I’m responding to the July 27 LTE from Donald A. Moskowitz, of Londonderry NH.
You know, I am sick to death of the distortions and misrepresentations that go along with the whole Republican axe about illegal immigration, and I’m going to set Mr. Moskowitz down for a talking to.
The whole immigration issue is being thrown up in the air by Republicans who have no ideas other than to sell the government to the biggest corporation. Having nothing positive to add to the national discourse, Republicans have to find something for their predominantly white, rich business class base to be all hell fired up about. Fox News has to have SOMEthing to go on about.
Blame immigrants.
Moskowitz says the government “should provide the personnel and resources to secure our borders.” I agree. But border security – i.e: preventing terrorist attacks stateside and the like – is a bit different from illegal immigration – i.e: preventing a Latina from finding her way to Las Vegas where she can clean up Mr. Moskowitz’s hotel room.
Moskowitz says “Over the years, tens of millions of immigrants from Europe and other continents entered the U.S. legally through Ellis Island and other locations. They learned English, studied history, and took a citizenship examination to qualify to become citizens.”
Dude. Hardly. Many died in the European exoduses to this country. Many, who spoke little or no English at all had their names changed at Ellis Island. Many had to undergo “intelligence tests” and were returned home because their intellects were not deemed of sufficient quality to mix with the American population. Moskowitz makes the European immigration experience sound like an orderly picnic.
They learned to speak English? Many did. Many didn’t. I can still tell you stories about elderly ladies on the East Side of Clearfield who still chose to speak Italian instead of English. So “stugatz” to that. Their children, who I ran around with, learned English very nicely.
Moskowitz continues: “These potential immigrants (He speaks of the 11 million current illegals and calls for the deportation of all 11 million of them – without considering how much it costs and how many officers it would take to find, identify and deport a population of 11 million people.) can then go through the immigration process, become proficient in English, and obtain knowledge of U.S. history and our government, and then qualify for citicenship.”
Dude, what a load of crap? I’m sure Great Grandma Moskowitz had to learn English, know the presidents in order, discuss a bicameral government and know Roberts’ Rules of Order before they let her through Ellis Island. For the love of Jesus, man, have you ever seen Jay Leno’s “Jay Walking” segment. There are 11 million Americans who have no idea about that stuff. So Mr. Moskowitz would like immigrants to be SMARTER than regular Americans, most of whom, like Mr. Moskowitz, I hold in utter intellectual contempt. Americans are stupid. That’s why we have a stupid government.
If you want to discuss immigration reform, let’s begin by framing it in the way it ought to be framed. This is not a border security issue. This is an economic issue. Latinos today who sneak into this country at risk to their own lives and families are desperate. The same way Great Grandma Moskowitz might have been desperate for a better life. They are risking their lives to find work. Think that through for a minute. How many white guys do you know who would do the same?
When the United States passes free trade laws and supports globalization, what they are doing is killing the local of economies of countries like Mexico in the name of Free Trade. Ross Perot, back in the day, famously said of NAFTA, “That sucking sound you hear is American jobs going to Mexico.” He was right. Our jobs have gone from being $17 an hour factory jobs that people could get by on without much more than a high school education to nothing but a welfare state as a result. And GM’s plants in Mexico now pay $17 A WEEK to what amounts to little more than slave labor in a broken, destitute economy that makes that $17 worth even less.
You want to talk about immigration and toss it up in the air as an election issue? Good then. I wanna talk about how the globalization and corporatization you support CAUSES the human and cultural wreckage in other countries that results in illegal immigration. Fix the capitalist free traders and you fix immigration policy at the same time.
If there were jobs in Mexico, they would stay home.
Shawn Inlow
Osceola Mills, PA
