Small Things Count

Politicians snarl and call them “anchor babies.”  They’re kids who were brought to the U.S. by their parents.  They didn’t sneak into the country, and they grew up knowing no other life but that of an American kid. If they were rounded up and sent back to the place they were born, be it Mexico or Canada, or Ireland, or wherever, we may as well be sending them to Mars, into a life and culture where they are strangers.

How have they spent their lives here? Even if their families lived on welfare awhile, many of these kids have graduated and gone on to college and even served in our military. They’re trying to be productive members of society.  They see ads for jobs, many of which no one is applying for, but they can’t apply because they aren’t “legal.”  The new Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals changes that.

Not everyone can get this 2-year work permit–and that’s all it is, not a green card or instant citizenship. To be eligible, the person must prove he or she came to the U.S. before age 16, was actually here this past June 15,  and has lived here continuously for five years.  PLUS, there must be evidence of being enrolled in or graduated from school or having been honorably discharged from the U.S. military. In other words, these applicants must prove that they’re working on making a life for themselves.

The argument, of course, is that these people will take “our” jobs–that’s an argument used against immigrants almost from the start of our country. On the other hand, there are many jobs that are going begging, because they’re not what people choose or unemployed people don’t have the training or background needed. Our economy depends not just on jobs being filled but on their being filled by people who will work hard, think hard, be creative and inventive. If immigrant kids who have proven their ambition and have been schooled in skills to fill these jobs, why deny them. Aren’t those unfilled jobs also slowing our economy?

I think this program is the right thing to do, for moral reasons and for the practical reason that these “babies” will help “anchor” our struggling economy.

California anti-bullying laws are NOT working! Each year more than 200,000 kids are harassed because they’re gay or perceived as gay, leading to suicide, physical or verbal abuse, and even murder.  And that’s just one target group.  Others are bullied because of their size (big or little), ethnic background, what they wear, their economic status, how they talk (accent or speech impediment)…any number of excuses.

Our bullying and harassment laws are not protecting our children.  One of the reasons is that they are not enforced in our schools.  Principals and teachers often turn a blind eye to bullying, partly because of possible legal action against themselves if a parent wants to fight the charge.  The result: the danger to our children is growing.

The Joint Legislative Auditing Committee is looking into the situation.  They’re looking at all California schools to see which ones are failing to meet their legal responsibility and to evaluate the effectiveness of the laws.

Some argue that there shouldn’t even be such laws, that parents have the right to monitor their children and teach them not to bully.  I agree.  Except that not all parents will do so, leaving the most vulnerable kids unprotected. Usually it’s the parent of the bully who doesn’t admit that his child does violence on others, and the bully is good at hiding his proclivities from his parents. Often, too, the bully sees abuse between his parents and thinks it’s a natural thing to do. Therefore, the ones who need to be taught respect and consideration for all those around him don’t learn that lesson.  Later, they pass on this negative learning to their own kids.

I agree that we sometimes go too far with “Nanny Laws.”  However, in this case, because the adults are not taking charge, I’d rather have a law than see more children physically and emotionally damaged–or dead.

An intriguing  book to make you think:The Confession, by John Grisham. I admit that the death penalty has always made me queasy, and this book tells me why. It’s the story of a group of people trying to save an innocent man on Death Row in the final hours of his life. Among that groups is the admitted killer, who can take the authorities to where he buried the body, if they’ll let him. But Texas (and other states) are tough on crime, and they had their man. His confession, hand-fed to him by the detectives interrogating him over a prolonged period of time, proves his guilt. What’s a governor and DA with promising careers to do, give in to bleeding heart defense attorneys and biased family members? And what should a minister do when the admittedly guilty man shows up on his doorstep and confesses?  Grisham puts his characters into difficult positions, making them choose between what’s right and what’s comfortable or even legal. They are forced to make moral and practical decisions.  And we, the readers, are pulled into those decisions, agonizing with the characters. Whichever side of the capital punishment issue you’re on, this book is a worthwhile read.

Earth-Friendly Tip #8

Actually, fellow Californians, I’ll just give you some figures and let you draw your own conclusions.

• There are 37 million of us Californians, and we dump 30 million tons of garbage a day.
• Each of us dumps 4.5 pounds per day.
• Plastic bags make up 123 tons a year.
• Milpitas has built a recycling center at Newby Island, and it is the largest recycling plant in the world.

[For more easy, Eco-friendly tips, download a FREE copy of Green Riches: Help the Earth & Your Budget. Go to www.Smashwords.com/books/ view/7000, choose a format, and download to your computer or e-book device.]

Thoughtful Thursday Quote #7

“I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see. I sought my God, but my God eluded me. I sought my brother and I found all three.”  —  unknown

WHO WILL MAKE THE BETTER PRESIDENT? If I had to vote based solely on speeches I’m hearing, I’d have to vote for “Anyone But.”  Okay, so “ObamqaLogna” and “RomneyHood” are kind of cute, in a 3-year-old way. And campaign strategists, not the candidates, have to have coined the phrases. I’ll accept them as comic relief. What I really want relief from, though, is half-truths and verbal rock-throwing. I want to hear concrete plans about how we’re going to move our improving, yet fragile, economy into full-blown recovery, and I don’t want empty promises that it will happen overnight if we only vote for one or the other candidate.  What I’m hearing now I call Poli-hooey.

Shouldn’t our President be a role model for all Americans, including Congress? Maybe if the candidates stopped acting like spoiled brats our lawmakers would follow suit, learning to compromise for the common good so that fair, equitable laws could be passed to give our economy a giant push in the right direction?  Or maybe that’s just the Pollyanna in me.  Hey! I could vote for her….

THINK ABOUT THE OLDER PEOPLE YOU’VE CROSSED PATHS WITH. Many of them are experiencing a loss of self-worth.  They no longer have the jobs that made them feel productive or even the energy that made them self-sufficient.  People used to value their opinions but now just half listen to them. How can we help restore their human dignity?  Stop for a chat with the man we often see sitting alone in his front yard as we walk to the grocery store.  Call Aunt Rita every couple of weeks and exchange news of each other’s lives.  When tackling a plumbing problem, actually listen to advice given by that neighbor who was a plumber for 40 years.  Treat these people as you would a valued friend or colleague.  Be open, and delight in the surprise gifts you receive in return.

They spend all their money at Walmart and Target. That’s what I heard from some tax consultants I talked to today when I mentioned what economists say, that the sales tax is regressive, hurting the poor the most. I was so flabbergasted I couldn’t reply. “Us in the middle class pay for the wasteful ways of those people,” one of them went on.

I realize that this is a common view among people who are not poor or who have no concept of poverty. They don’t recognize the fact that the working poor–the lucky ones–shop at Walmart and Target to try to stretch their meager paycheck so there’s at least some food on the table that month, and so the roof stays over their heads because the rent is paid.  PG&E? Water? Doctor’s visit? Maybe this month, maybe next.  The less lucky poor, without jobs or homes, are the ones seeking a handout outside of Walmart, because they don’t have enough money to cover a purchase inside. Yes, some of it goes to alcohol or cigarettes, which are the only comfort for a portion of those we see on the streets. But ALL the poor share a common problem with the middle class: as sales taxes rise, it becomes harder and harder to buy necessities, pushing more and more vulnerable people toward the edge of the abyss.

It frightens me that several governmental agencies, state and local, plan to seek an increase in sales tax this November.  And it saddens me that individuals like those I talked to today are widening the division in our society by perpetuating false stereotypes and fostering a “we” vs. “them” attitude.  Which of these two situations bothers me more? I don’t know.