Tuesday, June 03, 2008

American family values -- no foreigners need apply

These days, it's not just justice wearing the blindfold: it's the law, the people who enforce it and the great majority of the people who don't give a damn.

The country of refugees and pilgrims is more dedicated to the letter of the law than anything else, at least as far as immigration is concerned. True, industry may look the other way because we couldn't afford to eat without illegal immigrants, but when it comes to the educated, the motivated and the talented, we're not willing to make any accommodation: we're not willing to offer any alternate route to citizenship no matter how someones skills might benefit the country.

Take Arthur Mkoyan, a 4.0 high school valedictorian from Fresno, CA. He speaks only English and since he was a baby, knows only the United States. We just can't wait to send him and his parents back to what used to be the Soviet Union, whence his parents fled for their lives. They were never granted that asylum, although any Cuban looking for better opportunities would be if he can get here illegally. All appeals having run out after all these years and the American kid has to be deported to a country he doesn't know and where he's an illiterate alien doomed to a life of misery. Freedom wins again.

Because they wish to appear merciful, ICE has allowed him out of jail to attend his graduation and make his valedictory speech before he's discarded like a bag of garbage. Of course his younger brother is a legal citizen, having been born here, so the family may have to be broken up, but who cares? It's all in a day's work for the ICE men and God, I love freedom and family values!

So move over Michelle Obama, I'm ashamed of this country to the point where I don't know whether to reach for my passport or my gun. It's the country of "I've got mine and screw you, it's not enough." It's the country of fear and intimidation and self righteous contempt for decency. If I'm ever really proud of this country, it will be when it starts acting as though the law was made for people, not people for the law. It will be when the much bragged about Christian Values aren't just a euphemism for "fuck you." It will be when the anger of the stupid, the willfully ignorant, the selfish, the war lovers and the cowards no longer lifts its light beside the golden door to hell.

And that's not going to happen.

11 comments:

Chris the Hippie said...

Goodness... We used to be such a good country. We still have the potential, I'm sure of that! But gosh, what's happened to us...?

Anonymous said...

Goodness? Gosh? What happened is the ignorant numbed down and gullible American people allowed an unqualified, bloodthirsty maniac to steal the presidential election and then those same people let him do it again! I have no doubt that, somehow they will do it a third time.

Goodness and Gosh are not going to help solve any problems in this damned country. Indeed, just the opposite is needed.

RR said...

There are simply so many things 'fucked up' that I don't know where to being.

It has truly become the "I got mine so fuck you" country ... every man for himself.

But what do you expect when we have a leader who tells the populace to literally "go shopping - enjoy America" while he sends 100's of thousands of troops to fight overseas.

Georg said...

Sad story and strange comments, not sticking to the subject.

This is the story of a family ground down by the bureaucrats. Could have happened everywhere.

Georg

d nova said...

wow! ya kno, georg has a gud pt, but greed, ignorance, n aggression go way byond the bureaucrats.

d.K. said...

Good post.

When I was on vacation last year overseas, there was a forum on immigration (most attendees were from the U.S., but not all). At one point, a woman from the U.K. who had been listening to the various "complaints" from the gringos, said that what she was hearing over and over was Americans complaining about "working illegal aliens"... she went on to say how enviable that complaint sounded, since in the U.K., the argument is that their large illegal immigrant population settles there with no desire to work, but rather, to attain generous social benefits without having to work... She pretty much shut down the grumbling Americans, above whom you could almost see the light bulbs going on over head...

Capt. Fogg said...

How bright were those light bulbs?

The usual cry seems to be that Mexicans are here for free services, although they are absolutely the hardest working people I've seen anywhere at any time.

Far more of our economy depends on these people than most people realize.

d.K. said...

The bulbs looked bright, but I agree, they probably burned out 15 minutes later over bloody marys and tequila sunrises, LOL.

I know there are efforts to gin up the "free services" argument, but I think the "stealing 'American' jobs" has more traction.

And I say every chance I get that the (probably undocumented) immigrants I observe are the hardest working people I've ever seen too.

d nova said...

i think it's both, guys.

TorchofLiberty said...

This is sad. The law is the law though. Obviously this kid is deserving to stay. Immigration needs to be worked out in a bi-partisan way. Hopefully whoever is elected next will try and do something constructive regarding this issue.

Capt. Fogg said...

The law is the law because people prefer not to have to make the effort to think and hide behind the comfort of "zero tolerance" policies.

Yes, indeed -- immigration policies need to be worked out so that we do not stop tolerating decency, morality and dare I say: family values.