1 00:00:04,719 --> 00:00:09,720 Greetings, this is Pastor David Bass at New Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church with a 2 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:14,199 moment of truth, where we challenge you to think through an important issue of life and faith. 3 00:00:14,939 --> 00:00:21,199 And today, I would like to address an open letter. I've done this in the past. During the election 4 00:00:21,199 --> 00:00:27,579 season, I had an open letter to Trump and an open letter to Hillary. But today, I would like to 5 00:00:27,579 --> 00:00:37,020 address an open letter to the illegal alien on why it is in his own best interest and the best 6 00:00:37,020 --> 00:00:42,140 interest of his children to adopt conservative principles and join us, whether it is in the 7 00:00:42,140 --> 00:00:49,060 realm of politics, religion, or immigration. Now, this issue of the illegal immigrant is on the 8 00:00:49,060 --> 00:00:55,979 hearts and minds of Americans, as we are seeing DACA in the news, for instance, or perhaps a 9 00:00:55,979 --> 00:01:03,479 comprehensive immigration solution. All these things, legislation, both houses of Congress are 10 00:01:03,479 --> 00:01:09,239 trying to come to grips with these things, attempting to deal with the flood of illegal aliens who have 11 00:01:09,239 --> 00:01:15,000 crossed our borders in the last few decades. And so, I would like to address the prospective 12 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:22,959 illegal alien. Dear immigrant, perhaps this is you, as you're listening to me today, whether you 13 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:29,760 crossed a searing desert along our southern border on foot surreptitiously, or risking your life, 14 00:01:29,879 --> 00:01:34,560 health, and dignity, or whether you flew comfortably into a regional airport with a student visa, 15 00:01:34,780 --> 00:01:42,079 which you have long ago overstayed. Hmm. Whether you realize it or not, dear illegal alien, you have 16 00:01:42,079 --> 00:01:47,540 helped create in your own small way a constitutional crisis that goes to the very heart of who we are 17 00:01:47,540 --> 00:01:54,579 are as a people. Every generation of American has at least one issue that tests its existential core. 18 00:01:55,180 --> 00:02:00,239 Liberty in the American Revolution, slavery in the Civil War, or racism in the Civil Rights Movement. 19 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:10,430 Today, this issue of illegal immigration is one that tests our constitutional integrity. 20 00:02:10,849 --> 00:02:15,870 It's one of these issues. We are in the midst of trying to resolve it, and I'm afraid that our side, 21 00:02:15,870 --> 00:02:20,449 and I consider myself an unabashed conservative just to the right of a tele-on, if you will. 22 00:02:21,310 --> 00:02:26,509 This issue is badly mischaracterized and misunderstood by many, if not most, immigrants 23 00:02:26,509 --> 00:02:33,409 crossing our borders without documentation because it has been so poorly explained. So, let me try and 24 00:02:33,409 --> 00:02:40,349 lay our case before you and see why it's in your best interest, dear immigrant. Put aside your 25 00:02:40,349 --> 00:02:44,969 preconceived notions of who I am when I say I'm a conservative in favor of border security, 26 00:02:44,969 --> 00:02:50,509 but that's not all. I'm also in favor of equal opportunity for all. Do not let the soothing 27 00:02:50,509 --> 00:02:55,689 promises of those who dangle government programs and goodies before you and say they have your best 28 00:02:55,689 --> 00:03:02,650 interest at heart. Color what you think about my intention for you. They may be salutary in the long 29 00:03:02,650 --> 00:03:09,930 run. You can imagine right now, perhaps, prepare your mind for concepts and a point of view on life that 30 00:03:09,930 --> 00:03:17,110 may be new and unthought of by yourself. First of all, let me ask you several questions, okay, 31 00:03:17,110 --> 00:03:24,909 and see what your response might be. Why do you want to come here? Very simple question. Why did you 32 00:03:24,909 --> 00:03:31,590 come here, and why do you want to be here? One reliable on-the-ground poll conducted by Latino 33 00:03:31,590 --> 00:03:37,949 Decisions, the group Latino Decisions, found that of the thousands of illegal immigrants polled, 34 00:03:37,949 --> 00:03:43,110 77 percent said they came here illegally to find better jobs or opportunities for themselves and 35 00:03:43,110 --> 00:03:48,449 their families. Another 12 percent said they came to reunite with family members who had already come 36 00:03:48,449 --> 00:03:53,610 here. Far down the list came other reasons like freedom from oppression, escape from the law in their 37 00:03:53,610 --> 00:03:59,229 own land, or even a chance to live in a free democracy. The chief and overriding reason illegal 38 00:03:59,229 --> 00:04:05,789 aliens come here is for jobs, economic opportunity, and a chance to prosper. To this, I can say amen. 39 00:04:05,789 --> 00:04:11,310 Who can blame you for wanting to work here that pays multiples of what you might earn in Mexico? 40 00:04:11,770 --> 00:04:18,949 I certainly cannot blame you for wanting to see a dream come true. For example, some shining examples 41 00:04:18,949 --> 00:04:25,490 for me of a chain restaurant throughout the Southwest, like Marcelino Garcia, a Mexican immigrant who 42 00:04:25,490 --> 00:04:31,490 founded Chilinos, which is an 11-chain restaurant in the Oklahoma City area, who promised on entering the 43 00:04:31,490 --> 00:04:36,050 United States of America. He said, I promise never to ask the United States government for anything, 44 00:04:36,050 --> 00:04:43,129 and I never have. Beautiful. I love this guy. Marcelino Garcia. Or becoming a contractor up and down the 45 00:04:43,129 --> 00:04:48,189 West Coast instead of a common laborer like the National Hispanic Construction Association. It has 46 00:04:48,189 --> 00:04:54,149 dozens of success stories of Hispanic immigrants starting their own contracting firms. Or even seeing 47 00:04:54,149 --> 00:04:59,889 your name on a fine California Chardonnay originating from your own vineyard like Ronaldo 48 00:04:59,889 --> 00:05:06,449 Robleros. He's a Mexican immigrant who went from harvesting grapes to producing them and now has a 49 00:05:06,449 --> 00:05:13,670 vineyard in Napa, Sonoma, and Lake Counties. He has 14 vineyards with over 300 acres. Dear immigrant 50 00:05:13,670 --> 00:05:20,790 friend, many countless millions of Americans have dreamed the same or similar dream and aspired to the 51 00:05:20,790 --> 00:05:27,149 same or similar ambition. And many of them have achieved them. Wonder of wonders, huh? I trust that 52 00:05:27,149 --> 00:05:32,329 something of the same kind of thing motivates you to come to the United States. And the next question 53 00:05:32,329 --> 00:05:37,230 that I will ask you is decisive as to whether the opportunities you seek for yourself and your children 54 00:05:37,230 --> 00:05:43,589 will endure. So important. Let me ask you this question. Why do you think these better jobs and 55 00:05:43,589 --> 00:05:49,410 opportunities for unlimited success are here and not somewhere else like your home country, your country of 56 00:05:49,410 --> 00:05:56,389 origin? There is a reason the United States of America has flourished and prospered beyond any other 57 00:05:56,389 --> 00:06:02,050 nation in the history of the world. It's not because we have oppressed other people or stolen from them or any 58 00:06:02,050 --> 00:06:08,170 such thing. No, you may not realize it, but it is her founding principles that created the circumstances and 59 00:06:08,170 --> 00:06:14,329 environment for prosperity. If you would guarantee success and prosperity for you and for your 60 00:06:14,329 --> 00:06:20,290 children, it is in your own best interest to preserve, sustain, and protect these founding principles. 61 00:06:21,250 --> 00:06:30,129 So my dear immigrant friend, let me describe for you 10 of the most significant of those founding 62 00:06:30,129 --> 00:06:36,730 principles, 10 of the most significant founding principles that relate directly to your immigration 63 00:06:36,730 --> 00:06:43,329 to the United States of America. Number one, it is the individual who creates wealth in the private 64 00:06:43,329 --> 00:06:48,230 sector. A founding principle of America. It is the individual, not government. It is the individual 65 00:06:48,230 --> 00:06:55,529 who creates wealth in the private sector. As you have observed in the instance of Mr. Garcia and 66 00:06:55,529 --> 00:07:01,810 Rob Ladasz, these men relied upon their own individual intelligence initiative, hard work to succeed for 67 00:07:01,810 --> 00:07:07,149 themselves and their families. They did it not because of, but in spite of government interference. 68 00:07:07,709 --> 00:07:13,170 Remember Mr. Garcia, I promised I would never ask the government for anything. The 69 00:07:13,170 --> 00:07:19,209 public sector, the government cannot and never has created wealth. It is impossible by its very 70 00:07:19,209 --> 00:07:25,310 nature for government to do so. Government by definition is a parasitic entity created by the 71 00:07:25,310 --> 00:07:30,829 people for very limited purposes. Things like administering justice or police or military border 72 00:07:30,829 --> 00:07:35,290 security, these kinds of things. And as long as that parasite, that is the creature who draws its 73 00:07:35,290 --> 00:07:41,170 nourishment from the host, that is the public sector, as long as that parasite enjoys a symbiotic 74 00:07:41,170 --> 00:07:48,009 relationship with its host, providing a service to it, then things are good. But both the host and the 75 00:07:48,009 --> 00:07:54,810 parasite must always keep in mind who is host. That is the private sector that creates the wealth to 76 00:07:54,810 --> 00:08:01,209 supply the parasite. And all must remember who is the parasite. And that is the government that sucks 77 00:08:01,209 --> 00:08:07,029 the resources from the private sector in order to supply limited defined services. When the roles are 78 00:08:07,029 --> 00:08:12,949 reversed, the parasite eventually sucks the host dry. And ironically, both of them die. 79 00:08:14,149 --> 00:08:19,930 My dear immigrant friend, I must ask you if some of the things you are doing might not be undermining 80 00:08:19,930 --> 00:08:25,430 this principle. How tempting are the government freebies? With free food stamps, I can feed myself 81 00:08:25,430 --> 00:08:29,870 and my family. With free health care, I can keep my family healthy. With a free Obama phone, I can stay 82 00:08:29,870 --> 00:08:34,830 in touch with my family in Mexico. With free government assistance, I can pay the rent. On and on it goes. 83 00:08:34,830 --> 00:08:43,169 Only know, dear Mr. Immigrant, that in the end, there is nothing free for you or your fellow citizens. 84 00:08:43,529 --> 00:08:49,169 You will pay in the erosion of your own character, things like self-reliance, our work ethic, pride in 85 00:08:49,169 --> 00:08:53,669 ownership, these kinds of things. And additionally, the so-called free stuff the government hands out 86 00:08:53,669 --> 00:09:00,169 will be called due by history. That is, you, me, and our children will pay the bill through inflation, 87 00:09:00,169 --> 00:09:06,590 taxes, and the heavy borrowing that we have done as a nation. You are undermining the very liberty and 88 00:09:06,590 --> 00:09:13,629 prosperity you came here to find by taking these freebies. Don't do it. Instead, join us constitutional 89 00:09:13,629 --> 00:09:20,149 conservatives and ensure those liberties and prosperity for you and your children. The second 90 00:09:20,149 --> 00:09:26,129 founding principle, big government tyrannizes and limits the individual while limited government 91 00:09:26,129 --> 00:09:33,450 liberates and unleashes the individual. Yes, big government tyrannizes. Big government limits the 92 00:09:33,450 --> 00:09:38,970 individual, while limited government, on the other hand, liberates and unleashes the individual. 93 00:09:39,750 --> 00:09:44,029 Our founding fathers were close students of what John Adams called the divine science of government. 94 00:09:44,690 --> 00:09:49,490 As they analyzed the various forms of government throughout history, they observed that most of 95 00:09:49,490 --> 00:09:55,049 them were monarchies. That is, a ruler who got his power in a royal family like Spain, from which Mexico 96 00:09:55,049 --> 00:10:01,110 inherited her form of government, or oligarchies, that is, government by a small group of men, or tyrannies, 97 00:10:01,210 --> 00:10:06,950 that is, cruel, arbitrary rule by one or a few men. Now, all of these governments reflected the 98 00:10:06,950 --> 00:10:12,370 self-serving interests of the government and those that comprised it, not the greater good of the 99 00:10:12,370 --> 00:10:19,070 individuals who were being ruled over. No, John Adams put this this way. He says, in the earliest ages of 100 00:10:19,070 --> 00:10:23,970 the world, absolute monarchy seems to have been the universal form of government. Kings and a few of their 101 00:10:23,970 --> 00:10:31,090 great counselors and captains exercised a cruel tyranny over the people, unquote. And historical 102 00:10:31,090 --> 00:10:37,570 reflection by John Adams. And our other founding fathers as well studied and decided upon a 103 00:10:37,570 --> 00:10:42,350 constitutional republic because it was shown to give the greatest liberty to the individual 104 00:10:42,350 --> 00:10:48,549 and the smallest powers to the government. Our constitution was so composed that it limited 105 00:10:48,549 --> 00:10:53,870 big federal government. It had principles like the separation of powers, checks and balances, 106 00:10:54,029 --> 00:11:00,289 the 10th Amendment, which reserved powers to the states, on and on, gave limitless powers to the 107 00:11:00,289 --> 00:11:05,570 states and the individuals, the constitution did. Their judgment has been justified in the crucible of 108 00:11:05,570 --> 00:11:11,509 history, I submit to you, as we see individuals under a constitutional republic flourish as no other 109 00:11:11,509 --> 00:11:17,450 in the history of man. You've been lied to if you think that the United States went out to plunder other 110 00:11:17,450 --> 00:11:24,509 nations and got their riches by stealing. No. Dear prospective immigrant, please always keep this 111 00:11:24,509 --> 00:11:29,769 uppermost in your mind and do nothing to compromise it. It's by the sweat of your brow that you will earn your 112 00:11:29,769 --> 00:11:36,730 bread and yours alone. And thereafter, it is your property to do with as you please. That was number two. 113 00:11:36,730 --> 00:11:43,269 Well, number three, founding principle number three, God, not government, has given us unalienable 114 00:11:43,269 --> 00:11:48,370 rights. Do not think for a moment that government has given you those rights. We can document there 115 00:11:48,370 --> 00:11:55,429 from God, unalienable rights. Dear prospective immigrant, I understand that God and religion 116 00:11:55,429 --> 00:12:01,009 play a large role in your life. This is so true for so many immigrants. And I say I'm into that as well. 117 00:12:01,009 --> 00:12:08,330 Welcome. So it does in my life, in the lives of our founding fathers. In fact, those immortal words of 118 00:12:08,330 --> 00:12:14,169 our Declaration of Independence reflects this. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are 119 00:12:14,169 --> 00:12:20,529 created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with a certain unalienable rights, that among 120 00:12:20,529 --> 00:12:28,429 these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Unquote. Were you aware that Jefferson's first draft 121 00:12:28,429 --> 00:12:34,009 read life, liberty, and the pursuit of property? His colleagues on the draft committee, that is 122 00:12:34,009 --> 00:12:38,929 Madison and Franklin, advised him to change it to happiness because it was broader and property was 123 00:12:38,929 --> 00:12:45,830 included in it. But the fact remains, a man's property acquired through his own individual labor is his 124 00:12:45,830 --> 00:12:52,090 own and cannot be seized or taken by anyone without his consent. If and when you become a citizen, you should 125 00:12:52,090 --> 00:12:58,250 be able to rest assured that your property, that is the wealth created through your labor, is your own and 126 00:12:58,250 --> 00:13:05,409 no one else's. My dear immigrant friend, I must ask you if your assumptions about our own big bloated 127 00:13:05,409 --> 00:13:12,370 federal tick of a government that sucks us dry and its exponents, might they not be undermining the very 128 00:13:12,370 --> 00:13:18,450 principles that make you free and prosperous? Perhaps you look to that big bloated tick of a government and 129 00:13:18,450 --> 00:13:22,970 its enthusiasts too for government programs like food stamps. Perhaps you listen to the siren song from 130 00:13:22,970 --> 00:13:28,330 Washington DC concerning amnesty and citizenship. Perhaps you listen to advocates who get you an illegal 131 00:13:28,330 --> 00:13:36,110 ballot with which to vote. Be careful. Your rights are given you by God and they are inherently his to 132 00:13:36,110 --> 00:13:42,190 give and cannot be taken away. But government, when you and it assume that they are the source of those 133 00:13:42,190 --> 00:13:49,450 rights, then government can take away those rights and eventually does too. Instead, embrace Mr. 134 00:13:49,450 --> 00:13:56,230 Garcia's credo. That is, I promise never to take anything from the government. Number four, fourth 135 00:13:56,230 --> 00:14:02,529 founding principle, dear prospective immigrant, dear illegal alien. Number four, your rights are 136 00:14:02,529 --> 00:14:09,870 guaranteed and protected by the rule of law. Yes, your rights are guaranteed and protected here in America, 137 00:14:10,629 --> 00:14:17,350 guaranteed and protected by the rule of law, not the rule of men. How many governments do you know 138 00:14:17,350 --> 00:14:23,909 who rule by men in power rather than laws? The recently deceased Hugo Chavez of Venezuela is a 139 00:14:23,909 --> 00:14:28,549 most recent example. While Venezuela has a thin veneer of a democracy, it was really Chavez who 140 00:14:28,549 --> 00:14:34,830 dictated what went on there, what's going on now as well. Look at Venezuela. Once it was a rule of men, 141 00:14:36,370 --> 00:14:42,809 once it was a rule of law and not of men. Oh, now it is a rule of men and it's the case throughout most of 142 00:14:42,809 --> 00:14:47,950 the world, whether we speak of Morsi in Egypt, Kim Jong-il in North Korea or Putin in Russia. 143 00:14:49,350 --> 00:14:54,809 So it has been throughout human history, dear listener, dear prospective immigrant, and so it 144 00:14:54,809 --> 00:15:01,590 shall be, with the exception of the United States of America and a few other republics peppered throughout 145 00:15:01,590 --> 00:15:07,450 the world. Here in America, the tradition has been the rule of law versus the rule of men. That is, 146 00:15:07,450 --> 00:15:13,169 John Adams explained in the Founder's Understanding when he wrote that good government and the very 147 00:15:13,169 --> 00:15:21,409 definition of a republic, as he said, is an empire of laws, an empire of laws. In America, the government 148 00:15:21,409 --> 00:15:26,690 governs the citizenry according to the law, not by the whims or fancies of our leaders. By requiring 149 00:15:26,690 --> 00:15:32,269 our leaders to enact and publish the law and to adhere to the same law that applies to each citizen, 150 00:15:32,269 --> 00:15:38,509 the rule of law acts as a potent barrier against tyrannical and arbitrary government. The rule 151 00:15:38,509 --> 00:15:44,570 of law also requires that the same law govern all citizens. Founding father Sam Adams observed that 152 00:15:44,570 --> 00:15:49,809 the rule of law means that, and I quote, there shall be one rule of justice for the rich and the poor, 153 00:15:50,110 --> 00:15:57,129 for the favored in court and the countrymen at the plow, unquote. Good, good reasoning. Adams, 154 00:15:57,129 --> 00:16:03,450 good reasoning. By requiring both the government and the people to adhere to the law, the rule of law 155 00:16:03,450 --> 00:16:08,669 serves as the foundational first principle for protecting our liberty. My dear immigrant friend, 156 00:16:08,730 --> 00:16:13,850 I must ask you, if the things that you are doing presently are destroying this principle that makes 157 00:16:13,850 --> 00:16:18,610 liberty here in the United States the envy of the world, your very first act in this country 158 00:16:18,610 --> 00:16:23,649 violated the rule of law by coming illegally. How many other laws have you broken in the course of 159 00:16:23,649 --> 00:16:28,269 your stay here? Have you considered that your lawlessness has seriously compromised the principle 160 00:16:28,269 --> 00:16:33,509 of the rule of law for you and for your children? By transgressing the rule of law, you have put in 161 00:16:33,509 --> 00:16:40,350 jeopardy the very principles that ensure the liberty and prosperity for which you came. It's better to 162 00:16:40,350 --> 00:16:47,889 cherish and observe those laws that you might strengthen them. Well, the fifth principle then upon 163 00:16:47,889 --> 00:16:55,149 which this country was founded, that country to which you wanted to come, dear illegal alien, dear 164 00:16:55,149 --> 00:17:01,470 immigrant. Number five, if the rule of law is to predominate and not the rule of men, then the men who 165 00:17:01,470 --> 00:17:07,529 make, execute, and adjudicate those laws must be men of Christian integrity. If the rule of law is to 166 00:17:07,529 --> 00:17:13,890 predominate and not the rule of men, then the men who make, execute, and adjudicate those laws must be 167 00:17:13,890 --> 00:17:20,630 men of Christian integrity. Samuel Adams also observed, our constitution was made only for a 168 00:17:20,630 --> 00:17:28,509 virtuous and moral people. It is entirely unsuited to any other, unquote. Oh, the lust for power is an 169 00:17:28,509 --> 00:17:34,250 all-consuming force that will, in the end, rule a man even as he tries to rule his fellow man. 170 00:17:35,069 --> 00:17:40,930 How many men have fallen prey to the lust for power? A magistrate in a constitutional republic must 171 00:17:40,930 --> 00:17:46,230 temper his exercise of power with self-control, lest he be tempted to extend his power beyond its 172 00:17:46,230 --> 00:17:51,869 constitutional limits. Likewise, the people in a constitutional republic must exercise vigilance 173 00:17:51,869 --> 00:17:57,329 over their magistrates and restrain, impeach, or punish those who go beyond their enumerated powers. 174 00:17:58,069 --> 00:18:04,910 All of this requires personal integrity, honesty, self-control of one's passions, diligent labor, 175 00:18:04,910 --> 00:18:10,009 taking genuine responsibility for one's actions, and acting virtuously at all times, 176 00:18:10,009 --> 00:18:16,849 even when no one is licking. Our constitution gives the widest possible liberty and discretion to 177 00:18:16,849 --> 00:18:22,230 the individual, not the government, and consequently control of one's passions and actions 178 00:18:22,230 --> 00:18:28,529 depends upon the morality and integrity of the individual on one side and the restraint and 179 00:18:28,529 --> 00:18:34,910 self-limiting government on the other. Who can avoid the temptations to cede responsibility to 180 00:18:34,910 --> 00:18:39,710 government if you're a private citizen except a man of integrity? Who can avoid grasping for more and 181 00:18:39,710 --> 00:18:45,869 more power if you're a public magistrate except a man of integrity? How crucial integrity is on both 182 00:18:45,869 --> 00:18:50,730 sides of the equation. So, dear prospective immigrant, I must ask you, are the things that 183 00:18:50,730 --> 00:18:56,589 you are doing undermining this very principle, can you be a man of integrity, a thing requisite for true 184 00:18:56,589 --> 00:19:01,930 liberty in a free society by sneaking across our borders, lying about your status to employers and 185 00:19:01,930 --> 00:19:08,089 citizens, forging documents, avoiding paying taxes? These are not the actions of a Christian citizen 186 00:19:08,089 --> 00:19:13,210 of integrity. In fact, the more they are practiced, the more they undermine and jeopardize the liberty 187 00:19:13,210 --> 00:19:19,769 and prosperity you came here to get. The citizens must be men of integrity in order for a free 188 00:19:19,769 --> 00:19:24,589 constitutional republic to exist, and more and more of us are less and less men of integrity, 189 00:19:24,589 --> 00:19:30,990 than our constitutional republic will perish sooner or later for you and for your children. 190 00:19:31,869 --> 00:19:39,210 Well, sixth founding principle. We are made diverse by our heritage, but made won by our constitution. 191 00:19:39,750 --> 00:19:46,210 We are made diverse by our heritage, but made won by our constitution. Perhaps you're familiar with a 192 00:19:46,210 --> 00:19:53,349 very dangerous fad in American culture, diversity. Celebrated, indulged, even worshipped as a religious 193 00:19:53,349 --> 00:20:00,289 principle. I say it is dangerous because when indulged for its own sake, diversity fragments and divides 194 00:20:00,289 --> 00:20:06,130 rather than unites. Our founding fathers observed the diversity of religions, ethnicities, and races 195 00:20:06,130 --> 00:20:11,190 on the continent of Europe. For example, nations and empires were built upon these identities, the German 196 00:20:11,190 --> 00:20:17,589 blood, the Spanish race, and French culture. Countless wars and bloodshed ensued. The 30 Years' War, 197 00:20:17,690 --> 00:20:22,630 for example, was one of the bloodiest in history, depopulating whole regions of Europe for generations. 198 00:20:22,630 --> 00:20:29,609 All in the name of diverse religions. The Slavs of the Balkan Peninsula fought bloody internecine wars for 199 00:20:29,609 --> 00:20:36,150 generations, and they still do in the name of their respective ethnicities. And under the heel of all 200 00:20:36,150 --> 00:20:44,329 of them, of course, the Jew. So don't tell me there is unity in diversity. What a lie. In diversity, 201 00:20:44,569 --> 00:20:50,589 alone for its own sake, there is only division, dissension, and death. And our founding fathers realized this, 202 00:20:50,589 --> 00:20:57,410 and they crafted the most unifying document in history, the United States Constitution. It is this, 203 00:20:57,490 --> 00:21:03,490 the Constitution that unites us. It is a raceless, creedless, and without denomination document. 204 00:21:04,529 --> 00:21:09,650 Nowhere on earth is there another nation, another people founded on an idea, a written, objective 205 00:21:09,650 --> 00:21:15,609 Constitution like there is here in the United States of America. So, my dear immigrant friend, 206 00:21:15,609 --> 00:21:21,250 are you prepared to accept this wholeheartedly? Or do you yet harbor another agenda for America? 207 00:21:21,430 --> 00:21:26,410 Perhaps you share the goals of La Raza, that is the race, which is implicitly divisive and destructive 208 00:21:26,410 --> 00:21:31,950 and seditious. La Raza declares the United States is ours. The United States is stolen land. 209 00:21:32,309 --> 00:21:39,109 And they rename the United States Azitlan. Hmm. Perhaps you stubbornly refuse to use, to speak, 210 00:21:39,109 --> 00:21:44,990 to learn English, celebrate your Mexican citizenship instead, waving her flag, stomping on the red, 211 00:21:45,069 --> 00:21:50,069 white, and blue. Well, if this is the case, if you harbor any hesitation or have second thoughts 212 00:21:50,069 --> 00:21:56,730 about your loyalties, refuse to become one under our Constitution, well then, you are undermining the 213 00:21:56,730 --> 00:22:02,789 very liberty and prosperity you came here to get. And if you persist in trying to render America to be 214 00:22:02,789 --> 00:22:08,750 just another Mexico, then you will get what you wish for. Drug cartels, poverty, ignorance, and 215 00:22:08,750 --> 00:22:17,950 tyranny. Number seven. Oh, dear illegal immigrant, dear illegal alien, those prospective to live here. 216 00:22:18,150 --> 00:22:24,869 Number seven, another, our seventh founding principle. The bar for liberty is open to all men, but it is 217 00:22:24,869 --> 00:22:31,490 high, requiring a thorough education and a heartfelt commitment. Yes, the bar for liberty is open to 218 00:22:31,490 --> 00:22:38,809 all men, but it is a high bar requiring a thorough education and a heartfelt commitment. A citizen of 219 00:22:38,809 --> 00:22:43,390 a free republic is a serious man who approaches his duties, responsibilities, and liberties with 220 00:22:43,390 --> 00:22:49,190 reverence and study. No one was more insistent on this than Thomas Jefferson. He said, enlighten the 221 00:22:49,190 --> 00:22:54,450 people and tyranny and oppression will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day. Unquote. What a 222 00:22:54,450 --> 00:22:59,890 beautiful citation. The Constitution is a comprehensible read for the simplest, plainest of men, 223 00:22:59,890 --> 00:23:04,589 but it does require study. How can you know your rights and liberties unless you study them? How can 224 00:23:04,589 --> 00:23:09,809 you act to check a tyrant or discern the difference between a thief of your liberties and one who will 225 00:23:09,809 --> 00:23:15,130 protect those liberties unless you know what recourse you have under the Constitution? The 226 00:23:15,130 --> 00:23:20,210 founding fathers knew that a citizen of a free republic must be an educated citizen in the 227 00:23:20,210 --> 00:23:25,490 Constitution. John Adams says children should be educated and instructed in the principles of 228 00:23:25,490 --> 00:23:32,410 freedom. An ignorant citizen in a free republic will soon be an ignorant drone in a captive tyranny, 229 00:23:32,410 --> 00:23:37,910 dear listener, and you must arm yourself with true knowledge in order to be free. Thomas Jefferson 230 00:23:37,910 --> 00:23:47,089 said the only true corrective of constitutional abuse is education. Unquote. So, my dear prospective 231 00:23:47,089 --> 00:23:55,329 immigrant, an open letter to the illegal alien, an open letter to the prospective immigrant. This is one 232 00:23:55,329 --> 00:24:01,750 reason why our forefathers wisely required a time of preparation for an immigrant before he took the 233 00:24:01,750 --> 00:24:07,250 oath of citizenship. Courses in the Constitution, American history, English, and the rights and duties 234 00:24:07,250 --> 00:24:13,109 of citizens were required, taking perhaps years to complete. And the purpose was to fulfill this 235 00:24:13,109 --> 00:24:18,269 principle in order that the prospective immigrant might be thoroughly equipped to be a productive, 236 00:24:18,490 --> 00:24:24,890 responsible, successful citizen of his new adopted country. So, I must ask you in all seriousness, 237 00:24:25,029 --> 00:24:29,509 have you considered that the things you are doing are the very things that are destroying and 238 00:24:29,509 --> 00:24:35,170 undermining this principle? By surreptitiously entering our country, working, laboring, enjoying the 239 00:24:35,170 --> 00:24:40,130 fruits of our land without undergoing the rigorous process for becoming a free citizen in a 240 00:24:40,130 --> 00:24:45,670 constitutional republic, are you not putting your liberty, and ours for that matter, at risk by 241 00:24:45,670 --> 00:24:52,970 your ignorance? Do you know our constitution? Do you know our rights and liberties? Do you know 242 00:24:52,970 --> 00:24:58,789 your responsibilities to your fellow men? My great-grandfather came to America from Holland. 243 00:24:58,910 --> 00:25:04,650 He landed at Ellis Island where he legally entered after undergoing a health examination and an interview as 244 00:25:04,650 --> 00:25:10,109 to his status and purposes for immigrating. And he quickly learned English, self-taught himself, 245 00:25:10,109 --> 00:25:15,789 American civics in history, and became a citizen two years after his arrival. He strictly forbade my 246 00:25:15,789 --> 00:25:20,630 grandfather from speaking Dutch in the home. And he insisted that he was an American, that his first 247 00:25:20,630 --> 00:25:26,609 loyalties were to her and her constitution, not Holland, as proud of his heritage as he was. 248 00:25:26,730 --> 00:25:32,509 My dear immigrant friend, can this be said of you? Are your first loyalties to the United States 249 00:25:32,509 --> 00:25:38,609 or Mexico or another land? Do you know English as your first language? Do you teach it to your 250 00:25:38,609 --> 00:25:44,769 children? Do you know the constitution and its responsibilities and liberties? Your ignorance of 251 00:25:44,769 --> 00:25:49,490 these matters will mean you will be that much closer to slavery and subjugation by clever tyrants who 252 00:25:49,490 --> 00:25:55,690 will use your ignorance to enslave you. Additionally, it puts my and my fellow citizens' liberty at risk, 253 00:25:55,690 --> 00:26:00,970 especially when you can vote, work, and live amongst us. I submit to you, as long as you avoid educating 254 00:26:00,970 --> 00:26:06,730 yourself and taking up the responsibilities of citizenship, you put in jeopardy the very freedom 255 00:26:06,730 --> 00:26:13,569 and prosperity that you came here for, and you risk the same for your children. It is in your own best 256 00:26:13,569 --> 00:26:20,150 interests to become a constitutional conservative and begin to ensure your future liberty and prosperity 257 00:26:20,150 --> 00:26:27,589 as a free citizen of the United States. This has been Pastor David Bass with an open letter to the 258 00:26:27,589 --> 00:26:33,329 illegal alien, to the prospective immigrant. New Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church meets for holy 259 00:26:33,329 --> 00:26:38,529 worship on Sunday at 101 4th Street on the corner of 4th and Boulevard. Come and join us for worship 260 00:26:38,529 --> 00:26:44,809 service 10 a.m. on Sunday, 101 4th Street on the corner of 4th and Boulevard, and you can call us for 261 00:26:44,809 --> 00:26:49,630 more information at 208-523-0196.