The American Dream

by Emily Bingham Hollingshead

Cedar City, Utah

July 13, 2010

Happy July. In Utah, July is not only a celebration of America’s Independence, but it also is a month in which we honor the founders who came before us as we commemorate Utah’s statehood.

When I was growing up, I was reminded on a regular basis of the important heritage that came before me – Mormon Pioneers who crossed the plains and who endured incredible hardships to come to a place where they could worship as they wanted to. As they settled in Utah, they sought for freedom and the ability to live out their American dreams and built a city and community from the ground up in a barren desert.

These were my ancestors. Many of them made the pioneer trek from the eastern United States after they had immigrated from England, Sweden, and Denmark. They came to America not only to worship in a new religion, but also to follow their dreams of a better life in a new land.

Throughout my life I have thought about what it must have been like for them to come to a new country. Many of them didn’t speak English, some were single mothers with small children, others were fathers who left their families back home. Every circumstance was a little bit different, but their hardships were similar. I have always felt deep gratitude for their sacrifices. In this age of cell phones, laptop computers and air conditioned vehicles, I can’t imagine what it must have been like for them.

I was reminded of my pioneer heritage again last night. A few weeks ago I agreed to host several college-aged students at my home. They would be traveling from Southern California to Washington DC, and needed gracious people across the country to provide them with meals and lodging for a night. 12 students were making a “trek,” which they called the “Dream Freedom Ride” - they were on their way to our nation’s capitol to take part in a 3-day march on Washington. There they would join with thousands of other immigrant youth from across the country to rally and lobby United States Senators for “The Dream Act.” This national legislation would allow children of undocumented immigrants to pursue a college education and receive a clear path to United States Citizenship. They planned to lobby senators in each of the 15 states they drove through, hoping to tell their personal stories and share their own visions of the American dream.

And so, last night at about 8:30 pm, 10 young ladies and 2 young men arrived at my front door. We fed them pizza and put everyone in the backyard with their sleeping bags, laptop computers and cell phones charging in every available outlet. They marveled at the beautiful Southern Utah mountains and clear sky – many of them had never even been out of California.

The Dream-Freedom Team - CA to DC
in Cedar City, Utah with the Hollingshead Family
(Emily, Chas and Sam)

I listened closely to their stories. Most of them had come as small children with their parents, all had graduated from an American high school and had graduated from or were about to graduate from an American university. These students came from places like UCLA, UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkeley, and others. They were now either working as political activists, volunteering for non-profit organizations, or getting ready to attend graduate school. All of them were passionate about “The Dream Act” and its possibilities for future generations of undocumented immigrant youth.

Some of their parents came here legally, some did not. Whatever their parents’ current status, I didn’t think about it too much…. because, as I listened to their dreams, I could only think about what incredible people their parents must be: people who came to our country wanting to make life better for their children. They didn’t squander that opportunity, but instead they helped their children to excel.

Many times I hear rhetoric that the “illegals” are using all of our resources, taking all of our jobs, and never giving anything in return. The people who believe this to be true probably have never had the opportunity to meet people like those who slept on my back lawn last night. Whatever their parents have done, their children speak volumes about what it means to seek out the “American Dream” and what it really means to seek a better life for your children.

I wish my new friends the very best on their journey. When they reach Washington, I hope they get an opportunity to meet with Senator Hatch, who was an original sponsor of the “Dream Act.” I hope that as they travel through Denver, Omaha, and Chicago, that they get the opportunity, again and again, to tell their stories of what the American Dream means, and I hope they will change hearts and minds along the way.

I have always believed that The Dream Act was a fabulous way to offer any undocumented youth an opportunity for citizenship. I have never understood opposition to this legislation, and yet there are many who don't understand or who just don't believe that the American Dream should be available to anybody willing to seek it. Isn't hard work and giving back to country what we are all about?

In my view, these kids are definitely what America is all about. To those who say undocumented workers aren’t contributing anything to our country, I disagree. What these first-generation immigrants have given back far exceeds anything that they may have taken: they have given us their children... children who want to give something of value to their country and their communities. To many of them, the United States of America is the only home they’ve ever known, and they are passionate about making sure the American Dream is available to all who want it.

I wish them all the success in the world. Safe travels, and sweet dreams.

The death of American culture has been greatly exaggerated

After listening to the debate on Capitol Hill this year over the immigration issue, the following quote seems to sum up general feelings among the Republican leadership:

Few of their children in the country use English; they import many books from Mexico... The signs on our streets have inscriptions in both languages, and in some places only Spanish. They begin of late to make all their bonds and other legal writings in their own language, which (though, I think it not ought to be) are allowed good in our courts, where the Latino business so increases that there is constant need of interpreters; and I suppose in a few years they will also be necessary in the Legislature, to tell one half of our legislators what the other half say....Unless this stream of immigration is turned...they will so outnumber us that all the advantages we have will not be able to preserve our language, and even our government will become precarious.

Okay, now that you've read the quote, I have something to admit. I lied a little. The original quote has the words "German", Germany" and "Germans" instead of "Spanish", "Mexico" and "Latinos"; and the quote is from 1751, by an up-and-coming Philadelphia civic leader, one Benjamin Franklin, who was concerned about the influx of German immigrants in the City of Brotherly Love.

My point, of course, is that the anti-immigrant arguments we have been hearing recently have been around for over 250 years. Guess what? The dire predictions of the annihilation of American culture from immigration have never come true.

Isn't it time we put these tired arguments behind us?

Utah's Conservatives Are Religious Liberals On Immigration

Up until 1976 there was a law on the books in Missouri that said all Mormons should be driven out of that state of or killed. It was the LAW. Do you think Missouri's police should have enforced it?

My point is that stupid laws need to be changed and if they are offensive enough there isn't anything wrong with ignoring them or not enforcing them (like the extermination order).

Utah's Republican leaders have been arguing that we need to punish illegal immigrants because "respect for the law" compels us. What nonsense. It would make more sense for them to lobby Congress for a change in federal immigration policy rather than punishing those who are just here to make better lives for themselves and their families.

The LDS church seems to have the right idea in its recent calls for more compassion from lawmakers towards immigrants in Utah. Our mostly LDS legislature should be as attentive to calls from church leaders for compassion towards immigrants as they are to the church's moral arguments against alcohol or alternate lifestyles. This issue affects a lot more people in our state than those lesser issues and in a much more personal way. Why is it so easy for most Mormons to support the brethren when we agree with them...not so much when we don't?

It is interesting to see the LDS legislators who pride themselves on their political conservatism embrace extreme religious liberalism when it comes to the immigration issue. The popularity that comes from punishing our state's minority immigrant populations must give them a better buzz than doing what their church leaders say is right.

Where is there room for political dialogue and compromise?

By Adam Ford

Utah County GOP delegate links illegal immigration to Satan

Debora Bulkeley has an interesting article today in the Deseret Morning News about the crazies that constitute a significant portion of the Republican Party in Utah County.

Don Larsen, a district chairman, has submitted a resolution equating illegal immigration to "Satan's plan to destroy the U.S. by stealth invasion" for debate at Saturday's Utah County Republican Party Convention.

I don’t know Don Larsen, but we suspect he was a member of the John Birch Society during the Cold War. He probably believes that Ezra Taft Benson’s elevation to President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints constituted God’s seal of approval on his extreme right-wing political views. Mr. Larson is representative of the wing of the Republican Party (dominant in Utah County) that believes President Eisenhower was a willing tool of the Communists and that Blacks were less valiant in the preexistence. Having lived in Utah County most of my life, I know the type well.

Referring to a plan by the devil for a "New World Order ... as predicted in the Scriptures," the resolution calls for the Utah County Republican Party to support "closing the national borders to illegal immigration to prevent the destruction of the U.S. by stealth invasion."

I am an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and spend time every day studying the scriptures. I fancy myself as a better-than-average scripturian. Although I have not attended official Republican scripture study classes (some Utah County ward gospel doctrine classes came close), personal study has not revealed to me the scriptures that predict a New World Order will use illegal immigration to destroy the United States. The term “New World Order” does not register any hits in the new broad search engine at LDS.org. Maybe Mr. Larson’s resolution includes citing scriptures?

I’d guess the supporting authority would be the same cites previously used to warn of the Communist threat. And after the immigration issue is resolved, the scriptures will be twisted to attack the next canard.

In part, the resolution states, "There are ways to destroy a nation other than with bombs or bullets. The mostly quiet and unspectacular invasion of illegal immigrants does not focus the attention of the nation the way open warfare does but is all the more insidious for its stealth and innocuousness."

This is an amazing (and disturbing) proposition: If too many people who speak Spanish, have brown skin, and favor a house color other then the beige stucco blight spreading across the McMansions of the Wasatch Front come to America, they will destroy our nation. And by “destroy our nation,” Mr. Larson means his grand-daughter will be assigned to sit next to a kid named López next fall.

As President Gordon B. Hinckley recently said, “Racial strife still lifts its ugly head.” He continued, “even right here among us there is some of this.”

I have recognized and spoken a number of times on the diversity we see in our society. It is all about us, and we must make an effort to accommodate that diversity. Let us all recognize that each of us is a son or daughter of our Father in Heaven, who loves all of His children. Brethren, there is no basis for racial hatred among the priesthood of this Church. If any within the sound of my voice is inclined to indulge in this, then let him go before the Lord and ask for forgiveness and be no more involved in such.

-- “The Need for Greater Kindness,” President Gordon B. Hinckley, April 2006 General Conference, Priesthood Session

When Utah County Republicans rail against illegal immigrants destroying our nation, are they making efforts to accommodate diversity? Are they sufficiently recognizing that those they wish to expel from the peace and prosperity we are blessed with in the United States are also sons and daughters of our Father in Heaven, recipients of His love too?

Or are they placing pocketbook ahead of principle, nationalistic arrogance above the brotherhood of man? Certainly they could be kinder then saying the very presence of a neighbor who didn’t cross the border in accordance with the archaic and Byzantine US immigration laws is the active tool of Satan seeking to destroy our nation.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints allows illegal immigrants to serve as priesthood leaders, they can and do hold temple recommends. One would think that this would give Mormon Utah County Republicans pause before saying such brothers and sisters were tools of Satan. Sadly, one would be wrong.

According to the Book of Mormon, “[The Lord] denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.” (2 Ne. 27:33)

In contrast to Nephi’s vision of the welcoming Lord, Mr. Larson and his cohorts believe that the United States should deny those that come, especially the brown ones, and give no mind to the Central American Catholics who are not as blessed by God as we rich American Mormons. This attitude makes me very sad. I think these Utah County Republican Mormons should be more Christ-like.

Apparently they feel that the Lord with his open arms is not a good example for the United States. Instead of a loving embrace, they would greet those wishing to come to America with armed guards on a barbed wall. After all, immigrants might lower wages or increase the costs of education and health care. And the only thing more sacred to the right-wing Utah County Republican then the idea that they are God’s political operatives is their pocketbook. If it might cost them money, it is categorically of the Devil.

"I don't think you'd find very many Republicans to suggest that the devil is involved in the immigration issue," said Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble, R-Provo, who is serving as convention chairman. "I don't think you'll find much support for that sentiment."

I’m not so sure Sen. Bramble is right. John Jacob, who ran a strong primary challenge to Rep. Chris Cannon last fall based on an anti-immigration platform, concluded that Satan was working against him.

And now this resolution. There really does seem to be a significant wing of the Republican Party in Utah County that actually believes logistical and political opposition to their anti-immigration fight is in fact inspired by Satan.

However, Bramble — who in 2005 sponsored a then-controversial measure to replace drivers' licenses of illegal immigrants with driving privilege cards that can't be used as state identification — said the resolution could be brought up.

Deny them identification because, heaven forbid (literally), Republicans wouldn’t want an illegal immigrant to be able to open a bank account or cash a check. Republicans would prefer them to remain completely in the underground financial market.

And remember that Sen. Bramble is being quoted in this article as the moderate voice of reason in the Utah County Republican Party. Maybe this type of pointless cruelty was the inspiration for President Hinckley’s 2006 conference address urging greater kindness towards minorities.

If that happens, Bramble said, it likely would spark a discussion among delegates about how they'd like to see the party handle the issue of immigration.

Walls with armed soldiers, no school for their kids, no health care, mass arrests and deportation—that sums up the right-wing Republican position.

The vast majority of Americans agree that the border should be controlled. They also believe that law-abiding citizens wishing to come to America should be welcomed. But don’t expect a majority at the Utah County Republican Convention to hold the latter view. Too many Utah County Republicans are stuck in a Cold War mentality. Communism is no longer the boogeyman; immigration has taken its place—in this instance being held up as the evil that will destroy America.

How can any rational discussion about the issue occur when the other side starts out with their testimony that Satan is their opponent and the Holy Scriptures are on their side? Where is there room for political dialogue and compromise?

Unfortunately, accustomed to authoritarian deference ecclesiastically, most residents of Utah County are predisposed to perpetuate a one-party dictatorship where “R” is assumed to mean “righteous.”

As for me and my house, we will follow Pres. James E. Faust:

"I am a liberal in terms of human values and human rights. I believe what is said in the Book of Mormon, that the Lord values all of his children equally—black and white, bond and free, male and female, Jew and Gentile—and that the Lord likewise has compassion for the heathen. As a result, I like to see all people enjoy every advantage, every blessing, every opportunity . . . I also support what has been said by the Brethren—that it is in the interests of the Church to have a two-party system and not to have one party that is exclusively LDS and the other party exclusively non-LDS. Both locally and nationally, the interests of the Church and its members are served when we have two good men or women running on each ticket, and then no matter who is elected, we win."

--James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord: The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust, p. 86

Satan callsThe Doug Wright Show

It seems that Satan wants to set the story straight.

On today's Doug Wright Show (KSL 102.7) Satan phoned in and explained that he is getting a bum rap by the Utah County GOP. "If they want to give me credit for immigration (see The Deseret News) that's fine, but I took over the country years ago when I got Bush and Cheney elected"

Satan also stated his agenda for Utah by stating that he would push through vouchers to "privatize everything to help separate the classes", and also stated that he had plans to do some great work through Utah's very own, Gayle Ruzicka.

To listen to Doug's interview with Satan click here. The interview is about a third of the way through Doug's first hour podcast.

Satan is alive and well and living in Utah County

Utah County GOP delegate links illegal immigration to Satan

By Deborah Bulkeley
Deseret Morning News

The devil is sticking his pitchfork into the nation's immigration politics.

At least that's what one of Utah County's Republican delegates thinks.

Don Larsen, a district chairman, has submitted a resolution equating illegal immigration to "Satan's plan to destroy the U.S. by stealth invasion" for debate at Saturday's Utah County Republican Party Convention."

Read more here!

Irresponsible

Just found this tidbit.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660197676,00.html

Chris Cannon needs to be more responsible about what he says on the radio and in public.

And, while we're on the subject, people need to STOP making the Trolley Square incident political. All we know is that a troubled kid got some guns and went into a public place where he could kill a lot of people. The end.

It isn't about terrorism, it isn't about gun conrol, it isn't even about being an immigrant. And most importantly, it is NOT about politics.

It's about a troubled kid who got some guns and went somewhere where he could kill a lot of people. We will probably never have a motive, and we might just have to live with that.

There will always be "theories" out there about why this happened. But no matter what, this is the wrong ocassion to promote a "pro-war" agenda. We need to promote truth, and our elected leaders need to promote truth. We owe that to all of the victims of this horrible tragedy.