Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2014 13:09:11 -0400
From: Betty Phillips
Subject: Prejudice against “Illegal Aliens” or Compassion to Humankind?
Lets all think a little more about kindness and compassion versus prejudice. Hispanic does not equate to “illegal” nor “alien.” Those words connote frightening images! Lets look at people, also groups of people, as citizens of the world, all eligible to be seen as positive and productive, not in some verbally defined dangerous outgroup. Lets not look for statistics to prove a category of people should be condemned.
Taylor Kish started this chain of emails, but I am responding to a post today citing statistics compiled by NC Fire. Looking at this information it was obviously compiled to show illegal actions made by people with Hispanic names. Yes we could do the same for others because many people break the law and are caught, not just people with Hispanic names. Here are other quotes from this post: “Hispanic workers and illegals. They replaced many citizens…” and how social service recipients have changed “from Chatham citizens to Hispanic workers, legal or illegal.” So Hispanics are not Chatham citizens? Lets watch our language and our thoughts please.
The same prejudiced thinking can be used against any group. Another post today attached “blue people” who “should go back to where you came from and leave us alone” thanking Taylor Kish apparently for inspiration.
If we truly want to be citizens of the world, lets follow the footsteps of a famous person who called upon us to love your neighbor as yourself. That person is not primarily Chatham centered but the words do apply to Chatham!