuition to illegals, that you don’t have a heart,” Romney said at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando. “I think if you’re opposed to illegal immigration, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have a heart. It means that you have a heart and a brain.”
Rick Perry's claim its racist, cruel and heartless for those of us who don't want children of illegal immigrants to receive a taxpayer subsidized education that allows them to get an education at a cost that is cheaper than what American citizens get simply because they were brought to America through no fault of their own is not true.
Mitt Romney is correct. It is a logical and compassionate position to insist that illegal immigrants should not be getting a discounted tuition rate at college. Why? Let me explain.
I agree with the argument that children shouldn't be punished for the sins of their parents. These children didn't sneak into the country. Their parents brought them along when they entered the country illegally. However, illegal children shouldn't benefit from the sins of their parents either. And they shouldn't be getting reduced tuition on the taxpayer's dime either.
What is even more astonishing is that many Texas college campuses are accepting illegal immigrations while turning away thousands of Americans who want to be educated. Lets also not forget that 40% of jobs created in Texas went to illegals and not citizens of Texas. As a result, Texas citizens are having to compete with illegals for jobs and education and are losing that competition. Its one thing for citizens of a state or nation to compete with another for these things, but its another when citizens are having to fight for these things with non-citizens.
Thus, the logical and compassionate position is to give priority to American citizens when it comes to tuition and college acceptance. It is unfair and illogical to give non-citzens benefits that citizens don't get. Moreover, where's the compassion for the American taxpayer? Where's
the compassion for the children of natural citizens who are paying a
higher rate of tuition than their illegal peers? Where's the compassion for the children of natural citizens who can't get into college while because of admission preferences for illegals?
It just doesn't make sense on an intellectual or compassionate level. It will remain that way no matter how much the pro-Dream Act supporters spin this issue.
Rick Perry can demonize and villify and get sanctimonious with the majority of Americans all he wants, but we won't tolerate it. However, on the bright side, at least he didn't call us Nazis.
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