Immigration Reform – It’s Time. It’s Fair.

by Ruth A Sheets

I just watched the new documentary film “Dream Now.”  Four young immigrants who were brought to America by parents when they were children are now hoping to make a place for themselves in their new country.  The problem, of course, their parents came here illegally.

Supposedly, there will be a vote in Congress this week, described as “massive immigration reform” and “a complete overhaul of immigration.”  I suspect that neither is an accurate description.

The folks in power, and many Americans in general, want to be sure that anyone who came here without permission will have to pay, hopefully for the rest of their lives for their criminal invasion of our precious shores.  We can’t have amnesty because that will lead more undesirables to come here.

In the past decade or so, since this has again become such a huge issue, I have heard people complain that illegal immigrants didn’t wait in line to come here as they should have. Those illegals who are here should go back where they came from and get in line like everyone else.

What a bunch of nonsense!  The people “back home” who did get permission were

often folks who knew someone who knew someone who could get them in.  Does that make them more worthy than someone who braves the Arizona desert to make a better life for themselves and their family? 

Marco Rubio, Senator from Florida has set himself up as some kind of champion for immigration.  However, he wants to make it as close to impossible for people who are undocumented to become citizens.  The hypocrisy is that Mr. Rubio is a member of the priviledged class, the anti-Castro element from Cuba who have had a red carpet path right from the island to American citizenship.  Are the Cuban immigrants more worthy than the Chinese immigrant who thought she was coming here for a decent life and found herself illegal when she arrived?

We are obsessed with building and maintaining the fense across our Mexican border.  Why are we so frightened of our neighbors to the south?  The terrorists who perpetrated 911 did not come through Mexico. 

I don’t believe we can be reminded often enough that this is a nation of immigrants.  All of us are immigrants, even the Native Americans who came 20,000 years ago.  Most of our ancestors did not come here “with permission.”  Many were brought here in chains as either slaves or prisoners.  Others snuck in on ships or planes.  Many came through Ellis Island, sometimes the result of an arbitrary decision by a sympathetic official.      

 

What do these folks have in common?  They and their descendants who still live here are Americans  and share some common values and practices.  They work to make better lives for their families.  They want their children to have better opportunities than they have had. 

Guess what? The undocumented immigrants want the same things.  They, too, want to be part of this crazy, wild, sometimes out-of-control experiment that is The United States of America.  Let’s make it possible for them to do so.  Set up a five-your waiting period when the adults can learn about our history and government, pay taxes, commit to this nation.  Their children should be able to become citizens within 2 years so they can help their parents earn the money necessary to pay the fees which Congress will surely require.

Let’s get over the fear that the “illegal immigrants will take all our jobs and leave us unemployed."  It is not the immigrants who will do that.  It is the people who own the businesses that hire as few people as possible, pay as little as they can, and accumulate obscene profits who will do it. but that’s another story.

Overwhelmed

by Ruth A. Sheets

I just checked back and saw that this is near the anniversary of the founding of the leastheardfrom blog.  I also noted that I have not made a contribution to the blog for a few months. That is really pathetic. It is not that I have nothing to say. There is a lot going on that screams for comment.

I realized as I sat down this evening that I am overwhelmed by the avalanche of dislike and disdain that some elements of America have aimed at the vast majority of Americans. 

I had hoped that with the victory of President Obama in November that some civility would seep into the work and rhetoric of Republicans. I  thought they would notice that the country is crying for some degree of unity.  Boy, was I naive!  If anything, the anti-Obama talk and the smear tactics Republicans crafted for 2012 are still in force.  The Republicans are still in “oppose everything” mode.

Sensible gun regulation should be a no-brainer, after the mass killings and the ongoing gun violence.  However, Republicans, along with their NRA handlers are doing their best to see that no changes in gun laws happen.  Well, not exactly, they want more people to own and carry guns, even in our schools.

Immigration reform should have been at the top of the Republican agenda since they received fewer than 30 percent of the Hispanic vote in November.  Nearly four months after being sworn in, this congress still has not even begun to seriously look at the topic. They want more and bigger fences before they do anything for the people involved.

Republicans whine that they are not perpetrating a “war on women.”  They even send their squad of token women out for interviews on shows that claim to present a balanced  view of the issue.  While these women gush that they have everything they need, Republican legislatures are significantly limiting women’s reproductive choice and equal pay. Men in the military are allowed to dismiss cases against convicted rapists, just "because."   

Our Republican “friends” are determined to limit Social Security and Medicare because it supports the folks they refer to as “The Takers” while of course, the Republicans are “The Givers.”  Even President Obama is caving and willing to stop cost of living increases for seniors to placate Republicans who have no intention of allowing the rich to pay their fair share.

The Republican assault on education continues. Vouchers, charter schools, funding cuts all undermine our real public schools. Then, in Atlanta, the teachers who cheated on the state tests so their kids could get more funding and resources were imprisoned with bails that murderers and rapists rarely see.  Isn’t it nice we don’t have to seriously look at the relationship between low scores and poverty?  It’s teachers who are to blame for all that.

Our Supreme Court talks of “racial entitlements” and complains that same-sex marriage is just too new to be ruled on effectively.  They didn’t seem to have any trouble giving the money-soaked corporations opportunities to influence our elections anonymously, calling these corporate players,  “persons.”  What about the real persons who just want their relationships to be recognized?

So, possibly like you, I am overwhelmed.  I am appalled that we taxpayers support Republicans in congress who are not working for us.  They can’t give up cherished biases for the good of the country.  In fact, I suspect that most elected Republicans have no idea what “the common good” is.  The sad part is that I am not sure how much more aware Democrats are.  They too have their handlers for whom they must perform. 

Where does that leave those of us who do know what “the Common Good” means?