Recently, one of the tango teachers whose milonga I used to regularly attend has been posting anti-illegal alien and immigration posts.
The current one is a short essay:
Let me get this straight…if you cross the North Korean border illegally, you get 12 yrs. hard labor.
If you cross the Afghanistan border illegally, you get shot.
Two Americans just got eight years for crossing the Iranian border.
If you cross the U.S. border illegally you get a job, a drivers license, food stamps, a place to live, health care, housing & child benefits, education @ a tax free business for 7 yrs…No wonder we are a country in debt. Re-post if you agree!!!!
This essay is a test of your analytical and logical thinking process. If you agree, you have failed.
Ask yourself: Why would you want to compare the United States, a democratic republic, with a communist dictatorship run by a supreme leader (Kim Jong-un) whose sanity is suspect?
This was written before Donald Trump became president. The earliest time this message was making the rounds was 2011 (Sept 12).
The US war in Afghanistan ended in 2014. Wartime does bring those problems of being shot and one enters at one’s own risk. An American tourist crossing into Germany during World War II might have been shot and even tried as a spy. Consider how well the U.S. treated some of its own citizens who had been born and raised in the U.S. (e.g. the Japanese Americans).
The third country, Iran, did sentence two American men (Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal) to eight years on suspicion of espionage (they were caught by the border guards). The woman who was with them was released. The two men were also released in 2011, the same year they were sentenced. Notice this essay doesn’t bother to name the men either.
Instead of setting up comparisons with say Mexico or Canada, U.S .neighbors, or comparisons with other democracies or democratic republics like France or Germany, this essay draws comparisons with countries we were not on friendly terms with. The essay also infers that we should follow the example of North Korea, Iran or Afghanistan.
By not acknowledging the differences in diplomatic situations (e.g. Afghani people fleeing the war into Iran are not detained and brought to trial on charges of espionage. Iran is now attempting to repatriate the refugees), this implies that this problem isn’t directly related to political situations between two countries.
Further, this essay is a bait and switch. because the two Americans were detained by the border guards. If illegal aliens are caught crossing the US border, they get sent back to their country AND they would not get jobs, they would not get benefits. The reason for this essay is to build up animosity toward immigrants by appealing to emotional and irrational responses and leaves out the necessary facts.
Pasadena Art & Science Beat 