All Things Pertinent

Well, I was asked to give my thoughts on the Arizona immigration law, and here they are.

First of all, I want to hash out the stereotype of an illegal immigrant: An un- or undereducated brigand/interloper who may or may not bring either drugs, weapons, or both over the border, and in addition to this, "steals" jobs away from the average, everyday American.

That is likely only the case in less than 1% of all undocumented citizens.

The typical illegal immigrant is simply an impoverished person looking for ways to improve his/her life and his/her family's life, and is willing to take whatever simple job is necessary to support them. The jobs they take are typically those that the average American wouldn't take, such as farm worker, house cleaner, maid, etc. In fact, United Farm Workers, along with the support of Stephen Colbert, has started a "Take Our Jobs" campaign, where migrant workers will literally give up their jobs of picking food during a harvest to any Americans who are interested. ((www.takeourjobs.org)

Now, Arizona; home to miles and miles of sand, some cacti, and an immigration law that is reminiscent of racial profiling. Oh, wait, it basically is.

The law requires legal immigrants to carry their immigration papers on them at all times and requires police to question subjects whom they believe to be in the country illegally.
Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I believe that carrying around one's immigration documents in order to prove that one is a citizen casts an undue burden on the legal immigrant. Also, there isn't exactly a criterion for discriminating between an illegal immigrant and a second-generation citizen, namely an Hispanic one. Both likely speak Spanish and both likely fit the profile for a suspected illegal immigrant. What happens when a cop suspects an American-born Hispanic person of being an illegal immigrant, and that person has no immigration documentation?

It seems that this law is the culmination of all the repressed frustration felt by Americans, especially by those recently unemployed or those who have to work under immigrants or those of different races. In a recent study I read, 60% of Caucasians support the law, while 30% of other races support it (+ or - a few percentage points). The law, xenophobic in its nature, has already been challenged by the ACLU and will eventually reach the Supreme Court, which, if holding to prior Civil Rights cases, will strike down the law.

Jon Stewart had a great bit on this. Enjoy.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Law & Border<
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That's all for now,
Das Flüg

P.S. VAMOS VAMOS, ARGENTINA, VAMOS VAMOS, A GANAR! Sorry US, need to go with my roots.

I'll See You In Health!

I would like to thank Sir Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A., for that quote.

As you (yes, you again, my only reader) probably know (since you're so vigilant with the news and all), one of Barack Obama's campaign promises has finally fallen through: the passage of health care reform. *Cue applause*

This isn't the bill that I was hoping for, but it is a necessary first step. Even Dennis Kucinich, one of the most liberal Representatives in the House changed his vote from a "no" to a "yes" because he realized that some kind of reform, however minor, was necessary. Kucinich and I both were hoping for the public option to be available- the ability of a citizen to have his health care provided by the government and not have to pay any cost for treatment- but, perhaps this is a first step. Either way, it is quite momentous.

I find it astounding that so many people charge this with being a "government takeover of health care" and a "foray into Socialism," but neither is even remotely close to the truth. Firstly, the general notion of health care provided to each and every citizen regardless of socio-economic status has become accepted as a universal right. (Though it seems that people like Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin would disagree.) Almost every industrialized and modernized nation, to my knowledge, has some sort of universal health care system in place. I certainly don't see France, England, Germany, Japan, and even the Czech Republic as "Socialist." In fact, this bill simply extends Medicare benefits for those who cannot afford their own insurance plans or are not covered by their employers (typically small businesses with less than 50 people). It seems almost unconscionable that the United States doesn't have such a system in place already, though, there is always Medicare and Medicaid...
Secondly, some people seem to forget the exact definition of "Socialism." Socialism, in the technical sense, literally means that the government controls production of all products exported and sold by and in the country. That's it. The term should not be conflated with Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Chairman Mao, or Liberal Neo-Monarchists (in the words of Mitt Romney). The health care plan is simply the government acting in the best interests of the people, especially the poor and disenfranchised. To be led on by the raging right's fear mongering would by irrational and completely absurd.

FDR once said that every American has the right to health care. In this new day, we are one step closer to that.

That's all for now,
Das Flüg