Posted on 02/24/2009 5:35:53 AM PST by kellynla
Lecturing a conscript conclave of Justice Department bureaucrats, Attorney General Eric Holder last week called America a "nation of cowards" for not spending more time talking about race.
Reading his speech, however, one recalls the sage counsel of Pat Moynihan to President Nixon in 1970: This whole subject might benefit from a long period of "benign neglect."
One point Holder did allude to, without specifics, was this:
"It is not safe for this nation to assume that the unaddressed social problems in the poorest parts of the country can be isolated and will not ultimately affect the larger society."
Fair point. And what are some of those social problems?
A 70 percent illegitimacy rate in black America, an incarceration and crime rate seven times that of white America, a 50 percent dropout rate in many urban high schools, African-American graduates reading and computing on average at eighth-grade levels.
And about these problems what is the black leadership doing?
Unlike Bill Cosby, the heroic Holder was virtually mute. Rather, he is upset that "on Saturdays and Sundays" we don't go to church or hang out together. But why are the free associations of Americans, of whatever creed or color, any of Eric Holder or Big Brother's business?
Having insulted us, perhaps Holder will start doing his own sworn duty. For one area where he has a lead role is enforcing the nation's laws -- in particular, the U.S. immigration laws. For the federal failure to enforce these laws is a contributory cause of one of those "unaddressed social problems in the poorest parts of the country."
Case in point -- rampant unemployment among minority youth.
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, among African-Americans 18 to 29 with only a high-school degree, unemployment is now 20 percent. Among black adults who do not have a high-school diploma, it is 24 percent. Among teenagers under 18, black unemployment is 30 percent.
Among native-born Hispanics with only a high-school diploma, the unemployment rate is 13.6 percent. Among high-school dropouts, 16 percent. Among Hispanic 16- and 17-year-olds, the jobless figure is 40 percent.
As these figures were compiled in December, before the last two months of sweeping layoffs, they surely understate the situation. And with both black and Hispanic dropout rates now reaching 50 percent in major cities, the social dynamite is piling up.
Last month, USA Today reported that the FBI estimates there are now 1 million gang members in the United States -- up 200,000 from 2005 -- and these gangs are responsible for 80 percent of all U.S. crimes. From other studies, young Hispanics are 19 times as likely as white youth to join gangs, while African-Americans are 15 times.
These millions of teenagers, and unskilled and less-educated young adults with no jobs and little prospect of finding them, are recruiting pools for criminal gangs.
Who is getting the jobs for which these native-born black and Hispanic young could quality? Illegal aliens hold literally millions of them.
Last week, the CIS reported, "An estimated 6 to 7 million illegal immigrants are currently holding jobs. Prior research indicates they are overwhelmingly employed in lower-skilled and lower-paid jobs."
Exactly what sort of jobs?
"Illegals are primarily employed in construction, building cleaning and maintenance, food preparation, service and processing, transportation and moving occupations and agriculture."
With the exception of agriculture, a majority of the workers in these occupations are native-born Americans. Thus, illegal aliens are taking jobs Americans are not only willing to do, but are doing, and taking 7 million of these jobs from young Americans now out of work.
By failing to enforce U.S. immigration laws, the government of the United States is selling America's working class down the river.
In addition to the 7 million illegals holding jobs, legal immigrants have another 15 million. In 2008, when Americans lost 3.5 million jobs, 144,000 immigrants were admitted every month.
Why do we have an open-borders immigration policy that annually allows in millions, legal and illegal, to compete for jobs, when 10 million Americans are out of work and half a million are losing their jobs every month? The political correctness and moral cowardice of our Lords Temporal, who refuse to call a time-out on immigration until our own people go back to work, is killing the American dream for millions.
According to the census, as reported in The New York Times on Saturday, 97 percent of immigrants from Mexico do not speak English at home. They are less skilled and less educated than the average American.
Says demographer William Frey, "The new immigration magnets especially in the Southwest are disproportionately attracting young Mexican men who are willing to accept low wages."
What further proof is needed that mass immigration from the Third World is taking jobs from Americans and driving down their wages when they do find work?
Here is a problem more serious than whether black and white elites are getting together on weekends to gabble about race.
But, dealing with it, Mr. Holder, will take courage.
An outstanding column. Thanks for posting it.
A Buchanan column that doesn’t contain the text “jew”, “israel”, or “zionis”. I’m shocked!
I didn’t read it though, so there may be subtle references I didn’t catch
This is the first time I’ve read an entire Buchanan piece. He hit this one out of the park.
Well, even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Pat is good when he stays off Israel.
ping
As I was reading this column I was thinking to myself, “I wonder how many posts it will take before people start throwing insults @ Mr. Buchanan?”.
It happened on the 3rd post....I guess that’s an improvement to what it has been in the past.
It’s not an insult, it’s a straight observation, with a little humor attached.
I’m always a little nervous when I agree with Pat Buchanan.
What Vincente Fox (former Mexican President) and many employers of illegals say is that the native born gang-bangers are not willing workers. The illegals show up on time and get the work done even if they are poorly educated. If they had to rely on hiring the gang-bangers, cost would go up not because pay would increase dramatically but productivity would decrease dramatically.
bttt
I live in NJ where we have plenty of illegal aliens and corrupt politicians.
I totally agree that illegal aliens cost billions and billions of dollars each year in services provided.
However, America has been importing cheap labor since colonial times. Slaves are the obvious example but in the 19th century you had cheap Irish immigrants digging canals, laying railroads and building cities. In the west coast, it was cheap Chinese immigrants doing much the same. Legal versus illegal meant less at that time since they didn’t get much government largesse at that time.
In the early 20th century, immigration became more formalized but the influx of cheap immigrant labor, especially from Ireland and Italy, was still desired. The difference was that they all wanted to become Americans and put down roots here and built communities.
More recent immigration waves have been spoiled with easy and cheap international communications, travel and entertainment that caters to non-English speakers. In the past, a newspaper and a low power AM radio station that broadcast in a specific language for a few hours a day was all you had.
Since the original amnesty granted in the 80’s, the immigration process has been upended by liberal anti-American groups.
That all said, I employ college educated technical immigrant labor; mostly men. I aggressively seek out American born women for these technical positions when they open up. Twenty years ago, they were unusual but not rare. Today, they are practically non-existent.
Has Pat been rehabilitated here, or are we going to hear about his relative in Auschwitz again?
(The column is right on the mark, by the way.)
“America has been importing cheap labor since colonial times”
the HUGE difference is that it has only been in the last 20 years that ILLEGAL...can you say “ILLEGAL” aliens have been allowed TO RIP OFF AMERICAN TAXPAYERS FOR TENS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY YEAR in free medical care, free food, free housing assistance and free education while they send BILLIONS to their homes TAX FREE!
lets try to keep on point and not mix apples with oranges...please!
You didn't read it though you bother to post and criticize its author....sheesh!
““America has been importing cheap labor since colonial times””
And yet, some still refuse to admit how badly that turned out!
We just need to constantly distinguish between “legal” and “illegal” aliens...BFD!
Pat is right on in this piece. If Obama wants to help the Black race—tighten the border up and kick out the illegals that would open more jobs.
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