Building a Wall

I had a conversation with some new friends in my ward. Yes, I have actually started going to more ward activities (and as lame as they sound on paper are actually kinda fun). This has allowed me to actually get to know my neighbors here in Provo a little more. I must say I was shocked at how conservative it really is here. I mean, I figured people had their ideologies, but didn't think they'd go beyond rational. I was wrong. I had this conversation about immigration with a few people I've found here who actually enjoy discussing politics (they actually exist out here - can you believe it?) and their take on immigration was to actually deport all 12 million of them back to Mexico and then build a 12 foot wall around the whole border. Were they joking? No. Not even a little? No, they were for real. I asked them if they had ties to the Utah Minutemen. They actually (all three of them) said they only wish they did. Not even kidding. So I've been thinking about this and trying to understand their rationale, but I can't. I mean, what are they so afraid of? They contend immigrants are taking our jobs and that the national day without an immigrant only proves we don't even need them to function. But the fact is that most immigrants went to work anyway for fear of losing their jobs. It was mostly students eager to skip school, or who'd just passed their final exams who were able to get out and protest. They say immigrants drain our healthcare and education system. Okay, that's actually fair. They do. And to be honest I'm more dissappointed that Vincente Fox just encourages all his poor to hop the border instead of taking care of them himself. I'm even surprised to find I actually like President Bush's plan for a guest worker program. It would cut down on human smuggling. Also, encouraging immigrants to learn english is not only fair, but will help them in the long run. Shoving them out and building a wall is not even a solution. It's an attempt to thrust angry feelings on a whole group of people because they are poor and different. That's just bigotry.

Comments

Scully said…
The thing that kills me the most about the immigrant argument is the 'taking our jobs' section. Like any middle class, college-attending individual would be in competition for a job with an illegal immigrant. Please. I don't know whether to get angry or laugh when people say that.
Unknown said…
Who were you talking to? At Sally's house?!?
Unknown said…
I know! I was waiting for them to say "just kidding" but they were serious. And the worst of it was one of them admitted to being a die-hard fan of Rush Limbaugh. Rush Limbaugh! Pill-popping, crazy, ego the size of Texas Limbaugh. And they believe him!
Unknown said…
This was actually at FHE, in the park. The names shall remain sealed on this blog to protect the innocent (meaning me)
mj said…
i try to understand this mentality and i think it has something to do with "i worked hard and am better off for it--no free rides for me. the same should go for them." but of course being born in the US is already an incredible privilege and in a middle class family much more so.

i also think bush sounds like he has some pretty decent ideas. weird.
Scully said…
Rush Limabaugh! UGH! This confirms my initial suspiscion that for the most part they are parroting ideas. They listen to Rush or watch O'Reilly or whomever else and think that what they are saying sounds nice and conservative, but then don't really think about it outside the parameters they have adopted. They have a box to operate in and don't really think about opening that box to look outside of it.
Anonymous said…
The world must have stopped turning if MJ and SJ agree that Bush has decent ideas. On the English as a national language thing, I have to agree. Canada had two languages and it hasn't helped them. It's actually very expensive to print things in another language. If it wasn't constitutionally mandated for Canadians to be bilingual, French would have faded long ago as well as Quebec's longings to be independant (which will never happen). I'm fine with keeping your own language at home for cultural reasons but if you want to be successful you have to know English.
Joy said…
Hey SJ, I'm going to be in UT 25-31st and on the Wasatch Front from thurs-Saturday, I think.
Unknown said…
Sweet! ...That actually just so happens to be when I'm taking a short little vacation. I was thinking of going somewhere, but that is actually the weekend my parents are moving out of their house (my dad retired last month and they've decided to sell the house, pack all their belongings in storage, buy an RV and travel the country and do genealogy). So my vacation will be helping them move/hanging out with them before they go.
Joy said…
Wow, that's pretty cool.

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