Why are the Republicans against immigration reform? A blogger on another website says it so well that no one can do better: "a huge portion of the GOP base is motivated by xenophobic racism stoked on by the GOP itself to keep those same voters from realizing [that] the only real agenda of the Republican party is to take money from the middle class and give it to the wealthy."
This also explains the epidemic of "enforcement only" immigration bills being introduced, and in some cases passed, by Republican state legislatures in many parts of the country. But are the Democrats immune from this plague of racism and hate? Not if one looks at the cowardly failure of the White House and many Congressional Democrats to stand up against the Republicans' appeal to anti-immigrant bigotry in order to pass their larger agenda of redistributing wealth upward.
Just as the Democrats are afraid to stand up against the Republicans' assaults on unions, Social Security, Medicare and all other progressive advances of the past 75 to 100 years that have made the middle class possible in America, the Democrats are also afraid to stand up for immigrant rights. Not only immigrants, but all Americans are the losers because of this shameful abdication of responsibility and lack of courage. The Democrats too, have become infected with the anti-immigrant virus.
Mr. DeMell, it was not my intention to suggest that you personally supported any of the false and negative accusations against the president that I mentioned which are unrelated to immigration. But, through an unfortunate choice of language, one sentence in my comment could have given such an impression. My apology has been posted and should be in the March 26 ID. I very much regret having misspoken and my new post makes clear that you do not share those views.
Sincerely,
Roger Algase
Posted by: Roger Algase | May 26, 2011 at 02:00 AM
I have a second comment; Roger implies that I said meny negative things about President Obama. Whatever my opinions about the president on other subjects my articles here are confined to immigration law and policy. I did not say or imply these things and for that I deserve an apology.
Harry DeMell
Posted by: Harry DeMell | May 25, 2011 at 08:21 PM
Thank you for your comment, Mr. Miller. It helps prove my point.
Roger Algase
Posted by: Roger Algase | May 24, 2011 at 03:12 PM
Let's see: Republicans are against immigration reform and therefore against immigration per se. OK. But according to Mr Algase, Democrats also are not doing a thing to further the "cause" of immigration reform. Well, that's about all the parties we have, so could this possibly, just possibly, mean that the American electorate really has more pressing concerns than the plight of some foreigners who are here illegally? Could it just possibly mean that Americans generally are opposed to massive immigration from Mexico in particular? And that maybe Americans in general are simply fed up with hordes of foreigners of all sorts pouring into their country?
If any issue should be put to a national referendum it should be this issue. Let the American voter decide who comes into the country and in what numbers, not ethnic interest groups and their immigrant lawyer mouthpieces.
Posted by: Don Miller | May 24, 2011 at 02:59 PM
To Harry DeMell: I am looking forward to reading your article and responding.
Roger Algase
Posted by: Roger Algase | May 24, 2011 at 02:40 PM
This article is completely wrong. See my ILW article on this subject.
http://www.ilw.com/articles/2010,0623-demell.shtm
Harry DeMell
Posted by: Harry DeMell | May 24, 2011 at 02:27 PM