As the worldwide hysteria over swine flu continues, the amount of needless attacks on immigrants continues to escalate. They are fueled by none other than the media, especially right-winged radio show hosts. Mexican officials have just announced that the country will basically shut down for the next 5 days in an effort to stop the spread of the disease. The shutdown will cost hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars, to an already crippled economy. Anti-immigrant voices however are not concerned in the least about the state of the Mexican economy and are much more concerned about making this a border security issue, even though there is much more evidence that tourists are bringing in the disease to this country.
Instead of calling for aid to be donated to Mexico so they can effectively combat this terrible epidemic, a strategy that would protect more Americans in the long run and limit the spread of the disease greatly, anti-immigrant activists instead have taken this opportunity to add swine flu to their blame-the-immigrant list.
Earlier this week, Michael Savage from Media Matters stated, “Make no mistake about it: illegal aliens are the carriers of the new strain of human-swine flu from Mexico. If we lived in saner times, the borders would be closed immediately.” Michelle Malkin, a controversial Fox News contributor wrote this on her blog earlier this week: “9/11 didn’t convince the open border zealots to put down their race cards and confront reality. Maybe the threat of their sons or daughters contracting a deadly virus spread from south of the boarder to their Manhattan prep schools will.” The common flu kills around 200,000 people each year in the United States. If we are going to close the borders because of one confirmed death, why aren’t the boarders permanently closed because of the threat of the spread of the common flu, a much deadlier virus?
In Boston yesterday conservative radio host Jay Severin was suspended for on-air racist remarks relating immigrants with swine flu. According to a local newspaper, Severin called Mexicans “criminaliens, and primitives who export venereal diseases to the United States.” Severin went further and stated, “Immigrants are leeches and their children don’t speak English, will retard schools add to the crime, and spread disease.” After saying all of this on air, Severin said, “I don’t mean to hype the story.” Like most racists, Severin was apparently shocked to hear that his remarks landed him in hot water. He thought his comments were perfectly legitimate.
Instead of bashing our neighbor to the south, this is the time to help Mexico in its time of need. The United States likes to talk up its good relations with its regional neighbors but now, in Mexico’s hour of need, the US is not doing enough to help its neighbor. Assisting Mexico in its battle against the spread of swine flu not only helps Mexico but benefits the US as well. Swine flu is a virus; it doesn’t pick and choose who it affects. It’s time we start addressing important global issues like this and not using them as an excuse for immigrant bashing. It’s the same old news over and over again and quite frankly, I’m getting sick of hearing it.