Let me start this rant by stating that this rant isn't about Immigration, Immigration Reform or any sort of more complicated ideas. This is simply my observations on human nature. If you read any more into it then that, you are thinking too much and inferring way to much. Okay disclaimer done, on with the rant. Now anyone who hasn't been living in a cave for the past few months (Heck with WiFi, even those folks probably know) knows that a massive influx of underage children from Central and South America has hit our borders and this has provoked a Poop Storm ™ of commentary from both sides of the political bunkers and more rhetoric than you can shake a stick at from all of the talking heads you see on the magic talkie box. Liarberals are screaming “Oh Lordie! We has got to do everything we can to welcome these poor homeless waifs into the country!” and Cantservatives are screaming, “Got those dead beat, terrorist spawn back across the borders!” (I paraphrase here, but that is mostly the gist of it.) A big phrase I am hearing being bandied about, mostly by Fox News, is “Diseased Illegals” and sometimes the long form “Diseased Illegal Aliens.”
They go on and on and on about the clear and present danger these Plague Spreaders are presenting with their TB, Swine Flu and Ebola (Note here that despite what Cant Pundits want to think, Ebola isn't very common (See non existent) in Central and South America. But hey we can let that one slide since most of these people are not medical types.) If you believe the Cants we are on the verge of World War IA (Illegal Aliens) and the IA are using germ warfare.
As another disclaimer here, let me say I am not medical type either so I cannot state specifically that the Cants are wrong. Course if they are, I do find it rather ironic since Cants also tend to be Vaccination Haters so if we suddenly have an epidemic of Whooping Cough or Measles from Unvaccinated children coming to our borders we know who to blame.
Anyho, moving on. So after that rather long intro, we finally reach the meat of my rant (BACON!). Anti-Immigration types have done everything in their power to dehumanize people who cross our borders illegally. Comparisons to Leeches, Parasites and other much less kindly words have been used in abundance over and over again to make these people appear less than human. Cantservative rhetoric has gotten harsher and harsher as the years have gone by. Now we have a new buzz word for Pundits to use. “DISEASED!”
That is right. Now not only are they illegal drains on our wealthy nation, their very existence is a threat to our health and our continued survival! Cants say that if we don't stop these disease carrying people from entering our borders, all Heck is going to break lose. Any student of history can tell you that the first step in making one group hate another group is to make the target group seem somehow less than human or even animal like.
Hey it worked for all the Greats, Hitler, Stalin and don't forget good old Mao. You take your target group and convince your people that these less than humans are some kind of threat. Then you keep repeating that same dross over and over again. People start believing you and poof you can take any actions you need to fix the problem. (BTW I would be amiss if I didn't mention the US treatment of American Indians and Black Slaves in that list.)
So here is the plan. Cantsevatives and their Rich Backers (won't name names but one group's last name sounds suspiciously like another name for male anatomy) have their bought and paid for Taking Heads rage on and on about Diseased Illegals. People start panicking and thinking “OMG, we are all gonna die from Laughing Cow Disease!”
These panicked people start pressing Cants to “do something!” Since these people are no longer people but instead Diseased Illegals, pretty much anything goes. Its okay if some get hurt or even killed, because they are DISEASED! If we don't respect their basic rights its okay. Besides any sort of moral reasons, there is one reason why this particular approach is dangerous. It is a slippery slope. Not far a slide to getting rid of other groups for similar reasons.
Homosexuals are the most common carriers of HIV/AIDS so wouldn't it make sense to get rid of them to keep the rest of the country safe? Old People are a drain on resources so why not get rid of them. (Huh on second thought, that one is prolly safe considering most of the Grand Old Party are well, really really old.) Is illegal immigration a problem? Yes and I feel it should be dealt with.
However, inciting people to hate other people and dehumanize them isn't the way to do it. The vast majority of Aliens coming across our borders are not criminals. They aren't evil and dead set on destroying America. Most of them are simply looking for a better life for themselves and their families. Send them home, yes, but quit trying to turn them into monsters.
End of Rant
