Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., visited Ames on Monday and talked about his well-known platform for immigration reform.

Larry Reinsch, state organizer for Independent Voters of Iowa, was one of the men who introduced Tancredo. He said he was most impressed with the content of his speeches and the consistency of his message.

“The speeches stay the same,” he said.

Reinsch said Tancredo was honest and the most “Constitutional” candidate.

Bill Salier, Iowa chairman for Tancredo, called on the audience to support Tancredo.

“When you walk out of here and you believe in him as much as I do, then fight for it – fight for the culture you are losing, fight for the freedom that you’re losing,” he said.

Tancredo said his campaign was driven by what he believed in.

He said other politicians simply say things that will get them elected.

Most of Tancredo’s speech was focused on the issue of immigration.

“It is, I think, the most serious domestic policy issue we can face,” he said.

Tancredo said when he was first elected to Congress, he wasn’t sure if anyone cared abut the immigration issue.

He told the story of showing a 10-minute video of individuals crossing the border in Arizona. By the end of the video, Tancredo said almost everyone had left.

“They didn’t want to hear it, and they were angry at me for telling them about it,” Tancredo said. “Because you see, someone would then have to do something.”

Tancredo said the issue of language in the country is also very important.

“We are becoming a bilingual country; this is not a good thing,” he said. “Bilingual individuals: Great; bilingual country: Lousy.”

Tancredo also talked about the idea of dual citizenship and how he saw it as a problem. He said there are approximately 10 million people with dual citizenship in America.

“My advice to people would be: If you cannot figure out yet which country you are, you hold allegiance to, then I’d like you to go back to the other one until you get that straight,” he said.

Tancredo said he wanted those applying for citizenship to have a registered letter from the appropriate embassy that renounces citizenship before they become an American citizen.

“Citizenship should mean something, it should have some meaning,” he said.

Tancredo said citizenship should be more than just a “document” because of what he called a “clash of civilizations.”

“I think we are in a clash of civilizations – I believe this with all my heart,” he said.

Tancredo said for America to survive, it needs to be concerned about itself. He said America needs to rely on itself and others willing to help for the defense of Western civilization, but he didn’t know how much help there would be.

“Europe is essentially gone,” he said. “The demographics of Europe are scary, to say the least.”

He said in Europe there are 20 million Muslims, the most common name for male children is Mohammed, and non-Muslim Europeans have reproduction below replacement levels.

“We’re the last, best hope of Western civilization,” he said.