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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
August 13, 2010
/ 3 Elul, 5770
Stop Racial Pandering
By
Linda Chavez
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Harry Reid has stuck his foot in his mouth once again, this time suggesting he doesn't know "how anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican." Really? You can't be both Hispanic and Republican? I guess Marco Rubio, Susana Martinez, John Sanchez, and Brian Sandoval — to name just the top tier of Republican Hispanics who have won their party's nomination for statewide office this year — had either better quit the GOP or change their names. This kind of racial stereotyping is offensive. Liberals have engaged in it for years, but conservatives aren't immune either.
This week, I wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed on the case for birthright citizenship. I won't rehash the arguments — based on the history of the 14th Amendment and legal precedent — but what was germane here was the response it engendered from those who disagree with me on the issue. It's something I run into every time I discuss immigration. My critics nearly universally assume I take a position favoring more generous legal immigration and a temporary worker program — which I think would drastically reduce illegal immigration — because I am supposedly Mexican.
Anyone who knows me, or my political history, knows that I've been fighting identity politics since I was in my early 20s, 40 years and counting. I favor assimilation and English as the official language. And I oppose bilingual education, bilingual ballots, race-based affirmative action, and racial gerrymandering — and have incurred considerable wrath from liberals and Hispanic interest groups for my conservative positions on these issues.
I don't favor immigration reform because of my ethnic heritage but because I think it's good for the American economy and will benefit all of us. I'd be just as enthusiastic if most of the immigrants were from Europe, Asia, or Africa. In fact, I think one of the most important reforms we could enact would be making immigration skills-based, which would actually shift the demographic flow of immigrants away from Latin America.
I hate to disappoint those critics who've suggested I go back to Mexico — or am on the Mexican payroll — but I have no great love for Mexico. I've been there only a couple of times in my life and don't speak Spanish. Half of my ancestors came from the British Isles — the family Bible has entries dating back to 1801, by which time some were already here. Other ancestors arrived in the 19th century when the potato famine drove them out of Ireland. The Chavez side of my family came from Spain in 1601 and settled in New Mexico (a few years before Jamestown). They were Mexican citizens for exactly 27 years. From 1601 to 1821, they were subjects of the Spanish crown. And from 1848 onward, they became Americans when my ancestor, New Mexico Gov. Manuel Armijo, ceded the territory to the United States without much of a fight in the Mexican War.
My love, loyalty, and service have always been dedicated to the United States. I am an American, period. But I am also a conservative. I believe in strong national defense, free enterprise, smaller government, colorblind equal opportunity, and American Exceptionalism. The Republican Party best represents those values, in my view, which is why I switched parties in 1985. Part of what led me to leave the Democratic Party was its obsession with racial, ethnic and gender politics.
Harry Reid should be ashamed of himself for suggesting that skin color or ancestry should determine how a person votes. But Republicans must likewise be careful not to play to racial stereotypes and fear.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, for example, suggested that "people come here to have babies. They come here to drop a child. It's called 'drop and leave.'"
Humans don't "drop" babies; it's a disgusting way to describe human birth that should embarrass Graham; and I doubt he would have used this word in other contexts.
What's more, there is no evidence that large numbers of pregnant Mexican women are sneaking across the border to have their babies. A new Pew study shows that half of the illegal immigrant mothers who give birth here have been here five or more years and more than 80 percent have been here more than a year.
Racial and ethnic stereotyping is ugly, no matter who engages in it. And it behooves politicians of both parties to stop racial pandering, elevate their tone, and stick to the facts.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Linda Chavez is President of the Center for Equal Opportunity. Her latest book is "Betrayal: How Union Bosses Shake Down Their Members and Corrupt American Politics". (Click HERE to purchase. Sales help fund JWR.)
Linda Chavez Archives
© 2006, Creators Syndicate
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