Good Night, Lou

Lou Dobbs of CNN has shared dinnertime with me – via TV - for several years. I found him fearless in the face of presidential double speak on issues such as free trade, port security, and illegal immigration, but over the past months I’ve found myself disagreeing with him more and more on the question of immigration.

First, he took on the Catholic Church for preaching that Good Samaritans should continue to help the poor and others in need despite their immigration status which is unlawful under the bill that has passed the House of Representatives. And he has twisted Cardinal Mahoney’s (the Archbishop of Los Angeles) statements to the point that the prelate appeared to be advocating open borders with Mexico – something that I have never seen alleged elsewhere.

Now Mr. Dobbs is resurrecting Theodore Roosevelt to admonish all immigrants – past and present - for cultural and political support of their former homelands. The old TR canard of no hyphenated Americans may have had relevance a hundred years ago but it doesn't in today’s situation. For the last sixty years, we have encouraged national origin and ethnic pride without serious damage to our way of life. While I find the student demonstrations in Los Angeles disturbing with the featured waving of Mexican flags, youths must be given some leeway in expression – even if it is damaging to their own cause

While my own ties to Ireland are non-existent, it is with joy that I hoist a beer (or two or three)and shout `Erin go braugh’ on St. Patrick’s Day. My oath of `Ireland Forever’ is heartfelt but carries no intent of support for the Irish nation, government or people. With multi-ethnic friends with equal – or even greater – feelings toward Lithuania, Quebec, Japan, Lebanon, Scotland, Italy, Israel, and dozens of other lands and regions, I found myself forced to turn off the TV in the face of the nativism exhibited by Lou.

This is not to say that I’m comfortable with today’s situation. I’m convinced that we must seal our borders from illegal immigration, open ourselves up to much speedier inflow of legals, and to deal humanely with those illegals here now. I find the proposals by Senators McCain and Kennedy a reasonable starting point. But we must defend the borders more aggressively.

I am also fearful that we are in danger of becoming a `cleft nation’ as defined by Samuel P. Huntington in his book, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of the World Order. If Mr. Dobbs shares this concern that the states that were part of the old Spanish Empire are in danger of reverting in culture and loyalty to Mexico, he should state his fears directly and not lash out at illegal immigrants everywhere with code words.

As I had to admit in the case of President ____, I voted for him the first time and was inspired by his initial responses to 9/11. Only when he shifted his attention from al Qaeda and Afghanistan and shifted his focus to Iraq did I break with him - but I have a great deal more to argue with since the attack on Iraq. So it is with Dobbs, initially I found his evening broadcast to be very refreshing, but his nativistic embrace of the immigration issue has driven me away. Good night, Lou.

Blog on!

Wild Bill