Going And Coming
"Pull yourself up by your bootstraps," they tell the poor, "stop being lazy and get a job." This admonition, I would assume, applies to the poor in other countries as well; surely conservatives don't want to fund aid to other parts of the world.
All of this just makes it more unfair to take an anti-immigrant stance, since immigrants simply hear the advice to get a job and come to this country to find one. The editorial page today in the Philadelphia Inquirer, a fairly liberal (not that I assign that word much significance) paper in an area where immigration isn't that big a deal, was a virtual haven of immigrant-hating. I'd hate to think what it is like in other parts of the country.
Let me be specific: the anti-immigrant position is racist and it is stupid. Perhaps those who are against people moving towards capital to find work are not trying to be racist, but nobody is complaining about Europeans and Canadians entering the country; they don't want Latinos here. Also, history has shown time and again that immigration, even of poor, unskilled workers who don't speak English, really does help the country. This cannot be considered an issue for reasonable debate, but rather a fringe topic wherein well-informed people generally agree.
Finally, one of the articles in the Inquirer decried the decline of Christianity in Europe. The author was actually able to get published her fear that Christians would "lose" Europe to Muslims. Let's not kid ourselves, the history of Christianity in Europe is one of war, oppression, torture, and violence. There is nothing to recommend Christianity over Islam except the prejudice of the person doing the recommendation. Again, we needn't tip-toe around the subject: resuming a Crusade mentality of Christians-against-Muslims is simple racism, and it doesn't need to be given equal time in the press.
All of this just makes it more unfair to take an anti-immigrant stance, since immigrants simply hear the advice to get a job and come to this country to find one. The editorial page today in the Philadelphia Inquirer, a fairly liberal (not that I assign that word much significance) paper in an area where immigration isn't that big a deal, was a virtual haven of immigrant-hating. I'd hate to think what it is like in other parts of the country.
Let me be specific: the anti-immigrant position is racist and it is stupid. Perhaps those who are against people moving towards capital to find work are not trying to be racist, but nobody is complaining about Europeans and Canadians entering the country; they don't want Latinos here. Also, history has shown time and again that immigration, even of poor, unskilled workers who don't speak English, really does help the country. This cannot be considered an issue for reasonable debate, but rather a fringe topic wherein well-informed people generally agree.
Finally, one of the articles in the Inquirer decried the decline of Christianity in Europe. The author was actually able to get published her fear that Christians would "lose" Europe to Muslims. Let's not kid ourselves, the history of Christianity in Europe is one of war, oppression, torture, and violence. There is nothing to recommend Christianity over Islam except the prejudice of the person doing the recommendation. Again, we needn't tip-toe around the subject: resuming a Crusade mentality of Christians-against-Muslims is simple racism, and it doesn't need to be given equal time in the press.
posted by Meesher at 8:20 PM
5 Comments:
I have always thought it was sad that Christians and Muslims, brother religions with similar beliefs and doctrine, have had soo much mistrust and conflict betweenst them.
In that vein, I should point out that Orthodox Judaism and Islam have even more in common, and we know all too well how much some Jews and Muslims are in conflict.
When one-world religion is complete you will see an even greater difference.
Don't let appearance fool you.
The most dangerous lie is the lie that lies closest to the truth.
And let's not get started on the battles between protestants and catholics
I didn't really want to get started on that. The situation in Northern Ireland and Glasgow is not normal; most discrimination between Protestants and Catholics comes when one of the sects is represented by an immigrant group, which was my main point.
Post a Comment
<< Home