At a time when the federal government is behaving in a squeamish manner with regards to reform of the nation’s immigration laws, the Sen
ate has lost one of the few people who didn’t behave in a manner that made us suspect that he wished the issue would merely go away.
That is one perspective on the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., who died this week after serving 46 years in the Senate, but having to cope with illness for just over the past year.
WHILE A PART of me is relieved to know that any physical pain the senator was suffering is now done, the political aspect of my mind is disappointed that we are left with a batch of political people who on the immigration issue can come across as being so mealy-mouthed.
As we heard repeatedly last year during the presidential campaign, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., tried several years ago to create a bill that would impose serious immigration reform for this country – only to have it run into significant opposition within his own political party.
It was with Kennedy that McCain tried to cooperate to create a bipartisan bill, only to see the effort fail and then have him renounce his efforts during the presidential campaign, but now trying to once again take credit for his failed attempt in an attempt to gain a little Latino support.
Kennedy throughout the years was a supporter of many measures that gained him significant support from Latino activists across the nation. He was one of the few who wasn’t looking to say or do as little as possible when it came to the growing Latino population.
IN FACT, THE ultimate evidence of how long Kennedy had served on Capitol Hill comes out when one considers he was a strong part of the mid-1960s effort in Congress to pass the Immigration and Nationality Act that is the basis for current immigration law.
That doesn’t mean I’m placing blame on Kennedy for the current immigration laws that are flawed. What it means is that the attempt in 1965 to reform the federal immigration laws that dated back to the 1920s has outlived its purpose. It needs reform.
That 1965 measure is as obsolete to current conditions in our society as the 1924 laws were back in the mid-1960s.
After all, those 1920s restrictions were designed to make it clear that western Europe was where the bulk of immigration to this country should come from. That had become as ridiculous a thought as the notion now that the influx of people from Latin American countries who are working and making economic contributions to this nation should somehow have to leave just because some people have a hang-up about their complexion.
PERHAPS THEY’RE JUST lazy goofs who feel threatened by the presence of people who are willing to work for a living, and often at jobs that aren’t all that pleasing physically.
To his credit, Kennedy pushed for the original immigration reform, and was also a strong part of the current effort to try to revamp the immigration laws in ways that did not amount to stupid measures such as erecting walls at the U.S./Mexico border or increasing the numbers of deportations from this country.
He tried to keep the law relevant to modern society. That was a plus.
Whether any other political people will feel the need to do so is questionable at times. I often get the impression that the Democratic leadership of the federal government these days believes they are doing enough on the issue by keeping in check any desires by conservatives to push for punitive measures.
SOMEHOW, THE “STATUS quo” that forces certain people to have to live their lives in this country in secrecy is supposed to be good enough, even though anyone with sense would realize how much nonsense is contained in that statement.
If anything, the shame of the immigration reform debate is going to be that Kennedy himself could not live long enough to see its outcome. It could have been a true testimonial to his political longetivity if he could have helped pass the original immigration law reform and been around to sponsor the reform of the reform that kept the nation’s laws relevant to the 21st Century.
Instead, we’re going to have to wait and see what, if anything, happens in the next couple of years, as President Barack Obama has hinted he sees the issue coming up after his health care reform intentions are complete.
Although when one considers the degree to which some people see health care reform and immigration as being intertwined (and use the idea of immigration and the presence of “foreigners” as being reason to NOT reform health care access), one could argue that the issues should have been flopped in terms of priority.
SO SOME PEOPLE are going to spend the next couple of days reminiscing about Kennedy and the fact that his brother, John, got a boost in his 1960 presidential aspirations from the “Viva Kennedy” clubs that were one of the first attempts at organizing Latinos (mostly Mexican-American) into a political force.
Others may even dredge up that day in June of 2007 when he appeared on a Spanish-language radio program in Los Angeles and managed to sing a couple of lines of an old drinking song “en Español.”
But to me, it will come back to immigration. Perhaps when (and if) they get around to doing something in Congress, Kennedy could be included as some sort of “sponsor emeritus” of the bill. It would be an appropriate gesture.
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ate has lost one of the few people who didn’t behave in a manner that made us suspect that he wished the issue would merely go away.That is one perspective on the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., who died this week after serving 46 years in the Senate, but having to cope with illness for just over the past year.
WHILE A PART of me is relieved to know that any physical pain the senator was suffering is now done, the political aspect of my mind is disappointed that we are left with a batch of political people who on the immigration issue can come across as being so mealy-mouthed.
As we heard repeatedly last year during the presidential campaign, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., tried several years ago to create a bill that would impose serious immigration reform for this country – only to have it run into significant opposition within his own political party.
It was with Kennedy that McCain tried to cooperate to create a bipartisan bill, only to see the effort fail and then have him renounce his efforts during the presidential campaign, but now trying to once again take credit for his failed attempt in an attempt to gain a little Latino support.
Kennedy throughout the years was a supporter of many measures that gained him significant support from Latino activists across the nation. He was one of the few who wasn’t looking to say or do as little as possible when it came to the growing Latino population.
IN FACT, THE ultimate evidence of how long Kennedy had served on Capitol Hill comes out when one considers he was a strong part of the mid-1960s effort in Congress to pass the Immigration and Nationality Act that is the basis for current immigration law.
That doesn’t mean I’m placing blame on Kennedy for the current immigration laws that are flawed. What it means is that the attempt in 1965 to reform the federal immigration laws that dated back to the 1920s has outlived its purpose. It needs reform.
That 1965 measure is as obsolete to current conditions in our society as the 1924 laws were back in the mid-1960s.
After all, those 1920s restrictions were designed to make it clear that western Europe was where the bulk of immigration to this country should come from. That had become as ridiculous a thought as the notion now that the influx of people from Latin American countries who are working and making economic contributions to this nation should somehow have to leave just because some people have a hang-up about their complexion.
PERHAPS THEY’RE JUST lazy goofs who feel threatened by the presence of people who are willing to work for a living, and often at jobs that aren’t all that pleasing physically.
To his credit, Kennedy pushed for the original immigration reform, and was also a strong part of the current effort to try to revamp the immigration laws in ways that did not amount to stupid measures such as erecting walls at the U.S./Mexico border or increasing the numbers of deportations from this country.
He tried to keep the law relevant to modern society. That was a plus.
Whether any other political people will feel the need to do so is questionable at times. I often get the impression that the Democratic leadership of the federal government these days believes they are doing enough on the issue by keeping in check any desires by conservatives to push for punitive measures.
SOMEHOW, THE “STATUS quo” that forces certain people to have to live their lives in this country in secrecy is supposed to be good enough, even though anyone with sense would realize how much nonsense is contained in that statement.
If anything, the shame of the immigration reform debate is going to be that Kennedy himself could not live long enough to see its outcome. It could have been a true testimonial to his political longetivity if he could have helped pass the original immigration law reform and been around to sponsor the reform of the reform that kept the nation’s laws relevant to the 21st Century.
Instead, we’re going to have to wait and see what, if anything, happens in the next couple of years, as President Barack Obama has hinted he sees the issue coming up after his health care reform intentions are complete.
Although when one considers the degree to which some people see health care reform and immigration as being intertwined (and use the idea of immigration and the presence of “foreigners” as being reason to NOT reform health care access), one could argue that the issues should have been flopped in terms of priority.
SO SOME PEOPLE are going to spend the next couple of days reminiscing about Kennedy and the fact that his brother, John, got a boost in his 1960 presidential aspirations from the “Viva Kennedy” clubs that were one of the first attempts at organizing Latinos (mostly Mexican-American) into a political force.
Others may even dredge up that day in June of 2007 when he appeared on a Spanish-language radio program in Los Angeles and managed to sing a couple of lines of an old drinking song “en Español.”
But to me, it will come back to immigration. Perhaps when (and if) they get around to doing something in Congress, Kennedy could be included as some sort of “sponsor emeritus” of the bill. It would be an appropriate gesture.
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