The immigration mess in Texas

Also, at least our state is No. 1 in something

The immigration system in the United States is a mess — and that is saying it as mildly as possible. It is unfair to everyone, both citizens and migrants.

You can blame whomever you wish because Democrats, Republicans, conservatives, and liberals are all responsible. Our general inability to work together for non-partisan solutions has left us here.

It’s a thing they used to call a “compromise.” Now there’s a word from the past you rarely hear these days, by cracky.

The last decent solution was suggested during the term of President George W. Bush, but it was a non-starter among those in his own party because it would have provided some amnesty for several million who had come to the United States illegally.

Imagine, giving amnesty for violating a misdemeanor. Jeffery Epstein would be shocked!

Bush’s plan had considerable Democratic support, but it never had a chance. There’s a massive fantasy among the xenophobes that one day we’re just going to get rid of everyone who doesn’t look or speak like them.

They cling to the notion like a young child to his blankie.

This, despite the fact that if they found themselves in a situation close to what migrants face daily, they would do anything, break any law needed to better their circumstances.

This reality does not permit them to change the way they consider the immigration progress. It gives them zero empathy.

Empathy for immigrants is but one side of the story, though. The communities that must directly deal with the influx — people who are already citizens of the United States — need a loud voice in how immigration will be handled. Theirs is not the only voice, however, consideration does not mean control. For one thing, racists need not speak up, though I know they will.

Changes in the system are not in the offing, though. It’s going to be years before we have a better way, and it doesn’t matter who you elect president. This nightmare is not nearly over.

Which means we will all have to put up with more shenanigans like those from our Dear Governor Greg Abbott, who has taken to sending migrants to Vice President Kamala Harris’ official residence in Washington.

There’s a real knee-slapper for you. Abbott is such a card. For his next trick, he’ll probably send intellectually challenged adults to a Mensa meeting.

He will show those elite snobs. Is that cruel? Sure, but who cares? Yes, they are human beings, but they can’t vote.

It was surprising to me that the national media didn’t really pick up on these little dirty tricks until Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis flew a couple of planeloads of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard. DeSantis is a piker, though. Abbott was the first to use helpless people as pawns. Let’s not forget that.

Despite all this, some polls show that Abbott’s lead has widened just a bit over Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke. The latest news showed Abbott to lead O’Rourke by 9 percentage points.

Even if you agree with Abbott on his treatment of migrants it is important to remember that, once you use one group of humans as pawns with overwhelming support, what is to stop you from using another in the same way?

The polls don’t mean that the race is out of reach, not by a long shot, but it is definitely a warning that O’Rourke supporters had better switch into a higher gear. Otherwise, we’re going to get four more years of this.

Democrats have been hoping to turn Texas blue for years, but it is difficult to tell that they are getting all that much closer to their goal. It may change in a few months, but as for now, Republicans hold complete sway in the legislature and across the executive branch.

If you don’t like Texas as it is, don’t blame Democrats, it is the Republican Party who made us this way.

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A story in the Texas Tribune recently told some unsurprising news: Texas leads all other states in the banning of books.

We’re No. 1! We’re No. 1!

This is sort of like being first in head lice.

Texans are enthusiastic, if not about education, then at least about preventing their children from getting it. They are looking to throw out any book that might offend the sensibilities, or, say tell the truth about slavery or the Civil War or Jim Crow.

This process is not just affecting school libraries — though it is especially pernicious there — but general public libraries. So far as I have heard, there have not been calls to ban certain books from state universities but don’t think for a moment that this can’t happen.

Those calls will come, though if we are lucky, they will not be heeded. Still, one has to wonder just how much self-censorship is going on at every level. Are there librarians who are holding back books to avoid facing a problem?

I’m guessing so and who can really blame them? It is nice to call for people to be courageous but when it is you who faces the pressure, the situation becomes downright personal, particularly if you have a family to support.

Don’t expect the book-banning crowd to back off. They come with torches, pitchforks and MAGA hats.

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