i left work yesterday (YES, this mescan went to work) and on my way off the island i saw a crowd of mexicans standing on the corner of the post office, protesting. all holding up the american flag or signs of "we're not criminals" and "let us work". there was some en espanol that i didn't understand, too.
now, i don't claim to know anything about politics or right wing vs left wing (is there a left wing?) but i do know that immigration has been a huge issue lately. they say it helps our economy, but how does that happen if we're giving them FREE health care??? there's also a mention of cheap labor, but does that mean that americans are just too lazy for that kind of labor? i can tell you, HM has picked up a couple of mexicans on the corner (for yard labor) and they weren't cheap!
driving by, i was wishing i had a camera. well, i did have one, but i was wishing i had it out and was two lanes over. i felt kind of a sense of pride. these are my peeps. they tried to make an impact with mexican labor day. sure, it wasn't the impact that they'd hoped for, but it was something.
where was all this "legalization" when Ellis Island was open to every Fredo, Montana, and Corleone? the mexicans want that same freedom! i'm torn. i'm back and forth on this issue. i think, why punish the ones that are already here? the hardworking mexicans? the school attending mexicans? the idea of criminalizing all illegals is just retarded and how is that supposed to work???? but then i think, how 'bout we just deport them? can they not work in mexico? can they not attend school in mexico? can anyone really, honestly tell me what illegals are doing for our economy? i'm serious. i honestly don't know.
i think if the greedy politicians in mexico would just give their people some INSURANCE, it'd all be okay. then again, i'm naive and not knowing.
2 comments:
I'm like you: on the fence (Hey, I'm a Libra, kay?) and feeling the same kind of apathy/sympathy push-pull.
And then it suddenly made sense. This isn't a hispanic issue. This is an IMMIGRATION issue. I work with not one, not two, but THREE eastern asian types who have followed the right steps to LEGALLY ENTER THE UNITED STATES. They bust their ass. They pay taxes (probably more than you and I do) and they continue to follow the same law in their feeble, long and drawn out attempts to bring their family over. It takes years. They have to take time off to go to the Fed office in San Antonio for interviews - many interviews, on many different days.
And yet.
They don't utter one negative word about the inconveniece, cost, bureaucracy or uncountable hours of their lives they have lost trying so hard to become citizens.
This isn't about NOT letting people in. Among other things, it is about process. And equality. You can come in, but come on people, "no cuts" as we used to say in grade school, okay? Take a number. Stand in line. Its standing room only in here.
Awesomely put. I couldn't agree more.
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