Saddened, but not Surprised

 

“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 And, when he took office, it was the same refrain used when he set up the now rescinded Muslim bans.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!