Views in brief

Obama's record on immigration

SHAUN HARKIN'S article on the need for the immigrant rights community to make concrete, far-reaching demands after this historic election is an important contribution for activists to read and understand ("Immigrant rights after the election").

However, I believe he represents Obama in a light which is far too kind and ignores Obama's record, despite the lip service he may pay to immigrants. While Obama may have invoked some populist rhetoric to garner a higher Latino vote, I fear that the idea that Obama is some friend to the immigrant community can be dangerous. We need to understand both his stance and his voting record when it comes to this issue.

After a quick skimming of his positions on various policies, we can see where Obama truly stands concerning the rights of immigrants.

First, Obama voted yes on an amendment which "establishes penalties ranging from six months to twenty years for immigrants who enter into the United States illegally." This type of criminalization of people is both disturbing and shows Obama's serious lack of empathy for immigrant workers.

Second, Obama voted yes on a bill in 2006 sponsored by Republican Peter King (whom Harkin mentions), which "authorizes the construction of an additional 700 miles of double-layered fencing between the U.S. and Mexico and grants the Secretary of Homeland Security authority to take necessary steps to stop unlawful entry of immigrants into the U.S." with the use of "a systematic surveillance system of personnel, aerial and ground-based sensors, cameras and other technology."

On another bill, just a month earlier, Obama also voted to support Republican Jefferson Sessions "Triple-Fencing" Amendment which provides "$1,829,100,000 for the Army National Guard for the construction of 370 miles of triple-layered fencing, and 461 miles of vehicle barriers along the southwest border." Talk about militarization of the border, Obama's role in criminalizing immigrant workers is nothing less than obvious.

This type of support undoubtedly secures and facilitates the rise of racist, reactionary groups like the Minutemen.

This is not to say that every piece of anti-immigrant legislation Obama votes for, nor is it to say that he has not voted for some things which do indeed help immigrants (however paltry that help may be). For instance, Obama did vote against English being the national language (although voting yes on it being the U.S.'s "common language").

He has also voted for bills which crack down at corporations hiring illegal immigrants, but simultaneously "raise spending levels to increase border security, expand enforcement of immigration laws...deploy National Guard troops to the southern and northern borders of the United States, and identify and deport non-citizen immigrants in prisons."

This type of ambiguity and lack of serious support for pro-immigrant legislation gives tacit support to conservatives and ideologues who blame the immigrants. Obama will "decrease raids" while militarizing the border? Was this pre-election rhetoric simply a ploy to garner Latino voters, or will he hold true to his word?

I agree with Shaun that a decrease in raids will be welcomed by socialists and progressives who fight for immigrant rights, but I believe we must be extremely weary of giving Obama more credit than he has earned. Politicians talking and politicians acting are often two, very separate things.

More importantly, the issue which I believe we must push more clearly for is the right for refugees from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to come here. Until now, the United States has let very few refugees past its borders. Part of the reparations we demand should be opening our borders, not just to our brothers and sisters from the south, victims of economic wars through free-trade, neoliberal legislation (NAFTA, CAFTA, etc.) but also victims of the imperialist military endeavors of the U.S.

To my knowledge, Obama has not made much mention of that. We need to challenge Obama on these issues and, as Harkin pointed out, let's not put our hope in Obama, but push him to not only keep to his rhetoric, but go far beyond that through collective pressure and mass mobilization.
Derek Ide, Toledo, Ohio

What would true democracy look like?

I WAS interested to read Todd Chretien's response to Iris Chamberlain ("Obama and building the movements") about the question of voting.

I, too, have reservations about what the Democratic Party will be able (or actually willing) to do when the waters settle in the upcoming weeks. I would be much happier with a successful implementation of multi-party, direct elections via national instant runoff voting procedures, campaign reform that completely eliminates corporations from our electoral and governing processes, implementation of a real minimum wage and empowered unions, and massive public education on all levels to enable an effective and intelligent democracy.

What I am hoping will come from the election of Obama is something that I was directed to note during his campaign that I think is vital to true socialism and democracy--communication. The issue in question was about how the discussion concerning pro-choice or pro-life viewpoints could instead be framed in terms of a discussion about how to decrease the number of unwanted pregnancies, a goal that surely no sane person could disagree with.

I do believe that a different system will have to be created to encourage, enable and document discussions and resolutions if we are to move any closer to real democracy and socialism. No government will ever be able to please all of the people all of the time, but I believe--okay, hope--that with enough education and information, America will be able to get down close to root issue questions, contemplate them, and make the best compromises for the majority of people involved.

Thanks again for your comments and work.
Susan, San Leandro, Calif.

McCain's racist supporters

I WANT to personally thank all of the racist supporters of John McCain for helping to elect the first Black man the president of the United States through their echoes of incredible stupidity.

The unrelenting venom and untrue and absurd accusations leveled against Obama helped a vast majority of the American people look at the world differently, right when I was one of most people losing hope for a long time.

It was hard not to be moved by the prospect of hope. The loud minority made a lot of noise pollution, but did not silence the voices of the majority. The ridiculous talk of Obama's "Marxism" has helped open up the eyes of many at the prospect of a different society far different from the one of the last eight years.

Unfortunately, Obama is far from the radical he was accused of being, but his victory opens up a chapter of new possibilities and consciousness. The right wing has made their shallow, uneducated and racist voices of intolerance heard loud and clear.

If the right wing is only half as miserable as the majority over the last eight years of the president they helped to elect, then there is reason to celebrate. Their misery is well deserved and a long time coming!
Greg Morse, Providence, R.I.