Thread: AL-Time for logical thinking: How we discuss immigration

Time for logical thinking: How we discuss immigration

The Anniston Star (Alabama)
September 26, 2009 Saturday

Sep. 26--Illegal immigration, one of the undisputed hot-button political topics in America, was trotted out time and time again during the last presidential election.

Since few are in favor of people coming into the country illegally, the topic was ready-made for exploitation. The "I'm more against it than you" crowd had a field day.

Often, however, the illegal immigration controversy turned into a debate over immigration itself, and that led to impassioned arguments over who the United States should allow to cross its borders.

In the South, and Alabama in particular, the debate was often tainted with racial, cultural and even religious bias. At times this even spilled into places one would never expect, as when U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., shouted "you lie" when President Obama said during a speech to Congress that illegal immigrants would not get benefits under his health-care plan.

(The fact that the president did not lie, that illegal immigrants would not be covered, was lost in the shock of the outburst's impoliteness.)

One of the quickest ways to see biases emerge is to pay attention to what passes for humor. Racial jokes, ethnic jokes and religious jokes often mask a deep uneasiness about what is going on long before polls and pundits notice it. Where immigration is concerned, the Internet has been particularly important in circulating these prejudices.

One could write this off as another manifestation of Southern "xenophobia" -- that fear of outsiders and what they might bring to the cultural mix of a community. No doubt, that is a factor.

However, this fear was fed by the fact that for the first time in the memory of some Southerners, immigrants were readily visible in our midst. Though most were here legally, their presence made some Southerners, white and black, uneasy.

Now that uneasiness may ease. Recent figures show that the share of the U.S. population made up of immigrants dropped in 2008, reversing a 40-year trend.

The recession's the reason. When the economy was booming, especially the home-construction industry, immigrants, particularly Hispanics, often did much of the work. The jobs no longer are plentiful, so immigrants aren't coming as often.

As this issue recedes, let's hope politicians will use this time to look at immigration logically, cool the rhetoric and consider what sort of nation the United States wants to be.

Except for the few Native Americans among us, all Americans are the product of immigration. That is our heritage. Rather than run from it, we should embrace it. And when the recession ends, as it one day will, America will be ready to welcome the legal immigrants who will come once again.

To see more of The Anniston Star or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.annistonstar.com/.

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Nameless Author! Fails entirely to adhere to 'Logic'. Mentions 'discussion' but there is no comment section at original source link.

Basically a Total Crock of Fecal Matter!