On today in 1939, two letters appeared in the San Jose Mercury News. The first one was by Jean Adams of San Jose, and said:
Regarding the opinion (Editorial, April 27) "Don't follow Germany's lead on Jew reform", I agree that Germany has to balance jobs and security. The job market alone could start by sending Jews back to their country of origin by asking for proof of citizenship. The newspaper suggests we "create a way for jews already here to earn citizenship." Have you forgotten that any Jew in this country has broken the law by crossing our borders illegally? That is suggesting to Jews who want to become a citizen of the U.S. to get here quickly, not wait their turn, so when a blanket amnesty is passed they will be here and ready to get on the bandwagon for such a great deal.Immigration restrictions were imposed in the United States in 1924, and was used to turn away the M.S. St. Louis at Florida's shores on June 4, 1939 as it attempted to find refuge for Jews fleeing Nazi persecution.
The other letter was by Peter Brown of San Jose, regarding Indiana's laws prohibiting blacks from moving into the state. He says,
I think we should strongly support the Indiana initiative that is putting teeth into curbing the hordes of niggers coming over their borders. We should urge our own elected officials to give us the same laws that will slowly empty our jails, our schools, and our system of the freeloaders. We need to return them to Africa and give their jobs to our own children, returning veterans, and the unemployed. I have zero patience with niggers taking up space, jobs, services, and support from all of us at our expense.
Oh wait, those letters were in *TODAY'S* paper. Except instead of about Jews or Negros, it was about Arizona's draconian new "if you're brown, don't bother comin' 'round" law that criminalizes passing through the state without your birth certificate or passport if you're brown. (Or if you're white too, but what do you bet it never gets enforced against white people? Any takers!?).
It's official: Mexicans are the new nigger, the new Jew, the new scapegoat to account for the ills of the nation. So it goes, as it was in 1939, so it is today. Just with sparkles. Can't forget the sparkles. They're all shiny and make it look all new and clean, even though it isn't. Alrighty, then!
-- Badtux the Snarky Penguin
Excellent!
ReplyDeleteShould be mandatory reading for the ilk. Oh wait, they don't read,they just let Fox and Rush tell them "what up".
This is what makes this so horrible...that it isn't new. The same arguments are used now as were used against Jews, Blacks, Irish and so on ad infinitum. They are no more true now than they have ever been. Those that will not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
ReplyDeleteI've been having involuntary flashbacks to the 30's in Germany for a while now. I'm glad I am not the only one noticing.
ReplyDeleteBut with sparkles, Lisa. And pretty pink frills. Can't forget the pretty pink frills. They make all the difference.
ReplyDelete-Badtux the Snarky Penguin
We have all turned a darker shade of white.
ReplyDeleteHi BadTux,
ReplyDeleteDamn! Looks like we share some common ground after all. Good post.
Dave
Well played, Penguin.
ReplyDelete