Richardson On The Road To Farmers Branch
I don't know what's gotten into the Richardson Residents for Responsive Government, a PAC better known as the Richardson Coalition. They used to content themselves with promoting business development and neighborhood revitalization, but today they published an editorial that reads way too much like something out of Farmers Branch. Scary thought that.
They divisively call for English as "the language of Richardson." Apparently, Spanish-speaking residents of Richardson, even those who are US citizens or legal residents, are considered second class.
They applaud local police reporting illegal immigrants to federal immigration authorities. So much for Hispanic cooperation with police. Victims and witnesses will have an incentive to hide from police. Even US citizens and legal immigrants will think twice about enduring the hassle of citizenship checks.
They "encourage the Mayor and Council to stay on top of this important subject, and make sure all new tools available to the city are used to identify immigration law offenders." No word on whether that includes proof-of-citizenship requirements for renting, working, shopping or even driving through our fair city (sarcasm intended). In an attempt to sound reasonable, I suppose, they say they do not support "door-to-door" searches.
This is the second editorial in the row in which this PAC has promoted policies that threaten to divide Richardson. First, it was attacking union contributions to City Council election races. Now, it's attacking illegal immigrants, or more broadly, anyone who speaks Spanish. The Richardson Coalition proudly claims a membership that includes "five former City Council persons, four Citizens of the Year, and many individuals who serve and have served our City on Commissions and Boards." And that's what's scary. These aren't just some bigoted kooks. These are people of influence and power in Richardson. If they have a mind to divide Richardson on this issue, they can do it. Let's hope they think better of it before this editorial becomes the campaign platform for a Richardson Coalition backed slate of candidates for city council.
2 comments:
I am the one that partially defended the RC on the union thing on the grounds that more information is good.
Their latest thing is unsettling at least. Its probably more than that.
I agree with most of what you said. I think the language thing is more an issue for the Asian population. What is a legal immigrant to the United States that frequently speaks his native language to his friends and colleagues to think?
What does the language thing have to do with illegal immigration? Isn't saying that illegal immigration is illegal and it should be treated as such enough?
It's just crazy.
Thanks for including the Asian population, which I overlooked. Ethnic diversity is a feature Richardson should be accentuating. We should not allow anyone to use it as a political wedge issue, not even the Richardson Coalition.
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