Tea baggin' blame game

Two weeks ago I submitted a letter to the editor to the Pantagraph (or Slantagraph, as I like to call it, our very conservative-leaning local paper in Bloomington-Normal), defending undocumented immigrants from attacks by the right-wing. You can find the letter, along with its discussion forum, via this link. From these debates online, including others involving other letters and articles, I couldn't help but notice that there is some dislike of big corporations out there. But this fledgling perspective is dwarfed by the blame game directed at people who are by no means the problem. Many contributors have bought into the blame game promoted by FOX News and other corporate media outlets. Top in the people to blame for our society's problems:

---undocumented immigrants (or as racists and xenophobes put it, the "Mexican invasion"; they definitely top the list for right-wing ire)

---teachers (heaven forbid that they want decent working conditions and pay, after all they already have their summer's off!)

---teacher unions (by promoting a decent standard of living for teachers, they are stealing our money, and thus "destroying the public system of education in the U.S"!)

---liberals (they're after our money and guns!)

---socialists (Obama is a socialist! He wants to redistribute the wealth. Never mind that he was elected by Wall Street and has pro-corporate policies.)

---traitors (If you think differently than me, or don't love the flag more than humanity as a whole, you are a traitor. "How does it feel to be a traitor, Corey?" By your definition of traitor, GREAT!!!)


I imagine that these views are characteristic of the Tea Baggin' movement, which if they had better organization and competent leadership, would represent a threat. Now they are just one more obstacle, albeit huge, to building a decent country and world.

Grassroots Immigrant Justice Network

What kind of comprehensive immigration reform do we want? More enforcement or social justice?

With many pro-immigrant rights organizations calling for immediate comprehensive immigration reform, a group of those organizations is calling for an open debate on the proposals on the table. The Grassroots Immigrant Justice Network published on Open Letter criticizing the Democratic Party proposals. The problem with these reforms, including the Gutierrez bill, is that it strengthens the punish and enforce stance of the government - further militarizing the border, putting in place an e-verify system, and making the path to citizenship very difficult for immigrants.

I agree with those on the Left who say that the primary purpose of the considered proposals is to garner votes for Democrats among the pro-immigrant rights crowd, not bring about humane reform for immigrants living and working in the U.S.