Tacos to internment
Congressional candidate and social engineer Jason Chaffetz is demanding apologies— from California Congressman Mike Honda, from his opponent Democrat Bennion Spencer and from anyone else he claims is demonizing his innovative plan to round up illegal immigrants and put them behind barbed wire in "tent camps."Honda says Chaffetz's plan is reminiscent of World War II internment camps, like the one he spent time in as a Japanese-American child:
The only apology that should be made is by Mr. Chaffetz to the American public for injecting extremism into a sensitive and serious debate on immigration.Spencer, who criticized Chaffetz for claiming "to be a believer of God and put someone in a tent city because of their ethnic persuasion," says his opponent "shouldn't hold his breath" waiting for his apology.
Columnist Lee Benson of the Deseret News defends Chaffetz and his camps:
In the end, it's a minor story in the Tribune by María Villaseñor that reveals the motivation behind the idea — along with the demographic to whom Chaffetz is pandering.To compare the World War II internment camps to today's immigrant issue is like comparing night to day, yin to yang, black to white, Obama to McCain.
They're exactly the same, other than the fact that they are entirely different.
The Japanese-American internees weren't found guilty of anything and were put behind bars. Illegal immigrants, by the very definition of the term, are guilty but are often not put behind bars.
During a discussion of a subject as mundane as regulating food stands, ethnic connections were made and racism oozed forth:
Councilman Mike Winder defended the ordinance, but criticized several speakers who opposed the taco carts operated by "those people" as well as a man who defended the operators by saying at least they have jobs and don't panhandle like "white" people do.Chaffetz's answer to ethnic and economic friction isn't a new one. It's been pitched many times before by ambitious politicians to fearful followers looking for easy answers and scapegoats.
"This isn't a racial issue," Winder emphasized, "this is about health, quality and blight."
"Are we opposed to [taco stands] or are we opposed to a particular group of people who are foreign to us?" asked Joseph Garcia. . . .
Whether taco stands follow health codes concerned Bud Shosted, who worried that immigrants weren't used to American standards.
He wanted to see carts gone, as did JoAnn Sloan, who said the stands don't add culture to West Valley City, "and if they're so worried about keeping their culture, why don't they go back to home."
7 Comments:
Lee Benson pretty much said what needed to be said. I will add however, we need to restructure legal immigration to reduce, if not eliminate the bureaucracy, confusion, and stagnation in the current process of becoming a legal citizen of the United States. I believe the current process is the prime cause for the problems we face with illegal immigration. Education, employment, financial aid, food stamps, and medical care are all idyllic benefits we, as citizens, have an opportunity to benefit from. These same benefits should not be lavished on those who are in our country illegally. They do not have the rights; not inherent rights or implied rights, or the rights of the United States citizenship they refuse to obtain. Fix legal immigration first, then slam a foot down hard against those here illegally.
Incarcerate criminals, all convicted criminals in this country. Incarcerate them regardless of ethnicity. Incarcerate them in tent facilities or caves or within concrete walls, I don't really care, but incarcerate them! Turning a criminal back into society or simply dropping an illegal alien off across our border enabling their immediate and unrepentant return, on the basis of overcrowded courts and prisons is ridiculously ineffective.
ethnicity was a hot topic in Rose Park several months ago. A Latino market was looking to take a space in a community plaza. Carlton Carson stood up and told a community council meeting that you couldn't block a development because of ethnicity. I would vote for Carlton if I could. The Rose Park Community Council did the right thing and approved the developement, as long as it was going to meet SLC rules.
I am glad WVC is allowing the taco stands to continue.
That said, you didn't see Jason Chaffetz at either meeting trying to get the ethnic stores kicked out? Why, because he isn't the bigot you make him out to be.
Just because he disagrees with the idea of paying a fine and being on the way to being a US citizen, La Raza and other groups have decided to make him look like someone he isn't.
How childish is it to call someone a racist, just because you don't agree with their solution to a big problem.
Crossing the border illegally is a misdemeanor, per Mark Shurtleff.
Locking them in tent cities would surely violate their 8th and 14th amendment rights.
And don't say they don't have rights. The courts have repeatedly held that the constitution applies to any person within the U.S. borders, illegal or citizen.
Thanks for another ignorant blog post about the Chaffetz immigration policy. Many people support the approach (or parts of it) because illegal immigration is causing a host of problems in our country. People who simply disregard solutions and claim they are race or fear based need to get their head out of the sand, or at least stop their political posturing.
People have legit arguments against the plan, but crying "you are a mean racist" isn't one of them. This article added nothing of value.
I guess I missed how the WVC situation has anything to do with Jason. As far as I know, there really wasn't any connection with him. I hope everyone here realizes that what Jason is proposing has to do with ILLEGAL immigrants, not LEGAL immigrants. There is a difference. Mostly in the legality of their status. It's not a judgment on their race.
WVC has to do with Tacos. part of Glen's post. He was trying to say that there are those that are biased, which is true. Jason just isn't one of them, a point he has still missed.. It was Carlton Christensen that was the SLC council guy that stood up to those showing bias at a community meeting a few months ago. Walsh was trying to make it that WVC was the only town with that problem. It isn't.
Thanks for the article. I've been learning more about Mike Winder and the recent activity in WVC.
I have recently started a site to review and support taco stands in SLC. So that just in case the veiled racism I have seen lately continues, we will have a readership ready to fight back.
Thanks for speaking to this!
http://www.slctacos.com
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