It occurs to me that prison has become the model for our society. Maybe it always has been. In prison, race is real. You don't stick with your own because you are prejudiced, or stupid (I'm sure that helps). You stick with your own because life is a constant battle between people who have nothing and people who have next to nothing. Fighting "them" is how you earn your place with "us". So, relatively privileged native born people lash out at people who are desperate enough to leave their homes and travel thousands of miles so that they can work hard, earn little and live furtive, frightened lives. Why? Because there is so little to go around and "we" have to protect our piece of it. That is a world view that accepts life within walls, that ultimately cedes control to people above, who can't be touched and who are not restricted by those walls. So, we fight the war of all against all, while the real "they" control our gangs, our drug trade, our access to jobs, to housing, to health care. Oh, I hate those motherfuckers. God forgive me.

great insights. this is the same one behind my grafik (dont know that you've seen it) that says "HAPPY SLAVES BUILD FENCES and those with freedom share it."

where is the graphic? I'd like to see it. I sure do agree with the sentiment expressed.

Reading around in blogtopia (props to skippy for the term of course) I got a friendly reminder that "la raza" is properly translated as "the people" or "the community." One of those things the haters would rather one not know. I also got a friendly reminder from all that that I need to continue to brush up on my very rusty Spanish speaking skills.

It's important to remember, too, that "the people" is a very common way for ethnic groups to label themselves, at least here in the americas. When a group of Onondaga came to speak to my colleagues and me, they referred to themselves and their decision making body as "the people." I was surprised that some of my colleagues bristled at this, as if they assumed that by saying "the people" the Onondagas were somehow trying to imply that they were the ONLY people, and that everyone else were not actual "people." Of course, that wasn't how they intended it. And, of course, our own constitution begins with "We the People." Using "La Raza" as a way of saying "us," (not as the misused abbreviation for NCLR) is no different.

Nez, you've got a stronger stomach than I've got for wading through that dreck. I can't bring myself to actually read what the anti-dignity crowd have to say (which sadly just makes my arguments all the weaker since I don't know mine enemy).

I think part of the hypocrisy of the biggest law breakers and law-breaker-apologists in screaming about the LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW is a sort of psychological defense mechanism. Human beings in general don't want to think of themselves as bad or evil. We all each of us are on the side of the angels in our own minds. So when we are clearly on the side of the demons, our brains work very very hard to fool our hearts and souls into thinking the demons are angels and the angels are demons, because of course I'm not a Bad Person because I learned to be Good for whatever god my parents taught me to believe in. I would almost pity those poor creatures who have told themselves so many lies that they are completely soul-blind, but for the fact that they have done so much evil. And God forgive me for being an unforgiving callous bitch.

i know...i s hould stay away from it. sometimes i get sucked in.

yes, i agree. people often use LAW as a crutch for not having to think.

we're all extralegal immigrants to planet earth. none of us filled out a form or applied for citizenship, we were just born, in the manner that nature demands.

certificates of birth and/or marriage are mere formalities appended to realities that have nothing to do with law. is my "right" to not have to share land and opportunity with people from across the border greater than their right not to have to live in miserable poverty?

it's really a sign of great insecurity that people want to keep others out - people who want to come here because they believe everything these insecure people say about how great america is. and if these insecure people want to keep the others out, it tells me that in their hearts they actually believe (or fear) america is very, very small.

the idea that "the rule of law" is more important to these people than the sentiments inscribed at the base of the statue of liberty indicates to me that they are un-american, and anyone who comes here "yearning to breathe free" are the true americans.

damn well put.