Poverty v. Immigration

has anyone else noticed that our nation's mainstream media was beginning to seriously question the role of poverty in the (lack of) rebuilding New Orleans & the hurricane ravaged South, but suddenly dropped that story like a hot potato when Bush announced his new ideas for combating "illegal immigration" ?

the two choices are "build a fence" or "have a guest worker program" -- are you KIDDING me? c'mon people, if you are reading my blog, chances are you have a few progressive bones in your body. so please please please start talking about this with your friends & family, and write about it on your blog or to your local newspaper:

where is the discussion about WHY people risk arrest and death crossing the desert to find work in the U.S.? WHY can't they remain in Mexico and support their families? WHAT have U.S. corporations done to the local economies that they no longer function? if you aren't familiar with the term, or the condition of, maquiladoras, please do a web search. and then challenge the assumptions of journalists and friends when they say illegal immigrants are a drain on our society.

I'm thinkin' it's the other way around.

I'm also thinking that Boston has a very high number of illegal immigrants from Ireland. and in my 10 years in that city, I don't remember anyone saying that THEY were a burden on society.

oh, duh! they are WHITE. well, clearly that makes all the difference in the world. right?

y'know, we CAN keep pitting poor black people against poor brown people. or we could start talking about classism and capitalism and why middle-class white folks work against both groups.

we really could, y'know.

but it starts with you.