* The lesson here is....think before you speak....good griefCOLUMBIA, S.C. – An African-American lawmaker in South Carolina said Tuesday that stricter illegal immigration laws would hurt the state because blacks and whites don't work as hard as Hispanics.
State Sen. Robert Ford made his remarks during a Senate committee debate over an Arizona-style immigration law, eliciting a smattering of nervous laughter in the chamber after he said "brothers" don't work as hard as Mexicans. He continued that his "blue-eyed brothers" don't either.
Once his ancestors were freed from slavery, he said, they didn't want to do any more hard work, so they were replaced by Chinese and Japanese.
"We need these workers here. A lot of people aren't going to do certain type of work in this country," said Ford, D-Charleston. "The brothers are going to find ways to take a break. Ever since this country was built, we've had somebody do the work for us."
He recalled to senators that four workers in the country illegally showed up on his lawn and finished mowing, edging and other work in 30 minutes that would take others much longer, and only wanted $10 for the job. He went on to say he recommended the workers to his neighbors, and one local lawn care businessman lost work — a story one senator remarked was hurting, not helping, his case.
The executive director of the state GOP called on Ford to apologize.
"It's abhorrent and incredibly offensive that any elected official would make comments this racist," said executive director Joel Sawyer.
Ford, who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination last year, said he'd apologize, but he doesn't know what for, or what it would change.
Through the generations, whenever one immigrant group becomes "Americanized," they stop working hard, he said.
"Black guys and white guys are going to get out there and do the hard work? No. I'm for America, and America's a country of immigrants," Ford said later when reached on his cell phone. "Everybody in America finds ways to take a break."
To his critics, he said, "They're taking life too serious. My advice is for them to get a life and to learn American history."
The state NAACP leader called Ford's wording unfortunate, and that Ford should have spoken in the larger context from the start, rather than further stereotypes.
"All human beings that I know of share both positive and negative traits," said Lonnie Randolph with the South Carolina chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "All individuals share the same shortcomings."
Ford's comments came during debate on a proposal of a measure similar to one in Arizona that directs officers during a traffic stop or something similar to check the immigration status of people they suspect are in the country illegally. Producing a valid driver's license, passport or military ID would satisfy the query.
South Carolina's bill differs in that it directs local law enforcement to call Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to alert them. If ICE agents don't respond, the suspect has the right to a bond hearing.
9 comments:
It's one thing to say that illegal immigrants are willing to do the work that regular Americans skirt away from (which is very often true), but it's an entirely different thing to come out and state that mexicans work harder than everyone else. Obviously, the issue at hand here has more to do with culture than race and Ford should have watched his words more carefully. That being said, I think that his statement was blown way out of proportion, although he probably felt fairly safe making the comment, being black himself. Personally, I agree that these types of laws are completely uncalled for and that they will be severely abused. I have no problem with stricter enforcement of immigration laws; what I DO have a problem with is inappropriate justification on both sides of the argument involving racial discrimination.
I agree with what the executive director of the state GOP, Joel Sawyer said, "It's abhorrent and incredibly offensive that any elected official would make comments this racist". It's not a matter of blacks or whites not working as hard; it's a matter of blacks or whites not working as cheap. Illegal immigrants work these menial jobs because they are constantly under the threat of being deported if their boss rats them out, others don't because they find it shameful. Like Lonnie Randolph said, there are both positive and negative traits in human beings, and that all individuals share the same shortcomings.
Ford should never have said this in a public way and although I do not necessarily agree with what he said about Hispanics working harder than Blacks or Whites; I do agree that without Hispanics the economy would suffer. And I do not agree with the Arizona law which gives police the ability to check for illegal immigrants, so I do not want the same anywhere else.
This is embarrassing on multiple levels. However it does point out some important points of the immigration issue, illegal immigrants make up a broad portion of a pretty non-diverse labor market. Which is necessary to keep our economy growing. But then we must as =k ourselves is it better to take a hit by losing these workers, or by not collecting taxes from the money they make in our borders.
Every person who enters this country is provided with the same means with which to become a citizen.
Haha this article made me laugh. People get so offended when other Americans use offensive words and or derogatory comments about other races. But its the truth isn't it? I'm pretty sure everyone has thought something racist in their lifetime either intentionally or unintentionally. I give this man credit for finally speaking up about it, he makes a good pointabout illegal immigrants working harder than most Americans. Mexican aliens do work very hard in America to try to be succesful, just as much as other races that arent legal american immigrants. I'll admit it, americans as a whole are very lazy occassionally, but imagine if we didn't have those illegal aliens around. What would we do without them?
Senator Ford was right on point with the fact that white people are lazier than mexicans. White people are generally more stubborn and expect to live a higher lifestyle, which dosent include picking grapes from fields, no offense to anyone. The contrasticing effect though is that taxes higher now because of immigrants, with their need of health care and the lack of support for their many kids. This subject has its pros and cons but restrictions severally need to be made.
I am very suprised to hear this from an elected official. I understand that no matter what happens in this country there will be racism; however, for Ford to come out will such strong words to me in inappropriate. I think that if these people want to do this work then by all means let them. If people dont like it, then do something about it. But dont come at people with racist remarks.
ha what was he thinking? Seriously, having a job which relies on the support of the people, and which puts him in the public eye, should make him watch what says and does much more carefully. That was the wrong way to get his point across and he should know that. His critics are, "...taking life too serious.", really? He holds a serious office, and he should see it as such instead of making dumb jokes that are going to land him in the hot seat.
This is all a question of wether you think certain groups of people belong in a worker class. I honestly believed we were past racism, but apparently not. Racism can go both ways as well. I just believe that everyone has a good oppritunity to excel in this country, and no group of people belongs in a certain class.
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