Barf Ping!
Posted on 04/10/2006 4:24:06 PM PDT by SJackson
| Si Se Puede! The undocumented speak up - and America should listen By Lydia Chavez -Guest Columnist- Updated Apr 10, 2006, 09:32 am |
At last, reality rears its lovely head. For months, the immigration debate has been hijacked by some of the nastiest, most jingoistic and dumbest politicians around. In the name of national security, the House of Representatives passed a bill in December that will turn the 12 million undocumented residents of the United States into felons and build a Berlin-like wall between the United States and Mexico.
But finally, the immigrant tormenters recently got a look at the men, women and children who live without papers in places like Charlotte, Atlanta and Phoenix, but feel strongly enough about their adopted country and friends to take to the streets. In numbers that surprised organizers in Los Angeles, more than half a million immigrants and their allies marched against the House bill and offered a spirited celebration of immigration.
Their message was clear. Senator Gilbert Cedillo, (D-L.A.) told reporters, “Immigrants want to work legally, drive legally, study legally.” And, “Yes they can” or “Si se puede!” the marchers proclaimed on signs that bobbed among American, Mexican and other national flags.
The rallies offer yet more proof that the punitive measures that some in Congress propose are completely out of touch with the reality of why we have 12 million undocumented people living within our borders and how they live in our midst.
While immigrant tormenters, like the former California governor Pete Wilson, Colorado Representative Tom Tancredo and their allies on talk radio, have spewed hate, American employers have opened their doors. Communities have too and in the last month, some have taken steps to declare their borders sanctuaries for the undocumented.
The Senate, which has begun its debate on its version of an immigration bill, must contend with reality, not the white noise of colleagues in the House. The undocumented are here to stay and the question that should be uppermost in the Senate debate is how best to incorporate the undocumented residents, who pick the food for our tables, build our cities, clean our houses and tend our gardens.
What do we risk by giving them a path to citizenship? Tormentors would answer that we are rewarding criminals. This simply isn’t true. American employers hired workers, not criminals. And if Rep. Tancredo wants to be taken seriously, then he will have to show a Colorado program that fines employers who hire the undocumented. Impossible to check? Ha. When California stupidly decided to deny a driver’s license to the undocumented, the state had little trouble verifying social security numbers to names. If Colorado or any other state wants to verify the status of its workers, it can. But Colorado doesn’t want to, because it needs the work force, and the communities where the undocumented live, need their buying power.
Do the undocumented crowd the schools? No, they fill the schools and offers jobs to American teachers and administrators. Do they cost taxpayers money? Studies show that undocumented immigration is a wash, but it might also be good for the bean counters to keep this in mind: In economic terms, the undocumented cost or contribute no more or less than any low-paid worker.
The arguments in favor of legalizing the 12 million already here and in establishing fair and rational rules to entering the United States are as clear as the buoyant chant of the demonstrators. Si se puede! By creating a path to citizenship, Congress would make heavily immigrant communities whole. California alone has 12 cities in which the majority of adult residents are non-citizens.
Twelve million residents denied the benefits of being an American will do the country little good and in the end, much harm. Will this encourage others to come? They will come regardless of what we do here. The Senate’s choice is to lead and fashion legislation that will regulate the flow, not pander to the knuckleheads in their midst. Americans deserve better.
Looks to me like the pubs are already doing just that to their constituents.
Get enough holes in your feet....you start to wonder if there's a reason
Doesn't matter if it's Lydia or Linda, they tell the same lies.
Let's see, illegals came here from some other hell hole where there were real tormentors, but now they call us tormentors. My sympathy organ just went into critical shock and I'm not going to resusitate.
I'm willing to listen to them ...
...just until I get the CS gas canister opened and ready to fire!
Lydia.....your WRONG. You play a race card to support a criminal enterprise. Doom on you and your handlers.
In 1860 it was wrong to think the work wouldn't get done without slave labor and it is wrong in 2006 to think the work won't get done without slave labor.
And the key is you do NOT want to be American......you play games, we don't.
http://www.capsweb.org/newsroom/recent_advertising/aztlan_caps.wmv
Ted Kennedy was just as bad. Some of the speakers in spanish said similar things but I'm not confident in my spanish well enough to try quoting them.
Do you really think this will result in a civil war? I'm interested in your basis for this thought.
The United States is stuck in apathy. Americans are worried about their day-to-day life: bills, work, family problems, health issues, etc. There is a lack of interest in matters of general importance because they know how corrupt our politicians have become.
It's getting to the boiling point and no matter what comes out of Congress, if anything, somewhere there's going to be a shooting over illegal immigration and when that happens it's going to be a free for all and all hell won't stop it.
<< Who is Lydia Chavez? Is she a citizen? >>
What a surprise that Linda Chavez, whose own contempt for our nation's Law caused her nomination to the Bush Cabinet to be withdrawn, turns up as one of the most strident supporters of the criminal alien invasion.
Go back to Spain, Ireland and England, Linda. Shove it, Chavez!
Yep, since early on, the numbers have hovered at 50-60% NOT voting GOP.....all day.
One thing I intend to start asking kids the minute they start waving the Mexican flag is "What has Mexico ever done for you??" I bet they'd have to sit and think about that for a minute or two.
"The alternative is better? hellooooooo.. don't shot yourself in the foot!"
If no one votes for the Republicans, the Republicans will learn their lesson loud and clear. They might even come back with a solution rather than being part of the problem.
Mexico is the most racist country on the planet. The white elites rule the country while the vast majority of the Mestizo population live a second-class citizens.
Better a shot in the foot than the festering gut shot that the GOP elite wants to give America. If they don't do something about this, America as we know it will be gone. The Southwest will indeed be Azatlan.
If we become a third world country, what does it matter anyway?
GOP is leaving us, with their RINOs, we are not leaving them. (paraphrased from Zell Miller)
THANK YOU!
Judging from the polls, a very strong majority of the American people want immigration law enforced. I have not seen a mandate like this for some time. Why doesn't the GOP run with this? I don't get it.
Tormenters... tormenters... tormenters. sheesh.
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