Make the Border a Point of Friendship

   The rights of those seeking freedom should not begin with a jail sentence. Yet we put them in "immigrant detention camps," not allowing them to leave, as we process them into the United States.
   "Immigration detention camps'? Now, is that just a sanitized name for jail?
   Have we always done it this way? I mean, back those first days of our country, how many immigration detention camps were there? Anybody got a count? Or did they have a more neighborly way of letting people into our country?
   Shoot, they didn't even send them before a judge back in that day. No such thing as immigration court. Nobody even greeted them at the border, saying, "Papers, please. I need to see your papers." They didn't have papers back then. They had what was called freedom of movement.
   Borders were there not to keep out those seeking freedom, but were lines in the sand marking where freedom began.
   If you suppose I'm calling for anarchy, no, I'm not. If you think I'm suggesting we let every Tom, Dick and Harry who might be a terrorist into our country, no, that's not what I'm saying either. I'm just saying we shouldn't let our bureaucracy smother our freedom. Greet them at the border, maybe throw some kind of party with singers and entertainers, feed them a festive meal, maybe have some fireworks . . .
   And then welcome them in. 
   Okay, I'm just joking (although I don't think such a party is such a bad idea). Yes, you have to have some kind of security at the border. Being too willy nilly is just going to lead to a lot of bad Willies and Nellys skipping in.
   Can't have that. Shouldn't. Believe me, I don't want it.
   But, yes, I do believe things can be done in a more timely fashion. To me, it's why not? Yes, we might have to keep those detention camps, but let them become -- whenever possible -- overnight facilities. Take a couple of days. Run background checks, call the police in their hometowns, call their references, and then say, "Welcome, welcome." Issue them a green card and tell them it won't become a pink card unless they get into trouble.