While we're talking about bad assignments...

My Political Science professor asked us to reflect on working for the Greenville Literacy Association as it relates to current political events. I started writing directly out of my butthole, having no idea what I was talking about. What came out was really intense and angry and had absolutely NOTHING to do with what I really feel. But I got a good grade. And it's funny to read now. (I cut out the intro because that's boring).

It was quite a reality check to see the private lives behind the public immigration policy dispute. It seems that historically America’s story has been told from the viewpoint of the powerful, while the viewpoint of the oppressed is kept secret. The vicious Christopher Columbus has his own holiday though he coldheartedly exploited Native Americans and eventually led them into genocide. Lincoln is praised for ending slavery when in reality, the post-civil war blacks were little more than slaves. Now, political leaders throughout wealthy American neighborhoods are leading the immigration policy fight while the people that it really affects don’t have a voice. One might find that it is humbling to consider history and current events through the eyes of the unfortunate. Most importantly, I think most people would realize that they would do the same thing that the oppressed are being forced to do. Specifically, illegal immigrants are widely hated by Americans. I would argue this is out of ignorance. Meeting with some immigrants shows me that I would be doing the same thing that the are. A couple GLA students that I talked to are here to make money to send home. One moved here with his family in hopes that they could all find jobs to support each other. It is important for us to realize that they are out of other options.

I understand the argument that many immigrants are here illegally. However, like Crossing Arizona mentioned, dealing with the results of the problem never does anything for the problem. We are trying to control the flow of immigrants coming into the country while not paying attention to why they are coming in. They are forced to come illegally because the legal immigration system is so backed up. There are horror stories about it taking decades to obtain the legal right to enter America. Until the government focuses on improving this system, the problem will continue. What we are doing now is like trying to heal a brain injury by stopping the nosebleed.

Through a pure democracy is probably illogical, it seems to me that any other “democracy” is not one at all. I have always understood it to mean one person one vote, and the idea of electing people to make decisions for us literally takes away our control of the decisions. America gives less than a tenth of one percent towards aid for underdeveloped countries, and many still feel like we’ve done all that we can do and it’s time for us to stop trying to help so much. In my opinion, the fact that the average American is overweight while most of the world goes to sleep hungry means that we have a responsibility towards the less fortunate. In no way have we done all that we can do. Survival of the fittest isn’t human nature; it’s completely inhumane. This imbalance of power between rich and poor nations makes me wonder how we can be so selfish that we are able to turn a cold shoulder. We, as a nation, are striving towards human progress, but we can’t agree on what progress means. If our nation is getting stronger, wealthier, and more powerful while simultaneously stepping all over the poor nations that need our help, is that really progress? Was the Native American genocide that led to the westernization of America really progress? Is out of sight really out of mind?

Not for me.