With all the recent hate and vitriol about undocumented immigrants lately, it got me to thinking about what it is that engenders the hate in the first place. Something I've noticed is that it's not undocumented immigrants, it's poor people. Undocumented immigrants tend to be poor.
People are threatened. Threatened by people that don't look like them, speak like them or act like them. They are threatened by the possibility that what they feel entitled to will not be there when they want it. They are threatened by the possibility that someone may become more successful than them, and it's all the more terrifying when the more successful person doesn't look like them, speak like them or act like them. Obviously, immigrants need to stay out unless they are punished thoroughly by jumping through the hoop that is the legal immigration process. While they are enjoying their punishment, they must stay in their country of origin, regardless of whether there is civil war, persecution, poverty, famine or what have you. Only after sufficient suffering will they be allowed to come here to be part of the exploited working poor. Wow, what a great deal.
No - actually, it's a load of garbage. The conversations I've had the misfortune to be a part of the last few days have been quite telling. Whenever immigrants came up, it had nothing to do with the fact that what makes an immigrant an immigrant is that they come from somewhere else. It was all about how they were poor and used all 'our' resources. They took 'our' jobs. They came here for 'our' stellar health care (are you kidding?). Evidently, we own these things because we pay taxes.
I heard a person say that people who get food stamps should not be allowed to have ice cream. I heard a person say that during the rally all the emergency rooms would be empty. I heard a person say that if an immigrant can't speak English after 2 years, they should be deported. No, I'm not kidding.
It made me sick and disgusted and ashamed and enraged - all at the same time.
What I didn't hear was a solution. What to do about all of these horrid people. I controlled myself and what came out was, "but my god! They're HUMANS! They should be allowed to have some sort of life!" I said that more than once, in more than one conversation. Until the one about the ice cream, then I lost it. It went something like this:
That's right - no ice cream. Because, my god, if they had ice cream, they might start feeling like they had a right to some quality of life. And if that happened, they might stop living in fear, and wouldn't be as easily controlled and exploited. And if that happened, who would take care of your children, and groom your lawn and bus the table at your favorite restaurant? It would be chaos, I tell you! Chaos! They should be punished - no ice cream!
Then I had to leave the room.
Thanks for letting me get that out. It was starting to fester.