Homo stupid

I like this comment by Chris to Latina Lista's post, The Point of No Return for Immigration Reform: The Proof is in the Pizza

Chris said…

"How far back do we go to figure out who was here first."

Sioux? Cherokee?

To be honest, large tracts of the Southwest were simply taken from Mexico by American business interests.

I'm not really clear on why you continually say that others here "don't care" about illegal immigration. It may simply be the fact that the vast majority of the reality based community don't see it as the biggest (not even close) problem facing our problem today? Aren't fine young Americans coming home in body bags on a daily basis? Is this nation running a $9 TRILLION deficit? Is our Constitution, and thus very way of life, under siege from an administration out of control? Is our country not chock full of facilities that have both "special" nuclear materials (HEU, and plutonium primarily), and completely inadequate security?

Now tell me again why I should care more because someone comes from a neighboring country and takes a job in my community, than someone coming from a neighboring town or state.

Quite frankly, I am FAR more concerned that the financial mismanagement in Washington will within my lifetime result in an America that people won't want to come to anymore. To my mind, that is a far worse problem than an America that everyone wants to come to.

This garbage has been going on for years:

"They're coming to take you jobs!"
"Who?"
"The Italians!"
"Really?"
"Yes!"

"They're coming to take your jobs!"
"Who?"
"The Irish!"
"Really?"
"Yes!"

"They're coming to take your jobs!"
"Who?"
"The blacks!"
"Really?"
"Yes!"

"Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a Colony of Aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of our Anglifying them, and will never adopt our Language or Customs, any more than they can acquire our Complexion."
Benjamin Franklin- 1751

I hadn't seen that Ben Franklin quote before, but it is disheartening to think that two and one-half centuries later we have so many folks in this country still spewing this same nonsense. Are we supposedly Homo sapiens ever going to get over racism and our hatred of strangers, or are we doomed to remain Homo stupid forever?

Anyway, very nice writing, Chris, thank you.