I love listening to Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries as they claim that the Democrats have not shut down the government to keep benefits flowing to illegal aliens. Millions of individuals who crossed our border illegally (I’d call them illegal immigrants, wouldn’t you?) were given a vague parole status by decree of Joe Biden -- or more likely, by his autopen. With this parole, Democrats claim the immigrants are now “documented” and thus no longer illegal, aroma of a rose and gait of a duck not withstanding. Therefore, wanting to spend billions of taxpayer dollars on them is warranted and necessitates a government shutdown to achieve this “noble” goal.

I’m reminded of an old story about the only Protestant living in a Catholic neighborhood. On Friday evenings during the season of Lent, while the Catholics consumed their fish sticks or mac and cheese, they were tortured by the aroma of steak being grilled in the Protestant’s backyard. The Catholics set out to convert the Protestant to Catholicism, and immediately following Lent, they succeeded.

A priest came to the convert’s yard, and in front of all the neighbors, he sprinkled holy water on the head of the new Catholic, proclaiming; “You were born a Protestant, you were raised and lived as a Protestant, but now you’re a Catholic.”

On the first Friday evening of the following year’s Lenten season, the Catholic neighbors once again were greeted by the aroma of steak on the grill of the new convert. As they approached to remind him of his new religious obligation, they saw the man sprinkle some water on his steak and proclaim: “You were born a cow, you were raised and lived as a cow, but now you’re a fish.”

I would submit that the ‘paroled’ illegal aliens are as much legal immigrants as that filet mignon was a chunk of haddock, no matter what Schumer and Jefferies claim was ‘splashed’ upon them. Mrs. Paul’s would never claim their products were steak. It would be disingenuous and laughable. Chucky and Hakeem should take note.

Bill Hansmann is a dentist and dental educator with over fifty years in the profession. He continues to teach and write political blogs and semi-mediocre novels while living with his wife and cats in Georgia.

Image: AT via Magic Studio