Shooting Immigrants Comment Harkens Back To Jim Crow

[Editor’s note: The following is an op-ed from Somos Republicans.]

By Bob Quasius

Despite our appeal to reason, Mo Brooks refuses to apologize for his “shooting” comment regarding illegal immigration, and now plans to introduce a bill in Congress authorizing states to take whatever steps to enforce federal immigration law, without addressing any of the root causes of our broken immigration system.

Birmingham’s infamous police chief Bull Connor supported the rule of law too, including the arrest of over 3,000 including 959 children aged 6-18, the use of K-9 dogs, fire hoses, etc. when they peacefully protested against Jim Crow laws. Bull Connor didn’t shoot anybody, and his actions at the time were lawful.

Mo Brooks said he supports anything lawful short of shooting undocumented immigrants, so doesn’t this include such harsh measures for Alabama’s new ‘Juan Crow’ law? Unfortunately, Mo “Bull” Brooks reminds us more and more of “Bull Connor.”

Slavery and then segregation were once the ‘rule of law’, but didn’t make them right. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the 7-8 million jobs filled by undocumented immigrants can’t be filled by legal guest workers because there aren’t enough visas; .there’s no line to stand in for most immigrants. Few Americans who want these jobs because most are qualified for better jobs. Jim Crow laws weren’t logical either, yet they were the ‘rule of law’ until Congress and the courts acted. Now Mo Brooks wants states to have a free hand for more ‘Juan Crow’ laws.

Georgia and Arizona’s agriculture sectors were devastated after these states passed aggressive ‘Juan Crow’ laws against illegal immigration, and now we’re hearing that 50% of Georgia restaurants can’t hire enough kitchen workers. Even Yuma, Arizona, the U.S. lettuce capitol, with unemployment rates equal to the great depression, couldn’t find enough workers for the last lettuce crop, leaving 40% to rot, after 100,000 Hispanics left Arizona.

Albert Einstein defined insanity as “doing the same things over and over and then expecting different results.” We predict Alabama, including Mo Brook’s district, will suffer the same economic hardships, particularly in agriculture, meat processing, and construction. More enforcement will not solve this problem and only serves to rip apart more immigrant families and hurt businesses that depend on immigrant labor. Legal immigration is badly disconnected from our needs, and only a top-to-bottom total overhaul will fix immigration, not the piecemeal fixes of recent decades. One need only look at the example of another progressive era policy, the prohibition of alcohol, to see what happens when government attempts to substitute enforcement of unworkable policies for common sense reforms.

We’re mystified at Mo Brooks continued claims the federal government is “derelict in its duty” when it comes to enforcing immigration laws. Obama is on track to deport one million immigrants by Labor Day. Only Eisenhower deported a comparable number of immigrants, and that took place over eight years, not 2-3.

We attempted to reason with Mo Brooks, and yet he continues to constantly embarrass us all with his rants and pandering to xenophobes. Mo Brooks, Scott Beason, Russell Pearce, etc. are badly tarnishing the reputation of the Republican Party, the party of Lincoln, not the party of Bull Connor. Unfortunately their antics alienate many Hispanics who do not share their extreme views.  “Bull” Brooks is the first Republican elected to Congress from his district since reconstruction, and we call on him to leave the GOP. Mo Brooks will be a one-term Representative.

If  “Bull” Brooks does not leave the GOP, we will support a worthy GOP primary challenger for his seat next election. We won’t sit by idly while “Bull” Brooks ruins the party of Lincoln. Also, the GOP cannot win the presidential election without Hispanic votes, and alienation of Hispanic voters will insure the reelection of Obama, which we cannot afford.