The Quote Below–More Misinformation from the Media:
“The racist language used by the president –and the alleged El Paso shooter—to describe immigrants originated on the West Coast more than a century ago. . . .
“Trump has frequently used the word invasion to describe undocumented immigrants coming over the southern border. In June 2018, he tweeted about border crossers, ‘We cannot allow all of these people to invade our Country. When somebody comes in, we must immediately, with no Judges or Court Cases, bring them back from where they came.’ He amped up his “invasion” talk that November, shortly before the midterm elections, as part of his scare tactics concerning the Central American “caravan.” “Some people call it an ‘invasion,’” Trump said at the time. ‘It’s like an invasion. They have violently overrun the Mexican border.’ And just this week, The New York Times reported that more than 2,000 Facebook ads from Trump’s reelection campaign have amplified his message by using the word invasion.
“The El Paso suspect is believed to have posted his screed online minutes before carrying out the shooting that left 22 dead and at least 26 others injured. In it, he called his attack “’a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas.’ And while the El Paso manifesto seeks to absolve Trump from blame for the shooting, its language about an ongoing ‘invasion’ from the south is distinctly Trumpian.” — Where Does Trump’s ‘Invasion’ Rhetoric Come From?, The Atlantic, 7/6/19 [Link]
Fact Check of Quote: This article maintains that the use of the word “invasion” to describe the movement of foreigners into our country is inappropriate and “racist.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, invasion can have two meanings 1) an occasion when an army or country uses force to enter and take control of another country 2) an occasion when a large number of people or things come to a place in an annoying and unwanted way.
President Trump’s use of “invasion” perfectly fits this second definition. It refers to uninvited foreigners who enter our country illegally and cause problems for American citizens. The issue isn’t the race of these invaders, but their legality. Illegal isn’t a race.
It must be said that this kind of invasion is not totally dissimilar from a military invasion. It is true that most illegal aliens enter our country by stealth rather than force—though, as President Trump noted, some do employ violence. In any case, their presence in growing numbers can have the effect of a military conquest, one of substantially replacing the native population.
The writer seems to suggest that President Trump inspired the alleged El Paso shooter to act by using the word invasion. But as we have seen his use of the word is appropriate. What Trump seeks to do is stop the invasion by upholding our rule of law. The shooting suspect apparently believed that this approach was futile and that he would have to take the law into his own hands.
His dismissal of the rule of law ironically is something he very much has in common with open border advocates. They believe that immigration laws should not be enforced, and they do whatever they can to sabotage immigration law enforcement. Thus they endorse the same the principle as the El Paso suspect—if things don’t go your way, ignore the law and do whatever you please. This principle of anarchy is not one that will end well.