Which America Do You Live In?
Christy at Firedoglake writes the post I wanted to write over the recent immigration raids :
Nine days until Christmas…and Mommy just got dragged away in handcuffs for a bunch of show arrests. Nice.The shifting rationale for the ICE raids on the Swift Meatpacking plants is making me very peeved. What began as a “raid on illegal immigrants” has morphed into an “identity theft ring” justification in the last 24 hours. Except, the numbers as released thus far, do not hold up for that justification
. . .
So, let’s see what we have here: a meat-packing company with a history of skating immigration laws (and allegations of them having some sort of scheme to import illegal workers from Guatamala) skates out of this scot free thus far.Meanwhile, a mere nine days away from Christmas, these kids get the present of their parents being seized and hauled away, unable to contact them to let them know they are okay — with no time to make arrangements for their children’s care.
. . .
I have very little patience for folks who violate the law — and that includes the meat packing plant which clearly has a “don’t ask, just git to work” policy when it comes to its own hiring practices. But it is apparently too much to ask that the Federal authorities at the Department of Homeland Security stop and say to themselves, “Should we make an utter wreck of these children’s lives a mere nine days before Christmas without making some provision for these families somehow — some show of decency and compassion to ease things a bit for all of these children?”
Even if you take away the questionable timing and the heartless way in which these raids were carried out, this is still one of the more egregious examples of what being “tough on crime” means in a country run by conservative Republicans. The double standard here between illegal (and some legal) workers who are being treated like enemy combatants and their lawbreaking employers who aren’t given second glances is sickening. There really are two Americas and this is a good example of what happens to the people in the poor, non-white one.
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What gets me is that I always thought of myself as a moderate to liberal democrat, and it amazes me to find myself so frequently opposed to the stuff written here. Reading this kind of post always leaves me feeling that maybe the conservative Republicans really are right.
Think of the children! Boohoo! The poor children! No mommies at Christmas time?
They are here illegally, they are working illegally, and perhaps some of them committed additional crimes (identity theft) to do be able to do these illegal things, and you’re whining about Christmas?
Where do you draw the line? Arrest them in January? Oh no think of the children it’s so cold out! Arrest them in February? Oh no think of the children so close to Valentine’s Day? Arrest them in March or April? Oh no think of the children it’s so close to Jesus’ resurrection! May? Too close to cinco de mayo show cultural respect. June? Think of all those weddings the children were supposed to attend! July? Not around our national holiday! August? Oh no too hot!
WHEN!?!?! When are we supposed to punish criminals if not as soon as possible?
Think of the children, huh? Sounds like something their law-breaking parents should have done before committing a series of crimes.
Reading this site frequently makes me feel like the only democrat with a sense of personal responsibility for my own actions.
Comment by Jason — December 15, 2006 @ 8:52 pm
“…moderate to liberal…”?
Compared to whom? David Duke?
Comment by Doobie — December 16, 2006 @ 8:51 pm
Interesting that the press has run with this one, while ignoring a much larger recent police action in the US.
Honest, now: how many of you have even heard of Operation Falcon III?
http://www.usmarshals.gov/falcon3/index.html
Ten thousand arrested in the Eastern US.
And you never heard a word about it.
Neither did I, until I stumbled acrosss
http://wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=15838
Comment by joel hanes — December 17, 2006 @ 8:22 pm
What’s funny, Jason, is that’s exactly the question Greg is asking.
And the answer, when the criminals are employers who utilize illegal labor, is apparently “never.”
Comment by Cris — December 18, 2006 @ 9:32 am
Jason, do you have any idea of the sort of illegal labor we’re talking about here, or is your outrage the product of the same unexamined, uninformed worldview that leads you to call yourself “a moderate to liberal democrat”?
Kindly allow me to break it down for you: These people are doing the sort of jobs that people like you would never dream of doing even if you’d been unemployed for years, at wages that are worse that what you could get for running a paper route, and no benefits whatsoever. That’s why employers rely on undocumented workers, even though doing so could land them hefty fines or even jail.
Tell you what. Figure out how much your food bills would go up if all workers in the U.S. were “legal”, including being paid a minimum wage and having the same rights as teenage fast food workers. Take the difference (it will be considerable) and donate it to a pro-labor-reform candidate or candidates of your choice.
Alternatively, feel free to put a cork in it.
Comment by Tom — December 18, 2006 @ 1:50 pm
Think of the children, huh? Sounds like something their law-breaking parents should have done before committing a series of crimes.
Reading this site frequently makes me feel like the only democrat with a sense of personal responsibility for my own actions.
You’re about as much of a “democrat” as Orson Scott Card. Pathetic.
Comment by Nick J. — December 19, 2006 @ 12:48 pm
Jason, I think you’re missing the point Greg is making. He never said to let criminals evade the law–rather, he’s pointing out how cruel it is to arrest the poor and non-white but leave the companies who hire illegals, and who are EQUALLY if not more complicit, alone. Why are no CEO’s forced into jails, while their babies are quickly given to foster parents? Why are no club-going college kids with fake ID’s being hunted down in mass raids? This is the inequality he speaks of.
Comment by dAnimal — December 20, 2006 @ 2:45 pm