Broken Dreams

by: deciminyan

Sat Dec 18, 2010 at 09:52:38 PM EST

A minority of Senators have succeeded in blocking the DREAM act, which would have provided a path to legal citizenship for children of undocumented residents. Apparently these misanthropes have declared that the America I grew up in is no longer the America I live in. Generally, these naysayers are the same Neanderthals who voted against medical care for the 9-11 heroes that they use as political pawns and whose House colleagues are in favor of oppression of children around the world in their blocking of the Child Marriage Protection Act. (My apologies for insulting Neanderthals.)

The America I grew up in was not perfect. There have always been problems in how we have treated non-whites and non-Christians in their search for the American dream, whether it is the thousands of Japanese who we put in internment camps, the thousands of Jews trying to find a home free of the tyranny of the Nazi state, or the thousands of Muslims who run into hateful opposition when they attempt to construct houses of worship or cultural centers.

deciminyan :: Broken Dreams

The opposition to the DREAM act is based on contention that some of the immigrants might be criminals. So, they want to punish all potential Americans for the sins of a few. Let it be also noted, that there are more than a handful of GOP senators like Ensign and Vitter who have engaged in criminal activity and are still "serving" in that body.

New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, a staunch supporter of the DREAM act expressed disappointment but noted that this vote by the Republicans may come back to haunt them:

This is a vote that will not soon be forgotten by a community that is growing not just in size, but also in power and political awareness

It is not unusual to see the Republicans' hypocrisy when their flag-waving acolytes use the Statue of Liberty in their xenophobic messages. Perhaps they should read the timeless words of Emma Lazarus that appear at the base of that icon of America's welcoming attitude:

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.

Tags: immigration, Robert Menendez, Dream Act, featured, (All Tags)

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Broken Dreams | 1 comments

Si Se Puede (0.00 / 0)

The current lame duck session appeared to be the ideal time to pass this small piece of immigration legislation. However, it is not inconceivable that in the next session, working with Republicans, that Obama might be able to cobble together something worthwhile. Yes We Can!

"The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die." - Sen. Ted Kennedy

by: Bill Orr @ Mon Dec 20, 2010 at 14:19:13 PM UTC