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A fine imposed by law is amnesty no matter what the crime.

By Patrick Osio, Jr./HispanicVista.com

  June 1, 2007

 

 

 

A fine imposed by law is amnesty no matter what the crime.

By Patrick Osio, Jr.

 

“That will be $250 or 5 days in jail for speeding,” the judge said.

“If I pay the $250, I go free and continue driving?” the man asked.

“Yes, that’s the deal,” the judge replied.

“Well, thank you for the amnesty, your honor. I’ll pay the fine.”

“Amnesty? What do you mean amnesty? This is not amnesty your guilty and paying a fine.”

“Not according to Lou Dobbs, Pat Buchanan, Congressmen Tancredo, Hunter, Bilbray, and a bunch of others. Paying a fine in admission of guilt is still amnesty.”

“Now, what part of the above did you not understand? If the law stipulates that if you did something against the law and to cleanse the record a fine must be paid that is not amnesty,” the judge persisted.

“So sorry your honor, but those fine gentlemen would not be saying this is amnesty if it weren’t so. You know, they have no bone to pick. They always tell the truth. They are only looking out for what is best for the country. They harbor no grudge against those miserable scofflaws that break our laws. What possible motive could they have for misleading us?”

“Ignorance - maybe?”

“Come on, everyone knows these people are far from being ignorant. No, no, they’re just patriotic Americans.”

“OK, so let me see if I understand you. If instead of the $250 fine, I sentence you to the 5 days in jail, would that also be amnesty?”

“Well, that would be a little harder to explain as amnesty, but you’re not sentencing me to the 5 days in jail, so the fine is amnesty.”

“So the law has an amnesty and a non-amnesty provision? And a judge in any case before the court that can render a fine or jail time, is either going to give amnesty or not give amnesty depending on how Dobbs, Buchanan,  Tancredo, Hunter, Bilbray and the other like minds interpret the laws?”

“Well, your honor, everyone knows they know what is best for the country. Everyone knows they are straight shooters. Everyone knows they are falsely accused of being nativists, racists, and bigots.”

“Could that be because they selectively choose to name a “fine” imposed by law be classified as amnesty only in the case of foreign born illegal immigrants who wish to remain here legally, but not in hundreds of other instances where the law stipulates that a fine be imposed as punishment for breaking a law? Or not calling for punishment of all businesses and individuals who have and continue to hire illegal immigrants?”

“Your honor, this is different – this is about illegal aliens who entered the country illegally. This is not about a person speeding down a highway as everyone does anyway. Entering the country illegally is far more serious than speeding. And those who have hired illegal aliens didn’t know they were doing so. Everyone knows those illegals forge papers and dupe those hiring them.”

“Highway deaths in the US are around 45,000 per year and most are due to speeding. In the last 10 years. close to 450,000 people have been killed on our highways and streets. So please explain to all of us here today, how can it be that illegal immigration is “more serious” than speeding limit laws? Or do you need to check with Dobbs, Buchanan, Tancredo, Hunter, Bilbray et al, before answering?”

“Yes, I have a lot of faith in them. I am sure they have an answer that will satisfy me. They always do.”

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Patrick Osio, Jr. is the Editor of HispanicVista (www.hispanicvista.com) and columnist with the San Diego Metropolitan Magazine (www.sandiegometro.com). Contact him at: POsiojr@aol.com

 

(The opinions expressed by Patrick Osio, Jr. are solely his and do not necessarily reflect those of HispanicVista.com, editorial board of advisors or it’s contributing writers.)

Patrick Osio, Jr. has written a short but intensive manual on the Mexican perspective on numerous issues between our two countries. The manual is an in depth primer on the culture and protocol for better understanding Mexicans that in turn allows establishing personal and business relationships, and how to avoid the most common faux pas that can ruin relationships and business deals.

The manual is available through Electronic delivery for $9.95 making it possible to download the manual for save on your hard drive, printing its entirety or particular sections while reaping considerable savings over printed copies.