¡Sí, Se Puede!

Today is May 1. Asside from May Day (I'm still waiting for my doorbell to ring), it's the nation-wide one day strike and boycott in support of immigration rights. I think this is a great way to draw attention to the impact of immigration in this country. A day without immigrants in the marketplace should have a huge effect on the day's economy. I took part in the boycott today rather passively because I forgot to put gas in my car yesterday in preparation for not making purchases today.

I have mixed feelings about illegal immigration. Yes, illegal imigrants are in fact breaking the law, and from a moral and biblical perspective I should have a problem with that. I do think that people planning to live here permanently should work towards citizenship with the goal of being law abiding members of the American community, but I think we have made it more difficult than necessary. My ancestors didn't have to take a test in order to become a citizen and it seems like a silly way to promote enculturation. If anything we're lacking in culture in this country and should welcome people and families that can enrich ours.

This is a nation built on immigration. The only people who deserve free reign of this country are the people that we have exploited in every way and pushed onto undesireable land and left to suffer with staggering rates of alchoholsm, poverty and mental illness. It is time for immigration reform in this country but we are going in the wrong direction by making illegal immigrants felons instead of showing them grace and helping make the transition as smooth as possible for everyone. We seem to forget so quickly the lessons we have (apparently not) learned from past hardships and clear mistakes. This is the Jim Crow of our generation and I'm glad that this issue is drawing the attention that it deserves.