Illegals Scapegoat for US Woes

Illegals scapegoat for US woes
by David Masciotra

The Herald News: December 20, 2007

America is an extremely terrified country. If political hands press the right social buttons, Americans shriek at such absurdities as "homosexuals will destroy the family unit" or minor threats like "insecure borders." The oddity of over-the-top fear is startling, considering the "last remaining superpower" has financially and militarily controlled the world since World War II.

This historical fact obvious to anyone living in another country is muted throughout political discourse here. The latest primary presidential debates offer fine renditions of politicians performing in their roles as arbitrators of irrational fear and disguisers of real threats.

The best read lines this campaign season are those that criticize illegal immigration. Certainly, problems arise with porous borders and it is unwise for any nation to have millions of unidentified people living among its citizens.

However, the hysteria devoted to this issue is disproportional and would be humorous, if it were not distracting the population from more important discussions.

In situations like these, it is important to remember that whenever the powerful start telling you what to fear, check your wallet.

Wages have stagnated for decades, health care and higher education costs have risen at exorbitant rates, and millions of jobs have been exported.

Instead of acknowledging these misfortunes and properly accepting blame, leaders have found the perfect politically disenfranchised scapegoat: Mexicans who are here illegally.

Conveniently, everything, from the health care crisis to the public education misery, the "strain on the system" can be blamed on illegals.

That discourse then is complemented by an overall distaste, distrust, and dislike of nonwhite people by significant portions of "mainstream" society.

This silly song with bad rhyme has been played before, sometimes even directed toward white immigrants.

Benjamin Franklin croaked about how Germans were going to kill American culture.
Policymakers bemoaned the Chinese for taking jobs away from "good Americans."
Hatred for Irish, Italian and Jewish immigrants was so severe that they were targeted for crimes. The Irish and Italians formed street gangs for self-defense, which eventually evolved into Irish and Italian crime syndicates.

Now, right-wing pundits scream about Mexicans with voices loud enough to overpower a mariachi band.

This is a dramatic reversal of recent Republican policy. President Reagan, now portrayed with a reverance somewhere between Santa Claus and Jesus Christ, said that he could not see what all the "illegal-alien fuss" was about in 1977, and took a liberal approach to the issue while in the Oval Office.

The ratcheted fuss over illegal aliens is justified with vague rhetoric about a "post-9/11 world." Yet, the open Canadian border is largely ignored, despite recommendations by the 9/11 Commission to tighten it.

Corporate interests oppose harsh punishment against employers of illegal immigrants, so Washington opposes it.

The Clinton administration increased security on the Mexican border just before the North American Free Trade Agreement passed because it was predicted that NAFTA would destroy Mexican agricultural businesses and lead to an influx of illegal immigration. Overturning NAFTA is scarcely discussed because Washington's employers profit from it.

Decades ago, a man immigrated to the United States illegally from Mexico and found work. He was here for years without documentation, eventually earned citizenship, found a higher-paying job and started a family. His son will soon graduate from the University of St. Francis.
At what point would deportation have helped that man, his family or this country?

Americans should refuse the smelly canard dishonest politicians are serving to a frightened public.

A policy that allows earned citizenship is not only sensible; it is morally necessary.

David Masciotra