ears and noses will be the trophies of the day

In early America, the question of whether or not displaced immigrants were true citizens was settled with swords and axes. Today, it’s settled with words and excuses that are equally painful but entertaining nonetheless.

bill the butcher

Immigration has been a political red herring since Native Americans were called Indians and tea tasted better in harbors. Little has changed today.

Let’s see, according to FAIR, Federation for American Immigration Reform, illegal immigration is responsible for: urban sprawl, unemployment, wage depression, inefficiency, housing problems, health-care woes and…crime.

I wish the cure to all of these social ailments was one tangible thing like illegal immigration, but we all know video games are responsible for crime and unemployment was created by the NFL.

Illegal immigration presents problems, but it’s not this doom day scenario that most make it to be. Here’s the real challenge, instead of polarizing the issue and dividing the country, why don’t try to find some middle ground?

Immigrants helped the North gain victory in the civil war and today the sons and daughters of immigrants have enlisted in droves to fight America’s last two wars (or conflicts…whatever the preferred nomenclature). Yet, immigration is still seen as a threat to the American way of life?  Bill the Butcher, the American anti-immigration hero offers a very interesting perspective:

A real native is someone who is willing to die fighting for his country. There’s nothing more to it.

coming to homerica – the simpson’s take on immigration

Coming to Homerica

Now we can all sleep safe at night knowing that Homer and his friends are securing our border…

Fox aired the Simpon’s season finale this Sunday and they decided to focus their attention on an issue that has a lot of debate surrounding it – immigration and border control.

In this episode, we see how Springfield reacts after their city is taken over by a group of foreigners who border Springfield – the Norwegian-descended Ogdenvillians.

The Odgenvillians are a group of hard working people who after being pleasantly welcomed are suddenly banished due to their cultural impact on Springfield. Even baby Maggie is affected as her first words are in Odgenvillise “Ya..Ya,Ya” 

Surprisingly enough, the writers could have taken this story anywhere instead they choose to deal with the human connection teaching us that we – the people – of any collective group, state or origin might have more in common than what we might have thought…but you be the judge. 

Watch the episode (click on the pic) and let us know what you think.