Get real: Migrants aren't our enemies
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepubli ... z0219.html
Get real: Migrants aren't our enemies
Linda Valdez
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 19, 2006 12:00 AM
You're being had, America.
You're being scared about a made-up enemy.
The big boys in Washington hope you won't notice what's going on. Their useful idiots, the xenophobic anti-immigrant activists, want you to get drunk on a little covert bigotry. After all, the overt kind just isn't acceptable anymore.
So "illegal immigrant" becomes code for Mexican. And Mexican - well, you know.
You know.
They're not like us. Illegal immigration is part of their grand plan to take over the country. Just look at how they take pride in their heritage!
Give it rest. They're just like us, only poorer. They're here to bus tables. Illegal immigration is about American industry's addiction to cheap labor.
But a busboy makes an unconvincing villain, so the immigrant bashers tell you there's something sinister about the way Juan cuts your grass.
And it isn't just undocumented immigrants who are suspect.
A Web site of the USA Border Alert lists efforts by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to oppose the House's goofy immigration bill under the heading "Hall of Shame."
Can you imagine! Using the democratic process to oppose bad legislation. Oh, the shame.
The Web site doesn't mention others who spoke against the strident House Bill 4437.
Like Grover Norquist of the Americans for Tax Reform and Bishop Thomas Wenski of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Both urged the House to reject the bill.
But it passed, and George Bush praised it. You'd think a Christian man would know God is on the migrants' side.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Justice for Immigrants project says "immigrants earn about $240 billion a year, pay about $90 billion a year in taxes and use about $5 billion in public benefits."
More than 40 religious groups, representing Judaism, Islam and a roll call of Christian denominations from Lutherans to Episcopalians to Mennonites to Baptists to Methodists, signed a statement calling for immigration reform that includes everything the House bill doesn't.
They want Congress to bring America's 11 million undocumented immigrants into legal status, create a guest-worker program, reunite families and set border policies that are "consistent with humanitarian values."
As opposed to current border policies that have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of migrants a year in Arizona's deserts.
As opposed to a fence, which experience shows won't work. There's a strip of high steel fence that runs for 2 1/2 miles between Arizona and Sonora at Nogales. Border Patrol agent Sean King said a team of five agents spends every day fixing the holes that are cut into that fence every night. Five tunnels were found last year. No telling how many haven't been found.
In addition to building a wall for migrants to cut through and tunnel under, the House bill would make felons of those who are here illegally and slap criminal penalties on those who would give water to migrants in the desert.
This bill is touted as the necessary strong medicine. That's where the immigrant bashers and their pals in Congress want to keep you intoxicated on their xenophobic brew.
The word is out that business has been getting a free pass to hire the undocumented. People are wise to that. Bush's director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Julie Myers, told The Republic's Mike Madden that one of her priorities is work-site enforcement.
She pointed to the Wal-Mart settlement as an example of the "name and shame" publicity that companies want to avoid. Wal-Mart last year agreed to pay $11 million as a result of charges that it contracted with cleaning companies that used undocumented workers.
But wait. The House bill, the one that's as supposed be so tough, wouldn't allow such fines. It exempts companies from fines for the hiring practices of subcontractors. It also caps fines for any company that hires undocumented immigrants and gives companies a free pass for first-time offenses as long as they had made a good-faith effort to follow the law.
What company wouldn't say it made a good-faith effort to follow the law? Millions of undocumented workers? Gee, whiz, how did that happen?
The House sticks it to the migrant as cover for business as usual. The anti-immigrant crowd would like the Senate to follow suit this spring.
So the relentless vilification of migrant workers continues by those who hope you won't notice what's going on.
You're being had, America.
Reach Valdez at Linda.Valdez@arizonarepublic.com.
Making the Next President Proud!
Linda Valdez is playing all her cards, race card, etc. Another example of ultra left-wing biased reporting that will make John Cornyn, Teddy Kennedy, John McCain, and Hillary real proud. Too bad she didn't interview the families of MS-13 gang banger victims. Linda Valdez has a bright future as Hillary's press secretary!
