Geraldo Rivera: ‘Painful’ We Are Treating Migrants ‘As if They’re Zombies from ‘The Walking Dead”

Monday on Fox News Channel’s “The Five,” correspondent-at-large Geraldo Rivera said he was “ashamed” of the way migrants attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border are being treated.

Discussing border patrol agents using tear gas, Rivera said. “This goes to my soul. Fulfilling my role as the designated piñata on Fox News, I want to say I am ashamed. The tear gas choked me. We treat these people — these economic refugees — as if they’re zombies from ‘The Walking Dead.’ We arrested 42 people, eight of them were women with children! We have to deal with this problem humanely and with compassion. These are not invaders. Stop using these military analogies. This is absolutely painful to watch!”

He added, “We are a nation of immigrants. These are desperate people. They walked 2,000 miles. Why? Because they want to rape your daughter or steal your lunch? No. Because they want a job! They want to fill the millions of unfilled jobs we have in the agricultural sector. They want to wash dishes in the restaurants. They want to deliver the pizzas. For goodness sake! We suspend our humanity when it comes to this issue, and I fear that it is because they look different than the mainstream.”

Geraldo,

We all know that because of the Puerto Rican portion of your heritage, you automatically and reflexively side with people south of the border against this country. I suppose that I can understand that innate sympathy that you feel, but if you actually had all of the facts and used them (and no lies or half-truths, or even irrelevant information) in your broadcasts or other communications to the general public, perhaps then you’d actually have an opinion that is worth listening to. As to why they (and, thus, YOU) are NOT worth listening to, here are just a couple of examples:

1) We are NOT treating “migrants” as if they were Walking Dead zombies. If we were, we’d be shooting them, stabbing them in the head, setting them on fire, cutting off their heads with swords, etc. While being tear-gassed may not be a fun experience, it doesn’t rise to the level of shooting, stabbing, etc. Gross exaggeration doesn’t help you...but, by all means, keep it up

2) “Economic refugees” is a made-up term. Actual “refugees” are people facing prison and/or the threat of murder or the infliction of serious injury BY THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT, without any justification in law or morality (i.e. a convicted murderer facing prison or execution in some country when they actually committed such a crime would NOT be considered a “refugee”). There is no asylum given for “economic refugees,” as they are not facing these serious punishments. They have another means of getting to this country for economic opportunity, and that is to apply to immigrate...but there are probably a few million people ahead of them on line, and we admit about 1 million or so per year legally - so it seems to me that these folks are just cutting in line.

3) “We are a nation of immigrants. These are desperate people. They walked 2,000 miles. Why? Because they want to rape your daughter or steal your lunch? No. Because they want a job! They want to fill the millions of unfilled jobs we have in the agricultural sector. They want to wash dishes in the restaurants. They want to deliver the pizzas. For goodness sake! We suspend our humanity when it comes to this issue, and I fear that it is because they look different than the mainstream.”

You know, Geraldo, that is just a bunch of talking points. First, as to the economic opportunity they seek, see #2, above. Second, there is no way that they walked 2,000 or so miles from Honduras, not since 4 or 5 weeks ago. That’s a tough hike for people in shape, let alone a bunch of women carrying their kids (oh, that’s right, only about 10% of the caravan folks are women and kids, forgot about that for a second). As for the need for agricultural workers...you know, last week I tossed out all of the romaine salad in my refrigerator, as did millions of others and some pretty large food businesses also - because human agricultural workers tend to crap in the fields of food that they pick, and even wipe themselves on the leaves of crops like romaine lettuce. I say that with that experience in our very recent past, we can do without the humans, who also can and do commit crimes, drive drunk, use welfare benefits, overburden our medical and school systems, etc.; instead, let’s go all-in for automation at every level. That’s what we Americans DO - automate everything possible, especially boring and/or dangerous jobs. It saves money, lives and lots of misery.

As for the bit about “...because they look different than the mainstream” - I’m pretty sick and tired of being called a racist (which is EXACTLY what you’re saying, even without using that word - gee, you’re so clever), especially when that old and very tired tactic is used for political advantage against me, people like me and against the very values that underpin this country. I, myself, had 3 grandparents, 6 great grandparents and 4 great, great grandparents (plus lots of various degrees of aunts, uncles and cousins) come to this country. They were poor - ALL of them - and of different enough heritage that other whites could (and did) EASILY identify them as different (even before speaking with them, which sealed the deal). Yet, this country admitted them all. Why? Because they were ready to swear loyalty to THIS country, and because they ASKED to come in, according to the rules in effect 90-125 years ago. I am cognizant of, and grateful for, both the refuge and the opportunity that this nation gave my family, and I’m not here to just plain deny it to others because “I’ve got mine, screw everyone else.” Oh, and to seal the deal on me NOT being anti-immigrant, my wife was born in Mexico. She came here quite legally, and jumped through all of the hoops and over all of the hurdles (at no small expense, either) to become a legal permanent resident, and then a citizen (and she proudly and eagerly voted for Trump - a female, Jewish Latina, so Hillary went 0-for-3 with her!!). My very children are the direct product of an immigrant so, again, I’m NOT anti-immigrant. What I am is anti-ILLEGAL immigrant, especially when I am painfully and fully aware that the Democrat Party has made it literally part of their policy, and the laws of this nation, to up-end our immigration policies (i.e the 1965 Immigration Act) for the SOLE purpose of changing the electorate’s composition enough to ensure that it has permanent power. THAT is what I’m against - and much more so because the Democrat Party has wholeheartedly and enthusiastically embraced the very ideology (Socialism, a temporary early phase of Communism that is intended to fool people for long enough until full, unbridled, Communism can be imposed) that so terribly victimized my family and led them to coming to this nation’s shores.

No, Geraldo, I’m not going to let you get away with your distortion of present facts or of the historical record for your narrow, tribal, reasons, and particularly because it serves the interests of those who despise this nation and its liberties, who would enslave my family a century after their ideological forebearers partially succeeded in doing the same to my distant relatives. Screw you, and screw them! Call me whatever names you want to - I promise you that I not only don’t care, but I know that when you have to resort to names, you know that you’ve lost the argument.

AMERICA THE FAIR, MEXICO THE CORRUPT

What is wrong with Mexico that it cannot provide a decent life for its citizens for well over 100 years. The pejorative term “wetback” first made it into the NY Times in the 20’s meaning the word was around a lot longer in the lexicon before being enshrined in the newspaper of record. This economic gate crashing is not a new problem - Mexico has failed its own people by a gargantuan margin, (as well as most of Latin America). It is unsettling that the first instinct of these aliens is to break the law to get something for nothing, just like their Jefes have done to them and made their lives miserable for centuries. Are we supposed to think that it will stop there? The lawlessness of their culture? I don’t think so, and now we understand why huge numbers of illegals are on welfare and medicaid and all types of benefits that America borrows money from China to pay for, or why they even have the audacity to vote.

Ironically Mexico has huge oil and gas reserves, and thousands of miles of great coasts, multiple growing seasons, incredible agriculture and 130 million people but they cannot get out of their own way. Why? Is it the Hispanic feudalism still gripping the nation from the 16th century, that treats people like peons, that crushes the underclass while denying them rights, and blocks competition for basic goods and services, thereby economically enslaving them. Or is it that they are corrupt, lawless, where the weak fall prey to the strong and there are no courts of law, or even honest police to protect the impoverished and victimized individual. Life there is nasty brutish and short, and it doesn’t seem to improve. If you look at their drug wars, I tend to see the lawless nature of their society, their corruption at the highest levels and their monopolistic ways that continues to enrich the rich and impoverish the poor. I blame them, and I understand why their citizens seek to leave. But yet they have all been immersed in a lawless culture, and the first thing they do is break the laws of the US as they illegally crash the gates. Their first introduction to this generous nation is to spit in our face, throw rocks at our police and demand free services.

Throughout our history, America has taken millions of poor and made them wealthy - but lawlessness will impoverish us all. We cannot become like them - and we must be ever diligent to stop that attack on our values, whether it comes under the guise of humanitarianism or apathy, we do not want our nation to become like the lawless, oppressive societies from which they came. The law must be obeyed, or else we all perish. What has made America this beacon of freedom to the entire world is being slowly eroded. Our vitality comes from our freedoms, and our rule of law, and the enormous opportunity we afford our citizens. We not only protect the free world but we have also taken in tens of millions of illegals and given them free services while they send billions of dollars to their homelands. We have given more than any other nation on Earth in the history of civilization. This greatness needs to be protected, this wondrous place, unlike any other nation must be diligently defended against those who care nothing for our well being nor our futures. It is not a house for which they can illegally enter and steal. We will not let this nation be looted. We will adhere to the law, as it makes us all free.

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