Michael Barone (and More) on Illegal Immigration

Michael Barone lays out the current issues. His concluding point, the importance of assimilation, really struck a chord with me.

I was contemplating how Americans might feel if this weekend's "pro-immigration" rallies -- which in reality were protesting pending legislation changing illegal immigration from a misdemeanor to a felony -- had focused on U.S. patriotism and the American flag and the immigrants' desires to be part of this country.

Instead, in many instances, the protestors draped themselves in the Mexican flag and chanted "Mexico!" Many of the protestors believe the Southern border of the U.S. is illegitimate. The demands to be here, under the flag of Mexico, may leave some U.S. citizens feeling invaded, rather than persuaded that the cause of the protestors is just.

Scott Johnson at Power Line writes: "I can't think of many things more likely to increase support for enforcing existing immigration law than the march of the illegals that took place in Los Angeles and elsewhere in the United States yesterday."

Ed Morrissey of Captain's Quarters has more thoughts on this. Rick Moore at Holy Coast has posted some commentary on this as well, in several posts over the weekend. Glenn Reynolds has also written on this topic at Instapundit.

Michelle Malkin has a lengthy post which concludes with the fascinating information that the felony provision is in the bill due mainly to Democrats.