Yesterday the Senate failed to pass an immigration bill that would have provided funds to solidify our borders and naturalize an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in our country. If you think this was a Democratic-backed legislation, think again. President Bush was a strong proponent of this bill.
Accompanied with the headline story about the immigration bill in this morning’s Washington Post was an article titled, “Small-Town Resistance Helped to Seal Defeat.” It provided insight into part of the reason for the bill’s failure – the xenophobia of “small town” Americans. While I don’t have a concrete position on the immigration bill, I was disturbed by the reasons that some “small town” Americans opposed it. Sure, the people quoted in the article are not exactly a reflection of all people from small towns but they certainly reinforce the perception of some that they are insular racists.
For example:
That was the first time I looked around and said, ‘Man, I didn’t realize how many Mexicans there were here,’ [Stephanie] Usrey, 39, recalled. ‘And they don’t seem to feel any discomfort when they’re, like, six inches from your face and talking to each other in their language, either. I just felt very encroached upon….It was like an instant feeling of ‘I’m in the minority, and if we don’t get control over this, pretty soon all of America will be outnumbered.”
Well Stephanie, that’s precisely how white Americans felt about the Italians, Irish, and Jews that passed through Ellis Island. We’re all familiar with white people who would sweat beads if they were in a place full of African Americans where they are the “minority”. It is an abomination when non-whites are not comfortably dispersed throughout the country where they cannot collectively threaten white domination!
Charles Slay, 73, described how, on a recent visit to the emergency room at the city’s main medical center, he was incensed to find it filled with Mexicans, whom he presumed were seeking non-emergency care because they lacked health insurance. ‘You should’ve seen how I had to holler to get the nurse’s attention,’ he said.
Charles, Charles, Charles…that sounds like what happened prior to 1964, where it was a crime for a white person to get in line behind black people.
But [Max Crawford] is also unsettled by many of their customs, such as a tendency to throw toilet paper in the trash rather than in the toilet — a common practice in areas of Latin America where commodes do not flush with sufficient force to handle paper. ‘I mean, we actually had to show them a video explaining how you’re supposed to put the toilet paper in the toilet,’ he said.
Crawford said he decided to get in touch with his senators because, ‘Everyone was saying you need to let them know how you feel about this right now.’
So this is a valid reason to shoot down the immigration bill, because they throw wads of toilet paper smeared with their caca in the wastebasket?
Ironically, Michael Chertoff, the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, said that without the additional funds provided by immigration bill they will not be able to buttress the borders. This, in turn, means that illegal immigrants will continue to stream over the border, at a rate of 700,000 to 800,000 per year. And we don’t want these people scaring the bejesus out of proud Americans like Stephanie Usrey, Charles Slay, and Max Crawford.
If these “small town” fellas were smart, they would have asked for trillions more for the immigration bill in order to erect titanium behemoths safeguarding our country against the vicious immigrants who would put stained toilet paper in our wastebaskets!
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Pardon me, you got it wrong.
The immigraion bill was defeated precisely because it’s a bad bill! The issue isn’t legal immigration, far from it, the main issue is with amnesty and lack of provisions in securing the borders.
The majority of Americans have no problems with legal immigration, all legal immigrants are welcome here. But we do have a serious problem with illegal immigrants, it’s an affront to all legal immigrants like my father who took the hard way arriving here in America. My father fled from Hungary when communists took over, but even so he took time to go through legal channels. Truly can’t Mexicans do that?
Furthermore, most Americans prefer to have existing laws on the book enforced more vigoriously and diligently. That means increasing border patrols and putting a concrete wall along the borders. As for 12 million illegal aliens, they should expect no sympathy or assistance from us, after all, crime doesn’t pay, now does it?
I support the defeat of this bad immigration bill, because that’s exactly what Americans don’t need right now.
Picard90
No. Why should 12 million illegal immigrants become naturalized? They are breaking the law by being here and it’s an insult to all those who came to America legally like my parents.
As a legal immigrant myself, I am totally opposed to the millions of illegals being granted “amnesty” and ultimately, citizenship for no other reason than they DISOBEYED the law. There is a legal process to become a Resident and a Citizen of the US, and those who flaunt the law should not be rewarded for their illegal actions.
Of course the US needs immigrants and citizens who are willing to do the work that Americans dislike. And of course people who are here legally should be protected by the Constitution, but the way to receive and enjoy these rights is to follow the law, not thumbing your nose at the laws and expectations of the country.
Why not simply ENFORCE the existing laws, and keep lawbreakers OUT of the country, instead of pretending to enforce immigration laws, and *wink* at the people as they charge across the border en masse?
Shane, you need to read the 700 pages of the HORRIBLE legislation before jumping to the conclusion that narrow-minded, uneducated, country bumpkins somehow banded together and convinced BOTH Democrat and Republican Senators to vote against cloture.
The people in this country are not all total idiots!
Picard90 and I_C_Voices,
My blog isn’t focused on whether the immigration bill should have failed. I was fascinated by the attitudes of the people interviewed by the Post.
I fully expect this blog to be a full-blown discussion on the immigration bill and I also expect people to stuff words in my mouth. :)
There’s a lot more to the issue than what the “small towners said” and the comments in this blog.
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.”
~Ernest Benn
I know you meant well with your blog and was only focusing on the specific attitudes of a few but, yeah, I must agree with the three commenters above. I myself am an “immigrant” having moved to the US almost ten years ago, yet, I still find myself obliged to deal with visas in order to be able to remain in the country. I got an education, am fully employed by a respectable US firm, in the process of completing higher education, yet I must still go through an extensive and complicated process to become a (legal) permanent resident (and that’s not even the same as becoming a citizen - that comes way later).
So, if I have to go through all these hurdles and headaches, how do you explain the sudden amnesty given to 12,000,000 people who immigrated in this country illegaly and who are mostly uneducated? Doesn’t makes a lot of sense to me.
The politicians are doing it because they’re pandering to the Hispanic voters.
As I understand, the bill was essentially the same from the ’80s bill.
I am glad it failed. It is time for the government to ENFORCE the laws, and get those *illegal* immigrants out!
They want to come here? Then come here legally.
This newfound emphasis on “legal” immigration must be gratifying to the Native Americans. Because all those Europeans who came in from 1492 onwards really didn’t ask the Native Americans for permission to set foot in America. Nor did those European immigrants act very nice, either.
Heck, since we’re so concerned about doing things legally, people of European descent should vacate the Americas and let the indigenous peoples determine who, if anyone, should be legally allowed to come to this land.
I thought the immigration bill had become ridiculously complex, so that it wasn’t really going to contribute much to society.
Getting back to Shane’s observations on the narrow-minded comments, one has to wonder what the cited individuals would say about those who are audiologically challenged. A crowd of people speaking in ASL could be pretty offensive to those with a xenophobic mindset.
Yeah, the immigrants 600 years ago didn’t act nicely, but we can’t go back in time and render justice on them, can we?
There will always be narrow-minded people, and their bigotry should not be legislated into law. That would be abhorrent - but I do not believe having open borders is the answer to our problems.
Not only that, but if you come in this country illegally, that tells me that you have no respect for the other laws America has.
Sacha,
Although it is not the focus of my blog, I also agree with some of the opinions of some commenters. The borders need to be shored up, laws enforced, etc. Illegal immigrants will continue to be a thorn on our side when our borders resemble a patchwork of swiss cheese.
Ha. This is exactly what I meant in my earlier blog when I said that Deaf people were as insular as everybody else (read: no more, and no less). The three people quoted in the article above reinforce that point, I think.
Question for I_C_Voices:
“Of course the US needs immigrants and citizens who are willing to do the work that Americans dislike.”
Um… what do you mean by that?
Chris, I agree with you that the trait of insularity is not unique to any one group of people. But that is not a cause for relief. People who criticize the Deaf world as insular are not going to stick around and constructively change the Deaf community — these critics are going to decamp and take up associating with cosmopolitan hearing people.
Insular people hurt themselves, whether they’re deaf or hearing. I doubt that the people quoted in Shane’s blog will create many opportunities for themselves if their general conduct is of the same caliber as their trenchant criticism of immigrants.
Good point.
Well, the Heritage Foundation at http://www.heritage.org posted the whole “secret” bill. And the Center for Security Policy wrote a paper that it is harded to be a legal citizen in Mexico because you have to legally live there and speak Spanish. Why isn’t the CIA working on a covert action program in Mexico to improve their economy? I see real American swaiting in line in hospitals because illegal immigrants have first priority and they are always bringing diseases. That was at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda,
I know Shane was focusing on attitudes expressed by some people he provided as examples in his article, but there’s another thing we all need to think about.
Our country cannot keep taking in immigrants constantly. We just don’t have resources. Our resources aren’t finite. Although I am descended from immigrants, I do recognize that a line has to be drawn at some point.
I mean, Bush got illegal immigrants Social Security?! Our Social Security barely covers our retirees, senior citizens, poor people, disabled people and deaf people as it is.
I am also disturbed by the trend towards giving illegal immigrants the right to vote. It practically makes citizenship meaningless. I sympathize with the plight of immigrants, but we just can’t give them things that they are not entitled to. I can’t help but realize that if we Americans were to go to another country, I highly doubt we would get as much from them as we’re giving these immigrants in America.
I’m glad they didn’t pass the bill! WHEW!
Naturalize 12 million ILLEGAL immigrants, many of whom who don’t have a job, don’t speak English, break many laws?? That’s crazy!! I agree with those who oppose that bill, especially that I myself came here LEGALLY.
I worked my ass off to become fluent in English (both spoken and signed), get good quality education, have a decent job. I respect the local laws and pay TAXES. TAXES! I won’t let them spend a cent from my hard earned taxes to those illegals!
Not just that, it’s been taking me 3 years already for me to wait to become a citizen. I passed the interview and tests (in English and American History) with flying colors, and yet they are telling me that they haven’t finished my process as they need to finalize my name check. So I won’t appreciate if they decide to naturalize those lawbreakers who take advantage of us while making me wait forever to get my citizenship.
I agree if immigrants want to live here, they should learn English and American history, get a job, obey the local laws, pay taxes, etc. I’ve seen enough Spanish around here and get annoyed with it. I hope there’s a law to ban Spanish use in public - it can be used only at home.
There’s a saying “When in Rome do as Romanians do.” So if those people don’t want to adapt to our environment, then that’s their problem. They have no right to tell us to add Spanish translation (a waste of our hard earned tax money, too) or take advantage of welfare (this could be saved for Social Security, Medicare, etc. to be used for legal residents and citizens only). If they don’t like our laws, they can go somewhere else - we have enough of our own problems here without them.
dude- its “when in rome, do as the romans do.”
Romania was a province of the Roman Empire. It was called Dacia. When the powers that be formed the country of Romania, they blended the two names Roma and Dacia into Romania.
Yeah I meant Romans.. Thanks for the interesting history info btw..