Thinking about my country

and what is done in the name of pennies...

"I love my country
By which, I mean..."

After watching last night's Daily Show, last week's Mind of Mencia , and reading Ji-in's post yesterday, I'm all stirred up as I think about my country...or the country that "my passport says I represent."

I mean, unless you are 100% Native American/American Indian, you (we) are ALL immigrants or descendents of immigrants. Why all this fuss about immigration? Has our government used yet another group of hardworking people as a diversion from their own corruption and misuse of people/funds/war machines? Don't get me wrong, I support protesting and the coming together of people to fight for their rights, but isn't this particular protest in response to legislation that suddenly became important when one after one the indictments came raining down?

No, I'm not a conspiracy alarmist, but I have to wonder sometimes.

Yes, we need immigration reform. Yes, we need workers willing to do the jobs most Americans don't want to do. Yes, those workers need rights and protections from the human tendency to break their backs for pennies. But who really cares if someone wants to sing a song in Spanish? I haven't heard it, but I imagine it is a pro-American song. Where's the beef?

Anyway. Thank you to those around me who keep me thinking.

"I think when you grow up surrounded by willful ignorance, you have to believe that mercy has its own country and that it is round and borderless." ---Ani Difranco, "Animal"