Conversation Point

In This Moment

National Magnetism

President Bush's schedule this week includes stops in Tuscan, Arizona, and El Paso, Texas, to garner support for his proposed immigration law changes that would extend guest worker privileges for up to six years for illegal immigrants already residing in the United States, before being required to return home for one year to reapply for a new work permit. Having already signed new legislation to strengthen border protection with increased monies and approval for one thousand additional patrol agents, Mr. Bush is hoping to appease two of his main support groups, the business community, which considers foreign workers good for the economy, and conservatives, who see fighting illegal immigration as a priority. Meanwhile, Congress has shelved the issue until next year because they are divided on the scope of the changes and on whether illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay. Perhaps this time is appropriate since Mr. Bush, in his desire to keep his dwindling political support alive, is sending a mixed message to the country he leads.

Since when has it been appropriate to simultaneously strengthen our resolve to keep people out of our country, while allowing people who have entered illegally to stay, at the same time United States companies are outsourcing jobs to foreign countries? President Bush seems to be playing fast and loose with the concept of what it means to work and support oneself and a family in a country led by a government that likes to believe it places great emphasis on the quality and value of human life, when frequently in tis domestic and foreign policy decisions it does not. Foreign workers, whether Mexicans entering illegally or Indians who provide customer service for AOL from the comfort of their office in Bombay, work for less money. In the case of the Mexicans who will be allowed to stay for three to six years, they will develop skills, be ready to move up the corporate ladder a rung or two, and then be forced home, and perhaps not be allowed back. What business wouldn't love that? No pay increases, no ongoing benefits packages and no retirement plans with which to be burdened.

My understanding is that business is not the sole foundation of the United States, but we certainly do love to believe that unless we come back to the bottom line, and live by it, we are not being wise, or at the very least, not very smart about about how another country will take advantage of our weakness and steal our pots of gold. With all due respect to our ancestors, that's historically what we have done, particularly to the Indigenous North American peoples. In modern terms, we are so worried about our wallets that we are selling out our own people and using other countries to do it. Protecting our southern border isn't about national protection as much as it is our government trying to convince the voting populace that they care about us, hear our fears and will respond. The problem is that the government has created the fear to which they are responding.

Despite our government's best efforts to destroy us, there is something about our country that draws people here, and I believe it would serve us well to recognize that and embrace it. Despite the fact that we have come to the conclusion that people from other countries come here, illegally or not, to steal what we have, or to take advantage of us in negative ways, we are wrong. People come here because they want to emulate the good parts of this country, the hope, the strength, the opportunity, in their own lives. They come here to do what they can with the resources of an abundant nation. Think what a compliment that is to us as a country. In its way, it's like extra people showing up at your house for Thanksgiving because you have the house with the best reputation for hospitality. It has its price, but infinitely more blessings,. We welcome human resources that many countries can only dream about attracting. And whether these resources stay with us or return home, they still make our country and our world a better place. "Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back." (Luke 6:38)

Despite it all, we are being given back exactly what we are giving out as a country. Our greed and aggression are well-known around the world, and we are not appreciated or admired for sticking our collective nose in the business of any variety of places it doesn't belong. Our motives are not pure, and are usually driven by political or economic gain. But somewhere in all of that mess, we are also sending out a claim on human decency that creates a welcoming bond with those who choose our home as their new home, permanently or temporarily. Telling people they aren't welcome doesn't work because it is not true. There is always room at the table for one more.

Until next time, God's blessings.

posted by Cory L. Kemp @ 6:23 PM