St. Patrick's Day and More Illegal Aliens

Yesterday was Saint Patricks Day--the "holiday" in which we celebrate the Irish, patron saint of beer. I missed it. I put Weed and Feed on my yard instead of drinking...actually I don't drink, so I guess it really doesn't matter.

I did a "ride-a-long" with a local police officer last Friday. The "ride-a-long" program allows private citizens to see first-hand how the police department works. I spent pretty much all day riding with an officer; "we" wrote a few speeding tickets, checked on a reported stolen vehicle, intervened a situation at a McDonalds where an irate customer was "screming and cursing the store manager" (McD's had messed up her order- she said "no salt" on her fries, but they put the salt on anyway), and we took a report on an assault and battery-someone had really beat the guy up pretty good.

One of the traffic stops involved a young, hispanic women we pulled over for speeding and following too close. When the officer asked for her driver's license and proof of insurance, she calmly and very politely stated: "I'm illegal" and handed him an "ID" that contained her picture, address and other vital information. The top of the ID was labeled "USA ID System". I wasn't aware the United States had a nation-wide "ID System." She was very matter of fact about her status. I asked the officer why we didn't just haul her in (because she is illegal), to which he replied (not an exact quote, but close):

We don't have the room to arrest every one of them (illegals) we stop. She was issued four citations: speeding, following too close, no DL, and no insurance-- that'll hurt, but the fact of the matter is, she'll probably be back out here again.

She had two little girls in the back of the car. I told her if I caught her without a license or insurance again, I'd take her in, impound the car, and take her kids to DHS. That seemed to get her attention.

I asked the officer, "I spite of the fact that she got four tickets and a stern warning, isn't she going to to be in violation AGAIN the second she puts the car in "drive?" "Yes," he replied, "I told her to that I was going to let her drive back home. We just don't have the room to take them all to jail."

And that my friends is a SMALL part of what we are dealing with. The illegals drive without licenses and insurance. They are willing to run the risk of getting caught. And the fines--if they avoid them long enough--are less than the cost you and I pay for insurance.

On a related note, WorldNet Daily ran a story a couple of days ago reporting: "The costs associated with the birth of illegal aliens' babies now makes up the biggest emergency Medicaid expense." Read it here.