Give me your tired, your poor...

With the recent events in Arizona, I thought that something I wrote a couple of years ago, at the height of the 2006 immigration rallies, would be a great way to relaunch Renaissance Human. I hope you like it:

Would you be outraged if...

People of another race came to your country in waves.
Spoke another language.
Followed different beliefs.
Multiplied at an exponential rate.
Lied to you.
Threatened your livelihood.
Stole your property.
Raped your women.
Even went as far as to make war against your culture?

Probably outraged, disgusted, appalled.
You would probably demand justice...

Well, guess what? It happened.
This is not a hypothetical.
It's not the fabric of a fictional tale.
And it is not about “Illegal Immigrants.”

It's about us...This country, the one you were thinking about, was founded on these very acts, amounting to essentially genocide against Native American peoples. We did much worse than take some low-paying jobs and strain some public resources.

Yet this is not about blame but redemption.
What made this country great, what began to repay our previous sins, is the fact that this nation held itself, through fits and starts, to the ideals of freedom and equality – for all people. That is what justice demanded. We could only make up for our violent, genocidal, hate-filled past by trying our damndest to adhere to the ideals of freedom, equality, diversity, mutual respect and acceptance.

The campaign against immigration is, on the other hand, all about blame and hate and scapegoatting. Sure, times are dubious. But, what all the recent political events such as Katrina and Iraq have shown is that straying further from our ideals is not the answer.

For me, give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

---June 15, 2006