The original illegal immigrants-Happy Thanksgiving
Who are the immigrants in this picture?
2 Days ago this was in Huffington Post. It’s a short little piece with a video, here’s a slice:
In just a few short days, America will observe Thanksgiving, a celebration of the most successful border incursion by illegal immigrants in the history of North America, where pilgrims from fancy-pants Europe came to America to perform all of the work that the Native Americans weren’t willing to do, like give each other smallpox and kill off their own culture. It’s a day for Americans to gather, typically on the New Jersey Turnpike, and give an annual boost to all the people who foolishly thought they’d get rich making cranberry sauce.
The most successful border incursion. Hmm, interesting. We are in such fear of immigrants in this state as evidenced by our flat out, ignorant rejection of Elliot Spitzer’s licensing plan. This rejection is addressed in 2 City Newspaper LTEs this week discussing both sides of the issue. (well, kindof-you’ll see)
The pro Spitzer side:
Tom Janowski on November 14th, 2007
The people of New York and Monroe County’s Terrorism Czar Cherly Dinolfo have spoken. They were against Governor Spitizer’s plan to allow illegal immigrants to earn driver’s licenses.
I was in favor of Spitzer’s plan from the beginning. And now I am also in favor of him dropping this idea. Why? Because the people of New York have spoken and I applaud Spitzer for listening. It’s sad that we can’t have this kind of responsiveness from President Bush and Congress.
But now New Yorkers have to take a long hard look at what they’ve accomplished. Now New York will DO NOTHING about illegal immigrants. How is this better than licensing illegal immigrants? Are we safer now that Spitzer dropped his plan? Are we?
Spitzer took responsibility and pulled back when there was no support for his plan. He did his best to honestly communicate to the citizens of New York, but many have been so blinded by the politics of fear, that they could not see the forest for the trees.
Now the con Spitzer side (isn’t it interesting how the words conservative and convict both start with con?):
Debra J.M. Smith on November 18th, 2007
America is a Republic. The U.S. Constitution states that every state shall guarantee it citizens a Republican form of government. This means that we are neither ‘mob rule’, nor ruled by one person.
Those who hold offices are to be ’statesmen’, which means they are to be educated, moral, and they are to adhere to the Constitution.
The reason that it is good that the majority of voices won in this case, and that New York drivers licenses will not be given out to people here illegally, is because it is illegal to give people who are in our country illegally, anything less and or more than directions right back out again –unless they keep coming back and or have committed other crimes and need to be imprisoned.
Our elected officials are to be like a good doctor is to a family. The idea is for the doctor to be more up on medical care than the family is, and yet, if the doctor clearly is messing up, he gets replaced. If an elected official proves to not do his job in accordance with the Constitution (in this case, of NY and the US), then he needs to be replaced.
Elliot Spitzer has shown what type of person he is and what type he is not. Elliot Spitzer is an unpatriotic person. Elliot Spitzer is not a true ’statesman’. He tossed out the window, laws of this state, with what he tried to do.
This blunder almost cost us New Yorkers our state citizenship. How? If there is no such thing as ‘no’, then there is no such thing as ‘yes’. If people who are here illegally can live in New York in a manner as if they are New York citizens, then what is the need to be a citizen? Such would make our New York citizenships not worth the paper they are printed on, it nullifies the need to be a citizen, and hence it nullifies all New Yorker’s citizenships.
Debra…
of
InformingChristians[.com]
Without “no”, there is no “yes”. Without “war” there is no “peace”. Without “gay”, there is no “straight”. (I could go on and on) You get the picture, I’m sure. Enough said.
Related posts:
Great post, as always. Happy Thanksgiving to all the great writers at Rochester Turning. “Thanks” for doing such a great job, and having such great courage to write the truth and explore the questions most are afraid to ask.
Hope your day is filled with family and memories!
Thanks Jiminy-right back atcha. And thanks for being such an informed, loyal and interesting reader/commenter.
Lad,
I appreciate your frustration with the fear mongers in this debate, but your rhetoric (conservative and convict both start with CON!) is going to accomplish two things:
1) Further pump up the appartchiks on the progressive side, and
2) Make conservative guests of this site laugh or bristle.
Do you have any conservative friends? They’re not all con men and loathsome fear peddlers. This site is going to gain respect when it can deconstruct arguments without getting all ad hominem about it. This site is going to be a punchline for anyone but progressives when rhetoric like this continues.
I’ve said it before, but Exile is the model poster on this site. Excellent, relevant content delivered with a discerning but fair eye. We can all learn from that.
Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving.
ad hominem-consists of replying to an argument or factual claim by attacking or appealing to a characteristic or belief of the person making the argument or claim,
I was merely pointing out some interesting nuances of the English language. No need to attack anyone on personal characteristics.
As far as respect goes, I believe this site does just fine. How does yours do?
My friend list, as with my blog list, has no place in this argument.
And in regards to Exile, I can only agree. He is the quintessential model poster. I look to him and the rest of the “Front-pagers” for inspiration and guidance.
He’s just PO’d because he had a happy pilgrim scene in his mind, and you blew it. Now he’s forced to tell his children and grandchildren that the pilgrims wanted to drive with illegal licenses, but instead, went to law school and sued all the Indians out of existance.
…You do just fine ladkiddo, and if it makes you feel better, I’ll wear a button down sweater and some penny loafers today in your honor. That way I can be your conservative friend of the day. Maybe we could start a club?
I’m surrounded by ultra conservative Republicans at work. The ration of progressives to conservatives is probably 5 to 60. Over the years, since the start of the Iraq war, the Bush lovers have become less and less supportive and vocal to the point of silence now.
Eliot Spitzer’s license plan gave my co-workers something new to talk about. Sadly, their opinions about the actual plan to license illegal immigrants was never the problem and they simply reflected what is commonly thought to be the majority view among New Yorkers.
You see I never though hatred of African Americans, Puerto Ricans or any other “group” was a part of conservative thinking. But the license plan has opened my eyes. I realize there are pockets–very deep, populated pockets–of individuals who must have had their eyes, ears and minds tightly closed since the beginning of the fight for civil rights for all.
Early on at my current job, my mind just couldn’t grasp why people were acting strange when I gave a goodbye hug to a co-worker leaving to attend law school in DC…that co-worker was African American. (The questions of “what were you doing” or “why did you do that” just didn’t make sense to me.) People also didn’t seem to “get it” when I walked into our lunch room to find everyone in their crowded around 3 of the 4 tables, while the new Puerto Rican employee sat alone at the 4th table. I simply sat at the table that still had empty chairs around it. Go figure.
I guess you could say I don’t dislike conservatives at all. I just don’t like narrow minded people who hate others so much.
Great post & I too give thanks for RT’s writers - they give me something to chew on everyday! As is/has been my Thanksgiving tradition in my own small circle of influence for a few years now I here add the info below* for anyone interested (or not). Thanksgiving is for me an example of the dual reality of the national myth and historical truth that we all live in here in the U.S. I try to honor both the notion that the “puritans” came here escaping religious hardship in England (of course they themselves persecuted other religions & Christian traditions that followed them) while at the same time recognizing that their arrival here in America began the systematic genocide of Native peoples that before it’s end in the 1900’s resulted in the slaughter of over 90% of the indigenious population. So we live in the myth and recognize the truth ~ for some a day of Thanksgiving (for the past & present) for others (should be for all of us) it is a National day of mourning.
*Since 1970, Native Americans have gathered at noon on Cole’s Hill in Plymouth to commemorate a National Day of Mourning on the US thanksgiving holiday. Many Native Americans do not celebrate the arrival of the Pilgrims and other European settlers. Thanksgiving day is a reminder of the genocide of millions of Native people, the theft of Native lands, and the relentless assault on Native culture. Participants in National Day of Mourning honor Native ancestors and the struggles of Native peoples to survive today. It is a day of remembrance and spiritual connection as well as a protest of the racism and oppression which Native Americans continue to experience. See: http://www.uaine.org/
Chad-thanks for the link. I bookmarked it and will try to incorporate into a post. I had a Leonard Peltier bumper sticker 3 cars ago. I was so disappointed when Clinton had the chance to pardon him and didn’t take advantage of it.