The United States Owes Mexico

By Babu G. Ranganathan

I am an evangelical Christian and a United States citizen of Asian Indian origin. Having said that, let me say that we are committing a great injustice in how we are dealing with Mexican immigration and the status of illegal Mexican workers in the United States. Congress ought to support President Bush's idea of a guest-worker program for illegal Mexican workers in the United States. We do owe something to Mexico and its people.

In the 19th century the United States, which was experiencing great industrial, technological and economic growth, sought to expand to the Pacific Ocean. But, there was one big problem. Mexico was in the way. Western land belonged to Mexico. So, the United States invented a doctrine called Manifest Destiny that said the nation that could better use the land had the right to it. We forcibly took what are now California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas from Mexico. This was raw aggression and it was morally wrong. When we seized these lands from Mexico they became first U.S. territories ruled directly from Washington D.C. Afterwards, when enough Americans from other parts of the country settled into these territories, the federal government in Washington allowed the people in the territories to vote on statehood and to have their own individual state governments.

The historical evidence shows that America provoked war with Mexico. Why should this be hard to believe? After all, the U.S. didn't invent the doctrine of Manifest Destiny for nothing.  History shows that American military forces invented reasons and excuses to go to war with Mexico. There's no reason to believe Mexico would start a war with militarily superior U.S.  Certainly, Mexico didn't have any doctrine of manifest destiny to conquer to justify conquering U.S. territory.

The U.S. has done much that is good in the world, but it also has done much wrong. The idea that the United States cannot do wrong is blasphemy! Only God cannot do wrong..

The U.S. can partly correct the great injustice and wrong committed against Mexico by giving legal status to Mexican workers in the U.S. who are doing jobs that most Americans refuse to do. No one is being hurt and everyone wins. But, isn't this giving amnesty to illegal immigrants? Not completely because Americans do owe Mexico at least this much for taking hundreds of thousands of square miles of territory from them. Also, in life there is a time for mercy as well as a time for justice. In this case it is even practical on the part of America to give mercy. There is no conceivable way that the U.S. can deport the millions of Mexicans already here, and the employment vacuum this will cause will be felt in everyone's pocket book. Americans are taking a lot of the work they do for granted. Americans would definitely feel the pain if all the illegal Mexicans were to leave.

The overwhelming majority of Mexican workers are law-abiding and work very hard for low wages but that money means a lot for them and their families back home. They do pay billions in payroll taxes. Yes, they may have gotten their social security and I.D. numbers on the black market, but the tax money that's withdrawn weekly from their paychecks is very real. If they were given legal status they would be paying even more in taxes. With all the baby boomers retiring soon we'll need all the hard earned tax money from Mexican workers. We've aborted or killed nearly forty million unborn babies since Roe vs. Wade, so we don't have enough people in the workforce to support social security once all the baby boomers retire.

These immigrant workers are not the "barbarians at the gates of Rome" as Pat Buchanan dramatizes them to be. They probably have far superior moral and family values than that of your average American. They're even the same religion as Pat Buchanan: Roman Catholic. Within a couple of generations, if not sooner, these Mexicans will have become Americanized and be speaking and writing fluent English. Other immigrants, the Irish, Italians, etc. have done so within a couple of generations. No, Pat, America is not going down!

I am not excusing their illegal entry into the United States. But, as a nation we can forgive and provide amnesty. Why did so many illegally immigrate anyway? That they may feed their starving families and offer a better life for their families. They didn't come here to plunder, rape, and kill. Yes, some may commit crimes but not the vast majority. The vast majority came for a better life and they are contributing. They are not taking someone else's identity and then stealing from their bank accounts and stock portfolio. Their identities are made up, for the most part, de novo which is illegal but it is not the taking of someone else's identity, and, again, it is not so that they can steal, rape, and plunder someone else's money and property, but so that they may work to feed their families back in Mexico, many who are suffering because of Mexico's economic policies.

Let's do what's right, just, merciful, and compassionate and give amnesty to our hard working fellow human laborers from south of the border.

The author, Babu G. Ranganathan, has his bachelor's degree with concentrations in theology and biology and has been recognized for his writings on religion and science in the 24th edition of Marquis "Who's Who In The East." The author's articles may be accessed at www.religionscience.com.