Arizona's infamous immigration law is but a symptom of our society's increasingly hostile attitude towards immigrants more generally. While pundits leverage arguments about immigrant groups breaking 'the law,' Parisa reminded us last Sunday of the contradiction built into that defense. How legal was the founding of this country, after all? Are we not heirs to "illegal immigrants"?
In 2009, Glenn Beck described the Pilgrims' march towards "freedom" as follows: "They fled their oppressive government in favor of sailing dangerous waters across a vast, largely unknown ocean in hopes of finding a new land and then not being killed by the American Indians." America celebrates this heroic journey every year during Thanksgiving. Rarely, though, do we stop to consider the Pilgrims of present day: those immigrants fleeing their own oppression in hopes of finding a new land, and a new life.
So how do we as Unitarian Universalists respond? Some lobby government, others supply water to individuals crossing the dusty borderland.
Please: continue the conversation.
At the very least, UUs should listen. It is important to be on everybody's side--everybody's--whether we agree with everybody or not. This is not only foundational, it is the easiest and the most prudent thing we can do. Isn't it? Arizona is on the border. Washington is not. Politics. Politics. Maybe there are good people in Arizona who just want to be heard. If we listen, maybe we can speak to people, not at them.
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