Thread: Viewpoint: Laws of ignorance

Another offensive example of idiocy; this one an opinion published in The Daily Texan at UT Austin

3/28/08
Viewpoint: Laws of ignorance



The United States' "illegal immigrant" problem is nothing new. In 1954, the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, at the behest of then-president Dwight Eisenhower, initiated a program to remove illegal immigrants from the southwestern part of the United States. Dubbed "Operation Wetback," the project was an urgent crusade against illegal immigration. Government officials deported 130,000 Mexican nationals in its first year, and it was estimated that for each individual deported about nine followed out of fear of apprehension.

A 2006 Christian Science Monitor article refers to a letter written by Ike in 1951, in which he provides the following quote: "The rise in illegal border-crossing by Mexican 'wetbacks' to a current rate of more than 1,000,000 cases a year has been accompanied by a curious relaxation in ethical standards extending all the way from the farmer-exploiters of this contraband labor to the highest levels of the Federal Government."

Mustang Ridge City Council Member Charles Laws, who has Central Texans in a fuss about his use of the slur "wetback" in a public notice, is 75 years old. When he was a young adult, he witnessed first-hand Eisenhower's mass round-ups of Mexican nationals, and it's no wonder that a slur associated with those then-applauded efforts could become ingrained.

But he also lived during the United States' struggle to end segregation. In the same year Ike started Operation Wetback, he was strongly supporting the landmark Brown v. Board of Education. Council Member Laws was also around when the U.S. witnessed the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Greensboro sit-in and the influences of civil rights legacies such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks.

For the past week, Laws has been made into central Texas' Public Enemy No. 1 for his use of a word that, as he told the Austin American-Statesman, he grew up with "out here, and everybody said it." Laws carries a tainted vocabulary and ignorance formed during a time when a program called "Operation Wetback" was acceptable, but this 75-year-old water supply company manager isn't the bad guy - he's someone we can learn from.

We must confront our current discriminatory governmental policies and cultural norms before they become ingrained and persist for years to come. We widely use terms that perpetuate discrimination, such as "illegal" and "alien." Just as the literal meaning of "wetback" was once forgotten and the term became a norm in referring to Mexican nationals, "illegal" is a loaded word that indirectly seeks to justify the government's modern-day mass deportations and border walls. Our society sees legal as good and illegal as bad, therefore dehumanizing an entire demographic of "bad guys" with one common word. Describing a human being, as opposed to an action, as "illegal" just doesn't make sense (If it did, perhaps would we call shoplifters "illegal shoppers?").

Although immigrants from all races and nationalities live within our borders, "illegal" has come to specifically describe an individual from Mexico with brown skin. We're a nation that sees "America" as being synonymous with "the United States," ignoring the many other countries and cultures that make up North and South America. Even worse, we've remained a nation which often thinks it can tell a person's citizenship status (and social status) by the color of his or her skin.

Laws used a terribly disgusting word in a public setting, and he should be reprimanded. But we should put more energy into making sure we don't unconsciously end up like him. What most needs addressing are the actions of our government that have the power to inhibit equality and perpetuate ignorance that can last a lifetime.

- C.H.
http://tinyurl.com/yswn56

Although immigrants from all races and nationalities live within our borders, "illegal" has come to specifically describe an individual from Mexico with brown skin. We're a nation that sees "America" as being synonymous with "the United States," ignoring the many other countries and cultures that make up North and South America. Even worse, we've remained a nation which often thinks it can tell a person's citizenship status (and social status) by the color of his or her skin.

No, that's what Calderon and Laraza are pushing (bolded). Ask yourself WHY it's only "brown" mexicans who are encouraged to leave Mexico and sneak into the US. Mexico has a caste system, which IS based on skin color. Don't make it our problem. ILLEGAL ALIENS or UNINVITED INVADERS, don't care what we call 'em; they do NOT belong here!

The problem with the United States of AMERICA is the bull of "political correctness" the liberals have shoved down our throats! I got this to say to the bleeding hearts: Y'all better get a thicker skin and GROW UP, this ain't kindergarten anymore and the Feds are NOT your mommy!

The days I got called a "cracker", "gringa", "puta" by mexicans and turned the other cheek are loooong gone. You dish it out, better be prepared to take it!

Originally Posted by miguelina

The days I got called a "cracker", "gringa", "puta" by mexicans and turned the other cheek are loooong gone. You dish it out, better be prepared to take it!

They call you cracker and gringa? Aren't you Hispanic?

We widely use terms that perpetuate discrimination, such as "illegal" and "alien."

Am sick and tired of these psychological word games to minimize the crime of illegal immigration. Grow up and accept responsibility for your actions.

Does anyone consider the following words discrimitory?
convicted felon
sex offender
drug addict
serial killer
serial rapist

If you call a tail a leg, how many legs has a dog? Five? No, calling a tail a leg don't make it a leg.
Abraham Lincoln

We must confront our current discriminatory governmental policies and cultural norms before they become ingrained and persist for years to come. We widely use terms that perpetuate discrimination, such as "illegal" and "alien." Just as the literal meaning of "R******R" was once forgotten and the term became a norm in referring to Mexican nationals, "illegal" is a loaded word that indirectly seeks to justify the government's modern-day mass deportations and border walls. Our society sees legal as good and illegal as bad, therefore dehumanizing an entire demographic of "bad guys" with one common word. Describing a human being, as opposed to an action, as "illegal" just doesn't make sense (If it did, perhaps would we call shoplifters "illegal shoppers?").

Ok, I got 2/3's of the way through this and then ran into the above rant in which the writter has demonstrated he/she is detached from reality. I didn't need to read any more.

The term "illegal" does not refer to ones' humanity, but rather their legal status. If they have entered into this country without authorization, the term"illegal" is quite appropriate. The term"illegal" is NOT used to describe the human being but rather their actions. This person is attempting to distort and mislead an entire body of language in which our Federal Gov uses to describe the "actions" of those who enter into this country illegally.

Just another insane attempt by the pro-illegal invaders to interject political correctness into this issue

(If it did, perhaps would we call shoplifters "illegal shoppers?").

Go right ahead and call them illegal shoppers. It doesn't bother me a bit. After all they did break the law and it's illegal to break the law. We could call illegal aliens countrylifters since you think the word shoplifter is O.K. and illegal alien isn't if it makes you happy. Don't matter to me either. Whatever you call them it still doesn't change a thing-they are all criminals. Shoplifters are usually not allowed back in the stores they stole from and illegal aliens should never be allowed back into the country they broke into.

We're a nation that sees "America" as being synonymous with "the United States," ignoring the many other countries and cultures that make up North and South America.

We are the United States of America. We are citizens of the United States of America our forefathers in 1776 added the n to America and declared us American's.

It is amazing to me how the word America or American is such a hot word with everyone. The American history and culture seems to be under constant attack by these groups. They are constantly trying to tear us apart, rewriting our history, dictating what words mean and what is racist and not racist.