The Quote Below—More Misinformation from the Media
“Because Liliana Bolanos’ parents brought her from Mexico to America at age 2, people often tell her that her parents are criminals. But she sees it differently.
“‘My parents are not the villains of my story — they are the heroes of my story,’ Bolanos, of Salt Lake City, said Saturday during a rally promoting immigration reform at the Utah Capitol.
“Now an immigration paralegal, and one of the organizers of local group Utah With All Immigrants, Bolanos said the Beehive State is only receptive to some kinds of immigrants. As a DACA recipient, Bolanos has a work permit and protection from deportation — rights that are not afforded to her parents, who live in Utah County.
“‘It’s very divisive, and it separates families to say that this member of your family deserves citizenship, and you do not,’ Bolanos said. ‘Our group emphasizes the importance that all immigrants are deserving of being advocated for, and respect, because at the end of the day, we are all impacted if one of us doesn’t have the rights that the others have.”
“Bolanos joined other Utahns Saturday in celebrating National Stand With Immigrants Day through their second annual rally calling for immigration reform, along with better education and community awareness of issues faced by immigrants.
“The group’s mission, according to Bolanos, is ‘to empower all immigrants in Utah by fostering community, providing representation, promoting awareness, connecting with resources and sharing untold stories. . . .”
“Alexander Bybee, who works in Utah immigration services, also encouraged listeners to become more educated.
“‘We all need to be radically curious about other people, we need to analyze our assumptions about groups of people,’ he said.
He said even implicit acts of racism, such as promoting American exceptionalism, can harm people and contribute to a culture of anti-immigration sentiment.
“‘Let’s recognize that all immigrants are people, that they are more than their status. Let’s recognize that the immigration system often creates hardship for these immigrants, and excludes them from the resources they need,” Bybee said. “Immigration is a complex system , , , but there is a simple and clear goal: all immigrants are welcome to the U.S., no matter what country they come from.”—Utah Advocacy Group Rallies for Immigration Reform, Gabrielle Shiozawa, Deseret News 10/30/23 [Link]
Fact Check of Above Quote: The writer of this article wants readers to feel sympathy for the illegal aliens and their supporters who recently held a rally in Utah. It’s a slanted puff piece which suggests that illegal immigration has no downsides at all. In fact, it doesn’t even mention the word “illegal”—as if the concept doesn’t apply at all. It quotes one of the speakers who criticizes Utah because “it is only receptive to some kinds of immigrants.” Presumably, these are legal immigrants. The rest are illegal aliens, people who show disrespect for our country and its laws—people we have no reason to welcome.
The person quoted also stated that her parents, who snuck into the U.S., are “heroes” rather than villains. To most American citizens, this is a strange conception of heroism. Another speaker plays the tiresome race card by claiming that support for American exceptionalism is an implicit act of “racism.” One view of that exceptionalism is that we stand out in the world as being a nation under the rule of law. Thus, he would have us believe that it is “racist” to apply our laws equally to citizens and foreigners alike. If foreigners are exempt from our laws, while citizens have to obey them, we must conclude that citizens have second-class status.
Next this person offers the profound insight that all immigrants (including illegals) “are human.” No one would dispute that, but being human doesn’t exempt anyone from having to obey the law. Also, we might consider the possibility that American citizens who want their border controlled are human beings too—even if some in our elite classes think they are more “deplorable” than human. It would be nice if the “mainstream” media could occasionally depict the “deplorables” in a favorable light.