“They’re
eating your cats and dogs!”
This was the slur against the immigrant Haitians brought here initially by employers
looking to staff the manufacturing needs of a small town in Ohio called
Springfield. PBS profiled the town and its issues here.
According to the program, over 700,000 Haitians fled their troubled country for
the US in recent years and were granted temporary work visas. The influx in
Springfield alone numbers over twelve to fifteen thousand people who arrived
over the last half-dozen years. Of course, in a mid-western town of mostly
white residents, the French or Crole-speaking Haitians, only some of whom also
speak English, stand out. The city has struggled to provide necessary services
for them but is working to assist their assimilation. And, contrary to other
reports, the crime rate has not increased. This community did not heed the notoriety
provided by this pet-stealing rumor, which has been denied by local authorities
and the Ohio Governor, Mike De Wine.
If you watched
the debate, cable news, or looked at Facebook feeds, this topic was prominent
across multiple media sources and promoted on X. Initially, cable reports
repeated the rumor, then it was magnified by VP candidate J. D. Vance, and embellished
on the debate stage and in campaign speeches by the Republican nominee. Why is
this such a big deal? Because, to the right, rumors such as this meet their
goals of creating divisions, striking fear of others different from oneself,
and making immigrants the scapegoats for all they perceive as wrong with our
country.
Shouldn’t we expect our leaders to be better than this? I believe they should
try to elevate our discussions considering how, by working together, we can
make this a better and more prosperous country for all of us. You know the saying,
“a rising tide lifts all boats.”
But, instead,
we hear again the same tired playbook used when DJT came down the escalator
denigrating Mexicans and others at the borders. And, when he took office, it was
the same refrain used when he set up the now rescinded Muslim
bans.
Just a few
weeks ago, it was used against Venezuelans in Aurora,
Colorado who were attacked by gangs from their country. And contrary to reports,
they were not taking over apartment buildings; the issue instead was more about
a slumlord who did not want his complex condemned and some local crimes. Because
of the continued violence and suppression in their country, Venezuelans can
apply for temporary protected status (TPS), visas, and asylum with certain
restrictions.
(Since both Republican
candidates have been in government, they should each have known about these regulations
and should not have demagogued them.)
According to Denverite:
“Aurora Police acknowledged recently they have received complaints
of stolen rent at three affected apartment complexes. Police also said on
Wednesday that they have identified and arrested several of the gang’s members.”
“There
has been a lot of misleading information shared about what is happening in our
city,” city spokesperson Luby said. “Aurora is a safe community. Media have
conflated and considerably exaggerated incidents that are isolated to a handful
of problem properties alone. Mayor Mike Johnston told 9NEWS’ Kyle Clark that
the presence is much less significant than that of American street gangs like
the Bloods or the Crips. Both gangs have been tied to acts of violence in both
cities for decades and continue to have a strong presence in the metro area.”
And, according
to the New
York Times,
“Before Springfield, Ohio, before the misinformation about
devoured pets and the memes of Mr. Trump rescuing ducks and kittens, there was
Aurora, pop. 404,219, supposedly overrun by the violent Venezuelan street gang,
Tren de Aragua. Those claims became a cause célèbre for the right-wing media,
and ultimately a key focus of Mr. Trump’s anti-immigration repertoire as he escalated his attacks on immigrants as part of his campaign’s effort to
capitalize on voter concerns about the southern border crisis.
But the
story has taken on a life of its own. Mr. Trump placed Aurora front and center
on Friday in his plans for mass deportations if elected.
“We’re
going to have the largest deportation in the history of our country,” Mr. Trump
said at a news conference at Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes,
Calif. “And we’re going to start with Springfield and Aurora.”
There
have already been real-world consequences to the fear-mongering, exaggerations,
and outright lies spreading on the internet and the campaign trail about the
situation. Last month, the city shut down one of the
buildings, Fitzsimons Place apartments, at the center of the
controversy, emptying it of nearly 200 inhabitants — many, but not all, of them
migrants and recent arrivals. City officials and police officers arrived at 7
a.m. Aug. 7, the first day of school, to announce that the residents of 1568
Nome Street had six days to clear out.”
I noticed a cartoon in the
Washington Post by Joel Pett this week which you can see here.
It shows a migrant family with a caption that says:
(Undocumented
migrant voting schemes)
“Let’s
abandon our families, blow all of our money, sneak into the US, then commit a
crime that will get us all sent back.”
I think this shows the
absurdity of the claims that President Biden let in immigrants to get them on
the voting rolls and the measures that the Republicans are trying to pass in
Congress forbidding immigrants from voting. The United States has long required
that proof of citizenship be required for all Federal elections. What should,
instead, be looked at in my opinion, is the expanded voter suppression in many
southern states, purging of voter rolls, refusal to re-enroll former felons and
voter intimidation. Just last week it was reported that police in Florida were
being sent to the homes of people who signed to petition the abortion rights
measure for the November ballot and validate their signatures. That should not
be the procedure for petition signers.
One of our most precious
rights is the right to freely and secretly cast our ballots. Continuing to sow
doubts about this process undermines our democracy. Face it, the fewer people
who cast knowledgeable ballots, the more victories for those who want to win by
subterfuge, and lies. So, distorting the process, and suppressing the vote are
tactics that have been used before; it is said that some officials are going to
refuse to allow the legal certification of votes and some states will go to
court and challenge the results, delaying a final tally. So, put on your
seatbelts, this might be a rocky ride. But, I hope our process will be strong
enough to survive any challenges and that the Supreme Court will not be the decision-makers.
And, if the vote is as lopsided as it should be, there should be no doubt about
the results.
Absentee ballots will be
mailed out soon in many states. Since deadlines are fluid from year to year,
get yours returned right away, using a drop box if possible over mailing. As we
get closer to Election Day, the claims above will probably seem miniscule, so
brace yourselves for much worse. Because of the Electoral College, this
election most likely will be close. If, despite years of propaganda, all
concerned Americans take a deep look and get out there and vote, we will choose
a candidate who cares about us and not just himself.
“Til next week-Peace!
