Sarah Baram

you must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you. RB

Tag: Current Events

September 25, 2010

Come One, Come All

These next coming days will probably be the only days I stick to a severely biased news network and do not mind doing so. Why? Well, because for once, they are beyond right and I cannot seem to do anything but nod in agreement with them. The network? Fox News… Now, please, stop shaking your finger at me. The issue? Immigration. I know, immigration has been so drawn out and chatted about it is almost unnerving.  But, as long as there are border hoppers and illegal workers illegal immigration will always be relevant, so why not chat some more concerning it?

Everyone knows the deal with illegal immigration. I mean deal as in definition, so far very few parties have made out well in this illegal situation and I am sure you can guess by process of elimination that so far, America has not been one of them. In 2007, America’s immigrant population reached 37.9 million, this including both legal and illegal immigrants.  This statistic translates roughly to one in eight of those residing in America to be immigrants. If one would like to go further and know how many of those immigrants happen to be illegal, it is about one in three. Where do many of them hail from? Nearly half of the Mexican immigrants in America are here illegally, along with one half of Central American immigrants and one-third of South American immigrants. It may sound like the singling out of an ethnicity, but it’s not, it is just a cold hard truth.

With this constant flow of negative statistics, a person has to wonder: why are these immigrants coming, and staying, illegally? Is it for the American Dream of that darling cape with a white picket fence? Ah, to have two full sized bathrooms and a breakfast nook. Or is it because they are safer here in the good ole’ United States? I mean, who really wants to stay in Mexico with this unending drug war? No hands? I didn’t think so. Then what is it?

If you could enter a country, nearly free of financial cost, send your children to school without having to pay taxes, and possibly receive government financial aid, wouldn’t you jump on that border crossing band wagon? Welcome to America, land of the free.

I know, illegal immigrants do participate in their share of work, and at a depressingly low cost. Remember, this low cost is generally paid under the table, tax-free. It is that cost that makes these illegal immigrants attractive, and so employable by corporations and small businesses alike. Actually, so employable that they are among the highest percentage of employed people residing in New York City today. Citing recent Census statistics, Mexicans, as the one of the largest immigrant groups present in New York City, are more likely to be employed than an actual New York City native. This employable nonsense is not something that is only harbored in New York City; it is spreading among the country too. Illegal immigrants are taking jobs that should rightfully be handed to those who live in America, legally.

If only the problem with illegal immigration stopped with those who have become employed over legal American citizens. There is also the crime to think about. First off, illegal immigration is a crime punishable by the United States government. A family of illegal immigrants crossing American borders and staying undermines America’s national security and puts a drain on national funding. Though, statistics can be found that illegal immigrants are less likely than an American native to commit a heinous crime due to fear of being deported, isn’t living in America illegally and forcing Americans to pay the way heinous enough?

If all of this is true, then why did Stephen Colbert appear in Congress fighting for rights of immigrants currently residing and working in the United States? He may like to speak out for those who are not usually heard, and fight for their rights but… Why would you give an illegal resident Constitutional rights? I may not have been there when the Bill of Rights was first drafted, but I am immensely confident that “We the People” meant Americans, and those legally residing in America.

Colbert’s show of meager intelligence and mockery was just that, nothing more. Essentially, his satirical notion came down to those illegal immigrants holding agricultural jobs. Colbert, before addressing Congress did participate in a day’s work to become a sort of self-proclaimed expert.

“And the farm work? It is hard. Really, really hard. You have to bend over to pick things a lot. It turns out – and I did not know this – most soil is at ground level.”

- Stephen Colbert

Farm work may be grueling, but does that mean a legal American would deny such a job? I would like to think the answer to that question would be a ‘no’.

Stephen Colbert’s appearance may have been nothing more than a headache inducer, but the Democratic Party seems intent on making illegal immigration more of an everlasting migraine. It looks as if Colbert may have had one thing right, many of them may be out of jobs come November.

This notion in turn brings me to The DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act. If I were to go with the nutshell explanation of what The DREAM Act really is, I would tell you it is amnesty for illegal immigrants between the ages of twelve and thirty-five. Oh yes, amnesty. How? By receiving credits in higher education or serving proper military service, those illegal immigrants previously in the United States for five years, can apply and be granted American citizenship. The cost? Well, that would mean American taxes paying for those four years of high school, and the possible years before that, required by any higher education institution. And an illegal immigrant participating opts to go in to the military? Those positions are paid once boot camp is completely. So yes, the Democratic Party wants to pay illegal immigrants to become legal.

Then, what does the Republican Party so desire within the realms of illegal immigration? Do not fret; this issue was rightfully addressed in their newest “Pledge to America”.

1.     Establish Operational Control of the Border: We must take action to secure our borders, and that action starts with enforcing our laws. We will ensure that the Border Patrol has the tools and authorities to establish operational control at the border and prohibit the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture from interfering with Border Patrol enforcement activities on federal lands.

2.     Work with State and Local Officials to Enforce Our Immigration Laws: The problem of illegal immigration and Mexican drug cartels engaged in an increasingly violent conflict means we need all hands on deck to address this challenge. We will reaffirm the authority of state and local law enforcement to assist in the enforcement of all federal immigration laws.

3.     Strengthen Visa Security: To stop terrorists like Omar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Christmas Day bomber, we will require the Department of Homeland Security to review all visa applications at high-risk consular posts and prevent aliens from attempting to avoid deportation after having their visas revoked.

This whole debate may sound like it is leaking from a Conservative’s mouth, or maybe even a Tea Partier’s political leanings but isn’t it just common sense that illegal immigrants are illegal? This then striking the possibilities of a well-rounded education, employment opportunities and equal rights… Away? That is what I had though, but who knows, maybe it’s not common sense and somewhere along the way a large group of Americans forgot what “We the People” truly means. Or, maybe that meaning has just evolved in to more of a “Come one, Come all, here is my open wallet” type of interpretation.

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September 21, 2010

Never, Ever Lie

Talk about irony. There are not moments like this, at least not often enough, where a candidate for a Government position gets themselves mixed in to such a comical sort of mess. The influxes of video clips that have been floating through the media this week and last are hysterical. They create that sort of picture you do not often see about a political candidate. You know, their bedroom practices, or those shady characters they hung around with after high school biology. That sort of thing. Then again, none other than Sarah Palin supports Christine O’Donnell… So who wouldn’t expect something a little nutty?

If you have not seen these viral video clips, well, take a gander:

Now, what have you learned?

1.     AIDS comes from sexual relations outside of marriage.

2.     Masturbation takes away the necessity of pleasing each other. Why play with someone else when you can play alone?

3.     Masturbation is adultery… Why? Because it is lustful.

And, what else?

1.     You can dabble in witchcraft.

2.     A good date can involve a satanic alter… Picnic included.

By the way, there are twenty-two episodes with clips featuring Christine O’Donnell from Bill Maher’s Politically Incorrect that promise this same type of goodness.

Of course, these clips are all good and fun, as they do not reveal much about O’Donnell politically. Even O’Donnell has taken to laughing at her witchcraft related remarks. Could these clips even hurt O’Donnell’s campaign goals? Well, probably not.

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September 2, 2010

Eat Your Language, Sir

This morning I had the pleasure of sitting at a local IHOP with no other company than a wonderful waiter and one of my newest textbooks. I sat studiously taking notes, leisurely sipping at a coffee and eating my usual fruitful Danish crêpes. The textbook at my side during the breakfast has become a particularly new venture of mine, Spanish. I have always been enthralled by the language and culture but never ventured beyond the word taco language wise. And yes, I know, taco probably does not even count since I learned it at Taco Bell in the fifth grade.

Aside from my mother tongue of English, my foreign language background lies in French. As a teensy second grader, an old woman used to make the trip to the classroom I was in to speak French with us. The woman taught us the alphabet, numbers and some weather related phrases. My French studies, however, did not continue again until seventh grade where I stayed after school most days to keep my learning on going in hopes of one day being fluent in a language my family seemed to be rooted in, a handful of them anyway.

From middle school to about my junior year of high school, my French studies were quite solid. I had class every day, and stayed after school about two days a week. I traveled to Quebec for a long weekend in tow with two French teachers and about a dozen other students. We practiced our dicey language on the less than concerned natives. On that trip, I was also introduced to porn by a gothically dressed roommate and sat on. Consequently, my thumb was broken. However, none of that is even slightly relevant.

After graduating from my high school years, I took a two yearlong breather from the French language. Then, the spring before last, I decided to begin again. I continued on with my studies for two semesters, then decided against continuing for personal reasons.

My personal reasons went as follows:

-       Although I had spent years tangling myself up in the French language, it did not seem to want to tangle itself up in me.

-       I had no yearning plans to visit France or any other French speaking country, aside from Canada. And, as most know, English comes easy in Canada.

-       There is no real use for French in America. Really.

The decision was then simple: stop taking French. Fin.

Now, I am studying Spanish. Why? I want to go to Spain, and because Ernest Hemingway has convinced me rather thoroughly. Conveniently enough, Spanish is also quite usable in America. So, Spanish. Hola.

Now that you have had a thorough and somewhat exact introduction to my language studies, I can begin the true story at hand. Foreign Languages and IHOP. I know what you’re thinking: This is going to be some racist rant about the wait staff. Oh, not at all.

As I was sitting doing my homework, an elder couple sat in the booth adjacent to mine. The husband of the couple noticed my Spanish textbook and proceeded to ask why in the world I would be studying such a language. I smiled, and laughed nervously as any polite young woman would. That was not a proper answer for him, so he continued on. His next reasoning for sighting that suddenly controversial Spanish textbook was that I would need to know the language fluently in order to get a job. I replied, “Well, no.” I assumed that would be the end of it.

After another small conversation with my waiter, the husband looked to me again. He was beaming with frustration at the sight of a white American girl learning Spanish. He found it ridiculous and proof that our country is crumbling. He asked what other languages I knew. I told him French. Then, he asked if I planned on learning anything else. I smiled, and for kicks went on to say Arabic. How nice it was to see the revolted look smeared upon his face. Quick thinking can be so fantastic.

For those who sympathize with this man’s frustration with Spanish becoming a spoken language among American citizens, let this be your perspective. I attend a nationally recognized University with students from across both the United States and the world. Of the mix that we are: 39% are Hispanic, 19% are white or Non-Hispanic and 18% are black. It is more than safe to say that our country is diverse, just by the judgment of one University. But, I am sure you have noticed that. Why haven’t all of us accepted it then?

This elderly man brings forth three questions. Was he afraid of the communication that could take place between the minority and the majority? Was he racist, or just in denial? Does he believe that all those in America should only be speaking the native tongue of English? Who knows, but stepping in to that IHOP with my Spanish textbook, I was not expecting that particular confrontation.

I digress. ¿Cómo se dice ‘Just eat your food.’ en español?

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August 27, 2010

The Release of a Degenerate

When traveling, you go through a common scenario where you meet immigration officers and customs agents. They ask you specific question as to where you are traveling, how long, and why. You are told to fill out a form noting your belongings, and an estimate of how much cash you have with you. You are also expected to give the location of where you are staying, and a possible phone number of where to be reached. Then, you are told for how long you can stay. Your passport is then stamped and you are sent on your merry way. Whether it be to a plane, a boat, or a train; the system for entering a different country from the one you are in is rather the same, it takes work.

It is always a personal confusion to hear then of American citizens traveling to foreign countries and being obtained by authorities with a certain shock present among them and their families. In most cases, they have entered the said foreign country illegally, sometimes citing it as an accident; nonetheless it is against the law. The United States is currently going through quite the predicament along the Mexican and Arizona borders. Seeing that, what would Americans expect elsewhere?

In the past two years, there have been three well-known incidents of American citizens being jailed by foreign authorities. In Iran, three American hikers are sitting in jail for making “an innocent mistake” of crossing the Iranian border; they have also been charged with espionage. Then there were the two American journalists jailed in North Korea, Laura Ling and Euna Lee. Employed by a television stated owned by Al Gore, the two were filming a documentary on North Korean women being trafficked to China; the two were sentenced to twelve years of hard labor. However, American authorities immediately took action and were able to have amnesty permitted at the hands of former President Bill Clinton.  While the two aforementioned stories have parallels to them, only the pair of journalists has been granted amnesty.

This week brought the release of American native Aijalon Mahli Gomes. Gomes’ particular release was secured by former President Jimmy Carter during a humanitarian trip focused on his capture.  Gomes was arrested in North Korea this past January for entering the country illegally. It is believed that Gomes was in the country to denounce humanitarian rights, while protesting the imprisonment of Robert Park, an American Christian missionary. It may be noted that Robert Park also entered North Korea to denounce ill effort humanitarian conditions, while protesting political prisoners and demanding the resignation leader of Kim Jong Il. In a state of irony, Robert Park is from Arizona.

These particular kinds of amnesty are tricky. If Americans would like to sit home and complain of illegal immigrants essentially stealing their jobs and wasting taxpayer’s money, so be it. Would that not in turn root the common sense in them that in turn, they should not be entering foreign countries illegally themselves? Do the consequences not go both ways? They do, so why the confusion?

It is a nice thought that in the past months, three American citizens have been given the ability to return home to their families with the aid of former United States Presidents. However, the thought would have been better if the return was under different conditions. All that is proved now, is how hypocritical American citizens can truly be. The three are still criminals; they were proved guilty of something but let go free. Of course, this something was not murder but it was still illegal. You also must consider that the three released were there not to glorify North Korea, but to essentially denounce it and its government practices.

Of course, Aijalon Mahli Gomes was ill. This factor certainly pushed his release. His illness? A supposed guilty conscience, meaning, he knows he did something wrong too.

As a food for thought, the following is what neighboring country Mexico does to those considered illegal immigrants:

-       Illegal entry into the country is equivalent to a felony punishable by two years’ imprisonment. Document fraud is subject to fine and imprisonment; so is alien marriage fraud. Evading deportation is a serious crime; illegal re-entry after deportation is punishable by ten years’ imprisonment. Foreigners may be kicked out of the country without due process and the endless bites at the litigation apple that illegal aliens are afforded in our country

Oh yes, and in Italy:

-       A new law in Italy seeks to impose harsh penalties on illegal immigrants in a country that has been considered a bastion for safe, illegal refuge in Europe in years past, Jon Rosen of the World Politics Review reports. Possible penalties include a fine of $14,000 and three years imprisonment.

Now, North Korea’s punishment does not seem so far off. Then, why the amnesty? Is it a mere proof of the successful foreign relations the United States has been seeking? It’s hard to tell.

I am sure the next week will bring Aijalon Mahli Gomes to the morning talk show circuit. There, he will be praised as a hero, a man who has done no wrong. But, he is not a hero, he did do something wrong, in the eyes of many countries what he did is a criminal action. Even in our own country, illegal immigration is considered a punishable action because you know, that’s what illegal means.

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