Okay, Tennesee, it’s become apparent to me that y’all may need a little refresher course on what is racist.
Noticing that there are people in the world who are different than you–not racist.
Being uncomfortable with those differences, but assume that’s your problem to get over–not racist.
Seeing that people are different than you and assuming that you’re better than them–racist
Treating people who are different than you poorly because they’re different than you–racist.
Actively seeking to define how people that are different than you are worse than you and then seeking to cause them harm–REALLY REALLY RACIST.
That’s like the big no-no of racist behavior.
Do you remember this term? White supremacy? The belief that white people are different and better than all others and that “our” culture is unique and, though vibrant and strong, also very fragile, thus requiring us to all work in concert to protect the white race from the influence of other cultures? White supremacy is, by definition, racist, and when “protecting” the white race (I’m not even going to get into what a problematic term “white” is. Let’s just assume we all know it when we see it.) leaks over into seeking to cause people who are different than you harm, it is really, really racist.
Therefore, people, white nationalism is racist. It is built on a foundation of belief that white people must have a culture free from the influence of other cultures in order to protect and preserve white ways.
That seems to me to be very, very clear.
So, let’s talk about illegal immigration:
“Illegal immigrants use a bunch of resourses they don’t pay for.”–Not racist. True or untrue, it’s a point that can be debated among reasonable people.
“It’s not fair to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants when there are so many folks who took the time and the trouble to come here legally.”–Not racist.
“Letting people remain here undocumented only encourages employers to expoit them.”–Not racist.
Using “illegal immigrant” as a shorthand way of talking about Mexicans?–Racist
Calling them dirty, or vermin, or hordes, or such?–Racist
Saying that they’re ruining “our” culture?–Racist
Seeking to actively harm them?–RACIST
So, let’s talk about what Stacey Campfield and David Oatney were up to this weekend. Stacey?
I was the guest speaker today at the T-FIRE (Tennesseans For Immigration Reform and Education) information forum. T-FIRE is an anti illegal immigration group. Their was a really good crowd who was quite passionate about the issue. Dave Oatney was there and blogger Linda Noe who is a leader on the issue as well as in the group was also there. [obviously, insert your own ‘sic’s where needed]
I, of course, was curious to learn what kind of group T-FIRE is, and so I went to their website. Their website doesn’t scream ‘white supremacy,’ but it’s more than happy to whisper it. Right there on the front page is an approving link to a song in which we learn that the illegal immigration problem is specifically a problem because it means so many Mexicans are coming here, that those Mexicans are hordes (like the Mongol hordes of old, bent on conquering and destroying Western civilization), and they’re not like us because they have so many kids.
Heck, check out their advertisement. If that doesn’t link the illegal immigration problem specifically to Mexicans, you have your eyes shut.
But the website is kind of sparse and so evidence one way or another about whether this is an anti-immigration group or a white-supremacist group concerned about immigration is hard to gather. Luckily, they have friends.
They say you can tell a lot about a person by the friends they keep. Shall we check out T-FIRE’s friends?
There’s the Minutemen of Tennessee. They claim that they aren’t a hate group and that they refuse to be associated with hate groups–“We do not discriminate against nationalities, race, color or religions. We are not a hate group nor do we associate with any known or unknown groups.” One might ask why they’re only patroling the Mexican border, then, but in general, I’m going to take them at their word.
Why?
Because the other group T-FIRE links to is going to keep me busy all morning.
TNRIP.
TNRIP, a group T-FIRE links to as “friends.” I quote from their pages.
–“All illegal aliens should be denied all public services except emergency medical care;” (Folks, they said all, not me. All public serices except for emergency medical care. No police, no fire department, only medical care.)
–“Children born in the U.S. of illegal immigrants should be denied automatic U.S. citizenship, non-emergency, publicly-funded health care and free, public education.” (Yes, let us destroy the Constitution in order to save whatever’s left once you destroy the Constitution.)
–“But woe to you if – or more likely, when – the rules change. White Americans may soon find themselves unable or unwilling to stand up to challenge the new political methods that will be the inevitable result of the ethnic metamorphosis now taking place in America. Unable to cope with the new rules of the game – violence, mob riots, intimidation through accusations of racism, demands for proportionality based on racial numbers, and all the other social and political weapons used by the have-nots to bludgeon treasure and power from the haves – Americans, like others before them, will no doubt cave in. They will compromise away their independence and ultimately their way of life. ” (from a “must read” article)
–“Yet Westerners do not admit that the same kind of savagery could come to America when enough immigrants of the right type assert themselves. The fact is, Americans are sitting ducks for Third World exploitation of the Western conscience of compassion.”
–“Storefront of another business catering to the enclave of illegals now inhabiting what was, only 4 years ago, a solidly middle-class American neighborhood.”
–“It’s not just restaurants, food and convenience stores that are now catering to the flood of illegals who REFUSE to learn our language, it’s every business that is willing to cater to their desire to establish areas more resembling Mexico that are seeking to make profits from them at the expense of the legal immigrants and citizens that have been forced out of what was once their home.”
–“THIS HAS GOT TO STOP before the United States of America is completely over-run with third-world illegal immigrants who have NO desire to assimilate into our culture and the U. S. is effectively brought down to the level of the countries these people have left!!!”
–“But huddling in high-density hovels should not be mistaken for loving relationships or psychologically healthy lifestyles.”
–“USA Today declared that Bantus are ‘not latter day cavemen’ and then built a convincing case that they are.”
–“The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that’s two and a half times that of white non-illegal aliens.”
–“In 2002, HIV/AIDS was the third leading cause of death among Hispanic men aged 35 to 44 and the fourth leading cause of death among Hispanic women in the same age group. Most Hispanic men were exposed to HIV through sexual contact with other men.” (This one really cracked me up. OH NOES! MEXICANS HAVE TEH GAY! )
–“To continue granting amnesties to lawbreakers is only serving to undermine our national cohesiveness and balkanize our country right before our very eyes.”
I could go on, but you get the idea. Mexicans aren’t like us. They’re ruining America and bringing disease and gayness. They’re the front-end of a massive tidal wave of Third-world immigrants who are, at best, primitive, at worst, sneakily using our white benevolence against us in order to turn America into a Third-world country where they can kill us with impunity.
This, folks, is my problem. I can’t have a debate about immigration that advocates white supremacy and the need to protect white culture. I think that, to even engage white supremacists on their terms grants legitimacy to their goals.
And I think allowing white supremacist concerns to slip into the immigration debate is ridiculous. Why are respected Tennesseans granting validity to this nonsense?
Tiny Cat Pants 