No sooner was it revealed that the two Boston bombers were Russian emigres of Chechen heritage than Iowa's Sen. Charles Grassley declared that the attacks show that America needs to "beef up security checks," not let more newcomers in. Rep. Steven King, also a committed restrictionist from Iowa, demanded we pause and look at "the big
picture" on immigration, as if seven years since the last failed effort at reform is not enough. Most disappointing was Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky's switcheroo. Last month, he distanced himself from his party's harsh anti-immigration rhetoric. This week he counseled that we rethink visas for foreign students, never mind that neither of the Brothers Tsarnaev ever obtained one.
But Reason Foundation Senior Analyst Shikha Dalmia in her morning column reminds us of the story about the drunk who loses his car keys in the forest but looks for them under a lamp post because that's where the light is. "Conservative calls to fight terrorism in the wake of the Boston attack by ditching immigration reform make just as much sense," she notes. "The difference is that the drunk's efforts were merely futile. Conservative efforts are also dangerous because they ignore the security threat that Big Government poses."
Go here to read the whole thing.
And, while you are at it, also buy Dalmia's new ebook, Humane and Pro-Growth: A Reason Guide to Immigration Reform, a super-timely compendium of how restrictionists broke our immigration system and how it can be fixed. The book pulls together the best of work from people such as Brian Doherty, Mike Riggs, Greg Beato, Cathy Young, Ronald Bailey, Tyler Cowen, Kerry Howley, Carolyn Lochhead, Nick Gillespie and others. Every possible aspect of immigration is covered and policy solutions offered, all for the bargain price of $2.99!
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