Posted by
Vansword on Thursday, October 29, 2009 1:22:14 PM
Immigration is an issue that has long simmered on the back burner of the public conscience. Progressive liberals continue former President Bush's open border policy, scoffing at fences proposed by Conservatives. For their part, Conservatives demand that healthcare reform not include medical insurance for illegal aliens. The subject is a touchy one, as many of us are at arm's length from someone who has migrated to this country.
There are neighbors, coworkers, and extended family members whom we don't wish to offend. Most of these people have done things the 'right' way. They work and earn a decent income; they often support not only their families here with them, but family back in the home country. They are vocal in their respect for the Constitution and the rule of law that they pledged allegiance to when taking the citizenship oath.
However, there are those who come over here with an outrageous chip on their shoulder! They want all the rights and privileges of citizenship without having to pay any of the dues that us natural-born Americans accept as part of life. What is so troubling about their attitudes is the unspoken insistence that their rights trump those of native born Anglo-Americans. On last look, the Bill of Rights-our Bill of Rights-is still in affect! It protects our personal liberties. It promises to protect those of anyone else who strives to become a part of our citizenry with hard work, patience and respect.
Maybe these people should ask themselves, "What gives me the right to demand in one day what most Americans or legitimate immigrants have worked for years to obtain." No, if you want to have rights as a citizen, you have to earn them!! Fill out the necessary paperwork, get a job, learn English and wait patiently through the necessary time period that the government requires.
The increasingly tense environment of political correctness is leading to overreaction regarding the subject of immigration. It is much the same as the perception by some segments of the black community that opposition to President Obama spells racism. Far from creating a 'post-racial' world where the color of one's skin matters less than the content of his character(Dr. King's words), the election of a minority member to the White House with a cadre of leftist-leaning liberals has resulted in the most pubescent, ultrasensitivity imagined. People are accused of being racist and anti-cultural if they want to speak their native tongue of English or agree with a white man!
The huddled masses who came here to find a better way of life are aghast at the methods of a certain unorthodox sheriff in Arizona who didn't mess around when it came to his belief that illegal immigrants either do things the right way or risk punishment(he forced prisoners to wear pink jumpsuits and live in tents outside.). He had the nerve to actually do something about the illegal immigrant problem in Arizona when everyone in the government was dropping the ball!
Sheriff Joe Arapaio has now been told by the federal government that he cannot deal with his prisoners in this way and must house them in hotels. In the course of ferreting out illegal behaviors, the sheriff and his men come across immigrants who are, shall we say, not of the legal variety. The government wants to put these illegals in hotels? Why don't we go ahead and offer them room service and a spa treatment while we're at it! It's more of a vacation than the average working Joe in this country gets lately.
When Taos, N.M. hotel owner, Larry Whitten, fired several employees who refused to anglicize their names at their boss's request, Hispanic protestors lined up in opposition to Whitten's legitimate right to conduct business in a way he considers most effective. The employees in question worked the switchboard and Whitten insists that because he has calls from customers from all over the U.S., they often deal with people who don't understand the employees' accents. By all accounts, Whitten is a fair boss; he hires Spanish-speaking individuals regularly, and treats and pays them well. But the practical aspects of the hotel owner's actions are overshadowed by that same overzealous, politically correct fever that is sweeping through progressive liberal groups in this nation like the California wildfires!
In a recent interview, CNN reporter Velez-Mitchell tried to paint this picture of Whitten: "If that's the only way they can feel better about themselves, by saying that in some way they are superior because of an accident of birth, then I really have compassion for them...You know, arrogance based on achievement, I can respect." That explains her attitude. After all, she's a big time media personality on...oh, that's right....last place CNN!
A gold star to her fellow reporter Rick Sanchez, who proceeded to take Velez-Mitchell to task for not giving Whitten a fair shake. Sanchez told her that his own name was a long Hispanic one and that he had shortened it to make life easier because as he put it, "..I'm not going to let my being Latin get in the way of what is a respectful way of behaving when you're in somebody else's country. The culture of the United States is not Latin..." That summation is clearly the heart of the matter.....and clearly hate speech if you're one of the left-leaning huddled masses.
It's no wonder Americans are getting tired of the whining and pity parties other cultures are holding for themselves. There are Mexican rights' groups out west who are radical in their bent; they want to "take back" the seven western states that they think are rightfully theirs. I'm sorry. Could someone please remind them what the Alamo was about? Wasn't it about Texas not wanting to be a part of Mexico?
The flames of contention over this supposed 'cultural racism' are being fanned by liberal groups, from La Raza to evangelical and Lutheran
organizations; they find any speech that objects to illegal immigration or that dares to disagree with someone of a different culture to be "hate speech". Such speech is usually the personal opinion of talk show hosts, political pundits and average Americans. On last look, someone's personal opinion is still guranteed under the First Amendment. How one conducts his place of private business, or what he says on media commentaries is a protection we Americans expect...that we demand as part of 'our' rights. La Raza has gone so far as to petition the FCC to crack down on this so-called hate speech.
Complicating the issue are efforts by U.S. and Mexican officials to crack down on the Mafia-esque drug cartels whose violence has now reached suburban cul-du-sacs in America. No doubt, this political correctness will soon spill over to the 'rights' of these monsters who kidnapp and murder our citizens as part of their criminal operations!
America welcomes any Mexican or other immigrant who comes here to start a better life-who works, pays his taxes(just like we do), deals with federal red tape(just like we do) learns English and behaves in a neighborly and helpful way with his "fellow Americans". What we will not stand for is being told outright that they have more rights than we who were born here, that they will not follow the rules(as we are required to) and who exhibit hostility and conduct themselves in the manner of soldiers participating in an invasion!