| May 3, 2006
On Monday, May 1, many illegal immigrants reported to
demonstrations instead of work and school. The intent: show the
importance of the immigrant on the United States and support a movement to
bestow upon illegal immigrants an improved status.
Bad idea. Here's why:
First, extremists try to capitalize on such
events. Organizers of the walkout predicted massive shutdowns that
didn't occur. Sure, businesses and communities were affected -- but
not at the level predicted by the extremists.
That brings us to point two -- no one is
irreplaceable. The President of the United States is, and has long
been, arguably the most powerful person in the world. The United
States has been deprived of the person elected to fill this office on
several occasions in its history. Each time, the void was filled.
Similarly our economy would fill any void left by the
absence of these immigrants. Oh sure, it would hurt for awhile, but
the void would be filled. Life -- and business -- goes on.
That fact is central to a capitalistic economy. The last thing you
want to do is to try to argue that you can't be replaced and try to make
your point by denying your presence. It's a false premise and
recovery from your absence demonstrates that fact very quickly.
Third, illegal immigrant children not attending
school is a really bad idea. Sure, schools receive some funding for
these students, but at the expense of already overburdened taxpayers who
were told by court decisions that these children would be educated with
their tax dollars through already stressed state and local budgets.
This particular action by immigrants simply rubs salt in an already open
wound.
Fourth, creating a non-English parody to our national
anthem does not pay our nation homage, regardless of the intentions of
those who wrote, recorded, and aired the parody. It's an insult, not
a compliment.
Fifth, some rallies have included cries of "Hell
no, we won't go!" (I'm paraphrasing). I'm quite certain these
folks were affected by the emotional moment, but you don't come to a
foreign country in which you want to live, violate its entry laws, ask for
its citizens' sympathy, and then wave foreign flags and become
belligerent. You do not proclaim your rights. Except for human
rights, you have no rights -- at least not here. You are not
citizens of the United States, you are citizens of the country from which
you came and you have the rights of that nation, not our
nation. Yes, immigration law is broken and needs to be fixed -- but
by becoming belligerent, you risk losing sympathy and inciting
hostility. REALLY BAD IDEA.
We need to remember who fired the first shot.
Extremists who would capitalize from the public's frustration, fear, and
anger, and politicians who would deflect attention from themselves and
their record decided to pick on someone they hoped could not defend
themselves. The mouse decided to roar.
Now it's up to the rest of us -- you know, the rest
of us in the mainstream, including the illegal immigrants, who are content
just to make it to the end of the day with our skin intact. We want
to educate our children and make a better life for ourselves and our
families. That's what our nation is all about. Unfortunately,
or fortunately, our nation is also all about those on both ends of the
extremist spectrum. Were it not for these folks, needed change might
never occur. We just need to keep things in perspective.
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