Next Tuesday is the
anniversary of the historic election of President Barack Obama and a memorable
evening that many of us spent in Grant Park after the polls closed. Just how
hard we are going to have to work to win that “Change” we fought for is now
clear, and it is time to recommit to each other and to redouble our
efforts.
I happened to be standing next to Rahm Emanuel as Barack Obama gave his acceptance speech in Grant Park that night. I have known Rahm many years and we have never been particularly close. But I put my hand on his shoulder and said, “Do us proud.” He joked back, “Nah…. I think we will just go f*** it up!” More seriously I said, “We desperately need legalization for the 12 million undocumented.” Rahm replied, “It all depends on the votes.”
Now it is a year later and we are engaged in a bitter power struggle to win meaningful health care reform. In many ways the undocumented ended up being made the bogeymen of this debate (along with ACORN) by the Republicans, and got thrown under the bus by many Democrats. Meanwhile deportations have increased under the Obama administration, and it is unclear whether the political will to move forward on immigration reform will exist after the exhausting health care battle subsides.
How should we deal at this point with disappointments from this White House? And how do we continue to press towards the “Change” we've been fighting for?
On November 3 in Grant Park, on the first anniversary of the election, we are joining with a broad cross-section of progressive leaders and many longtime supporters of President Obama to rally for the “Change” our nation still urgently needs.
We will be joining together in support of the fight for health care reform with a meaningful public option. We will also be signing a letter to President Obama urging “courage” in moving forward on the range of challenging policy initiatives our nation urgently needs – from immigration and financial regulation reform, to workers' right to organize, to the full inclusion of the LGBT community, to addressing our rapidly warming planet. And we will be pledging to support of each others' efforts over time.
Too often, we work in silos, not seeing the humanity of others or the justice of their causes. But building an America that is fair and inclusive demands that we band together. The political reality is that Rahm will never get the votes that he needs, and will not have the will to cast them, if we are divided.
So please join us at the rally.
Joshua Hoyt is the Director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Here are his previous Progress Illinois columns:
"How The Democrats And The DCCC Finally Got Immigration Right," March 16, 2008
"For The Love Of A Demographer," May 13, 2008
"Obama Is 'Chicago Tough' Enough To Tackle Immigration Reform," April 17, 2009
Comments
Brittanicus on Fri, 10/30/2009 - 15:14
The 1986 Simpson/ Mazzoli bill for BLANKET AMNESTY was never broken. It was just stripped of its enforcement powers. It was corrupted by politicians for their business consortium friends, who expected no prohibition on the free flow of millions of impoverished, illiterate workers they could use as slave labor. The 1986 immigration control and reform act translated into travesty of immigration laws. Use amendments to the bill, instead of producing a brand new law in catering to the wide open border conspirators. IF---Immigration Reform passes their is going to be a behemoth backlash never seen before against politicians, open border reanimated fanatics and the business world. IF it happens it could led to massive marches and displays of civil unrest, because it will be against the US populace. It must be remembered--that clanging a bell that a new comprehensive immigration reform package or BLANKET AMNESTY is going to pass. In seconds by email, by 21st communications everybody from the Amazon to Mongolia will get the message. Millions will descend on a almost defenseless American continent, looking for free government handouts, that includes education, health care and a free room, food in prison detention. As I have said before, not the US Border Patrol, not the National Guard will be able to stop the onslaught. Only if we bring home the troops from Korea, Japan, Germany and even Afghanistan and picketing these men/women from Brownville Texas to San Diego, California would we even stand a chance of halting a desperate humanity.
City Manager Micheal Andronivich as far back as 2004 said illegal families were draining Los Angeles county coffers of billions. Even today California is not floating in red ink, as billions are still being drained by incompetent Sacramento assembly who have been pandering to illegal aliens for years.Laying around the feet of Governors, Mayors, Judges, state and City officials is the murdered bodies of Jamiel Shaw and Bologna family of three, slaughtered by illegal alien gang members, whose police departments had failed to inform ICE before the bloody incidents happened. We certainly don't need these anti-sovereignty elected public officials from running our country. Go to NUMBERSUSA for negative immigration enforcement grading and throw them out of office. Go to JUDICIAL WATCH for corruption revealed in government. Tell your lawmakers to enforce E-Verify, the 287 G uniformed police enforcement. Clean the slate clean of illegal labor with this E-Verify computer based program, that must be permanently installed in every business nationwide.
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