|
When Wilkes University officials choose a speaker for the Jay Sidhu School of Business Outstanding Leaders forum, they really know how to generate some buzz.
Tonight, in the city symbolized by a beehive, a hornet’s nest was awakened by a visit by former Mexican President Vicente Fox.
In the Tiffany Room of the Ramada, Americans from the tri-state area gathered to express their displeasure with former President Fox. With homemade signs, righteous indignation and a common cause, those gathered were of one mind: Illegal is illegal. Period. End of Sentence. Print it.
Illegals are taking American jobs. They are siphoning the medical system and swamping schools. They are sending billions of dollars back to Mexico with the blessing of the Mexican government. They are pouring drugs into the streets, forming gangs and killing U.S. citizens.
Meanwhile, a few blocks away at the storied Westmoreland Club, President Fox told a much different tale about two countries that need each other. While protestors claim illegals are destroying the hospital system, President Fox pointed to the fact that immigrant labor built them. While dissenters pointed to crime and chaos, President Fox talked about hard-working laborers picking apples and paving roads.
While the protesters spoke about deportation and division, President Fox pointed to the failure of walls of the past in China and Berlin.
The answer to this problem lies somewhere in the center. But, will either side of the debate turn down the white noise of rhetoric and listen? These sides are miles apart in their views.
I am happy for the debate. That’s what makes the United States unique in a world where thought is often silenced. I am also unsettled by the division. I am friends with many people tasting American life for the first time. Their take on our country is truly refreshing to experience. Their desire to make the most of it is heartwarming. I am, at times, discouraged by the lazy behavior of those in America who take everything for granted. Tomorrow is Election Day and many just think of it as Tuesday. |
Rush Limbaugh
