AT PLAY TODAY in our immigration debate are warring philosophies of who a “people” are and what we owe each other for simply belonging to the same human family. On one side, frothing, fearful punditry stoke division and hostility. On the other, fearless activists champion for our better natures.
THE WAR ON DRUGS HAS RETURNED even though under increased militarization, drug production actually goes up, as does the body count, while the seizure of drugs decreases. All the facts in hand show, inarguably, that the Drug War model is a failed method of dealing with immigration—even though President Obama seems intent to resurrect it.
THIS WEEK, two comprehensive reports on the health of immigrant detainees were released by Human Rights Watch and the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center. let there be no doubt that in the custody of ICE, immigrants are, literally, “dying for decent care.”
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION seems quite capable of centrist positioning on many issues, including immigration reform. While some argue centrist position allows Obama to effectively reach consensus, immigration reform is an issue that he cannot play sides with.
THE NATION’S EYES are fixed upon a trembling economy. It affects our ability to survive, to thrive, and even think rationally. This crisis impacts the lives of immigrants on multiple levels, be it through provisions to the economic stimulus bill, individual lawmen exceeding the bounds of their office, or a scrambling Pentagon viewing immigrants as easy fodder for the war machine.
HATE DOES NOT EMERGE FROM A VACUUM. Nor could it thrive there, we might add. Just as many hands are required to bring about positive change in our culture, so are many energies and voices required to propagate negativity on a large scale. There is no doubt that a battle rages and that the heart of this nation is at stake.
House of Nezua
the XOLAGRAFIK theater!
