Immigration and the Mosque – is it about race?
According to the NYT, Obama’s MTV appearance wasn’t as “light” as those who proposed it hoped it would be and essentially he was on the defensive for most of it.
I didn’t watch, so I can’t say, however if true, it simply validates the overall feeling of frustration and dissatisfaction with the present state of affairs. He was hit with a question of unemployment and DADT. Probably the most interesting, at least to me, was this:
A graduate student, citing Arizona’s immigration law and the opposition to an Islamic center in New York, said race relations in the country seem to have deteriorated since the idealism inspired by Mr. Obama’s election, and he asked, “What happened?” Mr. Obama said racial progress has been fitful throughout history, and “oftentimes misunderstandings and antagonism surfaces most strongly when economic times are tough.”
What has “race” to do with either Arizona’s immigration law or the Ground Zero Mosque? Seriously – if those coming across our border and wanting to build a mosque next to where Islamic extremists killed 3,000 Americans were lily white, would it change the argument?
If they were white Muslims would everyone say, “oh, well, never mind – build your mosque where ever you want”?
If those coming into our country illegally were blond haired and blue eyed, would the prevailing consensus be, “hey, that’s fine, no problem”?
No. It wouldn’t. This is more of the left’s attempt to create the narrative that any opposition to radical Islam or illegal immigration is based in race hatred. Would I guess that’s probably the case for a small minority? Sure. But is it the case for the vast majority?
Consider the questions I’ve asked and whether or not you’re concerned because the majority of those coming across our border are Mexican or because they’re doing so illegally. Or whether your opposition to the GZM is based in race hatred or the inappropriateness of the attempt to build such a structure representing the religion of the zealot killers next to the site of those they killed?
Certainly there is still some work to do in the area of race relations – but it is not at all helpful to try to invent it where it really doesn’t exist. Of course you can’t call your opponents “Nazis”, “brown shirts” or “racists” if you don’t do the groundwork first, can you?
~McQ
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I suspect even the illegals will become Tea Partiers if their jobs are at stake. City of Bell would have been a great opportunity for some “teachable moments” about blindly supporting the Democratic Party. Jerry Brown demagogued it nicely, though. I bet he is “outraged” when they can’t actually be prosecuted.
Heh. Perhaps some would.
Mostly not, however. People from Latin America has a culture that is much more prone to socialism for a number of reasons. As they assimilate they will change, but with huge numbers incoming there is little reason to assimilate since they can live in their own culture while here in the US.
I think they simply need someone to remind them why the left their home country.
Everything has been distilled to race for the Left these days. Its their only tool.
Muslim is a race now? Really? That’s interesting, which genes mark you as a member of the Muslim race? And which ‘race’ are those of us who aren’t Muslim? the Non-Muslim race? The America race? The Christian Race? The Agnostic Race?
Which always points back to the closet racism of the people making the accusations. Muslim is a race? Hispanic is a race? EXCUSE ME? These people think EVERY Mexican is a descendant of Montezuma, that EVERY Muslim is an Arab, EVERY black is from Africa and EVERY white comes from Northern Europe. They’re the racists.
Oh, did I mention, they’re IGNORANT racists? yeah, I forgot that.
I had a blue-eyed blonde haired shift manager named Gomez.
Yeah, it probably would.
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In a sense, Obama is working to better race relations.
The biggest problems we face on the issue is that we can’t seriously discuss it. Because any serious discussion of race, culture, etc., gets called “racist” if it upsets the left. Hence, it’s a taboo topic.
Obama is working to make it a real topic again, by overusing the race card.
I do feel for the folks receiving the backlash for the GZM, but i’d call any desire to build a mosque near the Ground Zero area an extreme case of bad taste.
America is a society that’s very tolerant of race, religion and political affiliation; however, when something extremely tragic happens such as thousands of lives lost in an instant, understanding and compassion is something most people here extended to the victims’ families/loved ones.
Yes, it’s been 10 years since 9/11, which is a long time for many of us, but the loss and pain someone feels when a family member is taken away tragically might not always go away that quickly.
I do support anyone wanting to build a religious site but not on hallowed ground when the pain is still fresh for some Americans.
With regards to illegal immigration, we know people cross over the borders illegally, and various organization have come together to try and combat the tide of people coming across into our country (and not just from the South).
If someone wants to cross into America illegally, race, religion, or ethnic backgrounds are the least of our concerns because they are still breaking the law.
We all know that as U.S. citizens we pay the burdens of undocumented people coming and living here illegally. There’s a process to become an American for a reason. Regretablly, It’s more difficult now to become an American but it’s not impossible.
v/r
Rick Branch