There's A Process

Something I'm a bit sick of is how many rights issues become suicide pacts if taken to a lawyer's logical conclusion but are glaringly not that way from most normal people's perspective.

It's by far most common with libertarians than liberals, though there are plenty there too.

The inherent rights argument and illegal aliens is something that's got a lot of national and societal suicide built into it.

If anyone who manages to claw their way over the imaginary line that's our border has all the same rights as a naturally born citizen; then what distinguishes the citizen from anyone else?

Since these rights are inherent...

Somehow, I don't think that's what the founders were meaning, but they didn't leave us much in the way of notes.

On one hand, the US has survived mass, unchecked, immigrations more than once.

On the other hand, those immigrants were treated brutally, one might even say in a racist manner, until they assimilated into American culture.

On the gripping hand, they WANTED to be Americans.  While they loved their mother countries, they also saw that it was better here.

The melting pot is a crucible.

E Pluribus Unum is an apt motto.

Coming here to become an American is good, you can totally keep your motherland's customs and stuff as long as they're secondary to being American.

Italians did it.

Irish did it (TWICE!).

Cubans do it.  There's some VERY American Cubans living just a couple miles away from me, in fact.

Chinese did it.

Not insubstantial numbers of Indians are doing it.

Former slaves had done it, until it was undone by Mr Great Society.

It's not complicated.

But they have to want to, and there needs to be some pressure to cause those who don't to not want to remain.