http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/15357406.htm

Posted on Fri, Aug. 25, 2006


Our Opinion
Anti-illegal immigrant posters exploit fears


ILLEGAL ALIENS are not a problem in the borough of Forty Fort but rather, alien thinking.

Forty Fort is an established and tight-knit community. It isn’t troubled by immigration. The borough council isn’t racked with discord: A large majority of council voted against a proposed anti-illegal immigrant ordinance earlier this month.

But oh they’ve got trouble in that river city, with a capital T and that rhymes with P and that stands for … prejudice.

Immigration-reform fliers have been stapled onto utility poles in the borough as a “wake-up call to Americans to become active in defense of our nation’s rule of law.” The fliers include the Web site address for the Americans for Immigration Control in Virginia although a spokesman said it does not encourage anyone to tack fliers to poles.

The fliers demonstrate how intolerance and racism can try to insinuate even a community of clear-minded people.

Maybe someone who lives in Forty Fort fears an invasion of people from Mexico, Guatemala and other Latin countries who want to live in a nice Pennsylvania community. They might even fear those people if they are legal immigrants. People from those countries don’t appear to have settled in Forty Fort yet but just in case, they’ve been preceded by alarm.

It’s very possible these fliers were posted by someone who has no ties to Forty Fort. It’s possible they heard of the council vote against the ordinance and decided another point of view should foment trouble and discord in the borough.

Nevertheless, we have confidence that the people of Forty Fort have the common sense to resist and even rally against efforts to undermine and frighten the community. If there’s anything to fear, it’s divisive and devious behavior.