Ben Franklin is frequently cited for “In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.” If you have paid any attention to the current presidential race, you will be tempted to add that Republicans will make an a big deal over illegal immigration. They think that immigration will be a strong issue for them.
It could become problematic for Democrats, especially if Clinton becomes the chosen candidate. We will hear over and over her tepid response to a question on issuing drivers licenses to illegal immigrants during the Democratic debate in Philadelphia. You could see that coming when her staff ends up having to explain her explanation of her response.
It may not be the issue that everyone thinks it will be, however. Colorado Representative Tom Tancredo has tried to make this the key point of his presidential race. However, he keeps being asked to respond to issues like the Iraq war or trade policy and has very little to say. In fact, you can add his name to the list of those who are finding that it isn’t easy being a Republican these days. He will not seek reelection to Congress.
The reason I bring this up now is that we need to be prepared to separate the wheat from the chaff in this debate, to recognize hype and spin when we see it and to understand that our actions have real consequences. The partisan nature of today’s political rhetoric, where every response is focus-group tested before a candidate is allowed to speak on national television, makes it difficult to get at the truth of the matter. Politicians rarely tell you what they are really trying to do, all they do is repeat the jingoistic phrases that are keyed to evoke the correct response when we hear them.
The year 1984 has finally arrived.
It was a major recent news item when Manuel Jesus Cordova Soberanes, while crossing illegally into the United States, found a 9-year-old Christopher Buztheitner injured and wandering in the desert after his mother had been killed in a Thanksgiving Day automobile crash. He stayed with Christopher, building a fire to keep him warm overnight, one he knew to be big enough to be seen and reported to the border patrol. While some feel that Soberanes should be recognized as the hero he is and given a visa, there are many who still condemn him for breaking our laws and would label him a felon.
These are days when the entire financial structure of the United States appears to be teetering near collapse as story after story emerges about the crisis in the mortgage market. Banks are taking billions in losses. Congress is holding hearings. Stories are produced about how we will get out of the mess. And, in the middle of this, Tancredo continues to talk about sending all of the illegal immigrants now in this country back to their homeland.
The effect would be to dump hundreds of thousands of apartments and homes onto a market that is already in trouble. Current home values would continue to plummet. Banks would have to admit to more losses. Just remember this when you listen to the rhetoric of “protecting our borders and “no amnesty”.
Consider also that no politician of either party wants to talk about the direct relationship between the subsidy for corn production in the United States, the requirements of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the influx of immigrants from Mexico that causes so much consternation. Even supposed liberal Democrats like Sen. Boxer are loath to even whisper a word about ending those subsidies.
In 2005, we paid $2.5 billion in subsidies for corn. With such tax payer funded subsidies and with NAFTA removing the environmental protection against US produced genetically engineered products, Mexico now imports more that one third of it’s corn from the US, driving farmers out of business and sending them on the trail to the North.
Most of this $2.5 billion went not to the small family farms that the rhetoric mentions, but is rather corporate welfare for the very few, largest agri-businesses.
Faced with all of the doublethink rhetoric of the campaign ahead, it will be tempting to tune out, turn it off, pay attention later when there are only a few remaining candidates to sort through. That would be a mistake. We need to pay attention now, adjust our filters and to reject that which is not grounded in common sense and fact.
“Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on this Earth”
~ Roberto Clemente
Wes Rolley is an artist and concerned citizen. Reach him at
wr*****@ch*****.net
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