Thread: Immigrants need to get some respect

Immigrants need to get some respect
By Gary Jason, Columnist
Article Last Updated: 02/23/2008 08:39:06 PM PST


IT is now clear that John McCain will be the Republican nominee for president. The improbable resurrection of his candidacy - overcoming major leads by his opponents in the polls and in fundraising - occurred in the face of a relentless barrage of accusations by them that he was soft on illegal immigration. But the greater the anti-immigration posturing of his opponents, the lower they dropped in the polls.

All of which suggests that the electorate is nowhere near as anti-immigration as the candidates had thought. And contrary to conventional wisdom, the future of the GOP may lie in being more open - and not vociferously opposed - to immigration.

The main reason that the populist, anti-rhetoric rhetoric once seemed so powerful was its prevalence on talk radio. For two years now, the major players in that medium have been waxing furious over illegal immigration and have savaged McCain ceaselessly for his attempt last year to pass comprehensive immigration reform. The radio-talk warriors roused a large part of the Republican base to action, defeating the bill.

This seems to have persuaded the Republican candidates that being "more nativist than thou" was an easy road to the nomination. Now that the man derided by the talk show luminaries as pro-amnesty is going to get the nomination, they are apoplectic, and their angry listeners are puzzled.

They shouldn't be.

There are a number of reasons why the anti-immigrant rhetoric has
proven to be a loser. First, it took on a nasty nativist tone, on talk radio especially.
For example, one host played a parody song, "Jose, Can You See?", which clearly mocked Latino immigrants. Other hosts trumpeted cases in which illegal aliens committed heinous crimes - which happen, to be sure, but much less often than cases in which home-born citizens commit the same crimes.

This tone clearly angered many Latinos, which may be why in Florida, Cuban-Americans voted for McCain five to one. I daresay the vast majority of Hispanic Americans oppose illegal immigration - as do I. But the tone rapidly began to sound generally anti-Hispanic.

Indeed, the poll numbers indicate that the Republican Party as a whole has taken a major hit in Latino support. In the last year and a half, polls show that the gap between Hispanics who identify with the Democrats and those who identify with the Republicans has increased from 13 percent to 34 percent, a massive increase.

Many non-Hispanics were also put off by the nativist sounds served up on talk radio. Many of us with Central, Eastern or Southern European forebears remember that the same intemperate accusations made against these new immigrants - that they steal our jobs, won't speak our language, have too many kids, refuse to assimilate, are innately predisposed to criminal behavior, and don't value education - were made against our folk. Even though those earlier immigrants came here perfectly legally, they were despised nonetheless, and in 1925 banned altogether.

Besides galvanizing Latinos and many other people who remember with pride their immigrant ancestors, the strident anti-immigrant tone also angered many business owners. Listening to people demand that the government imprison you if you employ any illegal immigrants is off-putting, especially if it is you (and not, say, the multimillionaire talk-show celebrities) who face lawsuits from that very same government if you discriminate against Latinos.

Yet another reason why the immigrant-bashing didn't sell is the awareness that immigration is still necessary in the face of the most enormous demographic challenge this country has ever faced. The first baby boomers turned 62 this year, making them now eligible for early retirement. The boomers are a massive slice of the population - some 28 percent - and the country faces labor shortages when they retire. Absent some reasonable amount of immigration, suitably regulated and controlled, the economy will surely suffer.

Ironically, many of the talk-show illuminati cite President Reagan as their greatest role model. But those of us who admired and voted for Reagan remember that he was proud of his immigrant roots, and always spoke highly of immigrants in his speeches.

Now that everyone knows that the immigrant-bashing commentariat is not omnipotent, perhaps the majority of citizens can now get on with the serious business of securing our border, while at the same time allowing a reasonable number of people to legally assimilate.

In this regard, McCain has promised to seal the border before turning to fix the broken immigration system. Whether he will ever get the chance to do what no president since Eisenhower has done (including Reagan, who amnestied all the undocumented in the country) - that is - control the border while allowing reasonable immigration, remains dicey.

He will need to keep a balance in his discussions of the highly emotional issue of immigration. McCain must keep talking about sealing the border, but for our legitimate national security, not because we hate foreigners. And he needs to continue to show Reaganesque respect for immigrants. That is the only way to win back some of those alienated by the nativist pandering of the other candidates - and to make the GOP a contender in this and future elections.

Gary Jason is a writer, businessman and university instructor in San Clemente.

http://www.dailynews.com/editorial/ci_8345386

Besides galvanizing Latinos and many other people who remember with pride their immigrant ancestors, the strident anti-immigrant tone also angered many business owners. Listening to people demand that the government imprison you if you employ any illegal immigrants is off-putting, especially if it is you (and not, say, the multimillionaire talk-show celebrities) who face lawsuits from that very same government if you discriminate against Latinos.

So he's stating that all latinos are illegal aliens? Clouding the issue again, hmm?

We all know why businesses want to hire illegal aliens. They don't want to pay taxes or health insurance. They are able to exploit illegals by paying substandard wages, NO benefits, forcing overtime, etc. Taxpayers get stuck with subsidizing these "employees" and businesses take bigger profits. If they have to hire LEGAL immigrants and Americans, they can't exploit them. By the way, have you heard? Arizona employers are using E-verify and it's EASY and takes seconds!

Attrition through enforcement works. For every illegal alien deported, a legal immigrant can get approval to emigrate..the RIGHT way! What's discriminatory about that?

Gary Jason is a writer, businessman and university instructor in San Clemente and moron!

Listen Gary, the issue is ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION! This is the disingenuous rhetoric that is being spewed at a college campus near you.

ANY crime committed by an illegal invader is a complete tragedy because it should have never happened.

Try to remember that gary the next time you read about an illegal invader taking the life of another innocent American Citizen. That is if your censored MSM will include that fact in it's story.


I won't even go into the theft of our tax dollars thru anchor babies, welfare, health care, education, etc., to support these illegals because you probably feel they deserve every penny they can get their dirty hands on.

This is the biggest bunch of BS I have read in a long time.
We're not stupid. McCain got where he is because the whole election is rigged.
This is not the will of the people.
This is a farce.

Did you notice this to the side of the article?

LA Daily News lays off 22 newsroom employees

If they keep writing columns like this they will all be out of a job soon!!

Yet another reason why the immigrant-bashing didn't sell is the awareness that immigration is still necessary in the face of the most enormous demographic challenge this country has ever faced. The first baby boomers turned 62 this year, making them now eligible for early retirement. The boomers are a massive slice of the population - some 28 percent - and the country faces labor shortages when they retire. Absent some reasonable amount of immigration, suitably regulated and controlled, the economy will surely suffer.

What is this fool rambling about? Nobody has a problem with "some reasonable amount of immigration, suitably regulated and controlled." The issue is NOT regulated LEGAL immigration, it is ILLEGAL immigration.

As well, this business about needing "replacement citizens" is also perplexing. How is importing millions of uneducated and unskilled going to replace the citizens who are leaving the job market? And the stats don't look much better for their children either who have a very high drop out rate.

Originally Posted by Bowman

Did you notice this to the side of the article?

LA Daily News lays off 22 newsroom employees

If they keep writing columns like this they will all be out of a job soon!!

Bowman, we think alike!

Apparently, they haven't made the connection between bad/irresponsible reporting and subscription sales. Go figure...

Immigrants need to get some respect

Oh and one more thing. In my experience, respect is earned not given and in my opinion, illegal invaders have done nothing to be given any respect.

Just another example of illegals demanding something be "given" to them without earning it.

The Albuquerque Tribune had its last day Saturday Feb 23rd.
That leaves the Albuquerque Journal. Online (full articles) is by subscription.

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http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/indu ... 58_15.html

Wednesday, Feb. 20 2008
Albuquerque Tribune to Cease Publication


CINCINNATI, Feb 20, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- The Albuquerque Tribune will publish its final edition on Saturday, Feb. 23.

The decision to close the newspaper follows a seven-month effort by The E. W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP: 41.77, -1.23, -2.86%) to sell The Tribune.

Scripps notified The Tribune's 38 editorial employees today of the decision to discontinue publication. Tribune employees will receive severance packages, including outplacement services and a limited health care subsidy.

"The loss of The Albuquerque Tribune is profoundly sad for the community, its dedicated staff and all of those great journalists who have contributed over the years to the newspaper's outstanding reputation for editorial independence and excellence," said Rich Boehne, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Scripps. "As The Tribune passes into history we take some solace in the knowledge that Albuquerque and New Mexico are better places to live today thanks to the newspaper's commitment to community service."

The decision to close The Tribune will end the nation's oldest joint operating agreement.

Since 1933 The Tribune has been published as part of a joint operating agreement with The Albuquerque Journal and its parent company, Journal Publishing Co. Journal Publishing has been responsible for all of the business operations of The Tribune, including advertising and subscription sales, production and distribution.

Scripps and Journal Publishing shared the combined profits generated by The Journal and The Tribune. Under a new agreement with Journal Publishing, Scripps will continue as a partner in the Albuquerque Publishing Co., which directs and manages the operations of The Journal newspaper.

The Journal will continue to be published in the mornings, seven days a week. The Tribune is published in the afternoons, Monday through Saturday.

Scripps in August 2007 announced that it was seeking to sell or discontinue publication of The Tribune after determining that the Albuquerque newspaper market could no longer economically support a separate afternoon publication.

Paid circulation of the afternoon Tribune, which stood at 42,000 in 1988, has been in persistent decline for more than two decades. The Tribune's daily paid circulation has declined to about 10,000 copies compared with The Journal's paid circulation of 106,000 daily and 145,000 Sunday.

Scripps acquired The Tribune in 1923 from its founder, Carlton Cole "Carl" Magee. Borrowing a phrase from Dante, Magee had adopted the slogan "Give Light and People Will Find Their Own Way." After it was acquired, Scripps adopted Magee's slogan, for all of its newspapers.

The Tribune is an award-winning newspaper with a rich journalistic tradition. Eileen Welsome, while reporting for The Tribune, won a Pulitzer Prize in 1994 for a series of stories that related the experiences of Americans who had been used unknowingly in government radiation experiments nearly 50 years earlier.

The Tribune also was a Pulitzer finalist in 1996 and was a first-place winner in the 1998 and 2001 National Headliner Awards.

About Scripps

The E. W. Scripps Company (www.scripps.com ) is a diverse and growing media enterprise with interests in national cable networks, newspaper publishing, broadcast television stations, interactive media, and licensing and syndication.

The company's portfolio of media properties includes: Scripps Networks, with such brands as HGTV, Food Network, DIY Network, Fine Living and Great American Country; daily and community newspapers in 16 markets and the Washington-based Scripps Media Center, home to the Scripps Howard News Service; 10 broadcast TV stations, including six ABC-affiliated stations, three NBC affiliates and one independent; Scripps Interactive Media, including leading online search and comparison shopping services, Shopzilla and uSwitch; and United Media, a leading worldwide licensing and syndication company that is the home of PEANUTS, DILBERT and approximately 150 other features and comics.

SOURCE The E. W. Scripps Company

http://www.scripps.comCopyright © 2008 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

Bowman wrote:

Did you notice this to the side of the article?

LA Daily News lays off 22 newsroom employees

If they keep writing columns like this they will all be out of a job soon!!

I wonder how the Spanish newspapers are doing in LA.