Street Smart

I am a white, pro-life, Christian, heterosexual male, Republican, who supports a strong immigration policy.  Therefore, according to those on the left (at least those who receive the lion’s share of media attention), I, and those like me, are bigoted, misogynistic, homophobes. According to the liberal philosophy, people like me hate and fear immigrants and/or anyone who is not like us (talk about prejudice). I’m tired of being labeled a racist or a hater. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I mentioned in my introductory column that I grew up in an ethnically diverse neighborhood. I feel compelled to elaborate. My neighborhood in California’s San Fernando Valley was about ninety percent black, seven percent Hispanic and three percent “other,” including white (these are my estimates based on my experience and not any kind of census). I lived in this area from the early 60s into the mid 70s, from the time I was nine until I was seventeen. My formative years were spent in a predominantly black neighborhood during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, so I experienced racism first hand and was often the target (contrary to what the media would have you believe, racism is NOT simply a “white vs. everyone else” phenomenon). My two best friends at the time were a black kid named Shayne and a Mexican kid named Joe (Jose). When I was 22, I joined the Los Angeles Police Department and spent 33 years in law enforcement, most of which was spent patrolling the streets of South Central and Central Los Angeles. These are ethnically diverse areas by any definition and I worked those areas by choice. 

I said all of that so that I can say this: I don’t fear or hate anyone! My faith won’t allow such an attitude and my personal experience doesn’t support it. My opinions regarding a strong immigration policy are the result of extensive real-world experience. My views are not the result of an article I read in Newsweek, or some sensationalized photograph I saw on the Internet. I’ve actually lived it.  I’ve seen first hand what happens when the immigration policy is weak (same with weak drug policy and absurd gun control laws, but those are other column topics). I’ve seen the crime rate surge as resources dwindled because an area was saturated with illegal immigrants.

I’ve had a great number of discussions recently regarding immigration policy with my more liberal family members and friends. Interestingly, to the person, those with a liberal view who disagree with a strong immigration policy have no actual real-world experience. A typical discussion goes something like this:

Me: “Can you tell me about your PERSONAL experiences that support your opposition to a strong immigration policy?”

Them: “Well I read…” or “I saw on the news….”

Me: “No, no, no, stop right there. You didn’t hear my question. I specifically asked about your PERSONAL experiences. Describe them for me.”

Crickets! This is usually where the back peddling begins with the phrase, “Yeah but….” These same people have a “unicorns and rainbows” view of the world that (while laudable), simply isn’t realistic or practical. My liberal friends often state, “it shouldn’t be that way” when talking about immigration policy and sometimes they’re right. Our country’s immigration policy is far from perfect! Unfortunately, and as painful as it may be for them, simple right vs. wrong doesn’t negate facts and can’t shape policy.

Now I’m completely aware of the difficult circumstances immigrants face. I’ve seen that first hand as well. I absolutely understand why people want to come to this country. I also believe that changes should be made to expedite the process for becoming a citizen. A couple of years ago, I worked a job at a military base overseas. One of my interpreters was an Afghan man who had applied for a visa to come to the United States. His goal was a better life for his wife and two children. His stated personal objective was to become a United States citizen, join the United States Military, and then return to Afghanistan so he could fight the Taliban. That’s the kind of person I want here! This poor guy had to jump through administrative hoops in Afghanistan and here in the U.S., but he made it. He and his family are here now… legally.

I believe, and it’s been my experience, that most conservatives share my views. You won’t read or hear that reported by the liberal media! The unfortunate fact is that tough decisions on immigration have to be made in order to protect our country and way of life, and it takes tough people to make those decisions. A ‘group hug will fix everything’ mentality won’t work. It’s as simple as that and none of the decisions that must be made are based on fear or hatred. There’s absolutely nothing racist involved. 

Blaine Blackstone is a retired Los Angeles Police Sergeant who enjoys the simpler life in Thompson Falls. He can be reached by email at [email protected].