In Los Angeles, a relative paucity of sympathizers showed up to demonstrate for the politics of illegal immigration. The LAT reports:
The first of today's two demonstrations gathered steam through the morning as it moved along Broadway, yet even at more than 25,000 strong it remained far smaller that last year's demonstration, when about 650,000 poured through the streets of Los Angeles in the largest demonstration in the nation.
"It's smaller than we anticipated," Los Angeles Police Cmdr. Louis H. Gray Jr. said at about 11 a.m. "Last year at this time, I'd say there were at least 300,000 to 400,000 people."
Officials last year were caught off-guard by the size of the demonstration and were determined not to be surprised again. Plans were made to close roads, the police presence was beefed up and some owners closed their stores along the march route.
Vanderbilt prof Carol Swain has some things to say about this matter. From Booker Rising.
Vanderbilt University's website says that Professor Swain argues that black Americans are losing more jobs to illegal immigrants than other racial or ethic groups, yet low income black workers don’t have political input in the debate. “African Americans have been left devoid of a strong black voice in Congress on a topic that affects them deeply, given their high unemployment rates and historic struggle to get quality housing, health care, education and other goods and services”, she said.
Professor Swain used a study conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center, which found high unemployment rates among blacks and Hispanics was partially attributed to the large number of low-skilled immigrants. She added that lax or non-existent immigration rules help businesses get away with hiring illegal immigrants instead of legal workers.
There's not much else to say about this. My Old School soundbite is that illegal immigration sustains two unequal societies. It's virtual slavery. Although I have no great love for the 'living' wage, I say that the standing of non-citizens is too weak.
In some ways I feel that the exploitation that goes on for illegals is just part of the bargain that they have struck. I am tempted to say to hell with them and their rights. But I recognize that there is a substantial body of law that outlines the rights of 'persons living in the United States' regardless of their status as citizens. So we cannot merely ignore their rights. And yet the fact that the law has not been enforced and everybody knows it and a lot of people don't like it, forms the defacto case for vigilantism and exploitation. If we don't solve the problem the Mexican will have no rights an American citizen is bound to respect. And that means Mexicans, not just mojados. Because that's the identification, right or wrong.
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