Question about national security?

I am a union member myself. I have also lost a child, and my sister is a lifelong junkie (so I have a heart for you). My sincerest condolences for your loss.

I'm sure you are aware, the general population despises union workers; they think we are overpaid and entitled. They don't know that unions are the reason why labor laws are instituted that give ALL workers fair wages, overtime, holidays with pay, safe working conditions, pensions, benefits, etc. Some union somewhere, fought for these things, and they were put into law eventually; a benefit to all.

People who are comfortably set up, compared to the poor, feel better about themselves when they help others less fortunate. This doesn't mean actually doing something (like charity work...) it's much easier to just give air to their opinions than to actually do something.

They picture poor people streaming in from Mexico and probably legitimately want to help. But the UN has processes to vet assylum seekers or refugees. But what's happening at the border is not immigration - it's an invasion. I really don't think they are a threat to your job though. If anything, they'll do the nasty work of cleaning the toilets at your factory so that they can put their children into college so that they won't have to, in turn... clean toilets.

I really don't know what news reports you're listening to; but I am a CANADIAN - and we have a flood of illegal immigrants coming IN to Canada trying to escape being caught in the US (not the other way around - except for the snowbirds who pour money into your economy).

I work in an aircraft factory, btw. It's not rocket science, but it IS aerospace.

Your derision about Canadians is duly noted. The government is content to keep us dumb and drunk and a 'multicultural' society...

Because immigration is GREAT for the government.

A mixed population means there won't be unity in communities: much less likely for there to be rebellion. That and taxes... more people means more taxes flowing into the system. Canada loves immigrants... even paying their way for the first couple years until they get on their feet and can pay for the rest of their lives.

PS. I pay about $500 CAD per week in taxes and dues. The country is very happy to have me.

DEMOCRATS / REPUBLICANS

I don’t see how you affiliate the weakening of unions

with democrats.

NY State, one of the most democrat-controlled states

of the US, has the most unions in the US right now.

BORDERS

There is no democrat politician advocating for opened

borders. A few loud civilians have asked for it but it’s

not going to happen. No politician shall push for opened

borders.

DRUGS

I sympathize with the loss of your son to drugs.

But if we were to stop all drugs from Mexico they would

end up coming into our country from elsewhere.

There is too much money being made and this is why the

‘war on drugs’ that started back in the 70’s has failed.

IMMIGRANTS

Sick immigrants can bring a burden upon the US. However

it is fair to say that most immigrants are not sick – I’m sure

you would agree.

Poor & uneducated immigrants are not a burden. They work.

Illegals are not eligible for welfare. Legal immigrants are

eligible just like millions of locally-born Americans who are

lazy and who take advantage of the system.

Your gripe isn’t with immigrants – it is with lazy people who

don’t want to work. Unfortunately, most of them are born

right here.

While on the topic of uneducated people, Trump’s largest

percentage of votes during the presidential election of 2016,

came from White males aged 18-24 without a college degree.

Republicans are ACTIVELY anti-union and Trump stated US wages are too high. There are many reasons for the weakening of unions. For what it's worth, Pete Buttigieg has made a statement of actively supporting unions. I understand that openly gay is a tough situation in this country at this time, but I encourage you to listen to anything he has stated on youtube. I find him amazingly on-target for middle class Americans. I heard him speak here in Las Vegas and I was very impressed. He's floating an idea for documenting illegals, not using Green Cards.

https://cis.org/Cadman/Mayor-Petes-Bright-New-Idea...

Now, the profile of immigrants at the border is not what it used to be. They are primarily refugee families from countries south of Mexico. These are not the migrant workers of Mexico.

A non-partisan detailed study showed the illegal residents create higher paying jobs and take lower paying jobs. The two main issues are employers hiring as under-the-table cash and money sent by all immigrants out of the country to family. Both are fixable. The other is lack of proper registration and insurance for vehicles and that is also fixable. There are more than 10 million illegal in the country. The immigration courts are backlogged by over two years already. The question is how best to handle those in the country, especially with citizen children. The average time they are here is over 5 years. The crime rate of violent crime is lower than citizens.

The issue of border security is only HOW to do it and Trump refuses to listen to anything other than useless environmentally detrimental wall, and he diverts funds to do it. The fix of the current issue at the border lies in the countries they come from, but Trump is only known for bullying, and not working WITH people.

Most of the drugs are NOT smuggled from Mexico. And, the heroin comes in via legal checkpoints hidden in vehicles. Opioids is the big issue today and is legally manufactured and distribution via pharmacies. Marijuana is mostly being grown in-state where it is state level legalized. Did you know Oregon has a million pounds excess?

Now, the biggest issues in the USA have zero to do with illegals.

Minimum wage in January 1980 @ $3.10/hr plus consumer price index = $10.21

The working poor are exploited.

Median individual wage is under $40k/year, and is barely risen over inflation by tenths of a percent.

Meanwhile, CEO pay went from 30X to 300X average worker and top 20% have all the nation's gains since 1980.

The richer one goes, the better they have done. The richest 1% owns 40% of the nation's wealth.

Health care is now 18% of GDP, a completely ridiculous amount, and overhead in health care costs more than medical care. Drug companies spend more on marketing than research. We are the only developed country without universal health care, in a system that is broken end to end.

We spend 40% of the world's military expenditures, and own 40% of the world's guns. The $700+ billion military can handle a lot of domestic issues, even if only cut in half.

Trump's tax cut went 80% to the wealthy, and helped the economy only 6 to 9 months for a permanent tax cut. The money went for companies to buy their own shares back, and to by Federal debt. In calendar 2018, federal debt increased by $1 Trillion 481 billion.

I have a Chemical Engineering Degree, MBA, 32 years global Procurement Engineering in major computer companies, and am non-Partisan historically, voting Democrat since 2016 when Republicans spit on the US Constitution and quashed the Merrick Garland nomination without a Senate vote, despite 9 months to do it. It was a record amount of time in USA history NOT to answer to a Presidential SCOTUS nomination.

The radical left is spawned from the skew of wealth issue and the rise of radical conservatives.

I am hoping a more centrist Democrat gets the nomination, but I've resolved that the current Republicans are lowlife in greed and power grabbing. I want a rebalance.

More info is available, but I've written enough.

You have to get patted down before boarding a plane in case you have a pair of nail clippers in your pocket and we're supposed to just let thousands of illegals walk right in our back door without knowing anything about them? Democrats have abandoned the working class in favor of the welfare class. They just assume the workers will vote Democrat because that's what workers have always done. It's time to protect the country and the workers from undesirables undermining unions by doing scab labor.

Obama well knew that union money and volunteers were crucial to his election. An he gave back to the unions in multiple ways. These "new" party leaders do not yet know that. Don't vote for any of them. If one is selected as the party's nominee anyway, hold you nose and vote against her/him/it in the general election.

You shouldn't support it.

We need stronger border security and a tightening of immigration laws.

Immigration is like economics..demand and supply.

Right now we have a lot more people that want to immigrate to the US than we can reasonably accommodate, have no idea who they are, and frankly, bring little to the table that plain old Americans like you and me can't supply.

Immigration should be based upon skill and need.

If you bring something to the table you don't have to beg for scraps.

Well... it's kinda the same with immigrants and nonwhite Americans who were laid off in Red states. 😃 And forced to migrate back to Blue states to find work. AFTER REPUBLICAN GEORGE W BUSH CAUSED THE RECESSION. Like me and my dad were.

The Democrats don't discriminate anymore than the Republicans do.

And you don't see Democrats shooting up Macys and Sears either to make political statements about White America being privileged.

Edit: Chicago has always been known for gang violence dating back to Bugsy Siegel and Capone. 🥴 That's your problem your community refused to fix. It's been almost a century and gang violence still hasn't been squashed.

2nd of all, you named 2 Lib shooters. What were the rest, dating back to 1999? 🤔 Give and take a few Muslim or anti-gay extremists. AND!!! IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS... WERE THEY NOT IN RED STATES MOST OF THE TIME?

It's not immigration: it's the weakening of the Unions. You'll have to study labor history. This goes back to before you came of age.

Look for things like "right to work" laws, and who is weakening unions in both the private sector and public sector. That's all coming from the Republican party.

People like you and me were better off when unions were strong.