Words Like Locusts Flew From Her Fingers

Fear of “The Other”

States, Counties Begin to Enforce Immigration Law – washingtonpost.com
The House earlier this month was weighing a measure “reaffirming” the authority of local law enforcement agencies to arrest people on suspicion of violating immigration laws.

I can tell you exactly where all this freaked-out attitude towards illegal immigrants is coming from. It’s because of 9/11 — and it’s because of the Bush administration’s inflammatory rhetoric about terrorists and “threat levels”.

It’s got lots of people unnecessarily scared and, because they can’t relieve their fear by finding and exporting really dangerous terrorists, they take it out on the hapless day laborers and minimum-wage workers.

It’s like how a frightened dog will snap at even the hand that feeds it. (Or that makes its Taco Bell burrito.)

Sad stuff, I’m telling you.

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Addendum: And just what, pray tell, are going to be the criteria for “suspicion of violating immigration laws”?? Surely, it will have to be more than just being “hispanic-looking” or working as a day laborer. Surely. Won’t it?