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People and Politics by Patrick Roberts

Race hatred and ignorance of Mexicans is at root of anchor babies fight

Posted on Tuesday, January 04, 2011 at 04:07 PM

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Sad to say an Irish American legislator originally from New York named John Kavanagh appears to be a major figure in stirring up race hatred of Mexicans in Arizona.

He is leading the latest argument over anchor babies which will be upped a notch this week when senior figures in the Republican Party mount an effort to turn back the 14th amendment which states that everyone born on American soil is a U.S. citizen.

The opponents will not try and bring about a constitutional amendment, rather they see themselves passing laws in border states that disallow American-born children their citizenship if their parents are illegal.

They hope that somehow the courts will find in their favor which appears a long shot to say the least. Even this Supreme Court which is markedly conservative, would surely see through this paper-thin device to bypass the constitution.

The entire rumpus speaks to a naked strain of nativism that is apparent on the American right. This attempt to make aliens out of Mexicans flies in the face of history and reality.

For centuries Mexico owned California, most of Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and parts of other border states. They lost them in the Mexican-American wars.

Incidentally, part of the reason that American settlers fought for Texas was to keep slavery which Mexico opposed -- not that you would read that in too many stories about the heroic battle for the state of Texas.

So there are centuries of contact between Mexicans and Americans, centuries of land disputes, foot traffic, wars, and living cheek by jowl.

The nativists would have us believe that instead the Mexican is some form of alien, who appeared out of nowhere.

The fact is that millions of Mexicans have gone and back and forth over the artificial borders between the U.S. and Mexico for generations

And it is still occurring now and likely always will.

Their language is not an alien language,but the tongue that was spoken in those territories for centuries.

The people are not alien,but the descendants of the original people who settled those lands but who were driven off by American armies.

That is the truth of the matter when we examine it.

So this latest attempt to somehow paint the Mexicans as aliens who have no history or heritage in those border states is patently ridiculous.

Perhaps Kavanagh should read his own history to discover what race hatred is all about.

America is too steeped in constitutional tradition and noble intent to let this latest nativist nonsense go anywhere.

At least I hope it is.

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rexnine | Jan 22, 2011, 02:44 AM EST

I just don't like it when they fly their flag here. And as a carpenter, I resent that I couldn't get a job as a lead man in Arizona for the last 35 years because I don't speak spanish. The republicans here were in the pockets of the developers; there's been no attempt at any real border control. I really like most Mexicans I have ever met, most of them are good Catholic Families. BUt, It's not Mexico anymore. And Mexico is the real problem shuttling all the middle and south Americans Straight to the US BORDER! If It was up to the Democratic party this problem would have been solved years ago!

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seanomelbourne | Jan 15, 2011, 09:09 PM EST

Doh! homer

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seanomelbourne | Jan 13, 2011, 07:40 PM EST

The Russian mafia are scarier than a few Mexican peasants.Excuse the use of "peasant" it is not meant to be derogatory.

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maloney | Jan 12, 2011, 08:50 PM EST

A proud member of the queen berets, seano turned on by pranching men. The best treatment in the world is the smell of gunpowder along with a 16 point buck. America for better or worse no longer belongs to Mexico. Close the borders & return the illegals to whince they came. Anchor babies, as used by illegals, is against the Constitution plain & simple.

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Fastest | Jan 12, 2011, 07:28 PM EST

re: Immigration. I suspect that many U.S.citizen's are like me in that we welcome all ethnicity's. My mother emigrated from the USSR and learned to speak English in public, obey the law, pay taxes and raise a family. Unfortunately, some of our neighbors to the south bring 'death and destruction' all too often. Of course we had gangs before the current immigration explosion but they did not have the arsenal or the disrespect for life currently displayed by 'ethnics' i.e. West Side Story, Gangs of New York etc. It may sound funny, but when I went to prison in 1972, it was 'fairly' safe; you could actually leave as a better person than the one who entered. I have done years of volunteer work since leaving prison; currently, inmates are lucky to leave with two arms, two legs, etc... Clearly, you shouldn't blame a whole group based on the negative actions of a few, but these few are so dangerous that an entire race suffers. I don't know if there is a solution, but flooding over our borders most certainly isn't it.

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seanomelbourne | Jan 12, 2011, 06:00 PM EST

Now Mman!! butterfly nets! I'd like to see that Mman,you prancing through Yosemite catching butterflies. Next you'll be telling me your a member of PETA. You forgot about the polo sticks on the rifle rack LOL.

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seanomelbourne | Jan 12, 2011, 05:56 PM EST

I am trained in the use of firearms I'm just not paranoid,I don't feel the need to carry one around. You're the frightened one Maloney looking over your paranoid shoulder at images that are in your head get some treatment.

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maloney | Jan 12, 2011, 12:12 PM EST

Monsoon..it's hard to teach gun control to someone who is soiling his pants at the sight of a gun.

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Monsoonman | Jan 11, 2011, 06:12 PM EST

Lad, you came to the right person to get the unvarnished truth(not yet shellacked). You are correct, Mr. loughner was a registered independent voter,he did however vote for obama. Sorry Lad but haven't noticed very many Tea Party participants brandishing firearms at any of the rallys I have attended and I have been to a few. Care to tell me exactly where this was? As to your comment on why people openly carry firearms? That's an easy one, it is illegal to carry concealed weapons unless you have a permit, so you just saw the visible ones. It could be where you have seen people carrying firearms was at more rural settings where it is customary to carry a firearm. I remember when I lived in more bucolic U.S. locations, I had gun racks mounted in my pick up truck, sometimes with firearms in them, other times with tennis rackets, fishing poles, or butterfly nets, it was a normal thing to do. I will say one thing though Lad, if someone had been armed in that crowd when louchner opened up, he wouldn't have been able to get 30 rounds off. You need to come here to the US for some golf and weapons training. I'll teach you gun control western style: A steady aim.

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seanomelbourne | Jan 11, 2011, 05:38 PM EST

Mman Loughner was a registered independent.Tell me Mman why do tea party and other r/wingers need to openly display their guns at political rallies.Is it a form of intimidation?

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donaldcox43 | Jan 11, 2011, 02:06 AM EST

Wow imagine hearing this kind of rederict from an irishman, the irish were the most protectionist of peoples...were? Were they not the men who stood up for their families and fought for their jobs during the 19th century by killing 2000 chinese laborers who were sent by the railroad to cut their wages, take their jobs and put their families into starvation. I realize that today it is a different world and losing your job will not cause your family to starve, we can get foodstamps and live under the expressway while someone buys our homes in forclosure. When push comes to shove I am very proud of my great-grandfather... he was a railroad worker. We must fight now the same fight he did, just in an acceptable way for the times. We ignored these illegals untill it has began to hurt financially far too many people. When things get bad you have to look out for your own, when you cant afford to pay all your bills you get rid of some.....

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maloney | Jan 09, 2011, 06:45 PM EST

And who's land are you squating on seano?

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Monsoonman | Jan 09, 2011, 06:23 PM EST

Sorry Lad, he was a crazy left wing nut who shot a left wing politician. He was NOT a member of the Tea Party, nor was he a republican, or a conservative as the progressive secularists on this editorial staff wanted to infer.

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seanomelbourne | Jan 09, 2011, 05:21 PM EST

The shooter was a crazy nut who shot a left wing politician. Getting in first Mman?

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Bairbre | Jan 09, 2011, 04:17 PM EST

How is it that Mexico "OWNED" Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, etc., when in reality it was the natural territory of the various Native American tribes. A more valid statement is that they "CLAIMED OWNERSHIP" of the territories through butchering and enslaving the population jsut like they wiped out the Aztecs, etc. Destroyed their culture, etc. Yeah, that is to put them on a pedestal over those ugly Americans! There is no record that Mexico, Spain, etc., ever paid the Native Americans for any of the property. They just set foot on a small area and planted a flag, then made claims on thousands of square miles of Indian Territory. Yes, my family is descended from the Tribes. Roberts, please get your facts together and try not to get anyone shot!

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