the constant immigrant

In my own life, I seem to be on a constant trek West. Finding myself now in Seattle (after being born in Maryland, raised in Arkansas, and living in Texas for many years), there's been challenges. I've never moved anywhere I had a job waiting for me. Like any Pioneer, I've always had to just go there and start hunting before I bagged something. Good thing I've always know that a little dirt never hurt a Pioneer; sometimes I've had to start small. But there's nothing wrong with that.

Living in Texas for fifteen years, I came to realize something...just by virtue of being born in the United States, I am so incredibly blessed. You see, that was where I first became aware of the plight of immigrants from outside this country. Long gone is the days of honoring Lady Liberty's welcome of 'send us your tired and downtrodden.' What has replaced it is an attitude of disdain at the unwashed hordes. And the attitude of the business community, which has long prospered on the work of such peoples. In the eighties in Texas, the dicotomy was amazing. Many said in public "you are not welcome" while in private would invite the same into their yard to mow and rake, or into the kitchen to cook and clean. As Arte Johnson used to say, "Very interesting."

I'm here to say something plainly. Anybody in or comes to America who wants to work, who wants to live and raise a family, who contributes so much to this country, should never be called "illegal." The wags complain about the immigrants costing taxpayers such and such amout of money, and the practical truth is they cost us nada. For all that immigrants from Central and South America bring to our country in their work ethic and willingness to contribute to society as a whole, we should only be ashamed to call them outlaws and aliens. If you recall, most of the little brown folks we turn a blind eye to when we take advantage of them with our lucrative trade policies in their home countries are in fact quite closely kin to the same brown folks who populated the United States for centuries before being overrun by European immigrants.

Now you tell me. Before both houses make English the 'official' language of the land, could we white folk just realize the native language of America is sign language. That's right. American Sign Language is directly taken from the Native American sign language, a form of communication that supported a trade network so efficient that wampum from New England was fairly common in Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City).

If you want to start splitting hairs about who was here first.

¡Dios bendiga a América!