The Blog World is not generally a world of gray areas. The Blogosphere is filled with clearly drawn heroes and villains, with very little in between. Most bloggers either think Bush is a lousy President, or they love him. They think Lost is through, or they're cautiously looking forward to its next few seasons. They either think Lindsay Lohan is an alkie, or they think she's a cokehead. Everything is either the Best. Thing. Ever. Or it sux. It's a simplistic approach, but so far, it's keeping asses in the seats.
Believe it or not, though, there are some topics out there that defy a simple black-and-white categorization. I know! But it's true. For me, one of those topics is illegal immigration. I'd like to stake out my spot on the left, and welcome all illegal emigres to America with open arms, but certain aspects of this issue make such a blanket endorsement difficult. In fact, most areas of the immigration issue should raise "yes, but" pitfalls for the Right and the Left. For example:
- American jobs are being "taken away" by the scores of undocumented workers in our country. BUT... As every hack comic on Comedy Central knows, these are back-breaking, low-paying jobs that no self-respecting native-born American would look to have. And besides that, big businesses regularly overlook their employees immigration status, only to exploit them even more.
-I completely reject efforts by the Right to demonize all Southern and Central American immigrants ('cause all illegal immigrants are from South of the Border, right?) as criminal rejects and deadly gang members. BUT... Because so much of undocumented immigration goes on underground, there are criminals who willfully prey on those seeking to enter the US. They should be cracked down on.
- And these jingoistic morons who get agitated because someone translates the National Anthem into Spanish? Are you kidding me? If there's a bigger non-issue than this to me... It's gay marriage. But anyway, who gives two shits about the National Anthem, anyway? Fuck the Anthem. BUT... Do I wish most imigrants who work in the public sector sought to have a greater command of the English language? Sure. Honestly, if I was working in Guatemala, I'd try to learn the language.
- These bordertown-dwelling racists who clutch their shotguns and make threats against women and children who pass through their land on the way to a hoped-for better life? I hope you get your wall separating you from Mexico? And then I hope they keep building. Building another wall to separate me from YOU. BUT... I don't know how I'd greet desperate, hungry people crossing my property in the middle of the night. I'd like to think I'd meet them with charity, but who knows?
- CNN's anti-immigration firebrand, Lou Dobbs, rails against illegals, for everything from raising the crime stats along the border, to importing diseases like leprosy. BUT... According to a recent 60 Minutes profile, Dobbs is married to a Mexican woman, so he can't be racist. Right?!
- The LAPD are storm-trooping scum. No buts there, at all. It's just the truth.
Hopefully, you get the message. In seeking to resolve the immigration issue, there seems to be no one solution that will satisfy everybody. And that's probably good. I doubt there is a resolution to this mess that is fair to everyone.
