Divided we fall...
The NYT has an editorial on immigration today and this line really struck me.
I remember the violence of the civil rights movement. I know historically any new wave of immigrants has been vilified, but I've never seen the country so divided and the populace so damned angry -- about everything. The GOP stoked the embers of bigotry into a conflageration of hatred for their own political gain. Now we're left to sift through the cinders of our national identity, in a perhaps vain attempt, to find common cause.
When's the last time you heard someone call this country the United States of America? I'm not sure the name applies anymore.
The Senate's debate has laid bare a hostility to immigrants that is depressing in its spitefulness and vigor.Depressing is the right word. There's something mind numbingly sad about our country today. We seem to have lost the sense that we're Americans first, not me and my sociological peer group first.
I remember the violence of the civil rights movement. I know historically any new wave of immigrants has been vilified, but I've never seen the country so divided and the populace so damned angry -- about everything. The GOP stoked the embers of bigotry into a conflageration of hatred for their own political gain. Now we're left to sift through the cinders of our national identity, in a perhaps vain attempt, to find common cause.
When's the last time you heard someone call this country the United States of America? I'm not sure the name applies anymore.
posted by Libby Spencer at 8:29 PM
4 Comments:
The immigration debate has me angry too, but not at the immigrants. I'm pissed off because the government has such double standards. Those who came here illegally will be allowed to pay a little money and jump through some hoops to get permanent status. The employers who hired these millions of illegals will get off Scot free with no fines or punishments. Meanwhile, if I pull out of my driveway here in Michigan and forget to buckle my seatbelt, the police will issue me a $65 ticket.
That is what I am so angry about. Why do we even have laws anymore?
Oh, and about that fence along the border, why should the American taxpayer pay for that? We didn't do anything illegal - the employers who hired people illegally did. They should be footing the entire bill. Once again, us law abiding citizens get screwed.
Really good point about the fence. I assume you caught George's post that it will cost $3 mil a mile to build. And of course the contract is going to one of the GOP cronies. I forget if was Halliburton or one of the subsidaries but it's one of the big ones.
Yeah, I saw Bullard's post about the fence. I should go back and point out that the taxpayers shouldn't be paying one cent toward the fence, but I've run out of steam lately. I'll let Lou Dobbs fight that battle!!
Okay, so this morning the Senate decides to symbolically come down on the employers who hired these immigrants by doubling the fine up to a "possible" $20,000. They are throwing us a bone and have no intention of actually backing that up. In my opinion, they should deal information for citizenship rights - names of the people who hired you in exchange for amnesty.
One other thing (sorry, I'm venting), what about all the cash deals? What do they propose doing about the day laborers and the thousands of businesses that pick up people on corners across the country daily? I have a friend in S. Carolina who said the skilled craftsmen are suffering in her area because of the day laborers. Employers show up at 6:00 am and hire painters, drywallers, finish carpenters, etc., to work on construction sites for $5-6 an hour cash under the table. Law enforcement needs to crack down on this and start handing out those $20,000 fines when they see this stuff happening.
I just ranted on that myself in the comments to the other post but I so agree with you Kathy.
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