I watch the news with amusement as the Republicans try desperately to rein in Donald Trump, their loose cannon with the big mouth - however, I'm not amused when I see more people flocking to his side. Obviously, they don't understand the nature of international diplomatic procedures and protocol. Trump has effectively painted himself into a number of corners with his remarks about leaders around the world that would seriously undermine his future negotiating position if elected. So far, he has not been effective in backtracking from his more thoughtless remarks, digging himself in deeper instead. I shudder to think what invective would come from his mouth if elected.
For instance, he insultingly paints the Mexican government as so irresponsible that they literally dump their undesirables over our borders. He says he has nothing against Mexicans - "I like Mexicans," he says. This reminds me of the long-standing excuse, "some of my best friends are (you fill it in)," as folks proceeded to vilify that group in their next remark. Some friend he is. He bluntly states most illegals come here to commit crimes, rape, smuggle drugs or live off charity.
He has lost sight of the fact that many who are labeled illegal entered legally and simply over-stayed their visas. While their status was still legal, a number had children who are full-fledged citizens. Many of those people are highly educated and engaged in productive work.
I will be the first to agree our immigration system is broken and needs fixing. We should do this incrementally starting with a bill to fully fund the needs of the Immigration Service to work through the huge backlog of visa applications so people can enter legally. Too many wait years for their application to be processed. This is a shameful blot on our national reputation. Many of those are desperate people seeking asylum from violence, oppression and grinding poverty. Their desperation has driven them to come anyway. We are going to need these good people as our citizenry ages and retires; we have too few youth growing up to replace them. This proposal should not be a partisan issue and should pass easily.
I propose the following regarding a path to citizenship for those already here: Only those who have been here x-number of years prior to enactment of the legislation would be eligible to apply and would have to provide proof of same. I suggest five years. All the rest would have to leave the country and reapply for entry. This would answer the concerns of those who fear there would be a rush across the border. There should be some leeway for hardship cases, such as allowing sick children to stay with their parents here so they can continue treatment. I would want that bill to provide that previous illegal entry would not count as a crime and preclude future acceptance.
I hate the idea of a wall across miles of our southern border - again it gives the wrong message to the world. I honestly think enacting my proposals would seriously reduce the number of illegal border crossings by making the legal process more accessible. Yes, there will still be smugglers - with a border as long as ours, that is inevitable. We forget our miles of vulnerable coast line - are we going to have to fence them off too? We need to remain friendly with our immediate neighbors and work with them to reduce the opportunities and incentives to cross illegally.
I seriously doubt Mr. Trump is in any way capable of measuring his words and conducting this effective diplomatic negotiation - an essential skill needed by a president - especially after all the insults he has flung against a host of world leaders. The strength of his support also makes it harder for those currently in office to portray the U.S. as a country to be trusted. Loose lips and diplomacy aren't compatible.
Lenna Harding grew up in Pullman and lived her first 20 and past 40 years here. She is a longtime member of the League of Women Voters and served on the board of the Gladish Community and Cultural Center.
