The Nicest House on the Block

I was listening to the Glen Beck radio show on FoxRadio yesterday and Glen, the host, had a very good illustration of the illegal "immigration" problem.

Glen was talking to a South African man whose family had been in America illegally during the fall of apartheid. The guy was trying to explain to Glen America's attraction to people in other countries. Basically, he gave Glen the usual they-come-here-because-you-have-so-much-and-they-have-so-little party line. Glen understood where the man was coming from, but he gave him a rebuttal that's very worth repeating.

Glen asked the man to imagine the world as one street block. America is the nicest house on that block and Glen is the owner. As the owner of the best house, Glen invites many of his neighbors to his home. Invites, people. Those allowed in are given work and other opportunities to better themselves. Of course, everyone knows there're goodies in Glen's house, and some of the neighbors decide it's not fair that entrance is by invitation only. They break in and take whatever they've come to believe they're entitled to; they totally disregard Glen's rights as the homeowner. A few of them even assault Glen and his family. Their poverty gives them that right, doesn't it? No! And that's point of the parable.

If you take something--money, a job, an opportunity--that's freely offered to you, that's ok. But if you take something that's not freely offered to you, that's stealing. Even if you're poor.

Illegal aliens are stealing opportunity from America. America is being used and more and more Americans are feeling it. That's why the Minutemen are patrolling the border. It's not about racism or heartlessness. It's about the homeowner demanding respect for his rights. America's the nicest house on the block, but you still have to ask to come in.