EDITORIAL - Finally! President Bush admits...it's Amnesty! After dancing around the truth and avoiding the obvious terminology to describe the immigration bill, S.1348 (later changed to S. 1639), the President said, "...Amnesty means you've got to pay a price for having been here illegally, and this bill does that."

So many people saw the bill for what it was, so yes Mr. President, you might as well tell the truth.

But thank goodness S. 1639, or the "amnesty" bill, is now DEAD in the Senate. Yes we can breathe a sigh of relief for that, but don't expect that our immigration situation will change for the better. The American people need to keep the pressure on their legislators in Washington and demand that the borders are secured, and to follow our current laws in dealing with illegals.

As a country, we would still be facing uncontrolled, lawless borders (especially to the south), prosecution of Border Agents who do their jobs, and illegals who take advantage of our healthcare system and jobs. The problem doesn't go away.

Another way, of course, is for the states to take control of the situation. And they have been, through individual state action, and through a group of legislators dubbed State Legislators for Legal Immigration. That's a sure sign that Americans want a tougher stance on illegal immigration.

I sincerely hope that the reason for the fall of S. 1639 is because senators realized they should not risk the ire of the American people in voting for the bill. In fact, several senators defected from their previous positions supporting it. Perhaps it was from the pressure of "We the People" making noise, but don't think that this issue will die. In the future, we may expect to see "amnesty for illegals" come up again.

Why? Because granting millions of the undocumented illegals in this country a fast track to citizenship is still the goal of some in Washington. It only further dilutes our nation's sovereignty and identity as we rush full speed toward a North American Union. American workers, Americans as a whole are being left to the side in favor of cheaper labor and a "shared community" mentality.

President Bush and Mexico's president Felipe Calderon have been in talks, but not once has President Bush mentioned how important it is that the Mexican people have a stable and prosperous economy of their own. The language that Pres. Bush has used while addressing the Mexican people and president has been along the lines of "working together" and "shared prosperity." No doubt there's an effort by the two presidents to try to implement a North American Union.

It is evidenced when Calderon called the now dead immigration bill "a grave error." What's so "grave" about being concerned about our nation's sovereignty and stability? A more sensible reaction from the Mexican president would be of support as we work to get control of our borders. It would show that Calderon is accepting of our nation's sovereignty, and wouldn't want to interfere in the affairs of our country. Security along the border would be best for both countries. All of the lawlessness regarding illegal human and drug smuggling would be under control. But Calderon doesn't see it that way.

An Alternative

As I've mentioned, an alternative would be left up to the individual states to enforce standing immigration laws. But there is also a Federal alternative. The Secure Borders FIRST Act of 2007, unveiled by Rep. Peter King (R-NY) and Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), is an alternative bill proposed in the House. This bill may not get the attention it needs because it's too conservative in nature (with emphasis on border enforcement and implementation of immigration laws already on the books) but it's needed. It's a common sense bill.

I would conclude that these men are thinking of the will of the people and are truly concerned about the security of this nation. What good is a nation with weak borders? If only We the People, could get the attention of our leaders on this alternative bill?

Let's make some noise and show Washington we are still concerned about illegal immigration, the fight isn't over.