Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Apologizing for Vigilantes
From the January 9th Houston Chronicle Editorial Page
False note
A set of rallies protesting illegal immigration fizzled, suggesting Americans want more nuanced answers.
"LAST Saturday, about 20 cities found themselves hosting parties to which few people came. Municipalities from Danbury, Conn., to Denton, Texas, were sites for nationally coordinated “Stop the Invasion” protests — a series of rallies, often at day labor sites, decrying illegal immigration and flawed border policies. The lukewarm attendance said a lot about how most citizens view the role of immigration — both legal and illegal — in American culture....
Considering many Americans’ growing resentment of illegal immigration, the demonstrations’ feeble turnout was surprising. Their concerns echo widely in Washington, where Congress is considering numerous proposals on how to reform immigration policy."
Well, the Chronicle got it half right. (Which is head and shoulders above Fox Republican News Network and other fascist media.) Surprising?, not really, because the growing resentment, as they call it, isn't echoed in Washington--it's generated there, by GOP think tanks desperately looking for new ways to distract Americans from their high crimes. And racist scapegoating, I'm sorry to say, is an old Republican standby for mobilizing resentment and winning elections. Something major newspaper editors ought to understand by now, especially in Texas.
False note
A set of rallies protesting illegal immigration fizzled, suggesting Americans want more nuanced answers.
"LAST Saturday, about 20 cities found themselves hosting parties to which few people came. Municipalities from Danbury, Conn., to Denton, Texas, were sites for nationally coordinated “Stop the Invasion” protests — a series of rallies, often at day labor sites, decrying illegal immigration and flawed border policies. The lukewarm attendance said a lot about how most citizens view the role of immigration — both legal and illegal — in American culture....
Considering many Americans’ growing resentment of illegal immigration, the demonstrations’ feeble turnout was surprising. Their concerns echo widely in Washington, where Congress is considering numerous proposals on how to reform immigration policy."
Well, the Chronicle got it half right. (Which is head and shoulders above Fox Republican News Network and other fascist media.) Surprising?, not really, because the growing resentment, as they call it, isn't echoed in Washington--it's generated there, by GOP think tanks desperately looking for new ways to distract Americans from their high crimes. And racist scapegoating, I'm sorry to say, is an old Republican standby for mobilizing resentment and winning elections. Something major newspaper editors ought to understand by now, especially in Texas.
