>>I understand that. But don't you think it's a bit unfair to demand that other people propose alternatives when they critique if you won't do so yourself?
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>That's a fair point. Actually, I haven't seen any good solutions to this problem yet. Most people don't want to make the hard choices that need to be made. I certainly sympathize with the illegals. I understand that they are coming here to make a better life for themselves and their families.

Just to show I'm not a hard core idealogue, I think President Bush's proposal is the best I have heard. I do NOT like the idea of National Guardsmen (and women) lined up on the border, but politically he had to do something to appease the Republican core who are panting for punitive measures. The olive branch is offering "earned amnesty," meaning that after a certain period of law-abiding residence, illegals have the opportunity to become citizens. It's going to be a hard sell with Congress, though. The Democrats seem fairly unified against the put-up-walls approach and many Republicans are against any kind of anmesty. It will be tough getting it through before this session ends, that's for sure.