Sunday, May 2, 2010

Is That Any Way To Treat An Employee? Sadly, In America, It's Legal

Rumors of police abuse of illegal aliens in Arizona sound disturbing and are likely true. Here's why: as a legal resident myself, I know there is an important  legal distinction in American law between illegal and legal aliens. Americans generally have little experience with the intimidating and inefficient procedures, and little understanding how broken, uncivilized, outdated and unjust they are.

Any policymaker unaware of this truth needs more information. Make no mistake, legal entry into America is a cruel, violent emotionally life-changing event. Even the most top-rung applicant is made to feel no different than a common criminal from any other country. Americans born in the country cannot fathom how vulnerable that would feel.

Did you know the immigration department has basically shut the door to legal, screened temporary work permits in the United States for jobs filled by southern border-crossers?  Those who risk their lives to be here, and those who apply through normal channels want to be here legally and yet their efforts have been ignored as this New York Times article says.

America must take responsibility to require paperwork and background checks on all those who live in this country, to start with, to keep the blood within the body of America. Then they must make it easier for those who live here illegally, especially those who have been here with children over five years, and perhaps for less time than that. They must keep the borders tight and process paperwork with efficiency. There is far too much emphasis on the  personalized interview by one interviewer at ICE.  They look at your applicant like it's a college application, and decide whether you are worthy of entry. Looking at someone is like judging a book by its cover, and allows room for  profiling by the interviewer. Not only is it slow and unscientific, it is unprofessional and a legalized form of racism.

Stories of detention and worse in Arizona and along the southern border currently being generated are not likely rumors. Women do not cry rape without reason. That would be far too humiliating, especially in all who prize family relationships. To deny accusations of violence by illegals is to be callous to human suffering.

Imagine this: what if an illegal alien is driving a car with a second generation legal alien inside. That individual has no more reason to carry papers than anyone else in America should she take a ride with a friend. If she has dark skin, she could be questioned in Arizona and soon other states, and without any papers taken directly to jail, because the police are legally bound to ask for papers if there is any question of identity in their minds.

Now supposing she has a friend in the car with her who is white. The policeman does not question the white woman, who is well-dressed and assumed to be legal. Is there any punishment for the policeman who asked only for the papers of the dark-skinned woman? Of course not. He was just doing his job under the new law in Arizona. Policemen do a lot without supervision, and without punishment.

Supposing that dark-skinned American woman then goes to jail and is forced to stay there without legal representation of the kind to which her family has become accustomed, since they have made a fortune in a business and employ others, including long-time Americans. She has been put into a situation that is unbelievable to white-skinned, legal Americans because it probably wouldn't happen to them. Is that fair? Not at all, but it's the law.

And if he groped the two, or even did far more than grope them, on their way through questioning, did they complain? Not a chance.

If they were raped in the jail by other inmates,  neglected and left unrepresented for days on end; if they weren't fed or given the opportunity to bathe, were they ultimately recompensed for their suffering? How exactly?

Now, supposing the illegal alien was finally deported, bereft of her life's point, at a minimum verbally abused and possibly  repeatedly raped on American soil on her way back to her family in Mexico by police, did anyone punish the police or whoever did that? Of course not.

A year later, that illegal alien despises America and will never again speak well of the country. The legal alien, too,  has returned home. Her wealthy parents decide to do nothing to retaliate. No way do they want to attract unwanted attention or hurt their business. But she knows her own body and mind are not at all valued in Washington, D.C. Her will to help America, and possibly her family in the future has eroded.

Many white-skinned Americans approve of the Arizona law without realizing the federal  system needs a major overhaul. If I didn't feel strongly about this issue, I wouldn't be writing about it, even if lots of other people are saying it, too. If laws could be followed,  workers could be screened efficiently and all Americans would be safer and it wouldn't be an issue. Doesn't this make sense?

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