LEFT BEHIND

I have been receiving a lot of feedback on my last editorial - Dirty Politics-, which I love because I see my fellow writers are… reading and thinking!

Here’s another subject for us to chew on.

Many of us (MYSELF INCLUDED) have been looking at the illegal immigrant situation from a hard nosed, extremely conservative, almost inflexible viewpoint.

What if we decided to look at the problem from a different perspective? For example - a Christian viewpoint!
I have been taught; from the time I was knee high to a grasshopper, that we always welcome strangers and guests into our homes.

The reason for this is very clear to me as it is written in bold red words in the book we Christians abide by. (“Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.  For if you love those who only love you, what reward have you? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?” Matt: 5:42-47).

In my view, these words pretty much answer that age-old question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  But, in all honesty I must also ask myself to what level I must go in order to take care of my brother?
Unfortunately I believe we have been casting our anger and rage upon the innocent while we conveniently overlook the guilty.

If a lazy farmer’s horses break into our fields because they are starving, do we shoot the horses? Of course not! All the poor starving animals want is a chance to survive. Even if we make our fence higher and stronger, the desperate horses will eventually find a way to get through, or die. It is evident that the horses are not creating the problem; their lazy owner is the guilty party. To correct the situation, we must boldly confront the farmer and if he does not comply with what is proper and right or if he becomes bellicose, our next step will be to call the authorities to help resolve it.

The Mexicans and other illegal immigrants who are pouring across our borders are not the guilty ones. They are guilty in the sense that they broke our laws by entering without permission, but given the choice between seeing your family starve or seeking illegal asylum, be honest, which would you chose?
The blame for our massive illegal immigration situation can be placed squarely in the hands of three greedy culprits. The Mexican government, the U. S. government, and greedy Corporations, both Mexican & American.

Mexico (Estados Unidos Mexicanos) is not a poor country. With a population around 107 million it has a free market economy and is firmly established as an upper middle class income country and the 12th largest economy in the world (out of 226 countries listed) with a GDP of over a trillion dollars per year.  This puts them economically ahead of such countries as Australia and Switzerland, and even Spain, who originally founded Mexico.

One may very well ask the question, “Why then are so many of Mexico’s people flocking to the United States illegally?”

The answer may very well be that the desperately poor so far out number the middle class and wealthy that it is simply staggering. This poor class, this “Left Behind” class are like the lazy farmer’s horses, simply looking for survival.

So, they head north to greener pastures where they take on labor intensive jobs that many Americans (honestly) consider beneath them.

Unfortunately, many are also taken advantage of by unscrupulous Corporations who pay horrendous wages (by US standards), and reap fabulous profits.

This Left Behind class, into which many Americans will soon enter, are not the beneficiaries of the Free Trade Agreements or NAFTA. Both governments and their corporate masters are wallowing in those ill-gotten gains.

There are brilliant minds working in and for both governments, minds much sharper than my own, and they have access to even smarter minds.

It’s past time for them to do the job they were elected to do and come up with a solution to this problem. Even with my dull mind I can think of half a dozen scenarios that may work.

To begin with, why make them American Citizens? Why can’t the Mexican government issue them national ID cards and with our government’s approval allow them to use those ID as work visas.

In the mean time, both governments could be checking up on them to insure they are properly employed and not being taken advantage of by greedy industries. Benefits such as medical, education and others could be on a cost-sharing basis between both governments, paid for by the taxes of the employed. If they are in this country without work their government should cooperate in relocating them back home.

As for the criminal elements, they should be returned to their mother country for legal incarceration. If their home government does not want to cooperate on this matter, advise them that all future economic cooperation and trade status will end.

Money talks! Put the onus on intergovernmental cooperation or economic trade dries up, and just see how fast Mexico and other countries sing a new tune!

The same applies to our greedy corporations who have taken American jobs and sent them overseas to reap fantastic profits. If they are not paying standard or above standard wages and maintaining a safe workplace for their foreign employees or meeting quality standards, impose very stiff tariffs on their products returning to this country and we’ll see just how fast they adjust to offering basic worker’s rights. Perhaps it may become so expensive they will return their industry back to the United States where American workers can benefit.

These are a few simple ideas that a simple mind has pondered. In the meantime should we, especially we who call ourselves Christians, continue to cast stones at those who have been “Left Behind?” Can we turn away from those who only want to borrow another day of life for their families and still consider ourselves true Christians?

On the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor there is an inscription that reads, “Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, with conquering limbs astride from land to land; here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand a mighty woman with a torch, whose flame is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand glows worldwide welcome; her mild eyes command the air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Is this truth or - false hope?

Perhaps being a true Christian is much tougher than we thought!