OK, here is the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporting on an event in Oklahoma. Now, before you get bent out of shape, a little baby dying should never be a political event.
Okla. immigration law blamed for death
TULSA, Okla. — Edgar Castorena had diarrhea for 10 days and counting, and the illegal immigrant parents of the 2-month-old didn’t know what to do about it.
They were afraid they would be deported under a new Oklahoma law if they took him to a major hospital. By the time they took him to a clinic, it was too late.
A ruptured intestine that might have been treatable instead killed the U.S.-born infant, making him a poster child for opponents of House Bill 1804 months before it was enacted as the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007.
My problem is with the paper – after reading a number of articles, it is clear that it is an open-border, "to heck with the Rule of Law", and is using a horrible event to blame a law, to make political points and make those of us that believe in such to be bigots and uncaring.
Instead of overlooking the actual should have really looked at the root cause of the death – the parents. Sad to say, but decisions do have consequences – and their decision was flawed to the max.
My take? The parents put their own welfare ahead of their baby. They knew what they had done was wrong, yet did nothing to correct it. Once again, previous lax enforcement had parents saying "my child can have a better life – we will take those risks".
"The sad part of it was the child didn’t have to die if House Bill 1804 didn’t ever come around," said Laurie Paul, who runs the clinic where Edgar was finally taken. "It was a total tragedy because the bill was there to create the myths and untruths and the fear."
No, the child didn’t have to die if the parents had decided that being deported was of lesser importance than the life of their child. Besides, it will be shown further down that this lady is just out to make points – the law was not in effect at the time.
And no, the bill didn’t create myths, untruths, and fear – it was there to right a wrong. All it said was that you had to be here legally. Period. One does not suffer consequences of this sort if you follow the law.
The law, billed by its backers as the nation’s toughest legislation against illegal immigration, took effect Nov. 1. It bars illegal immigrants from obtaining jobs or state assistance and makes it a felony to harbor or transport illegal immigrants.
A final portion of the law goes into effect July 1, requiring private companies to verify the employment eligibility of all new hires.
Once again, I see nothing wrong with saying that if you are not supposed to be here, you cannot work here and you cannot take advantage of programs meant for legal residents paid for by taxpayers.
While it’s difficult to characterize which state has the toughest immigration-related law, Oklahoma’s goes beyond most because it includes the clause about harboring and transporting illegal immigrants, said Ann Morse, program director for the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Immigrant Policy Project.
"What I think these laws may have are unintended consequences on the general public," Morse said recently. "How does the law get implemented? Who is the target?"
There are many who read into things lots of things that really may not be there. For instance, instead of getting all wrapped up in nuance, can’t this be goiled down to this: self-responsibility for obeying the law? And if you cannot be responsible, we will assist you.
General public? No, not really – just illegals.
The crackdown has caused thousands of Hispanics to flee for neighboring states, with as many as 25,000 leaving northeastern Oklahoma alone, according to the Greater Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Once again, those that say that we’d have to forceably deport millions are proven wrong. Change the laws, take away the incentives, and they go away. Simple, no?
The law’s fallout also can be seen in the struggling businesses, worker shortages and widespread fear among immigrants who say they are afraid to drive to church or the market because police might pick them up.
I see this as a parallel of "over optimistic exuburance" that we see in the stock market. Here, the "excess money" has its analogy with illegal workers distorting the marketplace. Actually, we get down to basics again – if you make the decision to base your business on either using or catering to illegal workers, you take a risk. To date, those people won the bet – now they aren’t. Things will adapt.
"I feel like I’m in some kind of Nazi country where if they see your color, you’ll be stopped," said Maria Sanchez, a 22-year-old student who is looking to leave Oklahoma rather than risk waiting the seven years it will take to get her papers. "I can’t work, I can’t study, I can’t go out, there’s no point of me staying here."
No, not a Nazi country….a country that says "you must be legal to be here – just like all other developed countries." Come here if you want – just do it legally. When you do things that are wrong, you suffer the consequences.
Civil rights leaders call the law xenophobic and redundant, and say other states will wrongly look to Oklahoma to push their own anti-illegal immigrant legislation. Business and church leaders also have been vocal opponents.
"Oklahoma was settled by immigrants … which means that diverse is normal in Oklahoma," said the Rev. Miguel Rivera, president of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders. "It’s difficult for us to understand a state which is so Christian, that to have all this animosity toward immigrants is completely outrageous."
Point of order – you forgot the word LEGAL in front of the word IMMIGRANT.
You know, you cannot have it both ways at the same time – civil rights depend on laws that make them possible, and those self same laws allows for prosecution of those that violate them. I don’t suppose that Sr. Rivera would like to be reminded he is advocating for people to break the law on one hand while insisting on the law on the other?
Supporters – described by Dan Howard, the founder of an anti-illegal immigration Web site, as "good, American, God-fearing people of the heartland that bleed red, white and blue" – say the law is necessary because of Washington’s bungled immigration policy. They also believe the law has helped deter crime and punishes the companies that make money on the backs of illegal labor.
The bill’s Republican author, state Rep. Randy Terrill, said similar versions have been introduced or are under consideration in more than a dozen states. Last year, more than 1,500 pieces of immigration-related legislation were introduced across the country, with 244 becoming law in 46 states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
"More than half the nation will soon be modeling Oklahoma’s bill," said Terrill, who plans to introduce a companion piece this year that would make English the state’s official language, order schools to report how many illegal children are enrolled and require people or businesses who transport, hire or rent to illegal immigrants to forfeit property.
Terrill said there’s no correlation between his bill and Edgar’s death, noting that the child died in July, months before the law took effect, and that the law provides an exception for emergency medical care.
"To the extent that these illegal alien parents deprived their own child needed and necessary medical care because of their ignorance of the law, then they should be in prison, frankly," Terrill said.
And those that have gamed the system:
"My guy who runs my framing crew, he had 70 workers, and as of Nov. 1, he lost 35 of them," said Caleb McCaleb, who runs a homebuilding company in Edmond. "My painter has lost 30 percent of his work force, my landscaper has lost 25 percent of his work force."
Too bad – these employers tried to game the system; they cheated. Good for them that they got caught short. Why should these miscreants profit at the expense of those trying to "do the right thing" and employ only those that they should?
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