Reading Ethan Millard’s tweets on immigration, I asked, “Ethan, can anyone be concerned about immigration without being racist?” I outlined a few thoughts on immigration, here, and invited Ethan to respond. And, man! did he ever! Thank you, Ethan. I disagree with several of Ethan’s points, and I will respond in a few days. But, I love that Ethan can and will make a point.
For those pining for the good-old days when democratic discourse was genteel, please tell me when that golden era was? In America, we argue loudly about important issues, (1) because we can and (2) because those discussions tend to lead toward improvement. Representative democracy is loud and messy — just like many industrious activities. The problem today isn’t that we argue loudly and passionately; that is a feature of our system, not a bug. (The Robert Gibbs types who want to stifle discussion should be run out on a rail. They are enemies of the people.) The problem today is that many of the loudest voices simply don’t say anything worth hearing. They are loud and passionate — and stupid. Ethan, in a few days, I plan to dissect some of your arguments like a frog, but you’ll make me think through some issues more thoroughly. Thank you for engaging and for your contribution to the discussion.
Ethan writes:
They came here to mooch off the system. They steal. They don’t share our values. They don’t want to learn English. They can’t learn English. They refuse to integrate. Most of them are felons. They’re drug mules. The health care system is in crisis because they don’t pay their bills. Their women have babies just so they can stay in America. Their women have babies to get on welfare. They have more rights than us. They get to commit crimes and the police have to let them go free. They spit on our flag. They think we stole their land and they want it back. The unemployment rate is high because they’re stealing our jobs. They committed a crime when they came here and they’ll committ more crimes now that they’re here. They don’t understand law and order, just look at Mexico. They fly the Mexican flag over the American flag. They vote illegally. They live packed into tiny apartments like animals. They sucked the California budget dry.
This is open conversation in person and online between Utahns. I grew up here, I live here and I know how Utah talks about Latino immigrants. Now real, mainstream political leaders are also using this rhetoric.
Cherilyn Eagar has been captivating white audiences with tales of illegals joining marxist paramilitary groups to overthrow the western state governments. Rep. Chris Herrod claimed that 81% of homicides in Salt Lake City are committed by Hispanics. Mike Lee and others say we need to end birthright citizenship because too many of “them” are becoming “us” and “they’re” using their reproductive organs to commit fraud. This is racism. The systematic and deliberate defamation of a race of people is racism. The refusal to recognize an individual for who he is, allowing him only to be “fill in the blank ethnicity” is racism.
You may be offended by my analysis of the immigration debate whether it be on Twitter, Facebook, or here. If you are offended, my advice is simple: Don’t say and do racist things.
Instead recognize that the average, run of the mill illegal immigrant is just like you. In fact, he or she might be better than you. After all, they may have crossed a desert to get to America while you simply fell out of your long- suffering mother. Congratulations! You won the lottery you didn’t even buy a ticket for.
Rep. Sandstrom’s law is designed to harass and intimidate illegal immigrants until fear and anxiety push them to leave. I suppose that seems easy enough from Orem’s ideologically addled east bench where the immigration problem probably appears as simple as scooping the brown out of neapolitan ice cream.
But this proposed law creates a lot of anxiety within communities such as mine in Midvale where families would live in fear of sudden forced separation by cell bars. There are even thousands of US citizens who would live in fear of being separated from their families. As a father I don’t know how I would feel knowing that a misstep, lapse in judgment on the road, or the hateful eye of an ideologically bent police officer could separate me from my children.
It will lead to increased criminal victimization of immigrant families who would have to decide between risking exposure by cooperating with police or just dealing with the crime in quiet hope and faith. Families will also have to weigh the risks of sending their children to school at a time when Rep. Sandstrom will have mandated state employees be immigrant snitches.
How could you be expected to enjoy peace in your own family and stand idly by while your own neighbor’s loving family is needlessly terrorized? You would have to truly believe they are totally different from you and that they don’t share your same perspective on family, your hopes, or values. You would have to embrace a fundamentally racist point of view. That’s what Rep. Sandstrom’s law requires.
The political success of Rep. Sandstrom now rests on you and I believing illegal immigrants are terrible people with even worse motives.
Do you hate that I refer to them as “loving families” instead of “illegals”? Do you roll your eyes when I think about them enduring trials with faith and hope? Do you think I should stop being so soft on these criminals? Do you want to tell me to move to Mexico since I love them so much?
That only covers the reactions of the illegal immigrants. We already know the broader Latino community feels solidarity with the illegals. What about their reaction? They have shown remarkable restraint so far after a year of relentless Latino defamation. What would you do if a Latino majority spent a year slandering whites then capped it off with a mass arrest law? Would you freak out? I sure would. The path laid out by the most vocal conservatives today will lead to increased ethnic division and tension.
Over the past few days since Senator Urquhart first posted the challenge, I’ve seen a lot of finger wagging from people saying you can’t just call a man racist just because he wants immigration reform when you don’t have a plan yourself. First, fighting racism and bigotry carries its own justification and requires no backup immigration platform. Second, Rep. Sandstrom’s bill is not immigration reform. He is asking the state to enforce laws that have long since failed and were deliberately abandoned. It’s immigration reform for fools.
So what would I support? I would support a solution that allows families to stay together and stay here. This is their home. These people should be recognized as individuals who have added to our state culturally, religiously and economically and who deserve to live in the open and in peace. The details are up for grabs but that should be the foundation of our immigration effort.
You may want to believe my arguments are too emotional, not logical, and therefore illegitimate. But if our laws are unable to reflect our humanity and the logic of human nature, then they are worthless. What is more logical than wanting to live in peace with our neighbors? What is more human than seeing the humanity in each other?
Some will read my point of view and believe that if we take up such a measure in the absence of more comprehensive federal reform we could be overwhelmed with asylum seekers. If that’s your worry, then I recommend no action be taken at all. I’d rather keep the tension we have right now. It’s not perfect, but it’s also not open ethnic strife.
Ethan is spot on. The problem that most “immigration reformers” have is that they don’t see this as a paperwork issue. They see it as a people issue. They don’t like and don’t want the immigrants here whether they are legal or not and finding all the “illegals” gives them a way to terrorize all immigrants. Find a way to address the paperwork issue for people who are already here and part of our communities. It’s as simple as that.
No doubt, Senator, there is a place for genteel discourse. There’s probably room for Gentile discourse too, but they’re not the same.
Thanks for hosting this discussion Steve U. I agree with Ethan, although I see the concern that racism is being used a little too heavily by pro-freer-immigration advocates.
For you willingness to maintain discourse with common voters, you will always be my favorite legislator. Care to invite Rep.Sandstrom into the fray?
Dan,
Too funny. Thanks for the catch!
“Rhetoric” is the art of using language to communicate EFFECTIVELY, not an automatic LIE as ethan millard suggests (which is dishonest in itself). Theft of services is no laughing matter. Unified police fee, how do we get the IA (Illegal Alien) community to pay a fair share? We can’t. Food stamps, how do we recover MILLIONS from the IA group, in lost money there? We can’t. How do we reimburse hospitals that are bankrupt, because they have the ER bill “skipped out on” by the the IA community? We can’t. A wonderful professor had a poster that said, “just because you are paranoid… doesn’t mean they are NOT out to get you. We are paranoid about this, with good reason!
I agree with Mark, theft of services is not a laughing matter in fact it infuriates me to no end.
It is really to bad that people like Ethan are so naive to believe that this is not what’s happening and that is isn’t a problem. Instead it seems it always has to be about race. When you have a certain race taking advantage of of a countries benefits and not paying a cent, then yes, I guess it is about race to a certain extent.
The main point is, is that they are coming here ILLEGALLY and it seems that some people just can’t grasp that. They seem to think that it is OK to come into our country and take advantage of everything that the tax paying American enjoys, well it isn’t OK and it needs to stop.
So the list that Ethan opens with, he obviously doesn’t think this is a problem, because most of what he has listed is true. Wake up Ethan and others like you, your not in the land of Oz anymore.
I too think Ethan is spot on. And to anyone entering this nation ILLEGALLY. I am in construction trades and I see it everyday. When I was 18 years old a carpenter made 10 to 12 dollars per hour that was in 1977 now in 2010 a carpenter is lucky to get 15 an hour thats 35 years later. Illegals keep wages down. I am a superintendent on commercial buildings and I get disgusted that people say they work harder than we do and that is just not true. I have work with them for over 40 years. The people that say that apparently has never worked with illegals from south of the boarder. From time to time I need labor to do cleanup I called a temp center they sent illegals they had no green cards no ID’s so I called ICE and of course nothing was done. Is the temp center braking the law? Would I be braking the law to hire them. Of course! They are not UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS THEY ARE ILLEGALLY HERE IN THE US they are braking the law. Don’t the law in the USA mean anything. I thing there should be a law if you hire a illegal you will be fined 1000 dollars per illegal on your payroll 2nd offense 5000 dollars per illegal on your payroll 3rd time get your license pulled. If empoyers are to afraid to hire them they can’t get a job. They will go home were they can find a job and we won’t have to deport them.The job opening pays the taxes not the illegals.There money go Mexico’s economy and drug cartels. We must take a stand now.
I need to add one thing here. If this illegal entry into our country, was “no big deal”, why then the mass exodus out of states, by the “undocumented”, that get tough on it? Ethan Millard wants the STATE to step on the FEDS toes in southern Utah to “protect antiquities”… BUT wants the state of utah to stay out of the FEDS illegal immigration business? What a HYPOCRITE! Protect broken pottry, but allow living people to be robbed? Sounds like PETA, “protect a cockroach, kill a human” stuff?
So Ethan Millard is all for “squatters rights” for illegal immigrants? They entered illegally and set up camp, so just let ‘em go? So where does he live? I want to “squat” on his property! I could use a free house or car or both.
Squatter’s rights? Is that what Americans with Manifest Destiny used to steal the land of the natives who first occupied it? Please.
Ethan’s response is a lot more emotion-based and succinct than mine, where I argue against the constitutionality of our federal immigration laws.
Let’s bring some more clarity to this discussion.
Mr. Ethan piously comments, “But if our laws are unable to reflect our humanity and the logic of human nature, then they are worthless. What is more logical than wanting to live in peace with our neighbors? What is more human than seeing the humanity in each other?”
He says these people are just like us? That they are so good? That they are so human? That all they want is to feed their families and live among us? Hmmm. Mr. Ethan, this is wishful thinking in the highest degree. And it is shameful that someone so intellectually competent would equate “the logic of human nature with the brazen hostility that these invaders clearly manifest when they bring their 4th world practices, beliefs, assumptions and culture into our midst.
Let’s start with the facts.
What is the first illegal, unethical, and immoral act an invader commits on their way to steal jobs and suck of the system in our fair country?
He/She dumps money into the Mexican Mafia’s pockets to the tune of thousands of dollars. This certainly reflects “wanting to live in peace with” neighbors and definitely evinces their humanity to man.
What is the second illegal, unethical, and immoral act they commit?
He/She violates our sovereignty, national, state, and individual sovereignty by crossing the border. This is not the equivalent of a speeding ticket as Mr. Ethan would argue, I am sure. One heck of a start to every illegal aliens’ quest to integrate into our society, our law-abiding society.
What is the third illegal, unethical and immoral act the illegal aliens commit on their way to plunder our public treasuries?
Why, another example of their humanity to man: AGAIN, they pour money into ORGANIZED CRIME cartels by purchasing fraudulent documents. I am sure Mr. Ethan approves of this “logic of human nature” as his open borders fervor just made him complicit in destroying peoples’ lives through i.d. theft and document fraud.
If the illegal alien overstays their visa instead of crossing the border, the same thing is true: THEY ENRICH ORGANIZED CRIME.
What is the fourth illegal, unethical and immoral act these illegal aliens commit after illicitly crossing the border?
Why, showing how much they want to live in peace with us, they STEAL OUR JOBS. Yes, another examply of Mr. Ethan’s logic of human nature.
So all the compassion and fervid feelings that Mr. Ethan evinces for these lawbreakers, who in fact are funding the massive orgs responsible not only for killing 28,000 people across the border in Mexico in the last threee, but in fact are funding, along with U.S. drug users, the overthrow of democratic Mexico, reveals that he and those who agree with him are in a fantasy land akin to Sesame Street. Their grasp on the reality of te invasion is so weak that they are in fact, by their inveterate compassion mongering and justification of the invaders, preventing both the closure of the border and the enforcement of laws which will make these illegal aliens self deport.
The sad thing is, they think that by mongering this compassion they are doing good and manifesting their humanity, another exercise in illusion.
When you monger compassion out of complete ignorance as Mr. Ethan does here, and your goal is not to protect the American people, but to satisfy some psychological need to make yourself feel all warm and fuzzy because of how human we all are, then what is readily apparent is that he and people like him are part of the problem.
In fact, I would go so far as to say when Mr Ethan and his ilk perpetually justify the presence of the invaders by completely ignoring these acts, illegal, unethical, and immoral by any standard we as Americans hold, they will justify anything.
And what is the consequence? The social compact disintegrates because there is no responsibility, certainly not by the invaders for committing these horribly anti-social and anti-American crimes, and not by Mr. Ethan and his ilk.
So to answer, Mr. Ethans further hyperbolic question: “How could you be expected to enjoy peace in your own family and stand idly by while your own neighbor’s loving family is needlessly terrorized?” I answer by asserting unequivocally that I am NOT standing by. I am going to fight for my family, my neighbors, my state, and my country, because when Mr. Ethans piously “humanistic” vision becomes reality, as he so vehemently argues for, America as we have known it will disappear and in its place Mexico or Somalia, or Zimbabwe will take its place.
Mr. Ethan and the rest of you compassion mongers: instead of invading our country, stealing our jobs, plundering our treasuries, bloating our schools, bankrupting our hospitals, why not encourage the invaders to stay home and deal with the problems in their own country, to build it up, to take command of its destiny as our forefathers did in America? Why not encourage this? Is this so inhumane? Why is it that compassion only goes one way. I have heard of any person, state, organization, etc. outside of America who is the least concerned about me and mine, not to mention any other neighbor in America.
And by the way, Mr. Ethan when does it end? When does this infernal compassion mongering end? When the 6-1/2 billion people in the rest of the world are living next door to me?
I think then and only then will the “humanitarian” feelings of Mr. Ethan and his ilk be satisfied. But by then it won’t make any difference anyway because my America will have long been extinct.
What would you rather monger — compassion or fear, protectionism or freedom?
“America was indebted to emigration for settlement & prosperity” — James Madison