Immigration and leaping to conclusions

“Given the events of this week, it’s important for us to understand the gaps and loopholes in our immigration system.” - Sen. Charles Grassley, Rep. IA, quoted in "Senator Says Boston Attack Should Factor in Immigration Debate", Ashley Parker and Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 2013-04-19

Let's see, it is a loophole to let teenagers into the U. S. if they are Muslim, if they come from a country with ethnic violence, or…

One brother came at the age of 15.  He was probably somewhat unhappy to be taken away from his friends and never really got over it.  And how many immigrants from wherever come at that age and somehow manage to fit in and have socially satisfying lives?  The other brother came at the age of 8 and seemingly adapted quite well and was popular.  But because he adored his older brother, he probably picked his brother's dissatisfaction and anger.

If we are to close the "gaps and loopholes" on a couple of loopy brothers, maybe we should have never let Italians into the U. S.  Isn't Lanza, the last name of the Newtown terrorist, an Italian name?  And the Mafia is Italian based.  Ah, yes, we should suspect every Italian of being a Mafia member.  But then we wouldn't have had "Woody Woodpecker" to chuckle over, created by Walter Lantz.  Immigration changed his father's name from Francesco Paolo Lanza.  We wouldn't have Ghirardelli chocolates and Jacuzzis and Zambonis.  For hundreds more famous Italian-Americans who enriched our country, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Italian_Americans.

If we are to close the "gaps and loopholes" maybe we should never have let Germans into the U. S.  After all, many German-Americans became spies or apologists for Hitler.  Remember the informant in "Stalag 17".  Unfortunately, if German immigrants had been kept out, I wouldn't be here.  Some readers think this might be a good thing.  Four of my great-grandparents were born in Germany.

Maybe the original inhabitants of this continent should have closed the "gaps and loopholes" that let thousands of English and others in.  The English and others unleashed a reign of terror on the original inhabitants for over three centuries that led to the massacre at Wounded Knee.

As Pete Seeger told it, two Indians watched a ship launch a small boat.  When the boat landed, Columbus stepped out and said, "Buenos días, señores!"  One Indian turned to the other and said, "There goes the neighborhood."

Duh idea of the day – fair trial

"Oh, but bringing these brutes to justice in the jurisdictions where they commit their crimes would be unconstitutional, says Representative Eric Cantor, the House Majority leader. A jury of Indians, well — they’re incapable of giving a white man a fair trial. Such was the view expressed by Senator Charles Grassley, the mumble-voiced Iowa senator known for his 19th-century insight."
"Science and Sensibility", Timothy Egan, NYT, 2013-03-01.

Although Abraham Lincoln let stand some death sentences for the Sioux Uprising, he also commuted many more because he didn't think the evidence merited the conviction.  Could it be that these pardoned red men did not get a fair trial by white juries?  Can we be sure that those hung got fair trials?

In other words, according to Cantor and Grassley, it's OK for white men to rape red women, but not OK for red men or black men to get a fair trial for being accused of raping white women.