BRENDA LENARD

Tennessee Candidate for U.S. Senate

Brenda Lenard from the Volunteer State of Tennessee is just such a standard bearer for our American ideals and guiding principles. Bound by the grip of a never ending hope, a belief in brighter tomorrows, of a glorious city upon a hilltop and in a land where liberty and the rule of law are equally applied to all men and to all women, regardless of name, stature or position.

BRENDA ON IMMIGRATION

America is exceptional due to the Rule of Law, guaranteed by our Constitution

Immigration laws do not need to be reformed, they need to be enforced

As a diverse people we are united in a common heritage, the love of liberty

Legal immigration is the weave and tapestry of our national character

Recourse for illegal immigrants, employers and politicians who seek to cheapen the currency of our American citizenship

With this stance the promise of freedom for our citizens and future legal immigrants can remain intact

Allow me the luxury of being crystal clear on the matter of immigration: the system does not need to be reformed; the laws on the books need to be enforced.

America is a nation woven of people from around the world. The tapestry of our diversity, when united under the banner of the Stars and Stripes, in liberty and freedom, expressed by the rule of law, has made us the greatest nation this world has ever known.

However, there are those in Washington, including the current administration, who would seek to cheapen not only the currency of what it means to actually hold American citizenship, but would also denigrate the sacrifice of the teeming millions who ventured legally to our nation for a chance at a better life.

Our nation stands strong on the foundation of its Constitution and it is fully functional by what is simply known as “the rule of law.” When our federal government does not live up to its Constitutional duty in securing our borders and when politicians play games with the cornerstone of our society, the rule of law for which our forebears worked, fought and died hangs in a most perilous balance.

Immigrants, throughout the course of our history, have always come to America to seek out something that is better, something that speaks to their hearts, as we are all created. To live with liberty and pursue personal ambitions and to be governed in a land where all men are created equal in the sight of God and will be treated as such under the laws of that land.

This is why we the people must demand from the federal government that our laws be enforced, that our borders be secured and that the American dream for those who wish to pursue same, through legal immigration, be made available and preserved for all time.

Furthermore, there must be recourse for those who weaken our Republic by disregarding our laws and by chipping away at our framework of our nation’s stability. Whether those individuals be illegal aliens, who must face deportation, or people who have overstayed their Visas, who must face immediate deportation and refused entry into our nation for a period of no less than 10 years.

We, as a nation, must mandate the E-Verify be used by every employer (profit, non-profit, not-for-profit, private sector, government, government contractors, et cetera) to ensure those people whom they are seeking to hire are legal and eligible for work in this country. We must, as a nation, invoke harsh penalties for those organizations who seek to not act as good American citizens themselves by using this simple, accessible and free tool.

Also, we must secure our borders in two ways: 1) a combination of virtual and physical barriers which make human smuggling virtually impossible; 2) full support of our Border Patrol Agents and other cooperating agencies by giving them clear Rules of Engagement. It would read something to this effect, “protect the sovereign borders of these United States of America, by any means necessary, suppress, arrest and detain those who would seek to weaken our standing as a nation of free people.”

If we, as a people of varied backgrounds, races and cultures, united under the banner of the Stars and Stripes; if we do not require our government to enforce this singular part of our Constitution, we not only place in jeopardy our future, but also we will dampen the hearts of those who seek to legally come to our shores and not only share in the prosperity of our society, but to contribute handsomely to it.

Let us stand one, let us stand all, as those who seek a better future for our citizens, present and future. Let us work in the shadow of our common heritage, joined in our love of liberty and the rule of law, so that we may be a light to the world. Let us beckon still to those whose hearts of huddle masses, to a teeming shore come, yearning to breathe free.

For those who seek to weaken our nation by not abiding her laws and coming here illegally or by overstaying their VISAS, there can be no compromise on the matter, deportation and suspension of the luxury of entering our nation for a period of no less than 10 years.

In terms of employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, the penalties must be strong and must be convincing. That employer documentation complete, showing they performed their due diligence in the screening process of all employees. Should there be a violation, well, it should make an OSHA inspection look like a day at the beach.

Last but not least, those who seek to undermine our national sense of justice by fundamentally transforming us into a banana republic; vote them out of office and make your voices heard on this fundamental issue.