LEGALIZED HATE

by Ruth Sheets

I am  currently listening to an edition of This American Life on NPR.  It describes the results of the recent Alabama immigration law.  The law essentially legalizes the worst aspects of human behavior.  It encourages law enforcement, employers, and non-Hispanic Alabamans to treat their neighbors so badly that they will want to “return” to wherever they came from. 

One woman reported that clerks in a store wouldn’t serve her and another described her experience in church of neighbors not wanting to share the “Peace of Christ” with her.  How Christian of them!  Students, born in Alabama reported harassment by classmates including making them sit in the back of the class.  (Sound familiar?)

I can’t help but think that this now legalizes the hatred that has been so much a part of Alabama life for a couple hundred years.  Before, it was White against Black.  Now, it is about White and other Alabamans against anyone who looks foreign.   

A white state representative, a strong supporter of the bill, told a story about a woman who came to him claiming she couldn’t get a job because illegal immigrants took those jobs.  He said that the drop in unemployment in Alabama was because “illegals” had left the state and employers were now hiring “citizens.”  There is no evidence that his story is true or that the unemployment rate was in any way affected by immigrants leaving the state, but he clearly believes it.

There was no problem regarding immigrants in Alabama before 2010 according to another representative, but Republicans needed an issue that would get them more power.  He claims that the National Republican party chose to “try out some new legislation” in Alabama.  If it worked there, it could work elsewhere. 

It seems that a Republican strategist, Kobach, from Kansas is busy writing laws for states regarding immigration.  He is smart and physically looks like some kind of “superhero,” and he is a manipulator and really proud.  He plays on people’s fears and uses his intelligence to stir up hatred that is already present.

His hatred movement is now spreading to other states, especially those where Republicans currently have power.  His plans are grandiose.   He wants to enlist the aid of state law enforcement on his behalf to drive out “illegals” all over the country if we let him. It’s too bad he didn’t find something  more humane to do with his intelligence.     

The Alabama majority Whip wants to “tweak the bill,” but when asked if he thought Jesus would vote for the new provisions, he admitted “probably not.”

Self-deportation, that’s the way to drive people from America who “don’t belong here.”  So, we can hate people out of this country and be commended for it.  How good of us! 

I suspect that many people from Alabama and other states would like to have done that to their former slaves.  They did drive many of them north.  Passing such restrictive hateful immigration laws lets these “Americans” have an outlet for their frustration.  This frustration may have nothing to do with their immigrant neighbors, but that’s OK, “I am angry and afraid.  And, they’re here.”

TEAM HYPOCRISY - RAH RAH RAH!

by Ruth Sheets

Alabama has passed an ultra anti-immigrant law.  This law calls on citizens to report suspected undocumented immigrants. The children of these immigrants can’t attend school since they don't have a US birth certificate.  No one is allowed to hire any of these people and police officers can pick up anyone whom they feel just might be undocumented.

This law essentially turns neighbors into informants.  It is not necessary to “know” that someone is undocumented if one simply suspects it. 

Police officers become immigration officials.  One wonders how they “know” who is undocumented.  The suspect must just look like someone who is undocumented.  In other settings, that might be called racial profiling

Supporters of this law would shy away from any comparisons to life in Hitler’s Germany or Communist Russia, but this type of turning in a targeted group is not so far removed from those earlier periods in history.

It seems easy to target people whom one considers illegal, who didn’t follow proscribed rules for entering America. However, how many of these supporters come from families whose forebears came here without papers? 

In their attempt to “balance” news coverage, both sides must be represented.  Supporters of the law appear on every show.  I find it interesting how many of these supporters have names that clearly mark them as descendents of immigrants to the US during the last century.  Their parents may have struggled, but did well enough here to give their children significant opportunities they would not have had if they’d remained in their countries of origin.

Why are these 2nd and 3rd generation Americans so unwilling to offer the same opportunities to this century’s immigrants?  Hypocrisy, of course. 

And, to be sure to get other citizens on their side, they accuse immigrants of draining welfare, coming here just to have American citizen children, essentially , stealing America’s bounty.  Why does this apply only to the immigrants of today?  Hypocrisy, of course.

Team Hypocrisy has members all over America, trying to turn Americans into spying, stingy racists, yelling “freedom” and "democracy” but unwilling to extend the blessings of either to others.

"Illegal alien” is the term most often used.  Such terms make those so labeled seem different, deserving of being uprooted and deported even if they have lived here, contributing to  the American dream for many years.

When we deport people, what are we sending them back to?  Do we really care?  Are we so comfortable with ourselves in our righteousness that it doesn’t matter as long as they are gone?

We are a country of immigrants.  Immigrants have made us a great nation and will continue to do so if we step back and see that we can do better.  Our immigrant parents and grandparents would not be pleased to see us doing to a new generation of immigrants what was done to them.

Fellow citizens, let’s take up the challenge to stand bravely against Team Hypocrisy and fight for a more humane immigrant policy.  Let us ignore the calls to act badly toward our immigrant neighbors.  Let us fight against the un-American laws so eagerly being passed and stand with our neighbors who want to live an American dream too.