The Fault Line
There comes a time in life when one may begin to feel disconnected from the zeitgeist of the world . Many of us are feeling fondly or not so fondly with Orange Man or the Apprentice King, or more directly, the President of the United States. People say they are ashamed and embarrassed to be an American while others say they are proud and optimistic to be an American. The cultural divide seems to grow, like a fault in the earth, wider with each passing day. The underground pressure that occurs far below is invisible and not unlike the unseen cultural forces that impact our daily lives.
When two land masses continue to push up against each other it is only a matter of time before the slippage, the fault line, begins to physically impact the ground we walk on. This seems to be the time in our country when one group of citizens is bringing pressure against another group and that does not bode well for peaceful coexistence. This period of time is not dissimilar to the Sixties but the difference today is no one’s blood was asked to be on the fault line. Going to war to preserve the American post World War 2 vision of capitalism versus communism, or the domino theory, is far different than today’scultural war that is being fought in America.
Can anyone really identify what the core difference is between America’s right and left? Is this really all about the discussion the American safety net? Are we really arguing about what is the right amount of idealism one should have? We all love dogs but not all of us want to own a dog. Does that make you a bad person? We can take one simple issue, like immigration, and highlight the incredible chasm between the right and left.
We all care about human beings and can feel the same way about human suffering. That does not mean any one country can save the world from human suffering. There are eight billion people on the planet. If one billion live in poverty does that mean one country should be responsible, loving, and caring enough to take them all. This seems to be the virtue signaling of the left and it was reflected in the policies of the previous administration. The cynic might say this was a political position to gain power through the apportionment process of Congressional seats which is tied to the census. The activists claim it is about preserving human dignity and that is what America should stand for.
We are also a country that was founded in a belief that laws matter and the preservation of societal harmony was guaranteed by our equal enforcement of those laws. There is no question that the citizenship laws, which millions of Americans followed to gain their citizenship, have been instrumental in making our country the shining light for the rest of the world. We are still, by far, the most admired country in the world. That does not mean we are without our faults but the fault lies with our political leadership in this country which has not addressed immigration issues, in any meaningful way, since 1990 under President George Bush. That worldwide limit was set at 675,000 people, but the number for the last decade has topped one million permanent residence status approvals.
So what are the facts since facts matter more than an opinion. The border patrol documented over 10 million illegal entries since 2021. They also estimate that there have been over 2 million “getaways” in that time. That means that the one million people who did everything correctly, and waited patiently in line, are supposed to be unaffected by the 10 million people who cut the line. Try cutting the line at Starbuck’s and see what happens. That feeling of being taken advantage of us is not good for the morale of this country. That does not even address the social issues that are created by the open door policy.
All of these facts are important so that we can have an honest conversation about the future of our country. The growth of a dependent class of uneducated immigrants, who have received billions of dollars of support in so called sanctuary cities, has alienated a large portion of our citizens. We are not a country of unlimited money. Money out to the undocumented is less money served for American citizens. The urban cities are suffering enough without the additional burden of caring for the undocumented. Take a drive through Plainfield or Paterson or Newark if you do not believe me. But most of you who read this will not do that.
Here is a simple question. Do we want more immigrants to be eligible for green cards? How many is enough? How many is too much? How many refugees, (about 10 percent each year)which is part of the one million plus green cards, should be added to that amount as well? It is not enough to say I care about human beings without considering the impact of their arrival. It is not enough to say I care about human beings without worrying about how those immigrants will survive, and hopefully thrive, in our America. We want the American dream to be successful and attainable.
The ground is beginning to shake under our feet. Many of us are still unaware that the ground is shaking. The vibrations continue to manifest themselves each day with demonstrations against ICE or demonstrations against the so called King. However, the demonstrations do not address the deeper societal problems that we are facing because we have not adequately addressed this illegal immigration issue for the last thirty years. This is not about any one President. This is about us. What do we want America to be?
There are people who live among us living two lives. One is the hard worker and family man who has repaired your roof or painted your house. The other is the same person who now fears being deported and fears going out to buy groceries. That is no way to live life in America. There has to be a better way, but the way it starts, is by having these conversations, about the zeitgeist, at dinner with your friends and family. That is what this one person will continue to do but unfortunately many cannot feel the ground shaking and do not see the fault line grow wider with each passing day.
This essay is dedicated to all the immigrants that have made my life richer and meaningful every day. My dad, a Holocaust survivor, put his trust in a German immigrant. Our principal shop foreman was Venezuelan. The shop currently is filled with Central and South American immigrants. One of my managers is an African American. The other comes from Irish immigrants. Our success is glued together by two essential values. Opportunity and hard work build things that last. That is the bridge over the fault line.
Peace to Everyone.. Crosby Still Nash and Young…. Immigration Man..
AK.. This is one of your best ever! ON POINT! We have totally blurred the facts. I fear both extremes don't want to admit to the facts. I wish our country could have this discussion yet both sides refuse to address the sad shape of our immigration laws. My grandparents came through Ellis Island in the 20's from Ireland. It was handled with pencils and paper along with dignity. I have a hard time believing that with all of the technology we have 100 years later we cant come up with a system that works. I know one thing; this system right now is broken. Its been broken for decades. I wish the left would remember Obama had no problem deporting millions of people over his 8 years. FIX THE SYSTEM. That will truly make America great again!!
I agree that the US has never properly addressed immigration. In my lifetime, the population of the United States has grown from 200 million to 340 million, that is a 70% increase. The number of hotel rooms, restaurants, and single family homes has grown by 500% or more. The reality is that Americans do not want to work in the service industries. Nor do they want to do the backbreaking work in construction and in agriculture. To staff all of these industries, we need more immigrants. The problem is that there have always been forces (mostly on the right) that have opposed dealing with the issue. Those same voices have also conspired to keep the minimum wage abysmally low. There is something wrong when American's richest family (the Waltons) are the largest employers in the country, and most of the employees qualify for Medicaid and Food Stamps. These are not illegal immigrants, for the most part, they are either citizens or have valid work permits. We have a political party that has caught on to Lyndon Johnson's famous quote, “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.” Sadly, it has worked for the Republicans and now we are seeing the consequences. So yes, we need to come up with solutions, but we will never be able to do it as long as poor people vote against their own interests.