2005-03-03 - Immigrants' are people too!!

There is a big story going on today in Utah that has made me think of something else that I find very important.

The story is of a bill they were trying to get signed so that illegal immigrants would be able to obtain a drivers license. They will not be able to use this picture ID as a way to board a plane or open a bank account. It will simply be for driving.

The republicans are saying basically that this will give them an opening to accumulate documents and make it easier to acquire citizenship.

The immigrant-rights activist say that though the “biggest problem with illegal immigrants is hit-and-run accidents” they don’t want to give them the right to drive because people would be afraid to pull over due to racial profiling. They also stated the following, “Salt Lake immigration attorney Jesse Brar said an alarmist dread of facing law enforcement will only add to public safety woes.” -so is he saying illegal immigrants are just naturally horrible drivers even if they are taught how to drive?

As it was stated this morning on the news, a study was done not more than 5 or so years ago that Utah has little to no racial profiling. To be honest I can’t say I totally believe that to be true because all you have to do is walk around in a rural area and note that there are few African American citizens living in areas outside of SLC or the Base. I came across a black man once who was very sweet and you could tell he was very southern. He had just retired a year ago from active duty as a MSgt and decided to stay because he liked the area. He said that being a civilian here is very different because people treat you like scum. This may sound very very bad and I’ve only been here since August so please correct me if I’m wrong but this is not only a Red state but it’s also a predominantly white state.

But that gets away from my point of why they are doing this. If they as illegal immigrants get drivers licenses it would make it much more difficult to deport them if the government gave them this right. That is they way I see it. Or possibly they are just looking for a rough estimate on how many illegal immigrants live in Utah. I think it could be a little of both.

This story made me think of people I knew growing up who had to go through so much to become citizens. They would tell me stories of what it’s like watching a dog of skin and bone flop over dead in the street. They would tell me how horrible the food is because they are to poor to feed themselves and they would talk about how their families couldn’t find a job. Then someone I know has a friend who is an illegal immigrant and I won’t say who because the family is deathly afraid of being found out and deported. That family works their butts off to get the basics. They don’t get paid enough to even buy a Christmas gift for their kids once a year. The little girl has one Barbie doll that she treasures. Everything else is just enough to survive and that is alone is precious enough for the family to break their back so they don’t have to go back to where they came from. I heard a story of how they got here. They rode in the back of a semi-truck and stayed there for 4 days with no food or water other than what they brought with them. The doors were not opened even once. That is what they went though to get here and we are so willing to call them criminals and toss them back into something worse than the way we treat them here.

The way I see it is if you think we are so much better than them you need to take a look at where you came from. Yes, I am talking to you my reader. The fact is that 99% of us not counting the Native Americans came over here on a crowded boat with our families to start a new life. Our ancestors are tied to Ellis Island where they dreamed of a something greater and a lot of them got it.

Two hundred years later we are condemning people trying to do the same thing. To me that is the range of forgetfulness. We never knew the pride in signing that book on one little island so we don’t feel the pride of being a part of something so great. If we don’t change that conceded attitude soon we will become the Former United States of America. What happened to, “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-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door…”?

We have turned our backs and even make fun of these hard workers by saying such things as, “if you’re going to live in our country you need to learn English.” After living in a foreign country for two years I know how difficult that is to do. Then there are those people out there who think they are just killing the economy because they don’t pay taxes. They get paid crap compared to what you and I get paid. If you for one second think they get minimum wages then you have probably never lived in a factory town with a 50% Mexican populous. It would be my guess that a job a 16 year old kid could get would be more desirable and that they would pay more taxes than these people would. If you want to get pissed about the economy get pissed at the legal citizens who sit on their ass and collect food stamps or unemployment then go on to complain that they don’t get enough back on taxes when they don’t pay anything in. I have one of those people in my family and it makes my stomach turn. It’s fine if you are trying to find a job but a permanent place on the couch does not count as a profession.

On a personal note this story made me so mad at the republican radio host I actually had to turn the radio off. Usually, I’ll just yell but this time I was so disgusted I turned it off. This guy was calling them criminals and being just cruel to people who have worked hard not only to get here but to find opportunity here. I don’t care what party you come from if you are going to have an opinion that is so bias and narrow-minded then I don’t want to listen to your big fat mouth speak to me. I was embarrassed for my fellow conservatives who had to listen to that.

On a personal note this week of work has been hell and right now I’m wishing I was a civilian and could just quit. Isaiah was scared on Wednesday. I had been so stressed and had listened to so many people just fling rude and hurtful comments at me for two days straight even though they could see I was working my butt off on their behalf that I was beyond upset. Isaiah kept asking me if I was alright but if he could tell I wasn’t just by looking at me when I was trying to hide it then it must be bad. I am just so glad its Friday tomorrow. One more day of this kind of week and I’ll have a mental breakdown.

This is going to sound so bad but I’ve never felt like this before. I really do think that I am on the verge of a mental breakdown from working conditions. My squadron doesn’t claim me as one of them because I’m not munitions I’m Computer Support. On the same note that means that an extremely large percent of the population I support has no idea what I really do so they stick me with odd jobs that I’ve never been trained on and is not a part of my job description because they don’t know that we run around like chickens with our heads cut off with all that we already have on our plate. Then when there equipment isn’t 100% functional it’s our fault and we suck at our jobs. Not to mention the fact that I’m working in a shop that is supposed to hold 6 people and in 14 days will have only 2. That work doesn’t disappear because the people disappear. People don’t even pay attention to that fact and they keep trying to take me away to do volunteer work like being the Col.’s secretary. Neither I nor SSgt L. has time for that when there is so much of our own work to do.

On a good note I got an appointment tomorrow with my new personal trainer ;0) I was thinking I would have to pay for it but he’s a military guy so I won’t have give a dime and I’ll get all documented proof I need to prove I work out when I say I do. He said with his help I’ll have no problem passing my fit test come June! I can’t wait to show the people up who think I can’t do it. The day I pass my fit test will be my defining moment in the military. I’ll go straight to the first shirt and say, “Sir, I passed now give me my back pay please.” That would be so wonderful.

Alright, it’s my bedtime so I will talk to all of you tomorrow. Goodnight!

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