Gary Varvel: Biden's open border cost

Plus: my essay on 6 signs of America’s decline

Fox News reported that Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga. introduced legislation called “The Laken Riley Act, named after 22-year-old Laken Hope Riley, a college nursing student who was recently killed by an illegal immigrant on the campus of University of Georgia.”

The legislation would require ICE to detain illegal immigrants who are charged with local theft or burglary.” Riley was killed by a man who was accused of such crimes was released and later charged with the murder.”

Oh, and before you chastise me, this cartoon is mocking the Biden’s administration calling an illegal alien, an “undocumented noncitizen.”

6 SIGNS OF AMERICA’S DECLINE

In Cal Thomas’ book, America’s Expiration Date, he lists 6 problems that historically have been patterns of a nation in decline.

1. Massive national debt. According to the U.S. Debt Clock, America is $34.5 trillion in debt. That means every taxpayer owes $266,499 to pay off government’s spending addiction.

2. Devaluing of human life. Not just abortion but in the increase of homicides in our major cities.

3. Military conquests. Ameica can’t nation build. We can’t continue spending trillions of dollars, sacrificing young men and women on the battlefield in the hopes that the world will adopt our way of life.

4. Disbelief in God.

5. Rejection of traditional morality. Right and wrong is based on God’s law in the Bible and embedded in our conscience. Example: The Bible describes sexual immorality as any sexual relations outside of the bonds of marriage between a man and woman. The Bible says that God created sex as a wedding present for a man and wife in marriage (Genesis 2:24-25). God set boundaries for sexual relationships in Leviticus 18.

6. Uncontrolled immigration without assimilation. “America has become a nation of tribes and hyphenated Americans.” Thomas says. “Instead of “Out of many, one,” we’re becoming “Out of one, many.”

In a 2022 column, Thomas wrote, “If you like cream in your coffee (if not, the analogy works with any other drink), keep pouring after you have reached what you would normally drink. If you pour the cream long enough, it will replace the coffee. That is what is happening at what used to be our southern border before the Biden administration virtually eliminated any barriers to keep migrants and fentanyl from pouring in.” More than 107,000 people in the U.S. died of drug overdoses and drug poisoning in a 12-month period. And criminals are entering America illegally, like the murderer of Laken Riley.

Thomas is right but most Americans won’t state the obvious problem because they are afraid of being called a xenophobe. In 2021, U.S. had some 10.2 million illegal immigrants. President Biden rescinded Trump’s stay in Mexico policy and stopped the wall construction. Biden’s open border policy allowed 10 million more people to enter our country illegally.

The idea of legal immigration is to assimilate people to become Americans. President Theodore Roosevelt said, “This is a nation — not a polyglot boarding house. There is not room in the country for any 50-50 American, nor can there be but one loyalty — to the Stars and Stripes.” Roosevelt was against divided loyalties. He said, “There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag … We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language.”

Past empires that failed to assimilate immigrants into becoming loyal self-supporting citizens, eventually decline. Just look at what is happening in Europe where muslims are living in closed communities and follow Sharia Law. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said, “I believe there is a problem of compatibility between Islamic culture and the values and rights of our civilization.” She vows to not allow Sharia law to be implemented in Italy.

I hate to report this information because I love America. God has blessed our country more than any nation in history. But let’s face it, America has all 6 signs of a country in decline.

All is not hopeless, though. Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3). I hope you join me in claiming that promise.