Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Fear Of Mongol Hordes

Anyone who thinks that small town USA is somehow kinder and “more American” than large cities should read this story about Taneytown, Maryland. It’s a town of 6,700 and, despite the fact that it’s foreign-born population is likely about 24 individuals, two members of the city council decided it was a good idea to pass a resolution which basic point was “Brown people are not welcome.”

The focus of the fast-sharpening dispute has been a City Council resolution, which was narrowly defeated Monday night, that declared: "The City of Taneytown is not a sanctuary city for illegal aliens." It warned that the town "does not welcome individuals who are in the United States illegally," suggesting they would harm the quality of life. It would have directed local officials to assist residents in supporting the enforcement of federal immigration laws.

Paul Chamberlain, the council member sponsoring the resolution, acknowledges that Taneytown has no problem with illegal immigrants. But he sees an apocalypse coming: the gangs, the trash, the crowding that communities in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia have attributed to an influx of impoverished, often undocumented Mexicans and Central Americans. And he hopes that putting up a virtual keep-out sign will steer them away from the corner of Carroll County.

"This is a preventive measure. Other places are passing laws against illegals, so where will they go? To the places that welcome them," said Chamberlain, a dapper man who sells recreational vehicles. "I am not trying to spew hatred against anyone, but I will not cower just because someone calls me a bigot. We have got to send a clear message that people who break the law are not welcome here."

I will point out that the town’s mayor did not want the resolution passed, and so it failed, three to two.

But the real meat of the story (and why I’m so glad the Washington Post sent a reporter to the town) is in the quote reporter Pamela Constable got.

Away from the heat and glare, residents expressed more complicated, often contradictory opinions. Many said they were worried about reports of foreigners flooding larger towns in the region: the Hispanic laborers who came to pick apples in Pennsylvania and stayed, the Muslim group that is trying to buy a farm in nearby Walkersville and turn it into a retreat. Yet no one reported having any negative encounters with immigrants, and a handful of employers praised them as hardworking.
The Walkersville Muslim group, by the way, which is a Silver Spring Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, are not in any way illegal immigrants. So this isn’t about whether anyone is “breaking the law” but about keeping the Mongol hordes away from their white sanctuaries.
Kevin Few, 42, a construction worker, said Hispanic migrants are driving down wages in Maryland and making it hard for people like him to find work. "Personally, 99 percent of them seem nice, clean and hardworking," he said. "But they come here, do our work for nothing, cram into apartments and buy new cars, while the rest of us are struggling to make ends meet. It's not fair."
They are coming here, working hard and BUYING NEW CARS! Oh my god, the horror! The horror! You might even call them an uppity people.

This one, however, takes the cake.
At the local McDonald's, retirees meeting for coffee said they were not aware of Chamberlain's resolution but were nervous that illegal immigrants would come to the area. One woman, who said she was afraid to be identified, explained, lowering her voice: "If I tell you my name, the illegals might look up my address and come after me. They've already broken the laws, so what do they care?"
Yes, the Mongol hordes are after you ma’am. Who knows what they will do to you if they only know where you live.

The real story is that Taneytown is dying. And if anyone is going to rescue it, it will be the new blood of immigrants coming in. Who do pay taxes and start new businesses. Maybe the white people would rather the population dwindle to nothing but remain pure?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Typical liberal bullshit.

This is essentially what offends me about the Left. Rather than make arguments for or against allowing illegal immigrants to have amnesty or santuary, you argue it is all about racism. I am certain there are people who have strong feelings about illegal immigration that are racists. I also have personal knowledge that some of those that oppose illegal immigration most strongly are recent legal immigrants themselves. This particular situation sounds like it is driven by economics. And the whole Walkersville issue is a separate one, involving a Muslim group looking to buy farmland to use as a retreat center for Muslims. It is a red herring.

And if Taneytown is dying, the solution of allowing illegal aliens to work freely is no solution.

Newscat, people who oppose your views are not all racists, homophobes, and misogynists.

Jim in Cleveland

NewsCat said...

Walkersville might be a separate issue to immigration but the tenor of the quotes from the article seem to make it clear that a percentage of residents of Taneytown are afraid of "others" changing what they perceive as the quality of life. And it is the very "otherness" of the immigrants (not even illegal, just "foreign-born") seems to be freaking them out.

Being afraid of "hordes" of spanish-speaking poor people sucking up resources (which is what the quotes in the article discuss) is as much based on racism-based fear as it is some kind of logical reasoning about immigration policy. Rather than seeing immigration benefit their town a certain percentage can only see it as a negative based on the false assumption that illegal immigrates ruin life for everyone.

Anonymous said...

It seems you like the word "seems." Liberals like to think of America, especially rural America, as a bunch of racist podunks. Further, you like to pretend that inviting a bunch of illegal aliens into your community will end up turning Bumfuck Pennsylvania into Shangri-La. Well, this ain't no Shangri-La, as the philosopher Don Henley once pointed out.

Immigration is as American as apple pie, apple strudel, and apple kugel. We are a nation of immigrants. But I don't care what the country of origin or ethnicity is, illegal immigration is another matter.

Also, small towns are affected more by groups of people coming in, no matter the ethnicity. Imagine 10,000 folks from Mt. Pilot pouring into Mayberry to work picking apples over on Johnson's farm for peanuts. That is going to affect guys like Otis Campbell who needs the money to buy hootch every Saturday night.

I am a born and raised suburbanite, but I am tired of seeing fly-over country get portrayed as a bunch of racists who hate blacks, Hispanics, gays, and women just because they don't conform to what the Left want.

Again, there are racists everywhere, but one bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch, girl.

Jim in Cleveland

Anonymous said...

hmmm...what would Jesus do?

"The City of Taneytown is not a sanctuary city for illegal aliens."

That kind of legislation is about as useful as Seattle City council voting "we support our troops" a year after the war started.

This will get interesting when there are Church pastors arrested because they didn't check the immigration status of someone they were giving food to.


"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?....The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:37-40

"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:2

"If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink." Proverbs 25:21

Anonymous said...

alright...babies are sleeping...more time to argue about illegal immigration

well...I don't really argue about it, because it's really not an issue for me, but there are something that people don't always bring up.

There may be a test case soon in Oklahoma.
http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/016593.php

A couple of interesting things about that story, the Republican that says the tough anti-illegal immigrant bill, was "worst thing since the Dust Bowl".

A pastor is suing to over-turn the bill.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-01-09-immigcover_N.htm

(See Newscat...sometimes Republicans and pastors agree with you politically.)

Anonymous said...

Immigration has proven not to be a strict party issue. But there is a difference between following your Christian values and supporting this or that law. Christ never lobbied for the Romans to help the poor--he called on the people to do that. As a Christian, I firmly believe in all three of the Bible quotes you lay out there. But what Newscat is talking about it calling people racist just because they hold different political views that she.

Jim in Cleveland

NewsCat said...

Jim,

I'm not calling them rascist because they disagree with me. I'm saying they are fearing immigrants because they are fearing people who are different from them. (A small portion, who is quoted in the article).

I grant you, there are valid-non-rascist reasons to oppose immigration, but I don't think the people of Taneytown who supposed the city council's proclamation are making those reasons. I think, going from the article, that they pretty much want to keep out "brown people" who aren't like them. Are they STATING it that way. No, but you get the feeling behind their quotes. They are AFRAID of these people. They are afraid of them BUYING NEW CARS and bringing in their muslim religion. And "following them home." Tell me those are rational well-thought out fears?

J.K.Archie said...

Ridiculous! Your point is irrelevant and obnoxious. Taneytown is a town that is changing and improving but not by backing down to these groups who are demanding things that they don't deserve. I received an email that explained it in terms that maybe someone simple minded may understand. If a woman breaks into your house, but does your laundry and cleans your kitchen...are you required to let her stay, along with her children? Do you have to pay for their health care and education just because they are already there? What if you were then required to give her husband a job doing your landscaping? So what if it needs done, or they do it better or cheaper, THEY BROKE IN. It's against the law and it is not impossible to enter this country legally. We, as a country, must stop overlooking wrong doings and putting human rights names on them. We have become a country of cowards and idiots.