Sometimes when things come together, you just have to sit back in a mixture of amusement and wonder at the brilliance of Stephen Colbert... I really hope this gets alot of attention
In a tongue-in-cheek call for immigration reform, farm workers are teaming up with comedian Stephen Colbert to challenge unemployed Americans: Come on, take our jobs.
Farm workers are tired of being blamed by politicians and anti-immigrant activists for taking work that should go to Americans and dragging down the economy, said Arturo Rodriguez, the president of the United Farm Workers of America
Any pundit, hypocrit or GOP blowhard can put time in this summer down at the fields in S. California, where it often is well over 100 degrees and the potential for heat stroke so high that migrant farm work is among the most dangerous in the country. It's also exempt from Federal overtime statues and according to the article, roughly half of the workers are estimated at being undocumented workers. They're willing to give up these jobs if anyone will take them: http://www.takeourjobs.org
"The reality is farmworkers who are here today aren't taking any American jobs away. They work in often unbearable situations," Rodriguez said. "I don't think there will be many takers, but the offer is being made. Let's see what happens."
To highlight how unlikely the prospect of Americans lining up to pick strawberries or grapes, Comedy Central's "Colbert Report" plans to feature the "Take Our Jobs" campaign on July 8.
All joking aside, this is a very serious matter as is apparent when reviewing: http://www.takeourjobs.org/
TAKE OUR JOBS
There are two issues facing our nation--high unemployment and undocumented people in the workforce--that many Americans believe are related.
Missing from the debate on both issues is an honest recognition that the food we all eat - at home, in restaurants and workplace cafeterias (including those in the Capitol) - comes to us from the labor of undocumented farm workers.
Agriculture in the United States is dependent on an immigrant workforce. Three-quarters of all crop workers working in American agriculture were born outside the United States. According to government statistics, since the late 1990s, at least 50% of the crop workers have not been authorized to work legally in the United States.
We are a nation in denial about our food supply. As a result the UFW has initiated the "Take Our Jobs" campaign.
Farm workers are ready to train citizens and legal residents who wish to replace them in the field, we will use our knowledge and staff to help connect the unemployed with farm employers. Just fill out the form to the right and continue on to the request for job application.
Let's see if this move brings any attention to much needed reform legislation as our nation has an immigration crisis with less hope of end in sight.