Immigration

I read this article today. All of this turmoil over immigration is real tough. Lot's of issues, but this is mostly about money. It's a congressional election year, there's voting blocs to be appeased, there's the percieved "threat" to American culture, the language thing, all sorts of stuff.

I've recently been to Mexico. We're not only talking about Mexican immigrants of course, but i'd say that's the biggest group. Go down to Juarez, where you can literally see the El Paso city lights and people have migrated to Northern Mexico to work at the American factories. Not for the good pay, but for the meals the factories provide along with meager health care. It gets worse the further south you get. Go down there and think about who wouldn't want to get out?

Also, let's think about how we all got here. European immigration, with the subsequent destruction of one people and the enslavement and importation of another. A bit of a philosophical point really, but all the people who criticize the immigrants should trace their family history.

But this is all motivated by cash. "The illegal immigrants don't pay taxes and suck up public education, health care, and social services. They are taking American jobs." Please. What about American companies who outsource to India or Mexico, they're being pretty up front with moving jobs elsewhere because they don't have to pay foriegn workforces nearly as much. As for "American jobs" what Americans are competing for the tomato harvesting jobs? But we certainly love our cheap tomatos at Wal-Mart. I'd be interested to see the cost of public services vs. the money saved on sub-par labor compensation.

I don't know the solution to the immigration issue, but I do know that it's not as simple as people want to make it out to be. The article reflects the public opinion's split, or at least one poll's portrayal of that split. You can't just say "get out of our country".