Having grown up in a California community with a huge agriculture component, I was around migrants/immigrants for the first half of my life. Immigrants are humans. They are not animals. And it is absolutely UNChristian to demean them, call them animals, to marginalize them. It angers me as a Christian that there are so-called Christians who despise Hispanics (let's call it what it is - racism), yet gladly shove their grapes, lettuce, berries and apples in their mouths at cheap prices while looking at them as cretins stealing "their jobs" because their Orange God said so.
Not calling them animals. They’re people who have had the horrible luck of being born into a world of shit (lack of better term)….. I get that they’re trying to better their lives. But it has gotten massively out of control…. I’m not for ending immigration. I’m 100% ALL IN on smart, reasonable laws that deal with this huge problem that affects every American citizen whether they notice or not.
Hmmm. Let's see. Who do I want to elect to become the next Commander in Chief, Leader of the Free World, and holder of the nuclear launch codes?
Do I want someone who can effect change in reproductive rights, climate change, gun law reform, voting rights, LGBTQ+ freedoms, Court reform, and other rights and freedoms?
Or do I want to vote for the man who is "comin' for illegal people" like my friends, neighbors and colleagues to round them up, send them off to migrant camps to wait for deportation to a country in which they may or may not have ever lived? Which to choose?
I have long felt Democrats should have been educating the population and owning the immigrants issue. I can think of lots of ways this can be done. However, I think it is too late in this campaign to switch positions. It comes across as desperate and disingenuous. It has to be taken on after the election though as a huge education campaign and a comparison with US economies and how immigrants contribute with other countries who do not. Let us just look at countries who are in the European Soccer Championships right now, we see those with more diverse teams doing better. It makes total mathematical sense. What should be stressed is that all US citizens are either immigrants or descendants of immigrants, or Native Americans. Actually, if born in the USA one should be considered a Native American too.
I forget-that-not, but it was a bill forged out of concessions to Republican extremism that has allowed them to dominate the narrative on immigrants. We need a 5 year campaign of every family in the USA that is willing to being filmed saying, ...my grandfather came from, or my mother came from, or my parents came from, or my great-grand parents came from and their stories should be told. This is a project that documents Americans as immigrants. It should be woven among stories that talk about the heros in our society that came from elsewhere as well, as the contributions people make, and the statistics on all areas. Yes. We can own some negatives stories too, and talk about how these are handled. We can talk every Republican talking point and reveal the truth behind it. Film the border with a fast speed camera for a year and show the number of people coming in. We also need to balance that with the reverse stories of Americans who have moved to other countries, so people see it is a 2-way street. Right now, I think we need to stick with the bill, and be hammering on the people who killed the bill, namely Trump and his-little-turdiness-Johnson. Then we need to rethink that bill to better reflect the reality of all that immigrants offer and have offered our country, and that we need them for. I would love to see someone create a thoughtful film called the day the immigrants disappeared from the USA, and show what life would look like for those left behind. I have some thoughts on several ways that could be approached.
It is time to highlight over and over and over again the accomplishments of those who came to this country as undocumented but contributed so very much to the intellectural and economic strength of the country. Stop with the negatives of "they say" and "it's a lie but what can we do?" Instead take the high road--and stop being negative. Be convincing.
Democrats have tried to split the difference for too long. This is okay when you have two good-faith positions. But it has been clear for a long time that a lot of right-wing immigration positions are steeped in fearmongering and hypocrisy.
I think Democrats should highlight that our economy is most likely going to be in dire trouble if immigrants are "rounded up" because for all the whining about jobs being stolen by immigrants, there is zero chance the important jobs they do (often in exploitive circumstances) will be filled by anyone else. I don't see how food left in fields and construction projects coming to a halt doesn't cause tremendous harm. And I've heard Trump more than once say that innocent people will be caught up in the deportations, but that's fine. If it's one sweet mother who suffers, 10 "bad guys" will go at the same time. Why does anyone in the Latino community think they are safe? Why would they consider voting for Trump and his band of hateful bigots?
So many forget that their ancestors immigrated, too. My dad’s parents immigrated from Denmark 110 years ago, and my mom’s great-grandparents from Germany. Immigrants made this country!
In 30 years our population has EXPLODED, all while having the 3rd lowest birth rates among “westernised, modern” nations. We have gone from a population of about 250,000,000 to over 400,000,000 in that time frame. I’m hoping someone can explain this to me….. there needs to be much tighter controls on immigration. ESPECIALLY the southern border….. it’s wide open and the desert is no longer a deterrent.
It stands at 340,000,000 by the next census count, it will exceed 400,000,000. And yes people are getting older, there are at times 12,000 people crossing/attempting to cross a day…. And with our VERY LAX asylum laws…. Means most of them will get to stay, at least for awhile. In that time, it eats up resources for actual citizens…. You see our predicament?
When you say "wide open" - do you mean that people just walk through and there are no controls? Border agents no longer have jobs? No vehicles are inspected? Because if you don't, then it's not wide open.
Having grown up in a California community with a huge agriculture component, I was around migrants/immigrants for the first half of my life. Immigrants are humans. They are not animals. And it is absolutely UNChristian to demean them, call them animals, to marginalize them. It angers me as a Christian that there are so-called Christians who despise Hispanics (let's call it what it is - racism), yet gladly shove their grapes, lettuce, berries and apples in their mouths at cheap prices while looking at them as cretins stealing "their jobs" because their Orange God said so.
Not calling them animals. They’re people who have had the horrible luck of being born into a world of shit (lack of better term)….. I get that they’re trying to better their lives. But it has gotten massively out of control…. I’m not for ending immigration. I’m 100% ALL IN on smart, reasonable laws that deal with this huge problem that affects every American citizen whether they notice or not.
Hmmm. Let's see. Who do I want to elect to become the next Commander in Chief, Leader of the Free World, and holder of the nuclear launch codes?
Do I want someone who can effect change in reproductive rights, climate change, gun law reform, voting rights, LGBTQ+ freedoms, Court reform, and other rights and freedoms?
Or do I want to vote for the man who is "comin' for illegal people" like my friends, neighbors and colleagues to round them up, send them off to migrant camps to wait for deportation to a country in which they may or may not have ever lived? Which to choose?
Hmmm.
I have long felt Democrats should have been educating the population and owning the immigrants issue. I can think of lots of ways this can be done. However, I think it is too late in this campaign to switch positions. It comes across as desperate and disingenuous. It has to be taken on after the election though as a huge education campaign and a comparison with US economies and how immigrants contribute with other countries who do not. Let us just look at countries who are in the European Soccer Championships right now, we see those with more diverse teams doing better. It makes total mathematical sense. What should be stressed is that all US citizens are either immigrants or descendants of immigrants, or Native Americans. Actually, if born in the USA one should be considered a Native American too.
Don’t forget, we had a very well written, solid immigration bill ready to be signed…. And ONE ORANGE TURD killed it with a single phone call…..
I forget-that-not, but it was a bill forged out of concessions to Republican extremism that has allowed them to dominate the narrative on immigrants. We need a 5 year campaign of every family in the USA that is willing to being filmed saying, ...my grandfather came from, or my mother came from, or my parents came from, or my great-grand parents came from and their stories should be told. This is a project that documents Americans as immigrants. It should be woven among stories that talk about the heros in our society that came from elsewhere as well, as the contributions people make, and the statistics on all areas. Yes. We can own some negatives stories too, and talk about how these are handled. We can talk every Republican talking point and reveal the truth behind it. Film the border with a fast speed camera for a year and show the number of people coming in. We also need to balance that with the reverse stories of Americans who have moved to other countries, so people see it is a 2-way street. Right now, I think we need to stick with the bill, and be hammering on the people who killed the bill, namely Trump and his-little-turdiness-Johnson. Then we need to rethink that bill to better reflect the reality of all that immigrants offer and have offered our country, and that we need them for. I would love to see someone create a thoughtful film called the day the immigrants disappeared from the USA, and show what life would look like for those left behind. I have some thoughts on several ways that could be approached.
It is time to highlight over and over and over again the accomplishments of those who came to this country as undocumented but contributed so very much to the intellectural and economic strength of the country. Stop with the negatives of "they say" and "it's a lie but what can we do?" Instead take the high road--and stop being negative. Be convincing.
Democrats have tried to split the difference for too long. This is okay when you have two good-faith positions. But it has been clear for a long time that a lot of right-wing immigration positions are steeped in fearmongering and hypocrisy.
I think Democrats should highlight that our economy is most likely going to be in dire trouble if immigrants are "rounded up" because for all the whining about jobs being stolen by immigrants, there is zero chance the important jobs they do (often in exploitive circumstances) will be filled by anyone else. I don't see how food left in fields and construction projects coming to a halt doesn't cause tremendous harm. And I've heard Trump more than once say that innocent people will be caught up in the deportations, but that's fine. If it's one sweet mother who suffers, 10 "bad guys" will go at the same time. Why does anyone in the Latino community think they are safe? Why would they consider voting for Trump and his band of hateful bigots?
So many forget that their ancestors immigrated, too. My dad’s parents immigrated from Denmark 110 years ago, and my mom’s great-grandparents from Germany. Immigrants made this country!
Thank you for the rundown of the benefits of immigration, since we hear plenty about the risks.
This is a well written and concise explanation of pragmatic considerations, as well as ethical.
I will share it widely!
In 30 years our population has EXPLODED, all while having the 3rd lowest birth rates among “westernised, modern” nations. We have gone from a population of about 250,000,000 to over 400,000,000 in that time frame. I’m hoping someone can explain this to me….. there needs to be much tighter controls on immigration. ESPECIALLY the southern border….. it’s wide open and the desert is no longer a deterrent.
Where do you get the figure of 400 million? Keep in mind our population is also getting older, with birth rates falling.
It stands at 340,000,000 by the next census count, it will exceed 400,000,000. And yes people are getting older, there are at times 12,000 people crossing/attempting to cross a day…. And with our VERY LAX asylum laws…. Means most of them will get to stay, at least for awhile. In that time, it eats up resources for actual citizens…. You see our predicament?
No. We need these workers.
Also don’t forget, climate. Water is drying up. Already battles being fought over that precious resource.
And where shall we house them? Take away more farmland? Take away more protected lands and habitats? Our cities and towns are overflowing…..
When you say "wide open" - do you mean that people just walk through and there are no controls? Border agents no longer have jobs? No vehicles are inspected? Because if you don't, then it's not wide open.
Yea, because all illegal entries happen at the dozen crossings…..