Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Pot. News Continues Leftward Lurch

The evidence? Today's editorial, "How To Be A Good Illegal Alien."

Okay, that's not really the title. But it would have been a title more honest than "Too much attention can be a bad thing." A few "gems":
"Perhaps the members of Mexicans without Borders and those who support them should stop drawing attention to themselves."
"These actions are not having the desired effect. Citizens of Prince William County are not becoming aware of the value of the Hispanic community; they are not becoming more tolerant."

Never mind the arrogant, race-baiting presumption of "intolerance." What the Pot. News fails to recognize, or scrupulously desires to ignore, is the fact that many who "value" "the Hispanic community" make an entirely proper and just distinction between those who have come here legally, and those who are here illegally.

"The anti-illegal immigration fervor is not dying down or becoming encased in a more reasonable political discussion."
Perhaps because it is the illegal-immigrant groups and their supporters who are being unreasonable, as advocates for scofflaws? Somehow, I doubt that this is what the Pot. News' editors meant.

"In fact, with every sign, protest, boycott and press conference held by Mexicans without Borders, the citizens of Prince William County who oppose illegal immigrants are becoming more entrenched in their, sometimes extreme, views."
So, now advocacy for compliance with the law is "sometimes extreme." Who is it who's doing the caricaturing?
"And as Mexicans without Borders and related organizations become more antagonistic to the very citizens they must win over -- the citizens of Prince William County -- they are losing the battle to win over their fellow human beings."
"The approach that Mexicans without Borders, the Hispanic community and illegal immigrants should take is one of humility."
"Do not highlight this fact by drawing public attention to yourselves."
"Instead, reach out to the citizens of Prince William County and show yourselves to be nothing more nor less than fellow human beings."

"The actions of Mexicans without Borders drives a wedge between legal citizens and illegal immigrants, and allows the latter to be caricatured rather than seen."

"Illegal immigrants: show your humanity. Become one with the communities that surround you. If you do this, you might find that your worst enemies become your best advocates."
Of course, the point is, and always has been, illegal immigrants, those who have broken, and are breaking every day, our laws, and because of their illegal status, fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner (for example, by getting health insurance), becoming a drain on government "services" (whether there should be many such services at all is a different question).

The question raised by the Pot. News' serial idiocies is: why is our local paper trying to tell lawbreakers how more effectively to continue breaking our laws? While I'm sure these little tips are helpful, why is the paper engaged in such activities?

By the way, when the representation fits, it's not a "caricature"; it's a fact.

1 comment:

Charles said...

Hey, lets take what little we can. At least there are part of the way there.

The now realise that MWB is causing the rift in our community, or at least acknowledge it.

They realise the illegal community has done something to make itself unwelcome.

Now they just need to realise that the ANSWER is not to be "more human", but to be "law-abiding".

It's like a guy breaks into your house, and the Potomac News thinks we'll welcome them if they are just polite.

Whereas I'm saying we'd welcome them if they knocked on the front door and got permission to enter.