During the past two weeks, I have received a slew of e-mail that is decidedly not in the Christmas spirit.
VDARE.COM writers routinely receive hostile mail.
My position: hey, as long as you're reading the column, you're entitled to your opinion.
I'd be concerned if I didn't hear from readers, no matter what side they take.
Frequently, I get heated mail laced with obscenities. Take this unedited example from Mr. Ramon De Souza, who wrote in the subject line "Are you nuts?"
"I just finished reading your article "View From Lodi, CA: Illegal Immigrants Will Take Americans' College Places – At Taxpayer Expense" and I am shocked and outraged at you're selfish point of view! Who are you to keep hardworking, unfortunate students from acquiring a higher education? No one chooses the country where they are born in, you were just fortunate enough to be born in a country where all the opportunities in the world are given to you on a silver platter! As far as your "tax money" excuse, if you are so concerned about you're "hard earned" tax dollars being wasted, why don't you push to legalize all the illegal immigrants so that they can pay taxes too?!?! That way they wont all have to work long, hard hours as dishwashers in the same restaurant where you're fat, greedy ass sits and bitches about how hard YOUR life is! Give me a f***ing break you ungrateful (EXPLETIVE DELETED), is this the kind of treatment you would wish for your Italian ancestors when they moved to the United States? Also, if a poor, immigrant student takes the place at an university of a rich, American (EXPLETIVE DELETED) such as yourself, good-riddance! Colleges are supposed to take the best and the brightest, not the spoiled, over-privileged. If an immigrant has the grades to get into the school, you can bet your ASS that he worked harder then you have collectively in you're entire life. Us immigrants usually can't afford S.A.T. tutors, or tutors for any subject as a matter of fact, heck, most of us can't even afford to pay to take the S.A.T.'s, because we are too busy going to school full-time and working full-time trying to make money to survive. People like you should be sent to those third world countries that us unfortunate immigrants risked our necks to move out of in search of opportunity. You should be ashamed of yourself."
My policy is to answer all mail. So I wrote back to Mr. De Souza suggesting that he seek anger management counseling.
And I further suggested that if he wants to engage in a serious dialogue wherein I could point out his multiple misconceptions about the "rights" of illegal immigrants, he should clean up his language.
De Souza's reply:
"I am sorry if you can't handle reality, the use of my vulgar language was to demonstrate my anger for your ignorance. I don't care what you think of me or my people, all I hope for is that you burn in hell because it is people like you who make the lives of innocent, hard-working people an unbelievable burden."
What caught my eye is De Souza's comment that the lives of "innocent, hard-working people" are "an unbearable burden."
The problem with De Souza's conclusion: it's simply not true.
The "reality" I see every day as a teacher of English as a Second Language is a Mexican population that is, on average, lower middle class. Their children are enrolled in K-12 school where they receive special instruction and free lunches. They have access to jobs and health care.
Think about it. Does any Mexican say to himself, "I think I will migrate to America because I know once I get there my life will be worse?"
Where Mexican lives are "unbearable" is—in Mexico.
I suggested to De Souza that he direct his rage at the proper party. The villain is the Mexican government and the latest of its inept and corrupt presidents, Vicente Fox.
Mexico—and not the United States—is responsible for nurturing Mexicans.
Why doesn't De Souza take his passion for social justice back to Mexico to fight the good fight?
Plenty would join his cause, I'm sure. I have yet to meet the Mexican who has a kind word for his government.
Instead, De Souza wants to shoot the messenger. But I'm merely a social critic.
And other critics who cope with illegal immigration's consequences write me from the front line agreeing that enough is enough. Nurses, schoolteachers and police officers join me in demanding that the madness end.
At the very least, De Souza should be honest with himself if no one else. The United States has done a heroic job in providing for illegal aliens—the cost to California alone is placed at $9 billion annually.
De Souza's continued presence in the United States is proof positive that life is better for him in America than in Mexico.
Instead De Souza prefers to carp. He is one of millions of ungrateful "Hissy-Spanics."
For those who find their lot America an "unbearable burden," the solution is simple: Go home.
Joe Guzzardi [email him], an instructor in English at the Lodi Adult School, has been writing a weekly newspaper column since 1988. This column is exclusive to VDARE.COM.
