Posted on 02/18/2005 3:08:33 PM PST by South40
I don't consider myself a "racist" or a "bigot." But Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee apparently does.
Because I happen to see the merit of a measure, proposed by two Arkansas state lawmakers, that would require anyone registering to vote in the Razorback State to prove citizenship and anyone applying for state services to prove legal residency.
To Huckabee's mind, anyone who supports such a law has succumbed to "race-baiting and demagoguery." That would include yours truly. It also would include a majority of my fellow California residents.
Indeed, in 1994, nearly 60 percent of voters in the Golden State approved a ballot measure that denied state benefits to illegal aliens. Proposition 187 even mustered a third of the state's Latino vote.
Meanwhile, Arizona voters approved a similar measure by a comparable margin of victory last November. And Proposition 200 won the support of roughly 40 percent of the Grand Canyon State's Mexican-American voters.
The passage of Propositions 187 and 200 doesn't mean that 60 percent of California and Arizona residents are racists or bigots or xenophobes, as critics of the measures disparage. It means that they believe in the rule of law.
They believe that taxpayer-funded benefits should be reserved for American citizens and for legal residents, and not for those who steal into the country, who thumb their noses at this nation's immigration laws.
The irony is that those, like Huckabee, who argue against denying benefits to illegals, are the same folks who argue that illegals come here simply to work, to earn a living here in the Land of Opportunity.
Well, if that is so, why do they need government benefits?
Indeed, it's bad enough that government officials, like Huckabee, knowingly and willingly countenance illegal immigration. It's worse that they also want to reward those who have stolen into the country.
They want to give them driver's licenses. They want to give them taxpayer-subsidized college tuition. Heck, in San Francisco, they want to give illegals the right to vote.
Illegal immigrant apologists argue that they are law-abiding folk but for violating this nation's borders, but for breaking this nation's immigration laws.
But that's not entirely the case, as Heather McDonald documented a year ago in an article published in City Journal.
In Los Angeles, she found, 95 percent of all outstanding murder warrants involved suspected illegal aliens. And up to two-thirds of all felony warrants were for undocumented illegals.
But illegals do the jobs "Americans won't do," claim their defenders, including Gov. Huckabee and President Bush, both of whom happen to be Republicans.
That's just a myth, as I've noted in previous writings.
The fact is, before the two great waves of illegal immigration in the 1980s and 1990s, there were more than enough Americans performing the low-skilled and semi-skilled work needed by farms and orchards, factories and construction sites, restaurants and hotels, car washes and dry cleaners.
And there still are many lower-skilled Americans available to work for such employers, including the 10 million native-born Americans lacking high school diplomas.
And if that's still not enough low-skilled labor to meet the needs of the nation's industries, they can recruit workers from the legal immigrant population. That includes the more than 5 million legal Mexican immigrants without high school diplomas.
Finally, defenders of illegal immigration say that illegals contribute more in taxes than they receive in benefits.
That's yet another myth.
A study by the Center for Immigration Studies, a public policy organization based in Washington, D.C., concluded that, when all taxes are paid and all costs are considered, illegal households cost the federal government a net $10 billion in 2002.
And when the federal outlay is combined with that of California, Arizona, Arkansas and other states, the total net cost of illegal immigration is more than $20 billion a year.
What really irritates in the debate over illegal immigration is the dishonesty of those who oppose measures like California's Proposition 187, Arizona's Proposition 200 and Arkansas' Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act.
They suggest that those who support such measures are anti-immigrant; that they simply do not like people who are brown-skinned (or black or yellow).
Well, I, for one, am not anti-immigrant. I say come one, come all. Just come legally.
More playing the victim stuff. Victimhood did not work for the left. It will not work on the right either.
By the time Ol' Huckster is finished, he'll likely have more friends in the DC chapter than he does here at home.
I'm truly sorry if my characterization of him offended your risibilities, but I am here to tell you Mike Huckabee could not be elected Dog Catcher, in Arkansas. Suggesting he would be a prospect for the nomination in '08 is simply ludicrous.
If he wants a venue for his brand of Christianity, he should abandon the governor's office and take up the pulpit where he could do far less damage to the people of Arkansas. I'd suggest a nice, Hispanic Baptist Church.
That's got to be the most asinine statement I've read on FR in some time.
"Racism knows no color."
Wise you are. If a black leader said this in public, I may vote for him or her. The problem is that if the legislator said it, non white skinned racists and leftists would burn him/her in effigy.
I actively campaigned for Mike when he was running for Lt.Gov. and was relatively an unknown. I'm sorry that I did.
People on this forum are living in la-la land if they think the good people of Arkansas are not upset with Mike's pandering to the ILLEGAL alien fast growing population in our State. He should hear what the average Arkansan is saying about him. Whew!
Jobs no one wants? Ha. The Hispanic men can be seen on the roof-tops, brick laying and pouring concrete of newly constructed homes etc. They will work for LESS, thus displacing the guys who used to make a decent living in construction work. That's a FACT.
Thanks Mike, now please just go away.
Nice reply. Tell him thanks. I'm sure he realizes how heated this topic can become, here. Unfortunate.
The fact is he is encouraging all illegal pregnant women to seek free prenatal care, without the fear of being deported. He justifies it by saying these babies should be born "healthy" and therefor it would be less of a strain on the State Budget taking care of premature or sick babies. Of course, after the child is born, he or she becomes and American Citizen and is now eligible for our State and Federal programs. Arkansas Kids First comes to mind. Why do so many pregnant illegals rush to our state in the last trimester? They are called "anchor babies" and whether anyone wants to admitt it or not, the Illegals know this, and take full advantage of our generosity.
I have advocated that the CHILDREN of immigrants (regardless of status) who were already educated in our public schools should be allowed to access colleges in our state in the same manner as other graduates of Arkansas public schools, including the opportunity to compete for academic scholarships. Despite allegations to the contrary, no one has suggested that children of illegal immigrants should be given free college tuition--only that those who met the requirements of a scholarship (which includes rigid academic achievement in an Arkansas school) be allowed to apply.
Regardless of status? No person who resides as an ILLEGAL in our state should even THINK of applying for a College scholarship. NO child of an Arkansan should EVER have to compete against an ILLEGAL for any academic money or in State Tuition...
Mike is a nice guy, but he is not listening to the people of Arkansas and they are very angry with him. What a pity.
sw
My "efforts to play the victim" ???? Do you have trouble reading, or comprehending ???
This line.... "They suggest that those who support such measures are anti-immigrant; that they simply do not like people who are brown-skinned (or black or yellow)". Came from the article
My reply was, in fact, SUPPORT for the 47% hispanic vote, that SUPPORTED & helped pass prop 200..........most likely some of the same 'hispanic voters' that SUPPORTED & helped GWB win in AZ.
btw......it's anti ILLEGAL immigrants.
Huckabee blew it when he said it is "un-Christian", "un-American", and "anti-life".
He hasn't a clue.
I don't know, read his reply to me in #40.......
He says........"Your efforts to "play the victim" just are not very becoming."
Now how would I be a 'victim', by showing SUPPORT for hispanic voters ????
Looks like anyone that disagreed with the author of the article, would write to him.
Well, I'm *in* Texas, but I'm a *transplant*.........raised by a "Brooklyn" born mother & career military father.....so I'm well traveled.
and do you really remember Carol Doda? hee hee.
No, but I did look her up........LOL,..... my hubby might have enjoyed her show, but he's a little young to have seen her.
BUMP Excellent article, the author nails it.
"More and more blacks are starting to oppose open borders immigration, "
It sure as heck doesn't help blacks to climb the economic ladder.
sw
Governor,
Thanks for replying directly to the criticism I and others have felt free to heap upon you, here. I think this is the first time I have ever witnessed such a post, and I appreciate your being bold enough to respond.
I gather you can hear the "however" coming, so here it is: The statements you made in the press regarding Jim Holt and his drinking another kind of "Jesus juice" than you were mean, inflammatory, and uncalled for, to say the least.
You can try and justify your wrong-headed policies re ILLEGAL immigrants in any forum you see fit, but the majority of Arkansans that I come into contact with are disgusted with the huge influx of ILLEGALS into this state, and feel you must bear a large part of the blame.
Anchor babies are just one example of how good intentions sometimes have unintended consequences. As an earlier poster has pointed out, the argument that these folks are only taking jobs that Arkansans won't do will not hold water.
If the only problem you had with Senator Holt's legislation was that it didn't address the immigration issue to your satisfaction, you should have demonstrated a modicum of leadership and fought for teeth in the bill and strong, enforceable penalties for both the ILLEGALS and employers.
Good-paying jobs, that should be being filled with Arkansans, are going to ILLEGAL Mexican and other immigrants. This is a sad fact in many other states, as well. You are the governor of THIS state, and we would appreciate your spending whatever time is left in your term in trying to find a solution to this problem.
I'll probably be banned by the mods for still insisting on criticizing you and your policies. So much for your anonimity, and fair is fair; I am V.C. Wheeler -- Jonesboro -- and that's my 2-cents worth.
To: bayourod
Racism knows no color.
Please explain why 40% of Arizonans voted for Prop 200. Are they racist too?
You have a minor misunderstanding. His racism knows no color remark is saying, there are black racists too as well as white, yellow and brown. Further, I think bayourod would have voted for prop 200
I've missed nothing, but apparently you have.
What he was saying is those who think we should stop giving social services to ILLEGALS are racist. My response was to remind him that even a good number of Hispanics voted to end those services. Are they racist for not wanting their tax dollars to be used to pay for social services for ILLEGAL aliens? Of course not. And I've read enough of bayourod's posts in the last two years to know common sense and logic don't enter the equation when he sets his mind to defending ILLEGALS.
bttt
This is a response to your post 43
How can they call blacks racist?-folowerofchrist
LOL......like those 'racist' HISPANICS in AZ ???txdoda
Ok. I did quote from the article which does say "anti immigrant" not "anti illegal Immigrant" So I used the wording in the article. In reality, there is not much difference between the two as Bush's guest worker program would legalize the illegals. okay ?
And, the above to posters are saying in their two comments that anyone anti (legal/illegal) immigrant is branded a racist. They are both anti (legal/illegal) immigrant as is the author of the article and are expressing exassperation at called racists which in my opinion is "playing the victim" as in "the bad frobl's are calling me a racist, mommy please make them stop".
Your remark that my remark is assine certainly helps the wit discourse on this issue.
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