I (Elena) used this information in a letter to the editor I wrote after the appearance of the KKK in Manassas. Why, we should be asking ourselves, is it possible for the KKK and Neo-Nazi groups to build membership by using illegal immigration as their marketing tool ? You can see from this blog, that there are plenty of reasonable people with legitimate concerns, so how are these groups exploiting citizens concerns? How did their extremist rhetoric become mainstream and how do we address this very troubling development?
New York, NY, February 6, 2007 … The Ku Klux Klan, which just a few years ago seemed static or even moribund compared to other white supremacist movements such as neo-Nazis, experienced “a surprising and troubling resurgence” during the past year due to the successful exploitation of hot-button issues including immigration, gay marriage and urban crime, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
The League, which monitors the activities of racist hate groups and reports its findings to law enforcement and policymakers, has documented a noticeable spike in activity by Klan chapters across the country. The KKK believes that the U.S. is “drowning” in a tide of non-white immigration, controlled and orchestrated by Jews, and is vigorously trying to bring this message to Americans concerned or fearful about immigration.
“If any one single issue or trend can be credited with re-energizing the Klan, it is the debate over immigration in America,” said Deborah M. Lauter, ADL Civil Rights Director. “Klan groups have witnessed a surprising and troubling resurgence by exploiting fears of an immigration explosion, and the debate over immigration has, in turn, helped to fuel an increase in Klan activity, with new groups sprouting in parts of the country that have not seen much activity.”
“The KKK believes that the U.S. is “drowning” in a tide of non-white immigration, controlled and orchestrated by Jews, and is vigorously trying to bring this message to Americans concerned or fearful about immigration.”
HUH? What do Jewish people have to do with getting immigrants into the country? This is a new one of me. Sounds like a bizarre conspiracy theory.
I know, I know, the letter are teeny teeny tiny! I don’t see a way for me to enlarge the font with the changes Admin has made, while working “behind” the scenes to give the blog a “new” look 🙂 I’ll keep working at it to see if I can figure it out. Technology is clearly not a gift of mine 😉
Hey thanks for filling in and doing everything Elena! (I can’t even master the block quote thing, so you have my total empathy.)
Okay…I’ll try again to explain how to do blockquoting, without actually doing it because then it will be jumbled mess like it was the last time I attempted. Medic figured out how to demonstrate it, but that thread is long buried, who knows where.
To blockquote:
Highlight and copy text you want to blockquote, and paste it into the reply box. At the beginning of the quoted text add the word blockquote and put it inside these (like parentheses). Do the same thing at the end of the quoted text, only put a / before the word blockquote: /blockquote. Again, put that inside . The blockquote code should be at the very beginning and end of the text, with no spacing between the > and the beginning of the copied text.
You can add the rest of your message as usual under the blockquoted text.
Clear as mud, huh? 🙂
Damn…it didn’t show the that you use instead of the parentheses. They are the pointy brackets above the , and . keys on you keyboard. Use shift.
Jeesh, I so badly want to drop he f-bomb right now. I never should have started this!
Hi Casual,
I can block quote when I write text for the blog because even a technically challenged person like me can…. step 1)highlight text you want to block quote step 2)click on block quote tab and VIOLA, text is blockquoted, Alanna showed me that one!
The membership in the KKK has always risen as the economy has fallen. You would think out of all the thousands of years we’ve had civilization that our collective history would be remembered and we would use that remembrance to better ourselves. But no matter what we do, enlightenment and ignorance comes in ebbs and flows.
The light of reason, as so many have died to preserve it’s brilliance, is once again…
…failing
rod2155 said on 3 May 2008 at 10:27 pm:
Rod,
You know what bothers me though, when I start tracking the rising tide of hate groups, it seems to me, it began before the economy began to close in on itself last year. It began much earlier, beginning in 2002-2003. Now that the economy truly has taken a turn for the worse, gas prices rising, food costs rising, to what level will the hate rise now?
Yeah, the KKK was distributing flyers in Manassas long before the housing market dropped like a broken elevator. They don’t seem to need the economy for motivation.
>blockquote
Highlight and copy text you want to blockquote, and paste it into the reply box. At the beginning of the quoted text add the word blockquote and put it inside these (like parentheses). Do the same thing at the end of the quoted text, only put a / before the word blockquote: /blockquote. Again, put that inside . The blockquote code should be at the very beginning and end of the text, with no spacing between the > and the beginning of the copied text /blockquote>
This is how i did CA……….
i think i screwed something up again CA…….can you look and see what i did wrong? thank you. KR
Elena said on 3 May 2008 at 10:25 pm:
Hi Casual,
I can block quote when I write text for the blog because even a technically challenged person like me can…. step 1)highlight text you want to block quote step 2)click on block quote tab and VIOLA, text is blockquoted, Alanna showed me that one!
Kenneth said – What is the “blockquote tab” Elena. You think YOU are technologically challenged!!!!
Kenneth Reynolds said on 3 May 2008 at 11:44 pm:
When you write a thread for the blog, it has an easy way to block qoute. But that capability is only when writing a new thread for people to comment on.
test
The ONLY interest or publicity the KKK gets is from the folks here. Most of us who want the laws of this land enforced pay no attention whatsoever to hate groups. The folks on this stie, however, make sure they get as much publicity as possible. The KKK is grateful for your free publicity.
“The ONLY interest or publicity the KKK gets is from the folks here.” LOL. Yeah, okay. And their flyer distribution and public support of HSM/GL didn’t do a THING for their publicity. Sorry, Slowpoke, but the KKK LIKES HSM and GL. They do not like people like “me” and a few others here. Kinda says something, don’t it?
To kgotthardt and Elena
In Herndon, we did not have KKK fliers circulated, we had National Alliance material put on car windshields after a council meeting involving Immigration in 2002. There was a big public outcry and the propaganda stopped popping up. I think the hate groups have always been out there in the dark, waiting for any chance they could drop in and make their point.
Come 2004 when HelpSaveHerndon and the Herndon Minutemen popped up, they used proclaim that they did not allow racists to join their ranks. It was a ploy line to try and fashion themselves as the good guys. It was hypocrisy; one of their main grievances with the Official Workers Center was that they did not check immigration status, likewise HSH never checked the social affiliation of their members. Anti-facist groups sent in photographic evidence that certain members had been seen at Aryan Dominance conventions earlier. I tracked down one registered user on the HSH website and found he was the “Commander” of the West VA chapter of NSM. The PO Box # for HSH is still “88” and yes numbers are not issued at random.
Despite all the coincidence an innuendo, HSH still never has come out fully and said they are Anti-Hispanic, but as the times get more desperate I for see that debate will rise up in the organization, that those who are truly not racist will leave, and the hijacked HSH will become more like a Militia.
Already I hear there is a group in Fairfax called “Fairfax Fighting Illegals” which is composed of former members of HSH and “Help Save Fairfax.” They will probably make their presence officially known later this month, you can find more information about them here.
http://www.youtube.com/user/FairfaxPatriot
Getting back on topic, yes these groups started before the economy began to wobble, but the Hate did not truly begin to show it’s self until the recession was even more apparent. My prediction is that this summer will be one of the worst we have ever seen in our lives all across the nation. Financial Worry+ Hate is bad enough, but you at in hot weather and you’ll see firestorms.
Good information, Rod. Thank you for posting it! Yes, hatred is alive and well in this area and it needs to be noted so we can fight it. These are truly “Neo-Nazi” groups. They won’t call themselves that. They are insidious. Look at the definition of “Neo-Nazis” and match the ideologies up.
“The term neo-Nazism refers to post-World War II ideologies, political movements, and social movements seeking to revive Nazism, or some variant that echos its aspects such as racial or ethnic nationalism or Völkish integralism. Neo-Nazis rarely use the word neo-Nazi to describe themselves, often opting for labels such as National Socialist, Nationalist or related terms.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-Nazi
Think about the kinds of people who are really leading this movement in the negative direction. Think of what they are saying, how they are saying it and what they are proposing.
“or related terms” would include “Nativists.”
why do you all always try to lump in your “opponents” with the racists. this actually is despicable. just because they show you an opposing viewpoint they are suddenly “racist”. I dont know anything about HSM or HSH however I dont care to know. I only support them on fixing the illegal immigration issue and that’s where it stops. Having never been a member I cannot confirm any of what you all say, however from about 10-15 minutes of research it does not seem like they are all that horrible.
come on people, there is NOT always a boogeyman behind every tree so stop trying to sensationalize thingss. I’m sure there are many statements and such in this blog that I could label as sedition and anti-government. you people seem to hate united states and that’s sick.
stop hating america and start trying to make it better, for everyone
Can tell when Greg or you have a case of Blog Block – trot out
the old war horses – KKK/ Nazis for you – Communist/Zapistas for
him. Always sure to get posters stirred up. They are the devils
and we are the angels of light. Hurrah for our side!
Sure, complex nuanced issues with multiple dynamics are more difficult
to discuss and often offer no clear, clean solution, but
that is the challenge of the real world. We need more adult
conversations and less name calling.
Poor Richard,
I think that Rod’s comments were very insightful. The reality is that there is an increase in KKK and Neo-Nazi membership since 2000, a dramatic increase because they have co-opted the illegal immigration rhetoric. I do not see HSM as Neo-Nazi right now, but when people like Robert Doucaster, blogging as Advocator, repeating the speech that IS reminiscent of hate group talking points, it does concern me. We on anti, are not being co-opted by communist or zapistas, so the analogy really doesn’t make much sense to me. I agree, we need to work towards solutions, but many from HSM, believe the only solution is deport them all, not even an opportunity for earned citizenship.
Elvis, I think maybe I am still having trouble getting my point across. I do not believe all people who support the resolution are racist, what I am saying, is that there is alot of misinformation being trotted out these days, twisting of facts one might say. Right now, over on another blog, TB is now running rampant due to “illegals” as was MRSA several months ago.
I do not deny that neighborhoods were dealing with specific issues relating to overcrowding mostly, but there were many other ways to deal with that issue besides a resolution.
I called police about the hate literature distributed in my neighborhood last summer. The officer said to just pick it up, since most of it was tossed back out into the streets, without even being read, which I did. The second time I found it last fall I called the person it targeted, that person was aware of it and was already working with the police. I picked it up again. I also spoke to the city council in Nov 07, along with a member of the clergy from Unity in the Community, who reminded them that they had passed their own resolution years ago — the 90s? — designating the city a hate-free zone.
Maybe the best thing is to not name the hate group in question, but still take action. But ultimately, if you don’t take action, they think it’s okay to spread their hatred here.
A good resource is “Not in Our Town.”
http://www.pbs.org/niot/about/index.html
Aside from the fact that Herndon is forced to be host to the American Renaissance “Race Realist” conference once every 2 years, we have not really had any major incidents of hate propaganda being spread (so far). I think we are just too cosmopolitan and the KKK and NSM don’t feel they will have a solid base of support here.
Our main problem as I have stated on another thread is “Classism.” There is a movement in Herndon, that is not based in race, that feels that poverty is a disease that may infect you, thus making you poor as well. It is thought that higher housing values will prevent Herndon from descending into a Third World Ghetto. The only racial implications I have heard stated from a few “Classist” is that the races from South America are genetically prone to make their homes into 3rd World Ghettos.
Anyone who has traveled in South America and in this country can tell you that is not true, there is poverty and progress in every nation and all cultures have their up and downsides. If we deny the right of the blue collar working class people to settle anywhere in Northern VA, just to keep the housing values high, NOVA will crash and burn when there is no one to fill the service/maintenance positions.
ROD2155 is correct regarding KKK and I would further add that criminal activity increases as the economy declines. People need someone to blame.
Throwing back KKK, neo-Nazi or racist is no different than calling all those that oppose any part of The Other’s plan illegal alien apologists, liberals, communists and so forth.
Some of our posters here need to tone it down some – It begins to sound the same it’s just the group you belong to that is different.
Hate is hate and groups like those mentioned will actively recruit anyone that looks like they might be able to just to swell their numbers. It’s just like a gang. We all KNOW that so let’s just agree that the average citizen in PWC does not support these extremist groups.
Also, let’s have some compassion folks for those that are living next door to a nightmare. Most normal people would swing to the anger side. So, try to tone it down. Labels anger everyone. We’ve all had annoying neighbors some so bad that a pact wtih the devil begins to look good!!! But then we come to our senses. Let’s give these folks in Westgate, Woodbridge and Manassas Park and break and show some compassion for their problems and time to figure out how to fix it without making that pact. 🙂
We don’t need any more lectures from people not living with the negative impacts on how to be tolerant or what the benefits of diversity are. I can learn diversity from a nice neighbor that pees in the house and mows their yard faster than from one that doesn’t. Unfortunately, sounds like we have more of the former than the latter concentrated in some areas.
Of course, I have been a proponent of accelerating neighborhood services programs, mobile units and such for the past 12 months. Unfortunately, that approach while curbing the anger in the neighborhoods is not as sexy as cops, ICE and cameras in cars.
Too bad our BOCS did not act on what they could control and manage, only focused on what they couldn’t.
Unfortuantely we seem to have more of the latter than the former concentrated in some areas…. I reversed my thought.
Juturna,
Cheers!
“Unfortunately, that approach while curbing the anger in the neighborhoods is not as sexy as cops, ICE and cameras in cars.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipZDG6__Zfc
Nazis in DC April 19 , there were like 35 of them.
there were like 300 of us against them.
here you are! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZR8IcQ9QqQ
Juturna said on 4 May 2008 at 4:44 pm:
For the most part I agree with you summary. My concern however, is that what use to be unacceptable dialogue is now common place, i.e. “anchor babies” , “invasion”, “parasite”, “dirty”, “diseased”, etc. Somehow, what use to be considered unacceptable terminology is becoming acceptable, almost as if you hear the language enough in mainstream media, there must be validity to its premise. I agree that people who have seen their neighborhoods change so dramatically in such a short period of time, with some VERY negative consequences are not lashing out because they are necessarily racist, but because there was a drastic change. However, I am still concerned, that issues which normally would have required some intervention via government services, was abused because one could stick a label like “illegal” and have it be interchangable with hispanic. Subsequently we have the genesis of an illegal immigration resolution. Good people can believe the propoganda that FAIR has been putting out in the public for our consumption and that doesn’t make them suddenly bad, it just means we have to be vigilant in making sure there is another side being heard. It is a real shame that the BOCS did not put more money and effort into neighborhood services and real community outreach to help citizens build coalitions within their own neighborhoods. The suggestions Valley Girl posted were really valuable.
“I do not believe all people who support the resolution are racist, what I am saying, is that there is alot of misinformation being trotted out these days, twisting of facts one might say.”
Ditto that, Elena. There is misinformation and hatred and neither is acceptable.
I think that those words cannot be attributed to the majority of people in PWC. However, we as a nation now accept pictures of dead foreigners on the front page of the newspapers where we didn’t in the past. Don’t think we would accept dead Americans, yet. I have watched that over the past decade and find it sickening…..
Combining illegal with hispanic is just a result of volume it’s that simple. Combine the number of illegal folks in the US with a economic downturn and it’s not going to improve. Espically with one ethnic group making up the majority of the issue.
The only thing good people can do is set an example and not use those words themselves. Responding with other names is pointless to me.
Juturna,
HIGH FIVE!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MePEidZ2wyc
Juturna said on 4 May 2008 at 4:44 pm:
Well said!! I came here just to check things out. KG’s stuff NEVER gets read by me. All due to HER verbage. I hate hateful words, but the names that she continually calls folks leaves her with absolutely nothing in the credibility department.
I’m glad at least you and Elena seem to be sympathetic to those in hard hit neighborhoods. It will take work from the ENTIRE community to get things back on track in all aspects.
Absolutely this is a community problem. I don’t like what’s happening in those neighborhoods – it’s not fair to anyone on any side. Bad neighbors are simply bad neighbors and should be stopped.
If this issue had been properly addressed by our local government, I wonder how far this would have gone….. Guess we will never know, but hopefully, we realize the way it went didn’t work.
Let’s get on those supervisors to get on neighborhood services. Everyone should report every abandoned home to all supervisors. Make them stay on it.
Admin, I suggest another one of those auto emails (if the nutcases will stay off them) to report an abandoned homes to all supervisors for action and notice by Neighborhood Services.
I also strongly suggest a budget change to get some more people in that arena. They were willing to fund $3 million more for immigration, how about finding $1 million for your own citizens through neighborhood services. They need a mobile unit where they can set up shop for a week or a month until the neighborhood is within code. Then move to the next neighborhood.
Juturna,
Neighborhood Watches know what houses are vacant. This is yet another benefit to community involvement.
One thing I find interesting is how folks in some Districts have much better successes with Neighborhood Services. For example folks in the Woodbridge and Brentsville Districts sure don’t get the same results as those in the Gainesville Distric. I even heard someone call Mr Principi out this the other night regarding chickens.
Here’s the problem with vacant homes. The house are owned by the banks and therefore there’s “no victim” when things such as trespassing. The police then can’t do much about it. And then even worse in those instances, where the house is being squatted in by the former owners and they have identification that matches them with this house. The police can’t/won’t do anything. This also, is a problem when people come back and strip the houses of all appliances, light fixtures, bathroom fixtures, etc. These folks are thieves.
gotthardt said on 4 May 2008 at 7:21 pm:
“I do not believe all people who support the resolution are racist, what I am saying, is that there is alot of misinformation being trotted out these days, twisting of facts one might say.”
Ditto that, Elena. There is misinformation and hatred and neither is acceptable.
AS THEY SAY ON THEIR RUSH LIMBAUGH SHOW…..MEGADITTOES TO K AND ELENA……….UNLIKE RUSH’S MEGA DITTOERS, WE DO THINK FOR OURSELVES FIRST!!
Information only… said on 4 May 2008 at 9:23 pm:
Juturna said on 4 May 2008 at 4:44 pm:
Well said!! I came here just to check things out. KG’s stuff NEVER gets read by me. All due to HER verbage. I hate hateful words, but the names that she continually calls folks leaves her with absolutely nothing in the credibility department.
I’m glad at least you and Elena seem to be sympathetic to those in hard hit neighborhoods. It will take work from the ENTIRE community to get things back on track in all aspects.
KENNETH SAID NOT SCREAMED….I AM VERY VERY SYMPATHETIC TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES…….NEIGHBORHOODS ARE THE BACKBONE OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND NEED TO BE KEPT UP AT ALL COSTS….THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE IDIOTIC RESOLUTIONS!! I STILL CANT BELIEVE THE BOCS ACTUALLY STUCK THEIR HEADS INTO POLICE OPERATIONS AND SAID….DO IT OUR WAY….EVEN THOUGH ‘OUR’ KNOWS CRAP ABOUT POLICE OPERATIONS…..SO THEY INSERTED POLITICAL ACTIVITIES INTO THE POLICE DEPT…..WHOSE THE ANARCHISTS!!!!!
“KENNETH SAID NOT SCREAMED….I AM VERY VERY SYMPATHETIC TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES…….NEIGHBORHOODS ARE THE BACKBONE OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND NEED TO BE KEPT UP AT ALL COSTS….THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE IDIOTIC RESOLUTIONS!!”
Ditto Ken!
Furthermore, calling for the removal of the Police Chief is nothing but blatant disregard for authority in general when he is trying to do what the BOCS tells him to do.
“Name calling or lumping everyone into one or two categories calling folks Nazi’s, Hitler-esque are not helpful things to do. Get to the facts of the situation and skip the names. At the same time, realize we are all dealing with anger.”
Ladies and Gentlemen, the only people I have called “Nazis or Neo-Nazis” are GL and the hateful followers he has in HSM. I do this because I am concerned that these people and groups, affiliated with FAIR, have become a hate group in and of themselves. I do this because it’s a descriptive term, not just a name. (If I just wanted to call them names, believe me, “Nazi” wouldn’t be my choice.) This is why I have advocated for people in HSM who are NOT hateful to LEAVE the group. HSM has become tainted with FAIR and endorsed by the KKK. Why would anyone want to stay in that group?
For the umpteenth time, I don’t think everyone who wanted the resolution was a “Nazi.” This is GL spin. Please don’t listen to it. And PLEASE don’t make me repeat this on every string. It’s annoying.
Do you think everyone in HSM is a Nazi?
I’m someone who mostly voted Democrat for the last 20 years, and head of an inter-racial family. Never thought of myself as a Nazi.
But my frustration with what happened in PWC, the way middle-class Americans are expected to tolerate law-breaking on a massive scale for no reason other than to help rich people make quicker dollars, made me so frustrated that if HSM hadn’t come into being I’d probably be much angrier than I am and have been.
It’s not anger at Latinos.
It’s anger at the way the elitists who run America – in both political parties – ignore laws and fairness at will to enable their wealthy friends and partners to get richer quicker. Using millions of illegal immigrants as pawns.
Elvis, This thread is about hate groups and you jump in and accuse us of lumping you in? Seems your hairline victimization trigger popped a bit prematurely there. Lest you go on embarrassing yourself and others who may share your agenda, here is some advice:
1) The existence of hate groups doesn’t reflect poorly on you; it reflects poorly on our society. In general, you should avoid showing more disdain for the targets of said hate groups, and those of us who are concerned about them, than you show for the hate groups themselves. This part DOES reflect poorly on you.
2) Expressing concern about hate groups does not mean we hate America. Here you are exposing the degree to which your obsession is blinding you.
3) No matter how passionate you are about immigration policy, there are pitfalls in dismissing facts that do not support your ideology and embracing any rumor that does. Hate crimes and hate groups are on the rise in the U.S. and have been since 2002 regardless of the state of our economy. This is a fact you apparently find inconvenient, so you jump into a serious discussion, defending Help Save Manassas and others you say you know nothing about. Did you ever stop to think maybe you SHOULD learn something about these groups before you position yourself in such a way. I don’t know a lot about HSM either. But if they did engage in criminal mischief, I assume you would not defend them. Wouldn’t it be worth while to find out?
4) I’m sure that before all of this started, you were as weary of hate groups as the rest of us. But that’s how thick the ideology has been laid on. One particular target for hate groups has somehow been labeled with a “green light for hate.” As a result, hate groups flourish, and the general society is less comfortable criticizing them. We’ve been told by our televisions that it’s okay to hate Hispanics, not all Hispanics, though, just the ones that are here illegally. The problem is that hate is a hairline trigger emotion. People don’t ask for documentation before they hate; they hate on sight. Thus, if you don’t come out and say hate is wrong no matter who is the target (and no matter what papers you suspect they have filed or not filed), you’re already half way down the slippery slope.
5) Here is an analogy I’m sure you will understand: When a person with a Hispanic sir name commits a violent crime, this is “inconvenient” for those of us who argue that not all Hispanics are violent criminals. Gospel Greg and the anti-immigrant lobby hop up and down about it, of course. How should we respond? We can’t say, “Crimes committed by people with Hispanic sir names do not exist” because they do. The only sensible reply is to point out that the crime rate among Hispanic immigrants in America is lower than that of the general population, and, in fact, that the crime rate in PWC went DOWN each of the past six years while our Hispanic population was growing. In other words, it is more effective to respond to facts with facts, rather than making accusations based on ideology and then stuffing your head back in the sand.
I think the thing is, when you see people like me as angry as we are over this issue, you associate that anger with racism because you usually only see this degree of anger associated with racism, homophobia, etc.
But it’s not. It’s a deep burning anger that is issue-based but stronger than the usual political to and fro. I am angrier about this than I’ve ever been and it has transformed my political beliefs. I cannot believe what I see around me, cannot believe the way our elites urinate on the average American and expect us to thank them for the lemonade.
Interesting article on A2 in today’s WaPo (Dept. of Human Behavior).
In part, “Obama may find it especially hard to shake the
associations that white voters have formed between him and Wright
because both man are black. Social psychologist David Hamilton
at the University of California said this is because of a
phenomenon known as the ‘outgroup homogenity effect’- on average,
people tend to feel those from other ethnic, cultural and
political groups are quite similar to one another, whereas
they know people from their on group are quite varied …
Prejudice follows similar mental heuristics, or shortcuts.”
Can find numerous examples of OHE on HSM and no small
number on this blog.
Rick,
If illegal immigrants were granted a pathway to citizenship, I actually believe citizens would have more tools to deal with the issues you are concerned about. Take for instance PWC, our unemployment rate was in the 3% range, it can’t get much lower than that. We had inflated housing costs so that it was nearly impossible to buy a home if you did not have equity earned from your current house. The building boom is what brought us out of what was surely a looming recession, especially after the events of 9-11. But who would be these homes that were selling quicker than people could say “I’ll take it” . I don’t necessarily disagree with much of what you are saying, but I think there was a perfect storm at play and people from all sides have been hurt.
Rick Bentley, I hear what you’re saying. But I do think the relationship between prejudice and the immigration issue goes deeper than that.
There are a lot of people in this country and around the world who prefer a segregated society. This preference so pervasive globally, in fact, that we can no more decry it than dismiss it. In this country, Caucasian people have traditionally been afforded more access to government and more power, often termed “white privilege.” For some, a part of that privilege involves segregation, economic advantages, and maintaining a voting majority.
Many of us grow up accustomed to white privilege, so much so that we can’t even see it. We only notice when it is threatened. Mind you, this is not racism that I’m talking about. I’m talking about a preference for the status quo, and a resistance to change that is completely understandable.
Long before this issue became a political football, I saw the threat to white privilege presented by the 1965 Immigration Act. Once it was no longer legal to limit immigration from non-white nations, the only way to resist the “browning of America” was to limit immigration all together — the best argument being over-population.
This was the primary mode of operation for anti-immigrant groups until 9/11 when we were reminded how much political juice one could get out of “fear of the other” even in the 21st century. While it is still not okay to talk about white privilege as a goal, it is okay to talk about national security, and it is okay to talk about “legal vs. illegal.” This is how the newly emboldened anti-immigrant groups were able to get themselves on CNN, and elect their candidates in local, state, and Federal governments. The language they used was suddenly acceptable, even politically correct!
But the realists on immigration policy (including John McCain and the Bush family) know that limiting immigration boils down to limiting our work force, limiting our economy, and limiting the degree to which we can compete with nations like China and India who have no shortage of workers and are rapidly modernizing their economies. It simply doesn’t make sense.
If America is to remain a superpower in coming generations, we cannot allow ourselves to get caught up in questions about what we are going to look like. We must fix the immigration process so that it takes months, not years, to join our workforce legally. We must address the labor shortage we are facing as the baby boomers retire and our economy (hopefully) continues to expand.
We must accept the fact that there is no official ethnicity in America, an no official ethnic break-down. We must reinforce the notion that we are united not by any race or religion, but by values and freedoms and traditions that transcend those things.
With this as a context, perhaps you can understand why, unfortunately, good people like you who want to fix our broken system are “lumped in” with people seeking to preserve white privilege. If not for the latter group, those of you us the former would have no difficulty coming together to amend federal immigration policy. But progress is being impeded by those who insist on “solutions” like deporting 12 million people. Imagine if the economic disaster the state of Arizona has brought upon itself in the past year were to take place on a national scale. Leaders in Congress may be spineless, but they are not stupid.
Anti-immigrant groups are attempting to block us from an immigration policy that allows labor supply to meet labor demand. They cry out that, if we make it easier to come her legally, more of them will come here. That’s true. And that’s what our country needs. We don’t need less workers, less prosperity, and a weaker economy. We need more workers, more prosperity, and a stronger economy. To achieve this, we need to make policy without consideration of what people look like. We just have to. There is no other choice.
The preservation of white privilege is NOT the only quotient in the immigration debate, but it is a central one, because it is the one that puts us at an impasse. If the new immigrants were all of European ancestry and speaking English, there simply would not be popular support for these extreme positions blocking our path to the 21st century.
There is a difference between BEING a racist and taking a political position that depends on support from racists. That is why I have always defended Chairman Stewart.
To put it more delicately, there is a difference between defending white privilege, and taking a policy position that would not be politically viable without support from those whose aim is to defend white privilege.
I’m sure it is not true that you, Rick Bentley, aim to defend white privilege. But if you take a position against a path to citizenship, or against increasing legal immigration to meet our labor shortage, you essentially saying that the welfare of the nation as a whole is less important than that.
It doesn’t mean you are a bad person. It just means that you don’t have all the information yet.
That was the case with our Board of Supervisors. Last year I sat in the room as they were accused of being racists. This was not fair and not accurate. They made a bad policy decision last year because they didn’t have accurate information (and couldn’t foresee the impact of that decision). This year, they know more, and they reformed their policy as a result.
Rather than labeling people who don’t agree with us, we should share with them our own perspective and the information on which our view is based.
In Prince William County, we have already tried making policy decisions based on “information” from anti-immigrant think tanks in Washington. This didn’t work out so well as most have come to realize. Now is the time to take a more orthodox and less myopic view of how immigration is an important part of the economic engine that powers our schools, our social services, our military, our national security, and our quality of life.
“We had inflated housing costs so that it was nearly impossible to buy a home if you did not have equity earned from your current house.”
Ah, no…
http://www.forbes.com/markets/2008/04/29/fha-seller-backed-markets-equity-cx_md_0422markets34.html?ref=patrick.net
“But the realists on immigration policy (including John McCain and the Bush family) know that limiting immigration boils down to limiting our work force, limiting our economy, and limiting the degree to which we can compete with nations like China and India who have no shortage of workers and are rapidly modernizing their economies. It simply doesn’t make sense.”
Oh give me a small break for heavens sake…
The US has seen its manufacturing base shipped OVERSEAS to China and India. No amount of imported labor will fill jobs that SIMPLY AREN’T HERE. And in case you haven’t been paying attention, plenty of US workers have been put out of work so our dear Indian and Chinese laborers can make a living. How special….
We need to import labor, like we need cancer. Cheap labor proponents – like your beloved Bush & McCain – WANT the poor from SA to work our jobs so their corporate donors can make MORE of a profit. Americans want TOO MUCH MONEY. We want health insurance, we want a living wage, we want a home and a car and college for the kiddies – and all that takes MONEY, enough to susist upon and some to SAVE.
“Anti-immigrant groups are attempting to block us from an immigration policy that allows labor supply to meet labor demand.”
Bullflop. Plenty of unemployed Americans who’ll do anything for a stable job. Thing is, Americans cannot support themselves on minimum wage (or wages hovering slightly above that) and no benefits. Foreign labor will take what it can. They’ll live 20 to a house and share mattresses to send their earnings BACK HOME because to them minimum wage is a FORTUNE. To the average American it isn’t enough to pay for GAS.
Yeah – the poor, poor foreigners – such compassionate conservatism…let them all in, make them citizens…afterall, “americans won’t work those jobs.” What an INSULT to the American Worker who wants to put food on the table, feed their family and maybe put a little away for the day he/she gets old and can no longer work.
“I’m sure it is not true that you, Rick Bentley, aim to defend white privilege. But if you take a position against a path to citizenship, or against increasing legal immigration to meet our labor shortage, you essentially saying that the welfare of the nation as a whole is less important than that.”
And the cowflop gets DEEPER…
What an insult and a line of purile crap. Just come out and say you’re a cheap-labor proponent and quit trying to bury it in fuzzy-feely “immigration is GOOD, anti-immigration people = anti-americans” merde and stop making it about “white privilidge” Plenty of other minorities out there who are SUFFERING economically because it’s cheaper to hire foreign labor. Want an example? Look at the poultry industry down south. Traditionally run by African Americans. Now it seems they want too much and are having to compete for a living with illegal labor from SA.
But Elena, we shouldn’t – I would say can’t – give amnesty to people without real background checks on them.
And don’t overlook the rather obvious fact that it will only encourage another round of illegal immigration, as the 1986 amnesty has. And 50% of Mexico’s workers express interest to pollsters in coming here.
Compassion is not always a virtue.
WhyHereWhyNow,
I absolutely agree with you 100%…this is not a line of bull crap. We DO need the labor, Not Me, there are simply not enough workers to fill ALL the roles in the country. You can’t honestly sit there and hope that your children will grow up to deliver the furniture from the Room Store or the appliances from Lowe’s do you?! Or to provide home services such as grass cutting etc? Our kids are in school to get better jobs than those. We need our children educated to be prepared to take the jobs that are well paying and require skills…even those jobs are now going to people who are not Americans because we don’t have enough highly skilled or low skilled workers!
I have said before…I know MANY undocumented workers and none of them make less than $12/hour and most of them make between $15-$20 an hour and pay taxes. The argument that “they send all their money home” is absolutely NOT true. The average immigrant sends home between $100-$500/month to their home country…less than 20% of their income. The rest is circulated through OUR economy. If billions are getting sent abroad, then we are getting 80 times that circulated through our economy. Remember, entire families in CA can eat for $2.00 a day. If they were getting the thousands of dollars a month you are saying they are sending, they would be living in castles, not grass huts. Even $50 a month to someone’s family is a lot of money…plenty of money for them to buy food for the month.