Mayday is the international distress signal, from the French phrase m'aidez or "help me." It's also a common term for the first day of May. And this May Day, no one needs help more than the American people.

We have been subjected to a slow-motion invasion by foreigners who knowingly broke our laws when they crossed our borders. They excuse their violation of the law by citing the fact that we have a better economy and more freedom than they can find in their home countries. Every single day they are here, they commit further crimes including identity fraud, theft, tax evasion, falsification of information, misuse of government services and more.

Now these illegal immigrants have the temerity to demand that we grant them amnesty for all their past crimes, and even allow them to apply for citizenship, as though they had followed the procedure to come here legally. They march in our streets, waving foreign flags and signs telling us what to do in foreign languages, fly those foreign flags above the American flag, and have even disrespected our national anthem by rewriting it and publishing their bastardised version in Spanish.

Illegals show their contempt not only for our laws and traditions, but for the millions upon millions of people who have obeyed the rules and spent years waiting for permission to come to America. I have no respect for people who deliberately break the law and then insist that they deserve no punishment, and no respect for those who excuse their behavior. Illegals and their supporters label anyone who simply wants the law enforced a racist, as though "lawbreaker" has its own ethnicity. America is tired of hearing insults and demands from criminals who have no right to even be here.

These illegal immigrants tell us that we can't do anything about their presence, and that if we try, they will cause large-scale economic disruption. We are to be held hostage to a mob of criminals trying to frighten us into submission. On the first of May 2006, they plan to protest, boycott and even close down entire cities to show their "power" over Americans. They claim that they want to be treated like Americans, but real Americans don't deliberately damage our own economy just to make a political point. This is nothing short of terrorism, in my opinion, and it will not be borne.

But who will help us stop these invaders? Who is defending the country? Not our politicians, most of whom are scrambling to curry favor with the new crowd before the others can get a piece of the vote. Not our local law enforcement, which will be too busy with crowd control at these rallies to check for green cards. Not our federal law enforcement, which takes its marching orders from the pandering politicians. 

Imagine waking up to find your neighbor sitting on your couch, watching your TV, and calmly smoking a cigarette. He explains that since you have a nicer house than he does, as well as cable tv, he decided to enter through an unlocked window. As he puts his clothes in your closet and his decorations on your wall, the neighbor explains that he has a right to seek a better life and better things for himself. The fact that it's your house doesn't seem to bother him. When you call for help, the police explain that you must simply accept this new addition to your household. He's already moved in, and it would be too much trouble to make him leave. After all, he cleans up after himself and takes out the garbage. Oh, and don't lock that window -- it wouldn't be fair to your other neighbors to start doing so now.

This is the position in which we Americans find ourselves. We're frustrated and angry that those responsible for upholding our laws are ignoring them in a mad scramble for votes. But those illegal immigrants don't have the vote yet, and there will be more elections before they do. More than 80 percent of the American people want border enforcement and no amnesty -- illegal immigration may be the only issue that nearly unites both sides of the aisle. Many Senators and Congressmen who vote for amnesty -- however it's worded -- and against stopping the flow of illegal immigration will lose the power they so cherish.

Many Republicans define themselves as belonging to the party of law and order. This makes them more vulnerable than Democrats, who already pander shamelessly to criminals and foreigners. It may be worse for the country as a whole if the Democrats take the House and/or Senate this year, but it will happen nonetheless, if the Republicans don't stand up for what most of the people want. Even if the Democrats don't take control, enough people will remember which Republicans voted to give amnesty and citizenship to foreigners who perform the ultimate home invasion when the next primaries come around for those quislings.

Enforce the law. Uphold the Constitution. This is what we pay taxes for. We have the right to a reasonable expectation that all will be treated equally before the law. When some people receive special treatment, when the laws are overturned or ignored to suit certain groups, we lose faith in our system and respect for the officials we elected to positions of power. In a time of such turmoil, with our country fighting terrorists and opposing rogue regimes around the globe, can our government really afford to throw away the confidence of its citizens to appease a mob of lawbreaking foreigners?

Let's not find out.

- copy of a letter I sent to my Senators and Representative, as well as House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL), Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) and President George W. Bush.