Posted on 06/09/2006 4:51:54 AM PDT by Mr. Silverback
Did you know that “95 percent of warrants for murder in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens?” Or that “75 percent of people on the Most Wanted List in Los Angeles are illegal aliens”? What’s more, “Over [two-thirds] of all births in Los Angeles County are to illegal alien Mexicans on [Medicaid] whose births were paid for by taxpayers.”
This is outrageous. Especially since none of it is true! Instead, it’s just one example of how, in some ways, we have gone beyond worrying about illegal immigration to demonizing the immigrants themselves.
This example came from a widely circulated e-mail that was posted on at least 130 conservative websites. It listed ten “facts about immigration” and gave as its source the Los Angeles Times.
Not only was the Los Angeles Times not the source of these “facts,” when the paper examined the alleged “facts,” none of them withstood scrutiny. Some of them distorted the data: For instance, approximately 62 percent of all births in Los Angeles County are to Hispanic women. But this number includes American citizens, legal aliens, Hispanics from countries other than Mexico, and has nothing to do with Medicaid.
The so-called “facts” about illegal alien criminality are even worse: They are deliberate misrepresentations or complete fabrications.
Unfortunately, this is only the tip of an often very ugly iceberg. The illegal immigration problem is often called an “invasion” that threatens the existence of the United States. Illegal aliens are depicted as part of an effort to “reconquer” the American Southwest. And it’s not only illegal immigrants: American citizens of Mexican ancestry are also regarded as part of this plot.
Now, there are a few fringe Latino groups that talk about “reconquista”—that is all they are, however: fringe. To judge all Latinos, including illegal aliens, by the words of these groups is as fair as judging all Christians by the actions of clinic bombers or Fred Phelps.
A concern for fairness isn’t the most important reason that Christians ought to oppose this demonization of “the strangers in our midst.” As theologian T. M. Moore recently wrote on BreakPoint Online, “God defends strangers. He has compassion for those who have left all and risked all to find new lives in a strange country.”
Moore reminds us that God expects His people’s “attitude toward the strangers and sojourners in their midst” to reflect His own concern.
Now, this does not mean that Christians ought not to be concerned about the massive lawbreaking, by both illegal immigrants and those who employ them. We must! The rule of law is a Christian contribution, coming out of the Reformation, and it requires respect for law, just as the Bible does. Nor does it mean that there’s one particular immigration proposal that Christians ought to be supporting.
What it does mean is that Christians must work to see that the immigration debate generates light instead of heat. We must insist that the illegal-immigration issue be addressed without treating millions of Americans, many of whom have died protecting our country, as a kind of fifth column.
That is the very least we can do if we are obedient to God’s command to welcome strangers. And that’s a fact I got from the highest possible Source.
I don't want illegals demonized either, but this column should have been called "Defending the Criminals." And for Chuck to act like Americans who want real immigration reform have become some sort of renewed Know Nothing Party is just way out of touch. The Senate is ready to hand these folks a reward for their violation of our sovereignty that should be inconceivable, to "solve" the problem by making it several times worse. Neither some crappy email nor the dubious sentiments expressed in it have anything to do with the anger in the electorate about that.
There are links to further information at the source document.
If anyone wants on or off my Chuck Colson/BreakPoint Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.
BreakPoint/Chuck Colson Ping!
If anyone wants on or off my Chuck Colson/BreakPoint Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.
God gave us common sense and expects us to use it. Chuck has jumped the shark on this one.
We do our own cause a disservice when we falsely smear a whole group of people as criminals and sex offenders etc, when most are not.
The fact remains that we need to close the border NOW, then figure out what to do about the ones who are here.
Illegal=broke the law=criminal
As a Christian i want all people (including aliens and citizens of other countries) to be well fed, clothed, have good shelter, have security and safety for their families, and to know and love the Lord. my church sends a mission to Mexico every year, where the missionaries build homes and medical clinics.
As a Christian I also believe in the rule of law. I believe that all things, including our laws, are ordained by our Lord, and that Jesus, by word and deed, taught that our laws should be obeyed (render unto Caesar...).
They need to obey our laws and go back to their homes (yes, they all have a home country).
The illegal aliens should be treated hmanely and with compassion, but they all need to go back to their homes.
Clarification: Yes, just by being here they are criminals as they are breaking the law. This is 100% true.
I don't doubt that there are many bad apples in this mix, but the majority are just here breaking the law to earn money to send back home.
"Do not covet your neighbor's house. Do not covet your neighbor's wife, his slave, his maid, his ox, his donkey, or anything else that is your neighbor's."
Maybe Chuck hasn't read his Bible lately.
I doubt it. I haven't seen this email, but it's typical of the weirdo crap that some people put out, thinking they can skirt the truth/present some half-remembered stat and get people to do the right thing. For example, how many times have you gotten the email about Ollie North saying we should kill Osama all the way back in the late Eighties?
As for a correction, if he was talking about the Klan putting out the same numbers about Blacks, would he bother answering it? The bottom line is that none of this crap has anything to do with the electorate's feelings on the issue, we are n ot a nation of racists and nobody has any need to refute such crap numbers.
Hey Chuck you're right! These are wonderful people. The salt of the earth. They are sooooooooooooo wonderful that they really ought to go home and help Mexico or whereever else they come from, to be the great nations we all know these wonderful folks can make them into.
Can I get an Amen on that? Good! Now let's all link hands and pray that these wonderful folks can find it in their wondrful hearts to bring their wonderful ashes back to where they came from.
Ping
"Now let's all link hands and pray that these wonderful folks can find it in their wondrful hearts to bring their wonderful ashes back to where they came from."
Amen to that.
Ruh roh Mr. Colson, the mob will be after you now.
How does that stat compare with other demographic groups?
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