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 It
is part of human nature to give rewards for good behavior. Rewarding
good behavior encourages more good behavior. This age-old method has
benefited parents and teachers for years. The problem with this method
occurs when rewards are given for bad behavior - and worse, when they
are given for illegal behavior. Just as common sense tells us that
rewarding good behavior will elicit more good behavior, common sense
also tells us that rewarding illegal activity will encourage more
illegal activity. And that eventually, the results could be severe. Most
Americans realize this when it comes to illegal immigration - rewarding
illegal immigration will only encourage more illegal immigration, and
put us on a path towards serious consequences.
A few weeks ago, Governor Eliot Spitzer of New York backed off of his
plan that was announced in September to allow illegal immigrants to
obtain driver's licenses. Governor Spitzer argued that providing illegal
immigrants with driver's licenses would increase safety on New York
streets. Widespread public outcry ultimately forced Governor Spitzer to
withdraw from his plan, but his proposal remains a clear example of our
government seeking to reward illegal immigration. New York would have
been the fourth state in the U.S. to issue driver's licenses to illegal
immigrants; Vermont, Arizona, and the state of Washington already have
reached such policy agreements.
At first glance, what’s concerning about the practice of issuing
driver's licenses to illegal immigrants is that it directly threatens
the national security of our country. A driver’s license is a gateway
identity document that can be used to help obtain passports, birth
certificates, or social security cards. They can be used to gain
admittance to secure areas, like airplanes and other forms of public
transportation. Furthermore, these documents can also be used to obtain
voter registration and to register for government benefits like Social
Security or Medicare, thus creating further unfair burden on American
taxpayers.
But the driver’s license issue is about more than national security,
taxpayer dollars, and government programs. Providing driver’s licenses
to illegal immigrants gives a level of credibility and a message of
reward and acceptance to those who have shown disrespect to our nation's
immigration laws. It places our nation on a continued path of providing
amnesty and rewards to illegal immigrants rather than on a path of
effective law enforcement and fully secure borders. After all, how do we
give a valid official license to an illegal immigrant to operate a
vehicle in our country when our laws say that person is not legally
allowed to be here in the first place?
Immigration has been an issue for the United States since its birth. Our
nation has long recognized the value and importance of immigrants to our
nation, and the equal importance of immigrants and citizens adhering to
the rules of our legal system. The American people understand that
illegal immigration is just that – it is illegal. What they can’t
understand is why their gridlocked leaders in Washington continue to
keep our nation on the path of rewarding illegal immigration.
Years ago, I heard someone speak on the principle of the path. The
principle of the path says that each action you take sets you on a path
towards a particular consequence, whether good or bad. No matter what
your intentions are, your actions ultimately determine what path you are
on. To remove oneself from a particular path or to change to a different
path, it requires more than intention - it requires a change in action.
Americans want to see change in action in our nation’s immigration
policy. They want to know that the steps that their leaders are taking
are putting America on the right path in terms of immigration – a path
that reflects our core belief that entry into the United States is not a
right, but a privilege.
There are many steps on the path to restore this confidence. Available
on my website are a list of bills that I have cosponsored and that I am
working to pass to put America back on this path. They include bills to
enforce our nation's current immigration laws, to staff our borders, to
deport illegal aliens, to punish employers who knowingly hire illegal
immigrants, to assist our overburdened states and localities, and to
improve our nation's immigration databases and enforcement techniques. I
encourage you to review these bills at
http://randyforbes.house.gov/issues/immigration.htm.
In response to the driver’s license issue, I have cosponsored two bills,
H.Res. 800, which expresses the sense of Congress that driver’s
licenses should not be issued to illegal immigrants, and
H.R. 4176,
the Prevention of Unsafe Licensing Act, which would prohibit states from
issuing any driver’s license or identification card to an individual
unlawfully present in the United States. These also are available on my
website to read.
Taken individually, these bills are small steps, but collectively their
passage would lay out a significantly different course for our nation’s
immigration policy - a path that leads towards effective enforcement of
our immigration laws, a path that puts an end to the rewards that entice
illegal immigrants to come here and stay, a path of principle.
Parents, Children, and Television
With school-aged children quickly approaching their Christmas breaks,
they will likely have significantly more downtime at home. And unless
there is an unexpected snowfall, parents usually find that their
children watch an increased amount of television during winter breaks.
Television can be an educational tool for families, but modern
programming has become increasingly inappropriate for young children and
it is becoming more and more difficult for parents to control what their
children are watching on television.
 Parents
must remain informed and maintain a decision-making approach regarding
their children’s viewing. By taking an active role, parents can help
make watching television a positive and healthy experience.
Use these tips for parents in the development of positive television
viewing habits for children:
1. Set limits. Limit your child's use of TV, movies and video and
computer games by allowing no more than one or two hours per day and
keeping TV in family areas of the house instead of in bedrooms.
2. Plan your child's viewing. Use a program guide to help you and
your child choose shows that you both can be happy with. Children's
programming must meet certain
criteria
established by the FCC. Use the FCC's
TV Programming
Guide to look up programming information for your area.
3. Watch TV with your child. Whenever possible, watch TV with
your child and talk about what you see. If your schedule prevents you
from watching TV with your child, talk to your child about what he or
she watched. New technology that allows you to record programs offers
the opportunity to watch them with your child at a later time.
4. Find the right message. If you do not agree with certain
subject matter, turn off the TV or explain to your child why you
object to the language, scenes, or images used.
5. Utilize the FCC's rating system. These ratings appear in the
corner of your television screen during the first 15 seconds of each
news program. The ratings can also be found in many newspaper listings.
For an explanation of the FCC's television ratings,
click here.
6. Look for quality children's videos and DVDs. Read through
reviews and get feedback from other parents before buying or renting
programs or movies. Information is readily available on the Internet
through various parents sites, and can also be found in books,
newspapers and magazines.
7. Give other options. Help your child find other things to do
with his or her time, such as reading, learning a hobby, learning a
sport, an instrument or an art, or spending time with family, friends or
neighbors.
8. Set a good example. You are the most important role model in
your child's life. Limiting your own TV viewing and choosing programs
carefully will help your child do the same.
For information on other media guidelines for parents, including an
explanation of TV ratings, criteria for children's programming,
information on TV channel blocking, and a host of other resources, visit
the Federal Communication Commission's website for parents,
http://www.fcc.gov/parents/. |
