Illegal Immigration

Defending Rick Perry Against The Tea Party Movement?

Ronald 1 Comment

Texas Governor Rick Perry is so wrong on so many issues, and would be a horrible choice for the Republican Party and the country for the office of President of the United States!

However, although he is wrong on most issues, last night’s debate actually demonstrated that he was correct on at least two matters for which he was booed by the heavily Tea Party Movement audience.

On the issue of allowing in state college tuition rates for the children of illegal immigrants, which is permitted in Texas, Perry justified it courageously and properly, rather than taking the short sighted, narrow minded, bigoted view of the Tea Party activists who are well known to be nativists, as well as in many cases, racists, when one looks at their behavior and actions!

Also, the debate over the HPV virus vaccination of 11-12 year old girls, who could get cervical cancer if they have sexual intercourse, while dropped in Texas after original enforcement with an opt out for parents, brought up an important issue of public health. Perry said he would always defend life, and was booed by the audience, which cheered Michele Bachmann for her denunciation of taking away the right from parents on this matter of vaccination.

While parents should certainly have a say on matters involving their children, it is a requirement that all children take certain vaccinations before they can attend school, as otherwise, they could spread serious diseases that have become insignificant because of the required vaccinations.

And, no matter what parents might feel, the public safety is more important their individual rights to make decisions that might affect other children’s health!

Many parents these days are far from paragons of virtue in using good judgment for their children’s welfare, and to believe that no girls at a young age will engage in sexual intercourse, when it is clear that many do, regrettably as that is, is living in a dream world! So to protect against the HPV virus is the responsible thing to do!

So at least on these two matters, Rick Perry took the proper stand, but it will likely hurt him with many Tea Party activists! Whether it will dampen his chances for the GOP Presidential nomination, we shall see!

The Debate Audience In Tampa: What Are We Becoming? Shame Over Their Behavior!

Ronald 2 Comments

In watching the CNN-Tea Party debate in Tampa, Florida, last night, beyond the points made by the potential GOP Presidential candidates, one characteristic stood out, a very ugly characteristic!

The audience at the debate demonstrated just how nasty, mean spirited, self centered, and lacking in humanity the Tea Party crowd have become!

It has become a disease in America, if one wants to believe that the Tea Party movement is spreading far and wide, which the author hopes is NOT the case!

Witness the following:

1. When Rick Perry brought up the idea of Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke being treasonous, the crowd cheered wildly.
2. When the subject of a 30 year old male who chose not to have health insurance coverage and then is in the hospital for six months, the reaction of the audience is to applaud the idea that he should not be put into intensive care to save his life, that he should die, that there is no responsibility for others in medical crisis.
3. The hatred of the audience toward illegal immigration, and readiness to destroy Social Security and Medicare was obvious.
4. The refusal of the audience to consider that Ron Paul had some good points about our foreign policy causing a lot of our woes financially, and instead booing him, was disturbing.
5. There were many other moments of poor behavior by the crowd, too numerous to list here.

But beyond all this, the fact that the audience at the Reagan Library debate last week cheered and applauded the fact that Rick Perry had been responsible for the execution of more prisoners than any governor in history, was also very disconcerting, as if the death penalty is the answer, when it is well known that mistakes ARE made and have been made in Texas and elsewhere, with denial of new evidence, refusal to recognize that some testimony against some defendants is unreliable, and that the death penalty is unevenly utilized against minorities as compared to whites!

If this is the country we are becoming, the equivalent of the Tea Party mentality, this nation is in deep trouble, and we have lost our common decency and humanity!

But the thought is that this is a minority view, which demands full commitment to fight and defeat this poison, this cancer, in our society, before it becomes endemic!

The “Social” Issues In The Presidential Campaign Of 2012: Are They Really Gay Marriage, Abortion, Affirmative Action, Gun Rights, School Prayer, And Immigration?

Ronald 2 Comments

If you listen to Republican Presidential candidates and “social” conservatives, many of whom claim to be “good Christians”, one would conclude that the social issues for the nation in 2012 are:

1. Gay Marriage
2. Abortion
3. Affirmative Action
4. Gun Rights
5. School Prayer
6. Immigration

All of these issues are extremely controversial, but what are the REAL social issues in America?

1. Homelessness of so many Americans, including those once middle class citizens.
2. Hunger, where many Americans, millions of them children, have inadequate nutrition, which will affect them long term.
3. Unemployment long term of millions, many of them over 40 and through the 50s and early 60s in age, who will never be able to gain employment at all at any time, or at the most, never make anywhere near the same income they had been earning in good times.
4. The destruction of the retirement funds and plans of millions of senior citizens, who now have to work many more years than planned just to survive.
5. The lack of health insurance and coverage of many millions of people who cannot afford to go to a doctor or hospital, or afford extremely expensive medication that would prolong life.
6. The lack of educational opportunity for those who are in poverty stricken neighborhoods, and receive an inferior education due to local property taxes being the main source of educational funding.
7. The discrimination against the children of undocumented immigrants, who discover when becoming adults, that they cannot attend college or join the military, and are threatened with deportation, along with discrimination visited against them and their parents and family members in states, such as Alabama and Arizona, because of illegal immigration laws which are being challenged in the federal courts.
8. The continuing challenge for disabled Americans, whether from birth or as a result of accidents or health problems, who, despite the Americans With Disabilities Act passed under President George H. W. Bush in 1990, still face barriers to equality of treatment.

These eight problems listed above are the REAL social challenges, but the Republican Party and so called “religious” people totally ignore these issues, instead promoting a new version of the old Social Darwinism and Laizzez Faire Economics prevalent in the Gilded Age of the late 19th century!

In other words, they want to go back to the 19th century, wipe out the 20th century, and promote good old “Christian” and “Unbridled Capitalism” values, which made America a nation ripe for reform and change, including the Progressive Era, The New Deal, and The Great Society!

This attempt to return to the old conservatism is a great evil which must be defeated by all good, really “religious” people of all faiths, who believe in equality of opportunity and fairness and consideration of others less fortunate than those of us who are lucky and successful, and do not experience the hardships of others!

The past is the past, and we need to look to the future, and realize if one American is homeless, hungry, denied health care and education, or discriminated against, then we are all worse off because of those realities!

This must be a country of WE, rather than simply ME!

Alabama Surpasses Arizona With Hateful, Nativist Anti Immigration Law!

Ronald 2 Comments

After the uproar over the Arizona illegal immigration law of 2010, now being appealed in the federal courts, one would have thought that no state could surpass them in narrow mindedness, hate, and nativism, but that has now become the case with the state of Alabama.

The state of some of the worst examples of “Jim Crow” segregation for many generations, and the state of infamous segregationist George C. Wallace, has now put into action an anti immigration law that is described by many as the cruelest imaginable!

Four Alabama church leaders–Episcopal, Methodist, and Roman Catholic–have led the fight against the law, which goes into effect two days from now!

They say it criminalizes acts of Christian compassion by making potential criminals of anyone who may work or live with them or show them consideration!

Undocumented immigrants may not work, rent a home, sign any contract, and can be stopped by the police to check their status if there is suspicion of any kind!

Anyone who knowingly “conceals, harbors, or shields” an illegal immigrant can be charged with a crime–including renting a place to live, driving that person to church, or taking them to a doctor!

Schools must check the status of all students, and businesses can lose licenses to operate if they hire illegal, undocumented immigrants!

Harassment and racial profiling are the result, and the Justice Department and the American Civil Liberties Union are suing to block enforcement!

This situation reminds one of the anti Jewish actions taken by Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany in the mid 1930s, with the Nuremburg Laws coming to mind. Of course, many will say that is ridiculous as a comparison, but is it really, when one looks at the past history of African Americans in Alabama during the near century of “Jim Crow” laws and racial violence by the Ku Klux Klan and other terrorist groups, and also the intimidation visited against Jews and Catholics?

The only people who can celebrate this law are the KKK, and other white supremacy groups! It puts Alabama to shame, and puts it back on the list of the ten worst states, a group that it might have been escaping with some racial progress in recent years, but now rapidly disappearing with this hateful, nativist, despicable legislation!

Finally, An Important Change On Deportation Of Illegal Immigrants!

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Three months ago, this author wrote of the need for President Obama to stop the mass deportations of illegal immigrants and their children, and work to gain the passage of the DREAM Act, allowing young immigrants to go into the military or attend college, and work toward a path to citizenship.

The point was that the emphasis on deportation of illegal immigrants should be on those who are involved in illegal, criminal activities that undermine the nation, while the vast majority are going about their business, and should not be targeted for deportation.

Finally, the Obama Administration has determined to do what was promoted by many groups and this author, and therefore, this is a time for celebration, as many of these illegal immigrants are contributing daily to this nation, and their youths wish to become American citizens and be assets to this country in a positive way for the long term future!

Obama has promoted more deportations than George W. Bush, angering progressives, but he finally has gotten the message, and it is therefore to be applauded as a major step!

So the Department of Homeland Security will focus on high priority cases, and limit action against children, military families, individuals brought to this nation at a young age, same sex couples, amd sole bread winners. Security risks or criminal elements are the only illegal, undocumented immigrants who should be expelled from the country!

And police officers should not be given the responsibility to deal with illegal immigrants, as that is a federal matter, not a state and local issue, despite what Arizona has attempted to do, now being challenged in the federal courts!

From An Economic Crisis To A Constitutional Crisis: The Insanity Of Tea Party Conservative Republicans In The House Of Representatives!

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With Tea Party and conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives holding firmly against any raising of the debt ceiling by raising revenue through tax reform and the ending of tax loopholes, it seems more likely that we may reach a situation where the good faith and credit of the United States could be lost by August 2, leading to a worldwide economic collapse that would put our nation into another Great Depression!

What could be done to prevent this scenario if no agreement is reached between the White House and Congressional Republicans?

As Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner had suggested in May, the 14th Amendment, Section 4, would be a solution, as it guarantees all government debts must be paid, so the debt ceiling would automatically go up without a congressional vote under such a situation.

But now, there are threats of impeachment of the President, first suggested by black Republican conservative Congressman Tim Scott of South Carolina, a member just as looney as Congressman Allen West of Florida in his irrationality!

Of course, there have been threats of impeachment before over ending support of the Defense of Marriage Act; illegal immigration policy; and the “Birther” controversy by other nutty Republicans, and Obama will not let such threats deter him from doing the responsible thing!

But it means we may be moving soon from an economic crisis to a constitutional crisis, and if that is the case, bring it on, as there is no way that Obama would ever be removed from office by a two thirds vote of the US Senate!

The economic survival of the nation is more important than the fruitless move to impeach another President, bringing back memories of the abuse of impeachment by the Republicans against President Bill Clinton in 1998-1999!

The Illogical Effects Of Anti Immigration Laws In The States

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Arizona started the ball rolling on anti immigrant legislation last year, attempting to crack down on illegal immigration, and has been joined by Georgia, North Carolina, and Alabama recently, as well as laws or restrictions being proposed in numerous other states. The federal government is involved in legal action against these discriminatory laws.

The illogical effects of these anti immigration laws include:

1. Economic damage by loss of tourism and a major exodus of people from the state boundaries.
2. The cost of implementation of the new laws, at a time of limited resources.
3. The legal costs of defending the laws against expensive lawsuits.
4. The loss of the labor of these workers who fill jobs no one else is willing to take.
5. The loss of the contributions of young illegal immigrants to our military service and educational accomplishments, instead deporting them to nations they have no memory of, which means we blame them for the sins of their parents, a truly grievous miscarriage of justice.

It would be preferable to work to integrate the illegal immigrants into the economy of the states, increasing tax revenues and the economic stability of the states. And realize that the vast majority of these people have come to improve their lives or escape religious or political persecution, not to break our laws, so allow them a path to citizenship over a period of time and meeting of requirements, but not putting them ahead of those who came legally!

Jose Antonio Vargas: A Personal Case Of The Problem Of Illegal Immigrant Youth And The Need For Passage Of The DREAM Act!

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Jose Antonio Vargas is a 30 year old Filipino immigrant who has become an award winning journalist for the Washington Post and the Huffington Post.

He is also, as he revealed to us in a NY Times article last month, an undocumented immigrant, who only learned about his status at age 16 when he applied for a learner’s permit to drive an automobile.

His article revealed the insecurity and sense of lack of national connection being forced on innocent immigrant children who are brought over to this country by family at a young age, and have no understanding that their families came illegally. When they discover that, they are totally in shock and have trouble relating to the idea that they cannot enter the military or go to college because of their illegal status, through no fault of their own, and also face the threat of being deported to a nation they have no memory of at all!

These young people only wish to contribute to the country they have grown to adulthood in, and the DREAM Act provides that possibility, but it is in limbo as part of the nativist anti-immigrant movement prevalent in many areas of this country!

Vargas felt a need to bring attention to this issue by bringing up his own case, putting his own ability to remain in this country in jeopardy.

He should be applauded, and the push for the DREAM Act is essential as we are losing many talented young people for our future, and victimizing innocent young people in the process!

Revelation In Georgia: Illegal Immigrants Needed For Agricultural Work Despite Tough Law Passed Against Them!

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More states are passing strict laws on illegal immigration, similar to Arizona’s law, which will be litigated by the Supreme Court in its next term.

Georgia is one of those attempting to crack down on illegal immigration in a tough manner, but it has now been discovered that this is creating a tremendous shortage of available workers for the agricultural crop, including the famous Georgia peaches!

It turns out that it is very hard to find workers to do agricultural work, which is back breaking and low paying and requires dealing with working outside in the hot Georgia sun all day! It is not a job for those who wish to have comfortable and decent paying work! It is also a skill to know how to do the work efficiently and speedily, and these illegal immigrants do it well and without complaint, since they are willing to work harder for lower pay than any of us!

So it means that suddenly we may not see fruits and vegetables get to market, and maybe we will have to pay more for such items by paying higher wages to those Americans who might be willing to subject themselves to the work conditions, but it will not be easy to find such individuals!

We are not about to see a rush to volunteer for such jobs, even in a time of high unemployment, as this is not the kind of work that most people born in America can conceptualize themselves doing day after day for 10-12 hours a day!

So it is a fact, hard for many to accept, that discriminating against illegal immigrants, instead of working to make them legal and contributing citizens of this nation, is really spiting ourselves to get satisfaction that we are going after those “inferior” people who make our lives better by picking our agricultural crops, doing our lawns, cleaning our homes, taking care of our children, and a myriad of other difficult jobs that we take for granted as we go about our lives thinking we are, somehow, better than them!

As Lawrence O’Donnell of MSNBC has said, immigration has been the lifeblood of our nation, and we only hurt ourselves if we strike out against those who are really, what we were through our ancestors generations ago, hated and despised, whether legal or illegal!

The Recklessness And Irresponsibility Of Many State Governments In The Midst Of Economic Hard Times!

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At a time when the nation is facing the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression, many state governments, particularly those governed by Republicans, are wasting their time, instead of creating job opportunities!

In reality, many states, by their policies, or lack of them, are creating MORE unemployment, and promoting division among their citizens!

Instead of dealing with real issues, many states are appealing to the emotions and prejudices of their citizens, promoting hysteria and disarray in the process!

States are busy doing the following:

1. Passing legislation to make abortion more difficult to obtain.
2. Working against gay marriage rights or civil unions.
3. Enacting legislation against “Sharia” or Muslim law, a total “red herring” exploiting fear, where there is no chance of such law becoming part of the American legal system.
4. Making English an “official” language, a strike against immigrants, both legal and illegal.
5. Cracking down on illegal immigration in ways that will have to come to the Supreme Court, as to whether they are constitutional.
6. Setting out to destroy labor union rights of public employees, who have served their states and communities loyally, but now are being made “scapegoats” for economic hard times.

So, these are hard times in the states, being made worse by the narrow mindedness and prejudices of the population, being stoked by irresponsible politicians!