Washington Post on the Nativist Agenda in the Immigration Debate.

Interesting article I have found on the NDN Blog regarding the political frenzy which has been whipped up regarding Immigration in this years campaign season. Newest studies from the Pew Hispanic Center, and statistics from the FBI Hatecrimes Database are showing that the number of hatecrimes and instances of other hate-fueled discriminations, have grown exponentially in the last year, as a result of a virulently anti immigrant atmosphere, which is propelled further by the GOP, who see the lives of our Immigrant Neighbors as a toy they can play with, (Judging from their rhetoric thus far) in order to garner votes from a conservative republican populace. Meanwhile, simultaneously, Democrats are appearing to avoid the topic of immigration reform at all cost, and waffle continuously.

While Congress has failed to pass any meaningful immigration reform, all talk of future resolution seems to almost exclude any compassionate/logical path to legalization, or amnesty for those immigrants here now, and concentrate almost entirely on enforcement only measures, which appeal to a anti immigrant agenda, while Immigrant Lives, and Civil Liberties, and Basic Human Compassion, have come under increasing attack in our nation.

It is time that America started looking very closely at this issue, it is time for people to wake up, and take a very close look at the true statistics in this debate, and stopped listening to rhetoric and false information circulated by the Numbers USA, FAIR hategroups, and asked themselves some serious questions.

1. Who are being effected by the anti immigrant climate in the US? Undocumented Immigrants only? Statistics prove otherwise.

2. In a political climate in which our possible participation in Torture (i.e Waterboarding) is such a hot topic, how can we simultaneously decry torture as a human rights violation, and approve of enforcement only techniques to the immigration debate which would tear families apart, put them in deportation centers (prisons), strip away their access to emergency medical care, and housing, leaving many Immigrants in increasingly destitute, hopeless, and untenable conditions? This "Smoke em out" mentality is, make no mistake, just another form of torture, and yet another form of human rights violations.

3. Who are the groups/individuals driving this current anti immigrant/xenophobic (and racist) agenda? Groups like Numbers USA, and FAIR who have been founded by blatant racists with ties to Neo Nazi Groups (See this wonderful article at Hat City Blog)

4. With these being the case, how can we continue to turn our eyes away from this subject, or allow our leaders to do so? Time to turn up the heat, people. For more information on how to become involved, please contact us and we will add you to our mailing list for all upcoming Stop the Raids events.