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TechnoratiOn a Saturday afternoon, I ride my bike through the streets of downtown Brownsville, Texas. I pass old brick storefronts on both sides with boarded second stories and wrought iron balconies, tributes to a city that boomed in the late 19th century. Between streets that bear the names of U.S. presidents - Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe - is a crumbling cemetery with gravestones dating far back into Brownsville's past. The concrete walls are worn to expose rusted rebar, but the cemetery is aflutter with eye-catching fabric flowers, bright as the day they were dyed.I pass through Washington Park and smile, knowing that it will be packed in a few weeks with musicians and fans, that tejano, grupero and mariachi will wail at a three-day party, Charro Days - the South Texas equivalent of Mardis Gras or Carnival.
Along International Boulevard I pass Fort Brown, where in 1846 General Zachary Taylor's soldiers fought to take this land for the United States, now occupied by students of the University of Texas at Brownsville. Between the aged buildings of the fort, a striking new campus stands along the river and palm trees dot Spanish-styled courtyards. International Boulevard ends at International Bridge, which is crowded with cars and pedestrians. Some may be Mexican nationals returning home from work or shopping and others may have U.S. or dual-citizenship, residency or temporary visas.
It is, of course, impossible to tell by looking. I count three Border Patrol trucks within eyesight as I turn onto Elizabeth Street and ride to the end of East 13th street. I lay my bike on the ground under live oaks and mesquites and stare out at the Rio Grande.
Two summers ago I moved to the Texas-Mexico border after receiving my placement from Teach For America - the Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville the city that describes itself as "on the border, by the sea." I teach U.S. Government to 12th graders in one of the five public high schools in a city where 44 percent of the residents fall below the federal government's poverty level and 92 percent are Hispanic.
For my students, the border is not a political boundary, a feature or a phenomenon - it is their world. Many of my students live with family in Mexico and cross from Matamoros to Brownsville daily to attend school. Others are not lucky enough to have their families so close, and live alone or with distant relatives in this country where they may only technically belong.
I recently helped a talented young man in my class apply to Rice, and he explained that his mother has only a border resident's legal status and will not be able to visit him if he goes to college in Houston. I teach many students who shy away from questions about college applications because of the cost or because they do not have a Social Security number or fear a parent or relative might be found to be an illegal citizen.
When we study segregation, Brown v. Board of Education, the civil rights and Chicano movements I tell my students that laws are only government-enforced rules and may or may not have any basis in morality, equality or justice. I tell them that laws can be passed in hatred, in fear or in a desperate attempt to cling to the status quo. I teach that it is the responsibility of the minority to be courageous, to point out these unjust laws and fight for their destruction and the destruction of the beliefs that create them. This is what comes to mind when I hear the word "illegal" applied to a human being, and this is what I think of as I look at the river, a sluggish ribbon of green that bends out of sight in the brush, and try to imagine this place if a certain law, the Secure Fence Act of 2006, were to come to realize its aims here.
When he signed the Secure Fence Act into law on Oct. 26, 2006, President George W. bush said that "this bill will help protect the American people. This bill will make our borders more secure."
These words show a callous lack of understanding for the reality of the border, where melding cultures cross the river with no regard to the political boundary it represents. The act itself authorizes the building of more than 700 double-reinforced concrete wall that will stretch in segments along the border at many of the most active access points. The proposed plan shows the wall as an irregular line of dashes, cutting across the private properties of landowners in its path and even walling out large sections of UT-Brownsville's land and campus.
For those who heed the political and media-sponsored drumbeat rallying Americans to fear oncoming waves of illegals, drugs and terrorists, the idea of a wall may create a sense of security, but it is only a false sense. A glance at the porous plans, drawn without regard to the human or natural environments they will impact, confirms my own fears that our policy makers in Washington have no idea what their policies means for those to whom they will matter most. The damage to the local ecosystem, the damage to the lands of local property owners, and the damage to our image as a nation of opportunity and liberty, not segregation and suppression, seem to far outweigh the benefits of staggered sections of fencing, where those who do wish to circumvent the law will no doubt take advantage of the large, literal gaps.
While a student at Rice, I was engaged by political issues of all kinds and cherished the impromptu late-night ideological debates that took place in dorm halls, kitchens and common rooms. For all that those impassioned conversations had in idealism and verve, however, they lacked action. As a student, I was learning and finding my voice. As a teacher, as an example to my students and as a member of the border community, I know that now is the time to act.
On March 8 of this year, I will catch a ride up the border, 126 miles west, to Roma, Texas. From there, I will walk for nine days with a group of activists, religious and civic leaders, local educators and students back to downtown Brownsville as a form of nonviolent protest against the wall.
Although such a walk may seem like a small, even futile gesture against the power of the president's pen, I have begun to realize the impact this gesture can have as I collaborate with fellow activists who are coordinating the protest and will be making the journey with me. For many, inspiration is drawn from the civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s, and the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
Or, more directly, a favorite phrase of the Highlander Folk School - the organization that trained activists like Rosa Parks and others - "You've got to move!" Whatever the impact may be, it never will be felt without an initial motion.
I will move for my students, the many who struggle to establish their personal identities in this climate of division, split between two places they feel they do not fully belong, and for whom this wall will smack of a clear message from the Anglo-North: We do not want you.
I will move for my students' families, who already face lives filled with unimaginable hardship, who suffer deep poverty and lack even basic education and medical care - and for whom the wall will add insult and further injury.
I will move for Brownsville, where so much conflict has already claimed this piece of land "on the border, by the sea," despite the obvious truth that it belongs to those on and from both sides of the Rio Grande who call it home.
I will move because I fear for myself if I do not practice what I teach. And I will move so that I can look my students in the eyes when I teach them the difference between that which is illegal and that which is unjust.
I would like to invite any members of the Rice community who feel that they too must move to join me for the walk, for a weekend, even for a day or a few hours. A moment spent at the border can be a transformative and eye-opening experience and such a moment is something I believe all who live in this country - a country that has begun to build walls - should experience. I invite you to stand with me downtown at the curved end of East 13th Street and look out at the Rio Grande and across into Mexico, and to imagine a world where such a simple action would not be possible because the simple actions required to prevent it were not taken soon enough or with enough courage.
Elizabeth Stephens graduated from Will Rice College in 2005. For more information about the walk, please e-mail elizstephens@gmail.com.
58 Comments so far
Show Allchessgames56 Right On!
berrypatch - Your point is well taken. My post did make a number of assumptions about RuthK which may not be true. In that case my remarks were out of line. My own experience with immigrant workers and their neignborhoods has been much more positive, but I must grant that is it not necessarily so everywhere, especially in urban areas where things are more violent and crazy.
Dear CD responders,
I suspect I know who RuthK is and if I'm right, there is something those who are criticising her should know. The person I'm thinking of is far from racist. She has spent her life in teaching, social work and social activism, some of it in Mexico. And now she is in her senior years, disabled and poor, and struggling to hold her life and tiny home together in a crumbling neighborhood. It not only hurts to see the beloved plants she tended for years trashed, and her home threatened, but she is literally in fear for her life.
It is not unusual for people who are oppressed in our society, and understandably angry as many new immigrants must be, to pick on a representative of the oppressor class who seems even weaker than what they feel.
When the once-stable neighborhood I once lived in in a rust belt city became a place of drug dealers and nightly gun battles, and my attempts to "reach out" were met with threats, I literally ran for my life (and some labeled me racist). Ruth cannot change her frightening circumstances, and the culture gap may be too wide to bridge, much as she would prefer to.
Immigration is an enoumously complex issue that demands a full spectrum of thinking about all its aspects, not just simplistic polarizing statements. Please listen to the cries of everyone who is hurting and don't judge someone who is presenting another side of the issue until you walk in their shoes.
Don't come across many in the rural neck of the woods where I live, mike, and pretty much have my hands full taking care of my wife and 2 children. I'm a Voip installer, and sometimes come across poor and disabled people, and I often go beyond what my job requires to get them a working phone line. So I do what I can. :)
lino; hell yes, come to Northern California; much beauty and goodness here.
chessgames56; the last time I fed a homeless person was three days ago. I've showerd them, restrung their guitars and fed them for two decades as I am able. With my staples. And I am poor. But I have gone hungry b4, maybe that changed me.
Thanks for asking. How About You? When did you last feed a hungry person.
Because that was a GREAT question.
mnymj, "we have an absolute right as a soverign nation to decide who comes and why". i'm certain the native americans, abused and desecrated upon the settlement of your "soverign nation" might have a different point of view. it's only a thought, and probably too complex of a question for you to ponder, but did your ancestors "come legally"? your mommy-he-took-my-toy-and-won't-give-it-back attitude is just that, childish. as is your pathetic attempt at grasping the english language. ashhole, i grew up on a ranch, working side by side with some of the finest "illegals" i've known. as a matter of fact, as a child, one of these men saved my life, it was an act of total unselfishness on his part. why? these people don't look down on their fellow man. they are grateful, each day, for the life presented to them. it's morons such as yourself who should really consider getting out of here.
mikepeters, after re-reading your 8:50 post yesterday, i have to agree with part, only part of it. there are, indeed, many red-necks down here (probably more than our fair share, sadly). but there are pockets (small) of fairly decent and open minded people. we did, i am ashamed to say, give the country the bushes (and ross perot). but hey, if memory serves me correct, the bushes moved to texas only after they discovered more oil there than in any other part of the country. likewise, we do have (so it seems), our fair share of racists (but then again, i think this is an issue in many places, especially the south). so, if there is a movement to get the mexicans and blacks out, please, may i go too???
"...how about we send these silly liberals down to the border so they can welcome all these illegals in with open arms and take care of them. go ahead give up your lifestyle and go practice what you preach..."
You, know, posts such as these where terms 'liberals' and other such labels clearly show how divided and hateful we've become as a nation. We're always in some battle with one another, and our brand of capitalism worships the gods of competition and materialism. We have forgotten how to love (and cooperate), and our hearts have largely dried up. We are the walking dead (in a manner of speaking). Also, we have let ourselves become so filled with propaganda--both from the left and right--that we can no longer think clearly about the issues that affect us. Real honesty (self or otherwise) if it exists at all, is quickly followed by condemnation, which then becomes denial.
The poster does make a good point about the hypocrisy of it all, though. Few of us would invite strangers into our houses to consume our staples. When was the last time any of you invited a homeless individual to your home for a meal and warm bath? Heck, most of us here, I dare say, are barely making ends meet ourselves.
Those who cross the border illegally are neither saints or angels; they are desperate human beings. Some want to integrate, some do not, but as their numbers grow they will insist WE change to accommodate THEIR way of life (this is happening now). We may want to accept these changes, or not, but that is another issue. Regardless, this amounts to a form of aggression, though it is subtle in many respects. It is akin to an ill-mannered guest who comes over for dinner and demands you cook something special just for him. And I think this is part of what is generating so much resentment.
Our infrastructure does have a breaking point and is beginning to show signs of wear and tear. All of us, regardless of race or gender need to learn to work together for the greater good, if any of us are to survive. This goes for the whole of mankind. For this to happen, though, we must move away from our fascination with ideology, and toward present moment awareness where life is always taking place. And I fear there isn't much time--there's a time bomb is ticking for all of us.
mikepeters, thanks!
Better yet, go to Mexico and see how you are treated there as an illegal alien.
lino....nice post! (10:09a.m.)
Mexican people have mucho corazon de alma, when I was hungry, thirsty, they fed me, they gave me agua frio when my no-soul, vapid white brothers had only contempt for my hunger and thirst.
(yeah, I generalized earlier, for sure, but you know, your typo kinda made sense...)
godlessrant - I do live at the border. I do welcome immigrants, legal and illegal. Actually, I like them. I don't favor a "flood of illegal immigrants." I favor working to assimilate them, to ease their search for work, to allow people to provide them with work. I favor knowing who they are, both the government and RuthK. I favor a work program having nothing to do with citizenship which allows foreign workers to make money here and send it home where it is needed. If you dislike foreigners that is your own business. I'd suggest that a lifestyle which includes a little generosity might make you less grinchy.
mnymj (if that is your real name) - This is also my country. The immigration fight we are having is about whether our laws will be written by liberals or paranoids. I don't know how it will come out, but I can not imagine that I will ever think of human beings as leeches or viruses. Of course "we" have a right to decide who comes here and who does not. But "we" are having a difference of opinion about that. "Our" laws will either be based on xenophobia (look it up) or good will and common decency. I'll work for one, you work for the other. Speak for yourself, but don't speak for me.
chessgames - I agree with much of what you say, especially about NAFTA. Like you, I think the capitalist assholes responsible for this misery are the ones who should be tossed out of the country. My only point (and I believe you concur) is that the victims of corruption both here and in Mexico are simply refugees and should not be made to suffer for the sins of others. We have to solve these problems without making powerless people even worse off. Sadly, I see a lot of thinly disguised racism pushing the debate away from constructive and compassionate solutions.
"We can't just let a flood of immigrants in here"
The anti immigration posters don't seem to get the point. The immigrants come because they are offered jobs to come. If Americans didn't hire them, and asked to see proof of citizenship or a green card before hiring someone, no immigrants would come! Why don't they ask for papers? Because it would cost more to pick the apples and there would be less profit. Why doesn't the government enforce the law? Because everybody wants cheaper apples and the apple grower is from the tribe that runs the government.
Outsourcing is exactly the same.
Is this bad for the US? Having a maid from Mexico is not necessarily bad for anyone. Americans don't need that job yet. But if the people of the country can't make things that others want to buy, then they might need that job. You can't have a maid if you don't have money.
An American who realizes that the US is a destructive force dangerous to mankind can consider himself knowledgeable and free. One who doesn't isn't.
In no way do I mean to disparage immigrants or immigration. After all, the US was built into what it is today by immigrants. In fact, somewhere down the pike, we all were immigrants. If you know a little of history, there was a period when 'Robber Barrons' were in control, and exploitation of workers widespread. This gave birth to labor unions, which today have been nearly decimated, meaning a new breed of 'robber Barron' is in control today.
We have been going backward for many years now, arguably since Ray-gun. Modern robber Barrons are great spin-magicians. In one hand, they hold fool's gold (the promise of cheap and shoddy goods), while in the other they permanently send away jobs and decimate livelihoods, all the while making us think they're doing us a favor!
Only con men and women can fleece you while making you feel good about it. NAFTA has worked wonderfully to maximize profits and impoverish the world, turning millions into wage-slaves without a voice. In that respect we are beginning to have more and more in common with those we deem 'illegal.'
The elites are fleecing us in every direction, while they line their despicable pockets. Makes you wonder how long it will be now until we get 'labor camps' of our own. Best we wake up before it's too late.
mnymj: This is how it goes: The rich and US companies exploit the people. The people elect someone who will help them. The new leader refuses to give American companies outrageous terms. The US finances the rich to overthrow the government and install someone who will favor US companies. The result is poverty for most and wealth for the oligarchy and the US. The US has done this in many different countries including Mexico. If you read into this subject, I am sure you will realize that it is best not to call other people ignorant.
Second, immigrants save the wealthy of the US money. By doing horrible jobs cheaply, they help all consumers. They do depress wages but this keeps inflation down.
Third, if you change your perception it would be more realistic and you would suffer a lot less. The perception you have now is both false, and bad for your feelings.
i agree with those who are against just letting a flood of illegal immigrants in here. it is not fair to those who applied legally, not fair at all.
like other posters said, a lot of this is just liberal drivel, some of it just downright arrogant - "Giving up a little of the fat life you've lucked into is foolishness?" and the nasty comments directed towards posters like ruth K. how about we send these silly liberals down to the border so they can welcome all these illegals in with open arms and take care of them. go ahead give up your lifestyle and go practice what you preach.
or lack thereof.
mikepeters, you generalize. pity that mentality. or lake thereof.
A border is a relationship...
not a line on a map.
chessgames - I think the polarizing effect of the immigration issue has prevented us from seeing that there are middle ground solutions that satisfy most of our concerns. Bringing back the brazeros program - and repairing its flaws - would satisfy border security people. Requiring employers to extend wage minimums and job safety to all workers would address your exploitation concerns.
I've argued with some Hispanics who agree with your wife, that they did it the hard way and so should everyone else, although many of them were originally here illegally. I'll grant that there is a perception of unfairness. I weigh that, however, against the desperate poverty these new citizens seem to have forgotten, and that most of us anglos cannot imagine, that drives border crossers to undergo such hardships and risks to feed their families. They die of thirst by the hundreds down here, and the fact that they are in violation of immigration laws is the least of their concerns. A friend of mine rescued four guys last year, from South America I believe, who had crossed all of Mexico and walked across 100 miles of desert from the border trying to get to jobs waiting for them in Long Island, NY. They had been drinking from stock tanks and were sick from exposure and diarrhea. He took them in for a few days, let them call their families (who didn't know whether they were alive or dead) and sent them on their way. I know another guy, a hay rancher in Eastern Montana, who believes so strongly that dirty foreigners are swarming across the border to take our hard earned stuff and our American way of life that he takes a bus to Arizona every summer to help the vigilantes keep them out. He has a hard life down in his own trenches, and does not think he has wealth to spare. But his family lives in a warm house, his children go to school and to the doctor, he is not starving. He loves America, but his compassion ends at the border. I do not think he lets himself imagine the conditions in which these people live. I don't think he realizes how rich he is compared to people in the third world.
If our resistance to assimilating refugees from the social disaster that is Mexico is based on logistical problems that can be solved, then all that remains is the ugly stuff. Xenophobia, racism, schadenfreud, callosity, miserliness, which of course none of us would cop to. So why do we not put our energies into finding solutions to a humanitarian crisis instead of simply slamming the border shut and calling that a fix?
chessgame,
You are right. If we do not control the massive influx of poor desperate Mexicans into the US, they might exterminate us Americans. Just like our ancestors did to the Natives when they came from Europe 200 years ago. Talk about an out-of-control massive migration!
Kivals: Thank you
I know our ancestors did a lot of evil and bad things to other people(s), but this is the present, and we are not obligated to atone for anyone else's 'sins.' We are only obligated to live sanely, responsibly, and compassionately, and that is all most of us can reasonably do. If we all work together in just that and put our agendas aside, it would go a long way to making this a better place for all.
Ruth K, I think many here are buying into the opposing propaganda and agenda. Yes, illegals are gaining numbers and power and have their own agenda apart from the mainstream. I know I'll get clobbered for this statement, but many do not really want to become part of the mainstream here. They want to pay as little as they can in taxes so they can send the remaining money back to their families in Mexico (or wherever they are from).
One can understand the plight of the economically desperate, but those crossing the border know they are breaking an American law. While we can understand their drive to do so, such a disorderly flood cannot be beneficial to American society in the long run, and will contribute to its destruction if allowed to continue unabated. Then, of course, ironically, that will abnegate their very reason for emigrating here in the first place, will it not?
Now, I'm not entirely against naturalizing those who are already here illegally, but first certain issues MUST be addressed and confronted; namely, the incentive of businesses to use their cheap labor, while the rest of us pay the price. This amounts to a kind of welfare for them. We pay for their medical care and other costs, and they (the businesses) reap all the profits. No one here seems to care about this issue, which I find quite curious.
lizard,
The process that led to Texas being a part of the US was complex. The Mexican government inherited Texas from the corrupt empire of Spain, the government of Spain having claimed vast lands for Spain without any control or significant settlement. The Mexicans, and the Anglo Texians whom the Mexicans invited in, "stole" Texas from the Native American Indians, as a primary reason the Mexicans invited the Texians was so that they would drive out the natives and create wealth that could be taxed. After the Texas revolution, which did not receive any significant US support, and which was inspired mainly by the disreputable purpose to maintain a slave system after Mexico outlawed slavery, many Texians did not want to join the US, but Sam Houston and certain influential Texians did and they prevailed.
California, on the other hand, was stolen by the US from Mexico in a textbook case of theft. The US offered $20 million for California, the Mexicans responded they would not sell it for any price, and the US initiated the Mexican War with the purpose of taking it by force. There was a strip of land in Texas that was also in dispute, but the US would never have fought the war for that. The completion of the US empire to the Pacific was the primary focus.
ruth k, although you have the right to express your opinion and beliefs here, i take exception to almost all that you say. first of all, maybe in the part(s) of the mexican interior that you have travelled and/or lived in, you have noticed an immeasurable amount of wealth. if so, consider yourself fortunate. the majority of the country is immeasurably poor, as are its inhabitants; poor beyond any comprehension of most arrogantly stupid americans (u.s., that is).
"the crime rate is up. property values are down". this, my dear, is not a local situation. the real reason property values are down, across the country, has nothing to do with the "immigrants" trashing your neighborhood. it is much more complex than that, going way back to the enron debacle, in which shortly thereafter, everyone's property taxes, across the country, skyrocketed (just check the facts please). now, with a repulsican led economy, or should i say yet another bush-led economy in the tank, we're faced with reality. it has nothing whatsoever to do with your neighbors. crime? just do a bit of research on crime in relation to the national economy.
perhaps a handful of the "rich" do live like royalty, as you suggest. even if they did, so fucking what??? they are still some of the nicest "royalty" you'd ever want to meet, and would gladly open their home to you, offer you a sip of some of the finest tequila in the world, then insist that you join them for dinner in the middle of the city, in one of the tiniest taquerias or one of the nicest restaurants that that city offers. and that is certainly more than the "royalty" of this country will do. or even think of doing.
"they will not spend money for education...". that is a blatant lie. those who can afford an education for their children will do so, unconditionally. with total disregard for the hardship they might endure. again, it gets back to the family bond. they will send their children to the finest schools and universities available, not only in mexico, but throughout the world. even the artist making beautiful pottery in a dusty-street village, high on the plains of the chihuahuan desert will move his family to the closest town, just to give his children a chance at a better education. you know not of which you speak.
the "immigrants" you speak of no more want to be here than you want them to be. their sense of family takes precedent over everything. they only come here to better their families' financial situation. do you really think they WANT to be like you? the majority of mexico's inhabitants would give the shirts off their backs for you, or to any other stranger for that matter. they are some of the kindest and warmest people on this continent.
"they do exploit us". wrong. they come to this country and do the jobs that most elitist americans wouldn't even consider doing, much less be caught dead doing. period. and they do it with a smile on their faces.
descendants of "immigrants" routinely come thru my neighborhood, mufflers missing, revving their engines, squealing their tires, knocking down the mailboxes, throwing their trash in the streets and our yards. this all occurring in a german blockhead community of 9,000 inhabitants, filled with 50+ hypocrite-filled churches.
as voxclamantis suggested, turn yourself on to a dozen of some of the best homemade tamales you will ever have, or some of the best mole' you will ever taste. sounds like it's right under your nose.
if you're ashamed of your environment, then leave it. or, as others here have suggested, do something positive about it. nothing is "the way it used to be".
on another note, perhaps our fearless u.s. customs agents could do a better job fulfilling whatever their goddammed job description is instead of profiling their own citizens because of the length of one's hair. while they are busy acting like god, most of them in denial of their short-man syndrome existence, many of the so-called "immigrants" or "illegal aliens" (what the fuck is an alien?) are crossing right under their noses. or in the case of the int'l bridge at laredo, just 30 yards downstream. or in the case of the crossing at palomas mexico, just a half mile down the fenceline. or swimming the river in big bend. it's all a fucking joke and a waste of our tax dollars.
ardee:
You wrote:
"A pity that this RuthK buys so wholeheartedly into the falsehoods. If she is real, and I have my doubts on that as her post is so Aryan nation and spouts the usual trite and nasty crap about "them", I would ask why she doesnt blame the real causes for the supposed downgrading opf her neighborhood?"
Again, I ask you where you live. In some gated community? Yes, I am real and all I wrote was true. What do you think are the "real" causes of my neighborhood degrading? It has been stable for 20 years. Again, I ask Are you afraid of people in your neighborhood? Do you even now speak the same language? Do you really know anything about what's happening in working class areas?
An article that, in my opinion, mirrors the true sentiments and bedrock beliefs of true Americans. A teacher who will leave a legacy of those she has blessed with her intellect, her compassion and her energy.
A wall of seven hundred miles to "protect" a border of two thousand miles really mirrors the Presidency of George Walker Bush; lies, half truths, fear mongering, and a fundamental greed and hatred that is outside of most of our desires for this nation.
A pity that this RuthK buys so wholeheartedly into the falsehoods. If she is real, and I have my doubts on that as her post is so Aryan nation and spouts the usual trite and nasty crap about "them", I would ask why she doesnt blame the real causes for the supposed downgrading opf her neighborhood?
Texas is a redneck state and proud of it. They like to execute people. They are racist.
Let's get the Mexican and Black people out of there and give it to the Palestinians after incinerating 'Crawford'
Those ****kickers are nobody's friend but each others.
Nothing Vox, I'm married to an immigrant, so I kinda got the inside scoop ;) We have gone through the naturalization process together. Oddly she is more opposed to illegal immigration than I am--perhaps there is a fairness issue here?
And you say we are the richest country in the world, but how is this wealth distributed? Have we really used it to take care of our own people, our infrastructure? Besides, if you've been paying attention at all, you know our position on top of the food chain is about to take a nose dive.
Come on back to the real world, vox. Things are pretty difficult down in the trenches for many of us too, and about to get much tougher. Those at the top use immigrants for slave labor. Should they be able to continue this exploitation unabated? Maybe you are not as compassionate as you believe you are, my friend.
Mister Bush: Tear down this wall!!
Ron Raygun 1989
There is an online petition asking the DNC to choose the candidate with the most votes and delegates rather than take the chance on a secret backroom deal.
Please sign the petition and pass it on to your friends.
Petition http://www.petitiononline.com/Superdel/petition.html
Ahem, give texas back to mexico and lets call it even.
There have been serious abuses by the Department of Homeland Security. Here is just one story.
http://www.narconews.com/Issue50/article2996.html
One other thing besides Coka Cola that is all American is the 5 string banjo, the folk musician's Bubba stick!
chessgames - We live in the richest country on earth. It is an embarrassment that we are not also the most generous. Immigrants are not noticeably diminishing our educational resources, our health care or our standard of living here in Arizona or anywhere else. We have not nearly reached the limit of reasonable compassion here. Giving up a little of the fat life you've lucked into is foolishness? What is the matter with you?
freeforall: You are quite right, and not just because of the blacks and latinos. I'm being silly.
LIZARD--Most of what you say is right on, except I have to differ when you say that Texas has no soul, it's pink.
I'm not a Texan but having once lived there for ten years I can attest that there is plenty of soul in Texas, thanks to the large African-American and Hispanic populations there.
An example: You can't go to any event in Texas, be it a book fair, a benefit, a trade fair, a political conference, a farmer's market, whatever--there will always be live music there as part of the event--a result, I believe, of the influence of the black and brown populations.
Black and Latino influence reaches into every aspect of life in Texas--food, music, language, religious practices--you name it, it's there.
Having spent most of the rest of my life in other parts of the US with smaller "minority" populations, I noticed the differences right away--it was one of the reasons that I wanted to move to Texas after an initial visit.
Yeah, and there are plenty of those "pink" people there too, but please don't assume that's all there is to Texas.
The present wave of illegal immigrants from the south is not allowing for orderly integration into our society. Already states are beginning to feel the burden on their resources, especially border states like Arizona. That is why its residents are voting for tougher legislation. Also, let's look at who's benefiting the most: businesses who are exploiting the cheap labor. Another thing is if we continue to allow this wave where do we draw the line? Surely 'illegal' immigrants from other places will likely demand the same privilege and claim discrimination or favoritism.
For those of you who know anything about the current naturalization process, it is quite expensive and arduous, involving much paperwork. Already, this unbridled influx is having a downward pressure on wages and, when added to outsourcing of jobs has, in many cases, been quite dramatic. The coming economic slowdown is sure to exacerbate this. Would you really be for 'open borders,' if you thought it meant the end or diminishing of your standard of living? Being compassionate is one thing, while being foolish is quite another.
Texas has no soul. It's pink.
Salsa, merengue, rock and roll, Blues, Jazz, Cumbia, Bossa Nova, Samba, Rap, hip-hop, brake dancing, Calypso, Merecumbe, Machata, Gospel. All black.
The pink people sit on the side lines and watch.
Americans: You have done nothing but steal and kill
Were it not for blacks you wouldn't be known for music
Were it not for the Europeans you would not have been known for science
Were it not for the jews you would not be known for movies
Were it not for blacks you would not be known for athletics
Were it not for blacks you wouldn't play basketball, football or baseball very well at all.
Cajun is Accadian (Canada)
Were it not for italians you wouldn't be known for pizza
The hot dogs and hamburgers are european
Coca-cola is America. Something, at least. And war and tools of war. That's very American.
"These words show a callous lack of understanding for the reality of..."
Everything. What a surprise from a, er, man who killed and maimed millions of innocent Afghanis, Iraqis and Americans for lots of reasons, none of which have anything to do with "reality" or "protecting the homeland."
Border fence? Mexicans should be thankful they haven't been rounded up and held indefinitely in one of Halliburton's new Detention Centers. Yet.
As one of the individuals involved in the planning of this No Border Wall Walk, I am very excited to see Elizabeth Stephen's excellent article appear in such a progressive, excellent media source as Common Dreams. I am also thrilled by the amount of comments, both for and against the border wall and pro/anti immigrant. The entire purpose of such a walk is to raise awareness about the issue of immigration reform and hopefully take strides toward true solidarity - the amount of interest and passion already voiced here provides further proof that this is the civil rights issue of the 21st century.
The No Border Wall Walk, as Ms. Stephens wrote, will be taking place from March 8-16 from Roma to Brownsville, Texas. Though Elizabeth Stephens and several other people involved in this march are teachers, it is the express intent of this walk to encourage solidarity. To that end, through-walkers will be staying in churches of different denominations all along the way. We will be walking through communities, stopping at local parks and soliciting the involvement of churches and social organizations all along the route. Another purpose of this walk is to encourage landowners along the proposed trajectory of this Secure Fence and educate them as to sources of free legal aid.
If anyone is interested in the No Border Wall Walk or in issues of immigration, please stop by my blog "Smart Borders."
Again, great job Elizabeth! I am proud to live on la frontera with you.
Matthew Webster
www.smartborders.wordpress.com
To paraphrase the Conservatives "Great White Hope" (Ronald Ray-gun) " Mr. Bush l say to you TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!!!!
Agitate for the dismantling of NAFTA and the other FTAAs that have caused the disruption of many workers/farmers lives in North, Central, and South America and you will have accomplished more for those who seek employment and economic justice than walking against the WALL.
RuthK -
I live in Tucson, and I have heard your story before. It sounds like you are stuck in your living situation for the duration, so if you are ever going to be happy again I"d say you'd better learn to get along with your new neighbors. I have a few observations and suggestions.
Your post doesn't clearly distinguish between immigrants and illegals. You use the word "they" a lot. You imply that "they" are dirty and dishonest and eroding your property values. You may have first hand evidence of this, but you use it to reinforce a dead end mind set that sounds a lot like racism. As long as you think that way, things will get only worse for you. May I suggest that you take the opportunity to step outside your culture a bit? Instead of never going out, go out. Hispanics go out all the time. Make some chocolate chip cookies and go across the street and meet them. Maybe you'll get invited to a quinciñera or get a nice bag of tamales at Christmastime. Stop being ashamed. If you can't move away, you'd better lighten up. If you remain brittle and afraid, imagine how wretched and isolated you will be after a few years. You have been "invaded" by another culture, not by bad or crazy people. The way to get Mexicans to stop parking cars in your yard is to get to know their mothers.
Why is it that only israel and amerika confiscate land and put up these security walls? Like israel, the us is putting up miles of walls around baghdad and now on the Tex-Mex border. Why have US troops been trained to round up US citizens in martial law exercises?:
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/february2008/020408_shoot_americans...
And now we have InfraGard, a joint FBI and corporate program to "shoot to kill" civilians in times of national emergency.
The us is in serious trouble and my only fear is that these fences will keep us contained when bush declares martial law. Will there be a day when we, like the Palestinians, will demand our freedom?
Ruth K: Catch up and you will understand. The wealth of Mexico and of the US belongs to a few people. The immigrants trashing your neighborhood are the result of American support for oligarchies that create poverty that leads to emmigration. You did this to yourself by corrupting Mexico in the first place for the benefit of American companies and to the detriment of the people. The world will have little sympathy for you.
It is outrageous that you claim immigrants exploit you. You will suffer through your misguided perception. A more realistic perception would make you feel better.
American Friends Service Committee conducts education programs at the border. Exploitation at upper levels result in exploitation at all levels. The wall - any wall of this sort - changes the human capacity to meet one's neighbor.
http://www.afsc.org/pacificsw/sandiego.htm
I disagree with most of the posts here. First of all, Mexico is a wealthy country. They make a massive amount of money from oil. The richest person is not Bill Gates but a Mexican billionaire. The rich live like royalty. They will not spend money for education or health care for their own people.
How many of you live in a neighborhood that has been trashed by immigrants?
The area I live in is not wealthy. It is mainly working class. For years, it has been a stable, integrated area where people took care of their properties and helped each other out. After hurricane Katrina, we had a block party to aid in relief efforts. All of this has changed. The crime rate is up. Property values are down. We have abandoned houses. I worry about who is going to move into the "Rent to own" across the street. My new neighbors throw their trash and garbage everywhere. They stripped a car one night and pulled in next to my house. Their kids take mail out of the mail boxes. They park their cars in my yard. When I explained that that was not their property, their comment was "But you're not using it". We used to have a lovely flower garden in the patio. I'm getting rid of most of the pots and flowers. We never go out (except to pick up the trash they throw around).
I'm ashamed to live here now. I try to explain to people I know that this is not the way it used to be. I'm retired. I can't afford to move and, if I did, the house wouldn't sell. Someone said:
"These "illegals" do not
exploit us. Standing up for
them is standing up for
yourself."
You're wrong. They do exploit us. Is there no longer any place for me in this country?
"When we study segregation, Brown v. Board of Education, the civil rights and Chicano movements I tell my students that laws are only government-enforced rules and may or may not have any basis in morality, equality or justice. I tell them that laws can be passed in hatred, in fear or in a desperate attempt to cling to the status quo. I teach that it is the responsibility of the minority to be courageous, to point out these unjust laws and fight for their destruction and the destruction of the beliefs that create them..."
- It sounds like the admirable Ms Stephens is too honest & decent to thrive in American society. I fear she will be fired from her job, or otherwise silenced. The system has very little tolerance for truth-tellers like her.
A friend years ago suggested that our national anthem should be America the Beautiful instead of the Star Spangled Banner. A song about a mythical land of fruitful plains and shining mountains and brotherhood was preferable to a celebration of bombs and mayhem. I disagreed. Our militant anthem is the picture 57 million of us want our neighbors and our many enemies to take seriously. Maybe it is also appropriate for the appearance of the United States border to reflect reality, in our case a giant, anal-hoarding, paranoid fraidy cat of a super power cowering behind a concrete shell. The Statue of Liberty no longer represents our values, and should probably be torn down lest people mistake her for a welcome mat. A big nasty wall dividing neighbor from neighbor, contracted by arrogant capitalists in distant cities, oblivious to the violence it does to the little people who live in its shadow, gives to the pilgrim who comes upon it a truer picture of the country to which he has arrived. He may think he has come to post WWII East Germany or to modern Israel, but he will make no mistake that he has come to a forbidding and unhappy place,
The teachers of America are the ones responsible for its wretched mentality. Include priests,pastors,mullahs and rabbis in this. They get an F. The teaching profession, like the media, have flunked the big test. You merit no respect.
What we are witnessing is a worldwide movement of workers fighting for their economic right to provide for their families with food, housing, education, and health care. Millions upon millions of workers are migrating from Mexico to the United States, from Guatemala to Mexico, from Bolivia to Chile, from Africa to Spain, France, and England, and from Poland to any country that will take them in. Capitalism in the age of electronics pushes people out of the labor market in their home countries. It forces them, in the millions, to migrate to foreign lands, searching for a buyer for their labor power at whatever price.
As members of the working class in the USA we also sell our labor power at whatever price, and are also fighting for food, housing, education, and health care. These "illegals" do not exploit us. Standing up for them is standing up for yourself.
What I would like Ms. Stephens to teache her students:
1. One third of Mexico was attacked illegally, occupied and annexed illegally using false flag operations as justification. This theft included the oil of Texas. This is stolen land.
2. The US has subverted and corrupted the government of the rest of Mexico, and together bwith the descendants of Spanish colonialists have impoverished the people for the benefit of Mexican and American pink (white)
people.
3. The impoverished and disenfranchised people must then turn to their oppressors for employment in the US as immigrants doing the worst jobs for the worst pay without the benefit of citizenship and condemned to live in fear.
4.These wrteched people are then demonized as criminals stealing American jobs to blame them for America's inadequacies.
5.Correlate this with the multiple examples of American exploitation of other peoples e.g. native americans and a thousand others. Teachers should do their job and teach the truth enthusiastically!
"He only has freedom who ideally loves freedom himself and is glad to extend it to others. He who cares to have slaves must chain himself to them. He who builds walls to create exclusion for others builds walls across his own freedom. He who distrusts freedom in others loses his moral right to it. Sooner or later he is lured into the meshes of physical and moral servility."
--- Rabindranath Tagore, Bengali poet and philosopher
the unamercan non-sense in some comments is traiterous and dispicable.
No we did not illegaly stealno we did not "US has subverted and corrupted the government of the rest of Mexico" they needed no help from us, thee mexican government has been corrupt for decades. demonized they cost the american taxpayer billions of dollars for their medical care and education. dozens of hospitals have been bankrupted paying for these leaches. american exploitation your listing to too much liberal crap. they have no right to come here this is my country, not theirs, get out. they have no right to anything here unless they come legally. "right to provide for their families with food, housing, education, and health care" lizard not in this country they dont. Truth teller, she has no clue at all what the truth is.
The utter ignorance of many comments is just astounding, the multicultural lie has spread like a virus throughout the country.
we have an absolute right as a soverign nation to decide who comes and why. PEOPLE WAKE THE HECK UP!!!!!