My last blog post was just "Arizona". I'm guessing you can guess what it was about. It drew some reaction, mostly positive. And some negative. As I expected.
I lost a Facebook friend.
One person suggested I shut up about it. OK, the exact words were {if you don't follow the behavior pattern prescribed in this post} "don't give it lip service".
I've always had an interesting reaction to being told to shut up. It does not involve shutting up.
Two other people posted:
JUST SO I UNDERSTAND THIS...YOU PASS THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET 12 YRS HARD LABOR, YOU PASS THE AFGHAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET SHOT. YOU PASS THE AMERICAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET A JOB, DRIVER'S LICENSE, ALLOWANCE FOR A PLACE TO LIVE, HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION, BILLIONS OF DOLLARS SPENT SO YOU CAN READ A DOCUMENT. WE CARRY PASSPORTS IN OTHER COUNTRIES OR FACE JAIL TIME. REPOST IF YOU AGREE
This may have passed as wit in some circles, I guess.
YOU PASS THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET 12 YRS HARD LABOR. Are you serious? Is the North Korean justice system one that you want to emulate? You call our President a Socialist, but you want us to be North Korea?
YOU PASS THE AFGHAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET SHOT. You should make up your mind. Is it North Korea you want us to be, or is it Afghanistan?
WE CARRY PASSPORTS IN OTHER COUNTRIES OR FACE JAIL TIME. Not all other countries. By the way, have you thought about why there is such heavy traffic coming north from Mexico but almost none coming south from Canada? (suggested answer later).
It does strike me as a bit unnerving that you can find anything you want on the Web, and you can support any position you want with what you find. Never mind whether there's any factual basis to what you find. Not my quote, but I wish it were: You are entitled to your own opinion. You are not entitled to your own facts.
Enough of that. Not one of the responses to me addressed the concerns I expressed: that this law is unnecessary (law enforcement can detain illegal immigrants now, if they have probable cause), it may well be unconstitutional (detaining US citizens - an almost inevitable consequence of this law - without probable cause, with reasonable suspicion established solely by racial profiling), and it's awfully gosh darn inflammatory. (Got YOU inflamed, didn't it?)
Just so we're clear, I also see the unrestrained flow of undocumented folks as an issue, and I take very seriously those who express such a concern. There are ways to slow or stop that flow that have been discussed endlessly for years. But, really, think about the consequences to throwing them all out.
Your groceries will get a lot more expensive. That produce that's so good for you? Harvesting it is backbreaking work - mostly done by illegal immigrants. Never mind finding Americans to do that work. They won't - not at the wages that are paid. Same is true of the cattle industry.
Something that has happened a lot in the past. I don't know if it's ongoing. Employer adds laborers. Employer gets the month or so of work that he wanted. Just before payday employer calls the INS. When payday comes around - look! no employees!
Please tell me how that squares with any notion of fairness.
Something else that happens. Mexican citizen marries a citizen of the USA. They form a family. Mexican citizen lives here and works hard for years. One would think that there would be some shortcut to citizenship for this person - like those years of working were a shortcut. But, no. When President Bush, in a truly decent act, floated something like that - a guest worker program - the hard right screamed blue and bloody murder. "AMNESTY!!!! NO AMNESTY!!!!!" So, this worker is sent - home?
You who value your families - you who call yourselves "family values" advocates - how do you square that with breaking up of other peoples' families?
I don't know, but maybe someone will tell me to shut up again. Maybe someone will have another ridiculous Facebook posting. Then I'll have to think of something more to say more about this. I'll leave the last word to someone far more important than I:
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. . .for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me. . .Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.
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I hope I'm not the FB friend you feel is lost. If I am, it is exclusively by your choice. For me, heated debate with a worthy opponant is recreation.
ReplyDeleteI did NOT tell you to "shut up" and I would never, ever do so. First, because I absolutely support your right to say what you wish even when - or especially when - I disagree. I may choose not to listen/read, but I would NEVER attempt to silence you. Please give me more credit in the future. Second, because if you were to "shut up" it would ruin the fun. I enjoy a rousing argument almost as much as a day at Six Flags.
What I intended with my comment was to point out apparent hypocrisies and errors - not only in your posted opinion but in the general anti-Arizona law rhetoric. For example, you oppose the law on humanitarian grounds, yet on the other hand you say "Your groceries will get a lot more expensive. That produce that's so good for you? Harvesting it is backbreaking work - mostly done by illegal immigrants. Never mind finding Americans to do that work. They won't - not at the wages that are paid. Same is true of the cattle industry." I've seen first hand how these people live and work. I support the law and I am VERY willing to pay more for my groceries. (On a similar principle, I NEVER shop at Walmart and have not done so for nearly a decade.) You (apparently) want to keep the illegals here, working in horrific conditions and living in the worst slums in America so that you may enjoy lower produce/beef costs?!
You said "Something else that happens. Mexican citizen marries a citizen of the USA. They form a family. Mexican citizen lives here and works hard for years. One would think that there would be some shortcut to citizenship for this person - like those years of working were a shortcut." Not entirely true, Rick... according to the US Dept of Homeland Security, "To promote family unity, immigration law allows U.S. citizens to petition for certain qualified relatives to come and live permanently in the United States. Eligible immediate relatives include the U.S. citizen’s:
Spouse
Unmarried child under the age of 21
Parent (if the U.S. citizen is over the age of 21)
Immediate relatives have special immigration priority and do not have to wait in line for a visa number to become available for them to immigrate because there are an unlimited number of visas for their particular categories."
In addition to these visas the U.S. issued more than 1.1 million green cards in 2009. I do not oppose LEGAL immigration...the more the merrier! It's the illegals, who have proven by their very presence in this country that they thumb their noses at our laws, whom I believe ought to be sent home, from where they may apply for LEGAL entry into our country if they so desire.
For the record: In the interest of improving our family's financial situation, my Dad worked in Omaha for several years while my mom, brothers and I stayed in Davenport. Dad "visited" whenever he could. In spite of our family separation, it was a situation that my parents (rightly) agreed was in the best interest of our family. Our circumstances were not unlike the family separations you lament in your blog - it was a CHOICE.
I can't abide hypocrisy or racism. I currently have a Spanish citizen living in my home at my expense. Matt's best buddy is German. He is currently dating a first generation American whose parents' first language is Italian. I will GLADLY host one or more honest, hard-working immigrant(s) who come into this country LEGALLY for the purpose of building a better life for her family. In fact, I'll personally house one-to-one the number of immigrants you bring into your home. My post was not a call to "shut up", my friend. It was a call to action.
As for the 10th Amendment issue... OMG!!!!!! I'll save that for another day. It's past my bedtime.