The Bush administration and its snarling band of crooks, liars and thieves have fouled the political landscape with their campaign for anti-immigrant legislation. It’s part of the plan to stay in power. They need a scapegoat to take the public’s attention away from their crimes of robbing children of health care and books, stealing medication and retirement dignity from seniors and acting as if the Constitution is “just a piece of paper.”
No matter how weakened Bushites appear in early 2006 polling, their plan is to stay in power. Their plan is three pronged: One is to scare voters to death by waving the terrorist attack flag. Two is to manipulate election rules and procedures in order to diffuse the strength of the majority working-class voters. Three is to foment racism and anti-immigrant nationalism.
Racism and anti-immigrant nationalism has a history here. Super-exploitation of immigrant workers, especially the 8 million without documents, is key to keeping up obscene corporate profit margins.
The Senate is about to take up immigration policy in the wake of the House’s passage of HR 4437. The House bill makes just being in this country without documents a felony. Furthermore, a religious, social service, legal or medical worker who helps an undocumented immigrant could be found guilty of smuggling. HR 4437 increases the militarization of the border, encourages vigilantes and involves local and state police in the enforcement of immigration laws.
The crimes against the working class by this GOP-dominated Congress are enormous — unemployment, declining wages, skyrocketing energy bills, the crisis in education and increasing local taxes. In this critical election year, we can’t let them get away with pinning their crimes on immigrant workers, hardworking members of our class who produce food, build buildings and work in hotels, restaurants and nursing homes.
The Bushites don’t want to see what would happen at the ballot box if U.S. workers united — Black, Brown and white — and turned their righteous anger on Exxon Mobil. Or GM. Or Halliburton.
The stakes are high. For openers, tell your senators today to oppose the provisions of HR 4437 and to support legalization with a path to citizenship, the protection of worker rights, and family reunification!
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