The motivation of the script is to create conversational engagement of Rep. Palmer and Rep. Sewell in a way that overcomes barriers to their talking about and agreeing on a compromise between the extremes of stopping all immigration and having "open borders." The script involves saying things that are usually not said, in order to achieve clarity that the immigration impasse is not what is wanted by the large majority of the citizens. With such clarity, the will of the large majority of the people to have something in the middle may prevail.
On the matter of immigration, below is a suggested list of things that Rep. Palmer and Rep. Sewell need to say, including things which are usually not said.
1. Demographic trends are such that whites will cease to be a majority in the country, probably within the next 25 to 35 years. There are whites for whom this is a very bothersome thought.
2. Different people have different preferences, including the degrees to which they will choose to associate with persons of the same religion, race, ethnicity, and/or social and economic class.
3. There are some people who adamantly want to stop all immigration, and there are other people who adamantly want "open borders."
4. Of the people who are "adamant" there needs to be separated out the politicians who are "adamant" for the strictly political reasons to get votes (or prevent the opponent from getting votes), be in elected office, and gain the power of elected office. In the immigration context, there are potentially votes to be gotten from the Hispanic community by favoring increased immigration and paths to citizenship and the creation of new voters.
5. Putting aside the politicians, the people who adamantly want to stop all immigration are expressing that they have a high degree of preference to be with and associate with persons of the same religion, race, ethnicity, and/or social and economic class. Put in other terms, some people desire to delay the time when whites will cease to be a majority in the United States, and stopping all immigration can help with that.
6. Putting aside the politicians, the motivation of those who adamantly want open borders is an expression of strong "one world" beliefs that the world will be a better place if there are open borders.
7. With all the things affecting people's lives and their goals and desires, a large majority of people, in thinking about immigration and thinking about all the other things important to them, likely think they are not very adamant one way or the other on immigration and can fairly tolerate almost any compromise in the middle between stopping all immigration and having open borders. The problem for this large majority of the people is that the politicians and the small minority of the people who are adamant on the two sides have control of the politics and the political decision making. The politicians and the "adamant" people foment much "sturm and drang" about immigration, create Congressional impasse, and prevent the large majority of the people from getting a compromise that they prefer to the impasse that currently exists on immigration. The small minority who are adamant, plus the politicians and the news media, should not be allowed to prevent compromise from happening.
8. The large majority understand there are possible consequences and trade offs in how immigration (including illegal immigration) is worked out. The large majority understand that immigrants (including illegal immigrants) may be a source of cheap labor and make some goods and services cheaper, may take away jobs from other citizens, may provide skill benefits for the American economy and also impose burdens, and may commit crimes. The large majority do not believe the possible consequences and trade offs justify Congressional impasse and inability to reach a comprehensive immigration reform law.
9. The large majority of the people need "politicians" to lead them who are not the above "politicians" on the two sides who use immigration for their own political purposes and who foment sturm and drang for their respective political advantages. The large majority need to reject such politicians and have a way to show they reject such politicians.
For those in the 6th and 7th Congressional districts, the foregoing should be sought to be done by getting Rep. Gary Palmer and Rep. Terri Sewell to hold a joint town hall in which they are called on to affirm, or not affirm, the matters listed above about immigration, and Rep. Palmer and Rep. Sewell need to declare themselves either (i) that they use immigration for political purposes and they are for the "sturm and drang" that fulfills what the small minority of people want, or (ii) that they eschew using immigration to get votes from the extreme elements, they oppose "sturm and drang" on immigration, and they will get to compromise as is desired by the large majority, which compromise they will jointly recommend to the large majority.
"Britt has done the work of introducing [immigration] legislation. Now is the time for the Senate to debate, amend, and actually provide good faith answers on immigration."https://t.co/4pDSHUfdu4
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) February 15, 2023
linked at https://t.co/0v087OVHpI#alpolitics #SenKatieBritt https://t.co/hDnOmWvNPf
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