Anti-Immigrant Anti-American Hysteria
I've been recently saddened by the overwhelming amount of attention that mainstream media is paying to anti-immigrant hysteria coming from a right wing minority. Anti-immigrant hysteria that goes against some of the most fundamental values of inclusion that our nation has always fought for. Most Americans support immigrants, and believe in comprehensive immigration reform. But you wouldn't guess this looking at all the recent mainstream media coverage.
I'm also saddened that the Republican Party has been hijacked by right wing extremists that hate immigrants. Yes. Hate immigrants. Most Americans that oppose comprehensive immigration reform or favor SB 1070 Arizona type laws, are not anti-immigrant or racist. They mostly have national and economic security and public safety concerns. They are misinformed, since comprehensive immigration reform would improve national and economic security and have very little impact, if any, on the public safety of most Americans (it would of course improve the public safety of many undocumented immigrants). But most Americans are not racist or anti-immigrant.
But lets not fool ourselves. English only, Arizona SB 1070 laws are often written and facts to back those laws are often provided by anti-immigrant racist groups. We saw this in Arizona and we also saw this in Lino Lakes, when we discovered who was behind writing and funding SB 1070and Lino Lakes English only laws. We then saw gutless, clueless mostly Republican public officials that are not necessarily racist or anti-immigrant, go against traditional conservative libertarian philosophy and advocate for these laws.
Why do they do this? Because Republicans lost during the Bush Presidency the trust of most Americans after almost bankrupting our country with misguided and very damaging economic, fiscal and foreign policy. They once again feel that the only way they have of re-gaining power is to blame Obama for economic problems caused by an incompetent Bush Presidency and the congress that enabled it, by providing false facts about immigrants to brainwash those in the political middle, and by catering to a small but highly active and motivated anti-immigrant fringe. They will also provide misinformation to scare people in the political middle and the right wing fringe into believing that gay marriage will somehow destroy their families.
Yes this strategy will destroy the future of the Republican party. Generation X and Y, GLBT, Latino and African American voters will reject for decades to come what they see as outdated and immoral political rhetoric. But the Republican Party seems so desperate to win short term elections that they will risk it all. Several younger Republican strategists over the past years have told me repeatedly: "We don't believe in this anti-gay, anti-immigrant rhetoric. It goes against our conservative-libertarian values. But we've got to use it to win".
So once more Latinos, the GLBT community and the 5Th of the US population that is currently either unemployed, underemployed and who's pay or benefits have been cut in this recession will once more be victimized by irresponsible Republican campaigns. Once more Republicans will win some seats in the short term.
More than ever we need voters to punish Republicans catering to short sighted policies. More than ever we must praise conservatives that reject the politics of fear. Democrats are not off the hook. They need to be brave and stand for their convictions. They need to present a clear vision of job creation, hope, inclusiveness and a bright future to counter the rhetoric of fear, negativity, division the worst of our past.
We can no longer stay on the sidelines. We need to act NOW to save our nation by sending a clear message that Anti-Immigrant, Anti-American rhetoric will be soundly defeated.
I'm also saddened that the Republican Party has been hijacked by right wing extremists that hate immigrants. Yes. Hate immigrants. Most Americans that oppose comprehensive immigration reform or favor SB 1070 Arizona type laws, are not anti-immigrant or racist. They mostly have national and economic security and public safety concerns. They are misinformed, since comprehensive immigration reform would improve national and economic security and have very little impact, if any, on the public safety of most Americans (it would of course improve the public safety of many undocumented immigrants). But most Americans are not racist or anti-immigrant.
But lets not fool ourselves. English only, Arizona SB 1070 laws are often written and facts to back those laws are often provided by anti-immigrant racist groups. We saw this in Arizona and we also saw this in Lino Lakes, when we discovered who was behind writing and funding SB 1070and Lino Lakes English only laws. We then saw gutless, clueless mostly Republican public officials that are not necessarily racist or anti-immigrant, go against traditional conservative libertarian philosophy and advocate for these laws.
Why do they do this? Because Republicans lost during the Bush Presidency the trust of most Americans after almost bankrupting our country with misguided and very damaging economic, fiscal and foreign policy. They once again feel that the only way they have of re-gaining power is to blame Obama for economic problems caused by an incompetent Bush Presidency and the congress that enabled it, by providing false facts about immigrants to brainwash those in the political middle, and by catering to a small but highly active and motivated anti-immigrant fringe. They will also provide misinformation to scare people in the political middle and the right wing fringe into believing that gay marriage will somehow destroy their families.
Yes this strategy will destroy the future of the Republican party. Generation X and Y, GLBT, Latino and African American voters will reject for decades to come what they see as outdated and immoral political rhetoric. But the Republican Party seems so desperate to win short term elections that they will risk it all. Several younger Republican strategists over the past years have told me repeatedly: "We don't believe in this anti-gay, anti-immigrant rhetoric. It goes against our conservative-libertarian values. But we've got to use it to win".
So once more Latinos, the GLBT community and the 5Th of the US population that is currently either unemployed, underemployed and who's pay or benefits have been cut in this recession will once more be victimized by irresponsible Republican campaigns. Once more Republicans will win some seats in the short term.
More than ever we need voters to punish Republicans catering to short sighted policies. More than ever we must praise conservatives that reject the politics of fear. Democrats are not off the hook. They need to be brave and stand for their convictions. They need to present a clear vision of job creation, hope, inclusiveness and a bright future to counter the rhetoric of fear, negativity, division the worst of our past.
We can no longer stay on the sidelines. We need to act NOW to save our nation by sending a clear message that Anti-Immigrant, Anti-American rhetoric will be soundly defeated.
posted by reportesur at 1:45 PM
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