I’m feeling like Flick from “A Bug’s Life” right now, and here’s what I mean: (Let’s have some fun with this serious mess for a second)
FACT: People in the US (especially those who do not live in port cities) are often uncomfortable when they hear people speaking another language besides English, or who dress in clothing from some other culture outside of their own. On the one hand, I’d like to be angry about this, but that’s not totally fair.
After all, my experiences in life have allowed me to become familiar with people from every part of the globe, but that’s not everyone’s lived experience.
It reminds me of children. The child who has gone camping in the forest several times or who has gone swimming every weekend with their family, will show comfort in the forest and in the water. On the other hand, a child who has not experienced these things will be fearful of large groups of trees and the dark within them, as well as the water in a pool or at the beach.
The fact is, that the forest and the water are perfectly safe for both children; the only difference is
THEIR PAST EXPERIENCE AND FAMILIARITY
For people living in port cities of the US, there is a high level of movement into and out of these areas, and this has been a longstanding experience for places such as New Orleans, San Francisco, Miami, New York and several others. People living here for more than a few years barely even notice when someone is speaking or dressing in ways that are obviously from a culture outside of the US. Meanwhile, a person living in Omaha, Nebraska or Cottonport, LA might express confusion or discomfort or even sometimes… fear.
The person from the other culture has not changed. If he were a businessman visiting to purchase Louisiana seafood or if she were an artist visiting the mountains of Nebraska for meditation, both are benefiting the economy of the United States. Similarly, the many immigrants who come here for work are providing services that most Americans are not willing to; and if you ask farmers and certain other industries, they couldn’t survive and maintain OUR way of life without the movement of immigrants into and out of our nation.
In other words, immigrants are almost 100% of the time a benefit to our nation.
IMMIGRATION IS A SIGN OF A HEALTHY ECONOMY
Any economist can tell you that the strength of an economy is closely correlated with the rate of immigration (temporary and permanent). The more difficult it is to do business or move to or visit a nation, the less likely it is to improve its economic situation. In fact, nations such as Canada realized this benefit of immigration and led the way at creating easier means of immigration into their cities.
CANADA GETS IT! So when will our nation as a whole get it?
POLITICIANS USE THE HISTORY OF THE “FEAR OF THE OTHER” TO CONTROL POWER
The sad fact is that the present manipulation of media regarding terrorism and crime is both A FALSE NARRATIVE and AN HISTORICAL TREND that sadly continues to the present.
Much historical research has proven that many so-called “issues” throughout the past few centuries and even to the present were EXAGGERATED in order to get government funding and financial support for business goals for corporations, monarchs and other leaders.
HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES:
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Meru, Kenya:
Missionaries in the early 1900s claimed that abortion was rampant within that community and pressured families to push their daughters into earlier marriage. This decreased the average age of marriage from approximately 20 to 15 at least.
Recent research has revealed that abortion was VERY RARE in this community, and the true reason for the push for earlier marriage was because the RAILWAYS and COFFEE PRODUCERS needed more workers. They wanted the girls and women of Meru to PRODUCE FUTURE LABOR RESOURCES.
Puerto Rico:
1917 – 1919 Women of Puerto Rico were imprisoned at record numbers for suspected prostitution. Many were innocent and even those that were guilty were not forcing any one to have sex with them, making it a victimless “offense.” The women rioted inside the prisons, their families protested outside the prison, and they were finally release by Spring of 1919.
1920s and onward: US officials claimed there was a massive poverty issue on the island and they blamed it on large family size. Officials became pressuring women to limit reproduction with birth control and surgical sterilization. While some women felt they chose to do so independently, others felt they were pressured into the practice by blaming their wombs for the economy of Puerto Rico.
Research has shown that the economy of Puerto Rico rose and fell along with the US and other nations, dropping during the Depression era just like everyone else. In fact, following the depression, per capita income rose faster than the population of Puerto Rico. Furthermore, it was US economic policy that created the presence of poverty on the island.
Prior to US intrusion, the island subsisted on agriculture. Due to the US needs for production, farming land was used for the construction of factories and the people of Puerto Rico were pushed to work in this industry with which they were unfamiliar. What resulted was a struggle to adjust to this drastic and rapid change in the island’s industry.
I COULD GO ON AND ON WITH EXAMPLES, and any one who’d like examples from a particular region, please let me know and I’d be happy to provide them.
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WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE FOR MODERN DAY IMMIGRANTS?
The very rare occurrence of some sort of violent act at the hand of an immigrant is blasted across the US media CREATING AN ILLUSION OF A WIDESPREAD ISSUE. The human mind perceives the amount of time something is presented with the size of that issue.
Truth is that Americans are far more likely to be victims at the hands of other Americans than any immigrant. Plus, the VETTING PROCESS prior to travel are far more stringent than most Americans realize, making it very difficult for someone with violent intentions to get through.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE ARE SAFE
THE BIGGER ISSUE I HAVE WITH THIS IS: We are distracted from other issues which impact our daily lives and threaten our society’s sustainability and economic security.
For instance, the coast line, government corruption by corporations, unfairly distributed tax burden, being abused by greedy CEOs who claim it’s our fault if they take factories to other nations so they can use slave labor.
Fact is: THE CEOs need us! We don’t really need them.
Without the US market, many CEOs would lose profits and they know it. Their goal reminds me of the GRASSHOPPERS from A BUG’S LIFE. They created the illusion that we can’t survive without them, when the reality is the reverse.
They can and should accept lower income for themselves every year in order to provide sustainable industry and jobs for our nation. In order to do business here, we should demand a certain number of jobs, and the reality is: IF THEY DON’T’ COMPLY,
They can and will be replaced with some other business hungry for access to our market. THAT’S THE POWER OF THE FREE MARKET SYSTEM. And we have so long been lied to about our power in this system. They’ve created a mystique around “Capitalism” making it seem like a larger than life zombie-like creature out of control.
So yea, I kind of feel like Flick from A Bug’s Life right now, and I don’t think I’m alone in this. The question is: WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO GET THE REST OF OUR COLONY TO STOP TAKING THEIR FEAR-CRACK and take back the power of us – the power of the people?
SOURCES
“Safeguarding Women's Bodies: The White Man's Burden Medicalized” Author(s): Soheir A. Morsy Source: Medical Anthropology Quarterly , New Series, Vol. 5, No. 1 (Mar., 1991), pp. 19-23
“Imperial Concerns and 'Women's Affairs': State Efforts to Regulate Clitoridectomy and Eradicate Abortion in Meru, Kenya, c. 1910-1950” Author(s): Lynn M. Thomas Source: The Journal of African History , Vol. 39, No. 1 (1998), pp. 121-14Published by: Cambridge University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/183332
