Work has been crazy lately so I didn't have time to comment on a statement made in a diary yesterday. The sentiment contained in this statement represents both a challenge to progressives and of course, as with most challenges, there is opportunity within.
In attempting to summarize the strong opposition to amnesty that is behind a great deal of the GOP base melt-down, the diarist took a dangerous leap in caricature.
And what is it that is pissing the base off so much that they're no longer willing to contribute to the Republican Party? Why, it's the scary brown people!!
Folks, by projecting our own stereotypes AT people, we drown out the diversity of their opinions, and WE are the ones who will lose in the long run.
To the break!
First let me say that I don't doubt that there is a GREAT deal of racism within the GOP base. We of course can guess that a good deal of the 28%-ers were, or are decended from Dixiecrats, those old-school southern Democrats who abandoned the Democratic party when it so rightfully aligned itself with the civil rights movement. I do not deny that those bigots are out there, and I do NOT advocate softening any of our condemnation for their perverse views.
But if we, out of convenience, attempt to portray all who oppose amnesty as bigots, we screw ourselves in 2 ways.
- We miss the point.
There are many legitimate reasons to oppose amnesty. The simplest is that in keeping with the basic laws of supply and demand, if one wishes to drop the price of something, increase its supply.
Bush is getting his advice from some unsavory characters and up until now, they haven't apparently been motivated by service to others. Bushes "voices" are telling him to provide amnesty, not out of love for our fellow man, but to increase the labor supply and drop the price (among many other reasons). As it stands, amnesty WILL drive down wages and one shouldn't belittle the concerns of working people who recognize this fact from the working end of the big-business gun.
- By missing this point and claiming, in a very ungenerous manner, that we understand what is behind many people's opposition to amnesty, we are telling them, whether we mean it or not, that we do NOT understand their daily concerns. And not only are we saying that we do not understand them, but we are stating in no uncertain terms that their concerns are the worthy target of our ridicule.
We can do better. This is a complex issue. We can show others that we can discuss the problems with amnesty without blaming immigrants. We can recognize working people's concerns about amnesty without tolerating bigotry. We can teach people how to talk about this.
We are the party of unions and the working class. Controlling immigration is part of looking out for those constituencies. We can figure out how to do it, and we'll have more people on our side if we actually listen to what they have to say.