Jun 07

We’re re-legalizing slavery

One might say, and some have, that George W. Bush, with his compassion for the plight of illegal immigrants, can be compared to Abraham Lincoln of 1863, who bravely declared the emancipation of slaves of his time. If that were truly the case, then one must assume today’s illegal immigrants are the modern version of the 19th century African slaves. In fact, each group is the exact antithesis of the other, and if one considers seriously, one recognizes that Abraham Lincoln and today’s president are opposites as well. Contrary to Lincoln’s actions, George W. Bush is flirting with returning this country to legal slavery.

In the early 1800s, America’s South was made up mostly of small landowners who were able to provide for their families through family labor. Most did not own slaves. However, the very large plantations were the face of the South, and these plantations required intensive labor. They produced a multitude of crops that not only provided for those residing, but also offered goods to sell and trade. It was these farms that kept the slave trade system thriving.

When one reads about the slaves of the early 19th century, one is struck by the community that flourished among the displaced Africans and their descendents. These people had been viciously routed from their homes and brought overseas to be sold, legally, via contract or to the highest bidder. Their “wages” consisted of a roof over their heads, food to eat and clothes to keep them from being naked. Some were treated better then others, but their sole purpose was to provide cheap labor for the large plantation “businesses.” Buying a slave proved expensive, and so on-farm “breeding” provided new, young hands to fill ever-increasing work for these businesses. The slaves were kept dependent upon their providers, as lack of education, skills and respect kept them “in their place.”

On Jan. 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln mounted his podium and announced that these oppressed people were to be endowed with freedom and respect, rights that are taken away from those who break the law. Although it would be decades before the society recognized what Lincoln knew to be true, a grave wrong was righted by a righteous man with a vision. Can we possibly say that about our president today?

Today, we have millions of people who were not whisked from their homes in the dark of night, shackled and brought to the country legally, but rather who chose to break the laws of this land to enter without so much as a wave to the legal immigration process. These people are still tied to their homeland, wherever that might be. They work for minimum wage or less and live and work under conditions of which America must be ashamed. In large part they are the poorest in this country. Enter George W. Bush with his “Emancipation Proclamation: Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill.” What will change for these people? Let’s see:

They will work for minimum wage or a bit higher and will live and work under conditions of which America must be ashamed.
They will be poor and uneducated, making them dependent upon the system that needs them for cheap labor.
They will provide more cheap labor by bringing family from their respective countries and by raising families.
They will remain tied to their homeland, continuing to embrace that culture because they will not have the education, the skills or society’s respect due an immigrant who has followed the web of rules to achieve legality. They will “know their place.”
Their sole purpose for being in the U.S. will be to provide cheap labor for business – the Epsilons of our Brave New World.

The only thing that will change will be that these people will be legal. They will be legal slave labor. The saddest part is, once they become legal slaves, the businesses will hire more illegal labor to cut labor costs below even what legal slaves require. The laws in place now are not being enforced, so why would anyone assume they will be enforced after this so-called emancipation?

We keep hearing the charge that those opposed to the immigration bill in Congress have no solutions to offer. Well, here are some solution suggestions:

Enforce the immigration laws, as they stand, on the illegal immigrants. Deportation of 12 million or so illegals might sound impossible, but law enforcement can start with one or two or 40. Remember how one eats an elephant? One bite at a time.
Enforce the immigration laws as they stand, on the business owners. Create a database of all visas/green cards information and make that available online to all business owners for verification during the hiring process. But if an illegal is caught working in a business while holding false U.S. citizenship documentation, hold the illegal responsible and not the business.
Build the fence that has already been approved and funded by Congress.
Increase the numbers of visas available as employment needs arise. These increases would not be permanent but would be subject to scrutiny periodically.
Make the pathway to citizenship for legal immigrants less difficult.
Make English the official language, necessary for a smooth transition into society.

The president made an astounding statement on May 31. He said, “… you can show leadership and solve this problem once and for all …” as if the comprehensive immigration bill will be the miraculous pill that cures the leprosy of illegal immigration. Far from it, this bill, though it shies from the word “amnesty” and centers around the virtue of “compassion,” is nothing short of legalizing a system of slavery. It is as bad a practice of business today as it was in 1863. But above all else, it is wrong.

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