Nativists

Dana Milbank’s column in today’s Washington Post compares the apples and oranges issues being opposed to illegal immigration and the transfer of ports management to a Dubai owned firm and comes up with a whopper; members of congress and citizens for stronger measures on immigration and against the UAE deal are nativists. Having spent my entire adult life on what I consider the side of immigrants and the last several years worrying about port security, I resent being lumped with nativists.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/02/AR2006030201702.html?referrer=emailarticle

While one may be sympathetic to immigrants and in many cases to even employers who hire them, surely one can be for controlling the borders of the country and for severe restrictions on guest worker and amnesty programs without being racist or nativist. Mr. Milbank’s knee jerk liberal thrust to the gut that those in favor of any strengthening of borders and restricting illegal entry are nativists is grossly unfair.

Without regard to the merits of the security issues raised in the Dubai ports deal, many members of congress and thousands of citizens – including me - have been worried sick since 9/11 about the vulnerability of our ports to terrorist attack. Both the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security have commented on such vulnerability and have moved within their limited resources in the area to rectify the situation. Only in the last days have many learned that communist China has a stake in port management on our West Coast. Now we know that transfer of responsibility for ports management from a private British firm to a state owned company from the UAE.

As stated by the administration, the UAE may well be a strong ally on the war on terror and a valued partner in the Middle East, but there are many legitimate questions that have not been aired, and to have Mr. Milbank label anyone who poses them labeled a nativist certainly call for an apology from the columnist.

The UAE does not recognize Israel’s right to exist. The UAE was one of the very few nations that recognized the Taliban in Afghanistan. While this was prior to 9/11, are there still some out there who remember the horrible policies of that regime even before the attack? The UAE recognizes Hamas, an organization labeled by our own government as a terrorist organization. Did not the president himself set the national course with regard to governments with these characteristics? It went something like: you’re with us or against us.

I am not an admirer of Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa or of Congressman Duncan Hunter of California who Mr. Milbank singled out for special identification as nativists, far from it. But I think that Mr. Milbank’s next effort should make mention of his intemperate charges.

Blog on!

Wild Bill