Years and years ago, way back before immigration was anywhere near the issue it is today (or was last year, anyway; seems like I don’t hear nearly as much about it in this season), I read a piece either in the Atlantic or Harper’s. Written by a Mexican-American, it explored resistance in this country to immigration from south of the border (the "South of the Border" Gene Autry sang about, not the one in Dillon County). I don’t remember whether it was talking about illegals or not, but based on what I do remember from the piece, legality was probably irrelevant.
Anyway, the part I remember went like this: "They fear our fecundity." I remember it because I had to look up the word. I had seen it for years and never been sure of its meaning. Having learned it, I made a note to use it sometime. Having five kids of my own, I thought it might come in handy.
It never did. I don’t think I’ve ever used it in the newspaper, and it doesn’t creep into my daily
conversation, even around the twins. (That’s them at the right, by the way, from over the weekend — just in case you haven’t had your full allotment of Cute today. Note the serious expressions — they’re thinking about politics. That’s Baby A on the left, Baby B on the right.)
But the word popped into my head when I saw the photo above. It’s of the McCain and Palin families together. It’s almost like they’re saying to Democrats, Fear our Fecundity…
Here’s a key to the photo, courtesy of The Associated Press:
The families of Republican presidential candidate, Sen., John McCain, R-Ariz., and his running mate, Alaska Gov., Sarah Palin pose for a photograph at the airport in Minneapolis, Minn., after McCain arrived for the Republican National Convention Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008. Left to Right: Doug McCain, Bridgett McCain, Meghan McCain, Sidney McCain, Jack McCain,Jimmy McCain, Cindy McCain, Andy McCain, Sen. John McCain Gov. Sarah Palin, Todd Plain, Bristol Palin, Levi Johnston, Willow Palin, Trig Palin, Piper Palin, Track Palin.
But hold on! Fear not, Dems! Joe Biden can top them without any help from the four Obamas. Do not try to out-fecund us Catholics, baby! Unfortunately, AP did not bother to list all the members of the Biden clan in the caption to this photo…
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Dadgummit, Warthen, that’s Autry, not Autrey. Some things are sacred. You wouldn’t write Roy Rodgers or Sky Prince, would you?
For once, I am abashed. I will fix it at once.
Brad:
Maybe you’ll know, nobody else does ans I never get to agree on much of what you write about so if you can answer this one for me we will at last have somehing to agree on. My niece has to boys. Does that make them my Grand Nephews? I mean, as long as we don’t have to discuss politics for once and you seem to know more about things than I do (see every comment I’ve ever posted) I’ll take your word for what the term of the relative boys should be referred to as.
Cordially,
C. Nelson
Umm… I don’t know.
And near as I can tell, you’ve only commented once before — by that handle, anyway. And I didn’t talk back to you or anything…
Why is it that those who don’t want to enforce our exiting immigration laws, and don’t want to tighten immigration in order to control population growth and the quality of immigrants, cannot tell us the reasons why they just want a state of lawlessness?
True Conservatives are correct about any immigration legislation. Somewhere around 80 percent of the US population want enforcement of our borders and strict laws to stop the illegal alien invasion. So where does Governor Sarah Palin stand on the festering issue? Neither party for decades have shown any real basis to trust them? Illegal immigration has got out-of-control and the estimated numbers put out by the administration has been doctored. The laws enacted after the 1986 Simpson/Mazzoli bill gave 3 million guest workers a chance at citizenship. Ted Kennedy who was the floor manager for this Federal bill promised no more Amnesty. He lied to the American people. Within the Bush reign Kennedy tried, with a complement of both parties, all but secretly nearly passed another bill. However when the people heard of this silent conspiracy their voices were heard loud and clear. NO AMNESTY! NO PATH TO CITIZENSHIP!
It costs the taxpayer to much money. It’s stealing jobs from citizens and legal residents and offers nothing to America, but OVERPOPULATION and chain migration.The major issue was the loophole that was inserted called the “Family Reunification Act.” New immigrant citizens could bring in parents and siblings, who could bring in their spouses. They, in turn, could bring in their family members–a chain migration. By 1970, there were so many disabled, and elderly parents that the government had to assist them. The government started Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and even SDI. That also included Medicaid, and some got food stamps and a housing allowances.
It’s outcome is family reunion and extra costs for the disabled, mentally sick and elderly that never paid into the system. US.Taxpayers would be forever paying for the extended families and all those they sponsor.
Everybody is crying about the Economy? But do you realize the amount of money taxpayers are contributing to the lifestyles of illegal aliens.You are supporting their free health care, education and more than the unsuspecting taxpayers realizes. Forcibly assign to you by the parasite employers all around us. Both Presidential candidates are going to deliver to their corporate donors and special interest groups AMNESTY! That will lead to OVERPOPULATION, because the census estimates we will another 120 million more mouths to feed in just twenty years. A 50% increase in people. But what about the millions, just waiting to scramble across our undermanned border?
The SAVE ACT (H.R.4088) is our last chance. Read about America’s Optional Future – 439 Million by Mid-Century. Can we afford this future? We are importing poverty in large numbers at our undermanned borders. Democrats are mainly to blame. A sham of an underfunded border fence. WE MUST TELL THESE HIRED HELP IN WASHINGTON DEC, AND ELECTED OFFICIAL WE NEED HARSHER PENALTIES, FOR THOSE WHO STEAL ACROSS OUR BORDER. WE NEED THE FEDERAL SAVE ACT (H.R.4088) NOW. UNRESTRICTED FACTS AT NUMBERSUSA, CAPSWEB.
Uh-oh. They’re ba-a-a-ck. And I seem to have set them off. Sheesh. It was just a parenthetical…
free-associating don’t pay.
Brad –
It was more than just parenthetical. Even a punctuation thing can set them off in an Apostrophelyptical rapture.
And a grandnephew (one word, neither spaces nor hyphens) is a son of one’s niece or nephew. Mine is a jerk.
Oh, no! I used parentheses!
Brad,
Has everyone forgotten that it’s “two”, not “to”. And “exiting immigration laws”, does that mean a “revolving door policy?”
Please, E-mailers, proofread before you press the send button.
John Wilde
Brad, why are people like you totally unable to describe what you want for immigration policy, much less why?
Have you put any thought into it?
Very little, because I don’t think the issue is nearly as important as y’all do. To the extent that I DO think about it, I think:
— We should increase the number of Mexicans we let in LEGALLY to allow the number of workers that our economy demands get in without cheating.
— Make sure all those folks are documented and we keep track of them, and that they’re paying taxes and all that good stuff.
— Enforce safety standards and other basics in chicken plants and other workplaces that tend to attract such labor, and tend to get away with gross violations because the employees don’t dare complain.
That’s about it. There are probably other things I haven’t thought of that I would consider to be good ideas, too.
The one thing I consider to be absurd is to keep the number allowed to come in legally artificially low, in defiance of economic forces. And then get all worked up about it when they come here anyway.