California was invaded once before by migrant workers. They showed up with little more than the clothes on their backs, driving vehicles that barely ran. They had large families and camped along the sides of farm roads. These migrants were so desperate, they would do any work for very little money. They weren't exactly legal; they were definitely not invited, but California came to rely on them.
. . . they were from the Oklahoma Dust Bowl!!!
We are tossing around the Immigration Issue during this political season without considering that we are discussing human lives. They are us; We are them. The question of legality is really more a symptom of a system that is broken.
The Okies helped to tranform the San Joachin Valley into the Agricultural juggernaut that it is today. Today, Mexicans are working those same fields. If you would really like to pay $10 for a head of lettuce, go ahead build the wall. Walls have done so well for Germans and Israelis.
We need to fix the system and to treat each other, all of us each other, as equals in this world. Sorry, this blog is usually not political; I couldn't stop this one.
Hi Sailorbum,
ReplyDeleteSo, when you get to heading south, maybe you can swing by and see us at Mountain Stage in WV. Thanks for listening to the show. It's always nice to see we inspire thought through the radio.
Adam, www.mountainstage.org
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I haven't even finished reading it yet but I had to stop and say Thank you. How can we get everyone to stop and think and remove the element of fear from our actions??
ReplyDeletethanks again my friend.
Adam - Wow, so cool to hear from you. I did spend a weekend in Nitro in the last couple months. Charleston seems like a cool place. I'll be back. I ushered for Dirty Doz at the Elkhart [IN] Jazz Festival a couple years ago. They blew me away.
ReplyDeleteEm - as always, you make me think, make me proud and make me blush. Peace begins in our hearts. Until we have happy peaceful people, we won't have happy peaceful countries, let alone a happy peaceful world.