May 03, 2006

It Took Centuries to Invent the Police to Fight Crime - We Have to Act Faster on Illegal Immigration

Invasion 2006:

Though many Hispanics may be social conservatives, they believe in Big Government. Understandably so. For, as lower-income voters, they pay far less in income taxes than the average American, while benefiting far more from the welfare state: free education for their kids, food stamps, welfare checks, housing supplements, Medicaid, subsidized day care, student loans and grants, affirmative action, and earned income tax credits. At the local, state and federal level, Hispanics vote for the party of government.

In other words, illegal immigrants, if legalized, will vote to have everybody else's tax dollars, used to pay their bills.

This is war in the 21st century -- war in which the invading people just walk in and start taking stuff. It's a new enough phenomenon that our society hasn't yet developed a response to it.

When new phenomena like this take place, human society often takes a surprisingly long time to figure out a suitable response. We take it for granted that we have police to protect us from car thieves, housebreakers, etc. But a quick check on Wikipedia reveals that it took centuries for society to invent the police force. In fact, what we are familiar with as a police force, came into existence less than 200 years ago!

In ancient times, the military was mostly responsible for maintaining law and order in cities. The Roman Empire had a reasonably effective law enforcement system until the decline of the empire, though there was never an actual police force in the city of Rome. Beginning in the 5th century, policing became a function of clan chiefs and heads of state. Local lords and nobles were responsible to maintain order in their lands, and often appointed a constable, sometimes unpaid, to enforce the law.

In 1663, London hired watchmen to guard the streets at night, augmenting the force of unpaid constables, as the first paid law enforcement body. This practice was widespread throughout the United Kingdom. Then, on June 30, 1800 the authorities of Glasgow, Scotland successfully petitioned the Government to pass the Glasgow Police Act establishing the City of Glasgow Police. This was the first professional police service in the country and was different from previous law enforcement in that it practiced preventative policing. This was quickly followed in other towns, which set up their own police forces by individual Acts of Parliament [1]. In 1829, the Metropolitan Police Act was passed by Parliament, allowing Sir Robert Peel, the then home secretary, to found the London Metropolitan Police, generally regarded as the first civil police force organised on modern lines. It became a model for the police forces of many countries, including the United States. The first police service to be set up outside the UK was in Gibraltar, with the formation of the Gibraltar Police (now Royal Gibraltar Police) in 1830.

Well, we don't have 200 years to deal with illegal immigration. Another 10 years of it, and it will only be possible to elect officials who want to tax those who entered the country legally, and give their money to those who entered illegally.

We have to build the border fence.