Compromise Isn't Always Right
Many of those writing on this new immigration proposal fixate on Republican opposition to the bill’s “pathway to citizenship” for undocumented immigrants. But such coverage conveniently ignores the strong opposition among the comprehensive-reform camp -- who perhaps have more over which to object. Not only does the bill attempt to tighten our borders -- an ineffective means of reducing undocumented migration that will kill increasingly more people even than it does now -- but it severely hamstrings the meager laws already in place by actually cutting back on the types of relationships through which documented immigrants and U.S. citizens can bring their relatives here and making the process much more difficult for those who will still qualify. What that means is more undocumented immigrants in the USA (because they can’t come through official venues) and more families divided by other people’s politics. So much for family values.
Now, the bill seems in danger itself -- mostly because of the amendments legislators keep trying to tack onto it, crowing about what “the American People” want. Frankly, I’m not sure how they know what people want -- it certainly can’t be from what they called “hearings” last year, which were rather tax-payer-funded campaign stops for anti-immigrant legislators at which they barred opinions that differed from theirs, if they let the American people speak at all.
There is certainly a vociferous pro-enforcement presence in this country now -- unsurprising in the current terrified, nationalistic era in which we toss aside the facts of situations and follow our guts or the guts of the mob without reason. Regardless, if the wizened members of our government (the judiciary) had done what “the American People” wanted 50 years ago, racial segregation would have lasted a lot longer than it did in this country. With our appalling blindness to knowledge and reality, should we sightless really be guiding each other? Of course not. But then who will lead us? Start reading.
(Open Veins will bring you a more detailed examination of the bill when we can. We must follow our own words, after all.)
Technorati tags: Immigration, Politics, Congress, undocumented, alien,Senate, Illegal, bill.
Now, the bill seems in danger itself -- mostly because of the amendments legislators keep trying to tack onto it, crowing about what “the American People” want. Frankly, I’m not sure how they know what people want -- it certainly can’t be from what they called “hearings” last year, which were rather tax-payer-funded campaign stops for anti-immigrant legislators at which they barred opinions that differed from theirs, if they let the American people speak at all.
There is certainly a vociferous pro-enforcement presence in this country now -- unsurprising in the current terrified, nationalistic era in which we toss aside the facts of situations and follow our guts or the guts of the mob without reason. Regardless, if the wizened members of our government (the judiciary) had done what “the American People” wanted 50 years ago, racial segregation would have lasted a lot longer than it did in this country. With our appalling blindness to knowledge and reality, should we sightless really be guiding each other? Of course not. But then who will lead us? Start reading.
(Open Veins will bring you a more detailed examination of the bill when we can. We must follow our own words, after all.)
Technorati tags: Immigration, Politics, Congress, undocumented, alien,Senate, Illegal, bill.
posted by Jeremy Goren at 8:45 AM
1 Comments:
I'm sorry. I've become such a cynic.
This entire situation is about coddling big business. Instead of dealing with the problem of those who make money off the “illegal worker” the powers that be choose to charge the “illegal worker” $5,000 trying to make a life in the "new world" of the USA.
At this rate, the only ones who could afford to stay are the drug dealers, gang members and successful criminal types.
Punitive measures (in the colors of immigration reform) against the poor, the needy, the desperate and, ironically, the most hopeful and honest of these would-be new citizens will continue to multiply until this current brazenly callous administration comes to an end.
Now, after the mid-term elections, even the Democrats seem less than trust worthy for all the drum banging for change they claimed to have stood for.
Like I've said, I've become a cynic. Cynicism is its own disease leading to apathy, lack of action and a disbelief in the power of making a difference. But that is an entirely different conversation.
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