Thread: This is the trash the columnest in the local paper writes

This appeared in the AZ Daily Star in Tucson 122405 and my e-mailed response to him.

Published: 12.24.2005
Ernesto Portillo Jr. : How the ghosts of immigration reached out to a modern Scrooge
Ernesto Portillo Jr.
In the spirit of the political season, with a nod of appreciation to Charles Dickens, I offer up an immigration version of "A Christmas Carol."
U.S. Rep. Ebenezer Scrooge last week successfully pushed an enforcement-only immigration reform bill through the House of Representatives.
The bill, which requires Senate approval, would authorize construction of a dual fence along 700 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, make undocumented immigrants felons, require employers to verify legal status of workers and impose stricter penalties on employers who hire illegal workers.
On the eve of Christmas Eve, Mr. Scrooge went to his clean home and well-tended children. The maid and gardener, an undocumented immigrant couple from Guatemala, and his illegal Salvadoran nanny had gone home disappointed. Mr. Scrooge had not given them a Christmas bonus.
In the night, Mr. Scrooge awoke to a voice. It was Dominic Rossi, the Italian-born ghost of immigration past. The ghost took him to America 100 years earlier.
People were arriving in large numbers. They wore tattered clothes and spoke foreign languages. Their skin was olive or dark.
"Who are these people?" asked a disdainful Mr. Scrooge.
"They are your forefathers," Rossi told him. "They are poor, uneducated immigrants, chased away by crushing poverty and political indifference in their home countries, and attracted by visions of a better life here. I was one of them."
The ghost escorted Mr. Scrooge across the country, where they saw scores of legal and illegal immigrants building the country, mining and tilling the earth, attending religious services, educating their children and becoming U.S. citizens.
Mr. Scrooge heard Americans scorn the newcomers and blame them for times gone sour. He saw Congress pass laws restricting immigrants' entry. He witnessed border agents forcibly return Mexican immigrants and their American-born children to Mexico.
He hung his head in shame. "I can not believe the immigrants were treated this way," he said.
"They were," said the ghost as he bid Mr. Scrooge goodbye.
Before long, a second ghost â€â€

SICKENING OP ED PIECE, mapwife, but an EXCELLENT RESPONSE BY YOU to this IDIOT. I think I would stay PHYSICALLY ILL ALL THE TIME if I lived in your area or ANY border state. I just don't think I could SURVIVE. My blood pressure would be off the charts!

No matter what, America for illegals is NOTHING compared to Dickension england. Get real people, and know that illegals come for the gimmes. Dickension england from whence the fairy tale comes, had NO gimmes.

Something about lumps of coal, I recall.

At the very least we get the shrewdest illegals. they 'aint stupid, you don't risk your life getting here if it isn't the land of food stamps and wal-mart.

Merry, merry. cheers glenn

Oh, that is SO TRUE, Glenn. If we put a screeching halt to all of the FREEBIES we are just passing out to them hand over fist, the illegal population would PLUMMET.

Originally Posted by mapwife

"But they're not terrorists or criminals," said a now-adamant Mr. Scrooge. "They're hungry people looking for work."
"I know," Gonzalez agreed. "I was one of them."

Touching (well, not really.) They are criminals according to our laws. Don't like them? Change them. Oh right, there aren't enough votes in either chamber to do that, so we'll just pretend they're not criminals. What a joke.

The ghost took him to America 100 years earlier.
People were arriving in large numbers. They wore tattered clothes and spoke foreign languages. Their skin was olive or dark.
"Who are these people?" asked a disdainful Mr. Scrooge.
"They are your forefathers," Rossi told him. "They are poor, uneducated immigrants, chased away by crushing poverty and political indifference in their home countries, and attracted by visions of a better life here. I was one of them."

Oops...the author forgot some of this portion of the story! Wonder why? Here is the missing part:

"And what is this place"? Scrooge asked, "and why are they here"? "Why this is Ellis Island" Rossi replied before continuing, "this is where their papers are examined, and their names, former occupations, and destinations are recorded". "And that long line, on the left, what are they waiting for?" Scrooge asked, noting that some appeared very ill. "They are to be examined for sickness and disease Mr. Scrooge" Rossi answered before sadly lamenting, "to keep Americans safe, including these new arrivals, those with certain sicknesses must turned away"