the May Day marches

[verushka70]

So. The May Day marches. A "hot button issue" they're calling it. (I fucking hate the news hysteria.) There's one happening now in Chicago, not as big as last year's, but pretty big. And a lot of the people are really pissed off by the ultra-militaristic show of force that Immigration and Customs Enforcement brought into Chicago last week.

I must report that the only time I have personally seen that kind of activity or that kind of show of force with armed soldiers with machine guns is in 1985, when I visited (then-Communist) East Berlin with my West German cousins, before the Wall came down. There were armed soldiers openly toting guns at every U-bahn train station we stopped at (and many where the train passed through, not stopping). And that's what ICE did in Chicago last week, locking a bunch of people (including women & children) in a small shopping mall.

So. This is what America has come to under George W. I never doubted it would happen -- never voted for the bastard (or his daddy) either.

For everyone who thinks they don't need to care because they're not immigrants, and they're not Mexican --

First they came for the Socialists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak up for me.

--attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984)

Now, substitute "anti-war demonstrators" for "Socialists," "voting rights activists" for "Trade Unionists," and "Mexicans" for "Jews" -- and that's America right now.

And there's not a doubt in my mind that if Germany or Greece or Poland were just across a border from America -- instead of across an ocean -- that my German, Greek, and Polish grandparents would have snuck in any way they could, just like many Mexicans have.

As for the bullshit of immigrants taking jobs away from Americans -- does that explain why the middle classes of India and China expand while ours shrinks?

I don't think so.

Comments

[grey853.livejournal.com]

I agree with everything you said. It pisses me off that the Mexicans and other immigrants are just the latest scapecoat for the lack of well paid jobs in an economy where the oil companies are gouging the public while making record making profits of BILLIONS!!

And now Bush has vetoed the spending bill from Congress because he doesn't want to end the war.

Just adding to the list of grievances that will be in the Bush ticky box for the worst president ever.

[verushka70.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU! He truly is the worst president ever. But what pisses me off the most is all the incredibly evil and corrupt things this bastard has done -- and he still hasn't been impeached! Yet they did that to Clinton over an extramarital affair -- something that resulted in no deaths and no maiming of American soldiers or civilians! As a bumper sticker I saw put it, "Nobody died when Clinton lied." Grrrr.

BTW, I love your penguin icon! Where did it come from, if you don't mind my asking? (other than hard work converting it into a form you could upload to LJ!)

[grey853.livejournal.com]

The icon's from a stock picture of penguins I saw on an animal site. There was no credit required to use it.

As for Bush, it baffles me why he's still in charge, too.

[verushka70.livejournal.com]

Well, it's a very cute icon anyway.

Speaking of job losses... my bf called up Chicago Tribune customer service to cancel his newspaper subscription. The customer service call center is in the Philippines.

[grey853.livejournal.com]

Good god, and people wonder why American's can't get jobs.