Those of you who are students of history all know about the Great Debate to which I am referring in the title of today's post.
"The Great Debate, also called the Shapley–Curtis Debate, was an influential debate between the astronomers Harlow Shapley and Heber Curtis which concerned the nature of spiral nebulae and the size of the universe. The basic issue under debate was whether distant nebulae were relatively small and lay within our own galaxy or whether they were large, independent galaxies. The debate took place on 26 April 1920, in the Baird auditorium of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. The two scientists first presented independent technical papers about "The Scale of the Universe" during the day and then took part in a joint discussion that evening. Much of the lore of the Great Debate grew out of two papers published by Shapley and Curtis in the May 1921 issue of the Bulletin of the National Research Council. The published papers each included counter arguments to the position advocated by the other scientist at the 1920 meeting.--Wiki Encyclopedia" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Debate
The debate above was a gathering of scientists to discuss concepts of the physics of the universe, and how they might be explained. Data was presented, discussed, and future avenues of research suggested. The most important point here is that it was a discussion of facts and research data. Not hyperbole, innuendo, or emotional ranting.
Today's debate on immigration issues bears little resemblance to any course of rational, reality-based debate. It's rapidly degenerating to the level of mud wrestling, with all sides flinging the muck with both hands. Supporters of the Left or Right, or whatever label you might care to apply to those participating, are spiraling ever deeper into the black hole of demagoguery and character assassination. Witness the latest fistfuls of mud from the Southern Poverty Law Center: Mary Bauer, legal director of the SPLC, said the the enforcement of Federal immigration laws and Arizona's new law doing so is a "civil rights disaster" and "leads to racial profiling, distracts police from looking for real criminals and destroys families."
Wow!!! Really!!! How do you know, Mary? The law doesn't go into effect until July! Can I peek into your crystal ball? I could really use the next lottery winning numbers. Very, very typical of the "Poverty Palace" in Montgomery these days. Seems to me the inmates are now in charge of the asylum. (How's that for a zinger? Excuse me while I go wash up.)
Then, the ACLU weighs in with their rallying cry against the evil forces running rampant in Cobb County, Georgia USA. In their ongoing opposition to the enforcement of existing law by anyone not of THEIR choosing, they flocked to the support of Jessica Colotl, the illegal immigrant college student who is the current focus of media attention after her arrest for lying to the police about her status and residence. The ACLU , joined by the usual flock of "advocacy groups" etc., ad nauseam, has this to say:
"Jessica's case is yet another outrageious example of the unaccountable local enforcementof immigration laws in Cobb County gone awry," said Azadeh Shahshahani, ACLU of Georgia's national security/immigrants' rights project director.
The band of lawyers and advocates who rallied around Colotl say Cobb County is abusing its power. In a "joint statement" this past Thursday night, they vented their "outrage" over Colotl's treatment and suggested that the felony charge is trumped-up.
Let's see: The Feds already said she could stay in school, released her from custody, and could finish her education. Then she would be expected to leave, since she's here illegally. Sure, she was just a kid when she came across the border, illegally. She's getting to finish her education. That's a plus, sure. She's lived here most of her life, and will have a difficult time adjusting to life in the narco country below our southern border. Definitely a minus. I'd say a compromise was offered, and accepted, wouldn't you? And, let me say, this is a rarity in dealing the the US Immigration authorities. I know from personal, up-close experience. My wife is a foreign national, and we've been through the system. It could stand LOADS of improvement. Ms. Colotl got a break.
Then the other flocks of buzzards descended on this hapless young lady: The media, the race hustlers, the opportunists, quick-buck sleazes, and more. They never miss an opportunity to raise money. It's their job. Good work, I guess....if you can stomach it.
The Cobb Immigrant Alliance weighed in and scooped up their handfuls of mud, cocked and let fly: Calling the actions of officials "schoolyard bullying" and other less-printable epithets, they were followed by the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials calling the sheriff "Wild-West Warren" and saying he"has abused his authority in this case. His actions clearly demonstrate the problems that occur when local law officers are granted authority to enforce immigration laws," said Gonzalez.
Sorry, I just got carried away in a fit of mirth. But, there's more: Another of the "advocacy groups" had to get their shot in: "Sheriff Warren has embarked on a witch hunt, wasting money and county resources for political gain," said Adelina Nicholls of the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights. "This is not about public safety," she said.
Isn't it funny how all of these impressively named "advocacy" and "rights" groups conveniently leave out the "illegal" part when talking about "migrants" and "immigrants"? Why do you suppose that is? Are they trying to mislead us? Blow smoke in our face? No, of course not! They just "forgot" that part.
"Velcome to Georgia! Vere are your papers?"
My, my, what evil is afoot in Cobb County! There is no hope! Prepare to meet our doom!
Come on, friends, get a grip. ID's are a fact of life. You have to have a license to drive a car, fly a plane, drive a truck, use a credit card, or buy booze in the restaurant or bar. You have to show ID for most anything. It's reality. My wife MUST carry her Permanent Resident's card everywhere she goes....IT'S THE LAW! Even you and I must have our Driver's License or Pilot's License, or other identification as might apply, ON OUR PERSON, if requested to display them to the appropriate authorities on demand. We all agreed to this when we accepted said license. No one forced us to have one, we wanted it! We already have a national ID...it's called a passport. Don't leave home(the USA) without it(sorry, AMX). Big deal.....not!
I think it's time to ClearOurBrainZ !
Today's reality:
We are a nation of laws. We make them, we enforce them(mostly), and all have agreed to abide by them so that we may live in a place of order and peace. We have, in place, a very good system to change laws as they become outdated or impractical. We can change the rules and laws to fit the evolution of our civilization. The point being, we do have a system. As for Ms. Colotl, she admitted she is in the country illegally, drove a motor vehicle knowingly without a valid license, and lied to the officers about her status and place of residence. That's a violation of the law. If I do it, you do it, anyone....they must pay the price. She gets a pass because she's a victim? I don't think so. She's NOT A VICTIM! SHE BROKE THE LAW! MORE THAN ONCE!
Of course, if she had relatives in "high places", she wouldn't be sent back to sunny Mexico after graduation. Witness the latest exercise of discretion by the Federal immigration authorities: Our Glorious Leader, His Eminence El Presidente Obama's (sorry Mr. President, I happen to know you have a sense of humor) auntie was just granted asylum after being ordered deported....and refusing to leave.....SIX YEARS AGO! Of course, you didn't think the folks who work for the government are stupid enough to deport the President's auntie, do you? I mean, really, they may be dumb but they are not stupid. Let's face reality here! Cover your butt is Rule Number One when you work for the government, ANY government, city, state, whatever.
And the mud flies on. Two CNN commentators, columnists, pundits, whatever you wish to call them, David Frum and Rudy Ruiz, hurled their respective balls of verbal bottom-muck in their recent postings. Slings and arrows were flying so thick it looked like a late night western cowboy movie, where the evil Indians attack the wagon train. Fact and figures from Mr. Frum, mixed with a little ire over being invaded by hordes of the unwashed and ignorant(ok, a lot of ire), were met by Mr. Ruis'z righteous indignation and playing of the race card and the academia union card(He went to Harvard). Frum worked for President Bush in 2001-2 as a special advisor and writes a weekly column for CNN.com. They BOTH write for CNN! Ruiz has his own company, not surprisingly an advocacy marketing agency(what a prince!) based in San Antonio, TX. Left and Right, Yin and Yang, Coyote and RoadRunner....really, it is rather cartoonish to read since you can't help laughing. As typical of the more left leaning commentators, Ruiz quickly descends for more ammunition into the depths of muck scooping and name-calling, calling Mr. Frum a xenophobe, racist, cultural protectionist, and other nasty names, bemoaning the lack of "fair and parallel comparative analysis of multigenerational progress". I'm sorry to have to inform you, Mr. Ruiz, that the scientific gathering of data is the collection of facts. Fairness has nothing to do with it. Facts stand alone in the cold light of logical analysis, and all the huffiness in the world won't change that. Multigenerational whatsis? If you use the prefix "multi" more than once in your article, your intellect is showing(off). Zip it up.
Glaring at us online from his profile photo, Mr. Ruiz said: "Frum's line of thinking is a perfect example of people who don't understand Latinos pontificating about our inner workings and role in America. Don't listen to Frum. Listen to me. " What machismo!
Wow, I'm convinced! What about you? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Is he for real?
I find it interesting that Mr. Frum never mentioned Mr. Ruiz in his article, yet Mr. Ruiz feels compelled to attack Mr. Frum's work. I fear Mr. Ruiz cannot face up to the fact that he might possibly be mistaken about something. Or perhaps be lacking the possession of data to support his position? VERY interesting. Don't you just love reading between the lines?
He also says, while waving his diplomas at us, we are all afraid of the growing Latino population in America. I thought we were all Americans? Darn, and me without my pocket of hyphens to label myself as a Scotch-English-French-Cherokee whatever. I am so diminished!!!
Mr. Frum is no innocent, either. Although he writes in a loose, folksy style, he lacks a sharp focus and tends to wander, leading one to the impression that his tinfoil hat has developed a leak, and that the Alien Mind Control Rays from the Mothership in Area 51 are taking control of his thought processes. Be careful, Mr. Frum. They might REALLY be out to get you! Any high school debate team member or first year law student could rip apart either argument, since both are lacking in substantial visible means of support. No evidentiary support, either. Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy.
You see, both the Left and the Right, or whatever label you care to paste on the various points of view, have their mobs of torch-waving zealots clinging to their coattails. Lot's of noise, but but not much real thinking taking place. It's just a fact of life in any human enterprise. There are always extremes to any "view". The trick is to find the middle ground of compromise and agreement. Not always easy, in fact it's very difficult. But, it's worth the trouble. More than worth it, it's essential.
So, oh mighty seers of all, sling all the mud you like. We find it enormously entertaining(sez I, as I daub on my face paint and don my fright wig). But keep it within the bounds of reality, please. Yell and shout all you like, but don't set fire to the house. Baby mustn't play with matches! We might find out we can all do without you, then you might have to actually do something REALLY productive.
Your comments, please.
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