Monday, July 20, 2015

Who Are The "Crazies?"

(Photo courtesy of cnn,com)
 

Last week, McCain found himself feuding with Presidential Candidate Donald Trump. McCain started this by calling the attendees of a Trump rally in Phoenix “crazies.”  McCain is the senator of Arizona, so as a representative, he insulted his own constituents. Later, Trump went on to criticize McCain and his status as a POW. There is a huge gap between a “war Hero” and a “Senator,” But Sen. John McCain is irrefutably both.

Senator McCain spent 5 ½ years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He is a war hero. As an American who has never had to fill out a draft card, nor has ever served in the military, the model of “war hero” needs clarification. Anyone who has served our military honorably during battle IS a war hero.  McCain qualifies and then some. McCain was a Navy flyer, was shot down, captured by the enemy, held as a POW for 5 ½ years, and sustained injuries while captive in horrible conditions.

In fact, the only thing McCain is guilty of is disrespecting his constituents that attended the Trump rally. It cannot be an easy role, being both “war hero” and senator, but one deserves respect and the other should also be respectful. In referencing the attendees “crazies”, McCain made assumptions about Donald Trump and those individuals supporting Mr. Trump’s campaign. Senator McCain should be mindful of his words and not provoke or placed judgment on individuals who have different outlook on the political landscape. 

This is one of the issues with our political mentality. Many representatives have no problem with disrespecting other Americans who do not agree with their ideals entirely. In fact a great many of our leaders, do not have respect for many of their constituents. Having a mutual respect for all Americans – veterans, constituents and representatives is something our political arena needs.

Monday, July 13, 2015

Illegal Immigration Rights Trump Our Own


You know when a story is momentous if retired Late Show host David Letterman comes out of his retirement just as it starts, and that is just what took place in San Antonio, Texas. Letterman gave his iconic “Top 10” list about Trump in a guest appearance at a comedy show.


While all Letterman’s quips were funny, Trump has had nothing but negative publicity, which makes us ask, why are his numbers rising in the polls (according to CNN/ORC)? One reason may be that his infamous albeit ill expressed speech, singling out Mexico, is that illegal immigration is a huge concern for most Americans – including Latino Americans.

Trumps started his rant by saying; “When do we beat Mexico at the border? ...When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you... They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems to us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people. But I speak to border guards and they tell us what we’re getting…It’s coming from more than Mexico. It’s coming from all over South and Latin America, and it’s coming probably – probably – from the Middle East. But we don’t know. Because we have no protection and we have no competence, we don’t know what’s happening. And it’s got to stop and it’s got to stop fast. The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems.”

Trump was speaking about the border protection, not those of Latino heritage, or those applying for citizenship, but only those who ARE a problem bringing drugs, fleeing crime, or with the intent to harm – NOT the Latino Americans of our community that felt targeted.
Now why a person who can afford the best scriptwriters and PR professionals on the planet would speak without precise communication is bizarre. However, Donald is not afraid to speak his mind even if it gets him in trouble. The likelihood of him winning is slim, but he started a debate with the public about the borders, which might be his strategy. 

This controversy reminded me that in 1994, Proposition 187, a state-run immigration measure to deny public benefits, including public education to illegal immigrants was on the California ballot. As a half Latino myself, this proposition was a catch-22. The Proposition passed, but was later determined to be unconstitutional. My first voting experience became a harsh reality that the system ignores the voice of voters. Eleven years later and California still has an illegal immigration problem and in essence, those who broke the law are now able to vote. 

The state has tried to pass laws to minimize illegal immigration and the democratic process but legal and social pressures have overridden the democratic route, especially if those who are now voting do not care about the welfare of America and do not come over honestly with pride. This is what Trump intended and should have expressed about illegal immigration and border protection.