I am writing in response to the letter written by Robert E. Jean in this past week’s C-VILLE [“Labor woes traced to immigrants,” Mailbag]. I thought his letter was ridiculously ignorant. It starts by admitting he has never worked in construction, and then goes on at great length to explain how a shortage of construction workers is paradoxically caused by too many immigrants in the country. Throughout America’s history, every wave of immigrants has eagerly sought to slam the door shut after they got in. Unless you wear buckskin and feathers, Mr. Jean, I am sure you are a descendant of immigrants. I actually have worked in construction for many years. I have never been turned down for a job in construction. I have never met a single person who was ever turned down for a job in construction. Your cry that the immigrants are stealing our jobs is without empirical evidence. I would be willing to bet you have never been turned down for a job in favor of an illegal immigrant. Immigration replaced gay marriage, which replaced flag burning, as diversionary issues to take the American conscience off the issues that really affect everday life: the economy and the domestic consequences of our foreign policy. As far as your attribution of big-box stores to the demand created by the immigrant populace, I urge you to spend an hour or two in Wal-Mart and compare the number of black and white people to the number of Hispanic people you see. You can reach your own conclusion as to whom the store was built for. Finally, if the C-VILLE has given inordinate coverage of late to Virgil Goode, it has not been because of his official votes, but because of the negativity he brought upon himself by first bashing the entire Muslim faith when an official simply wanted to be sworn in on the book of his faith, and then cowardly hiding from the spotlight afterwards so he wouldn’t have to explain his comments. Even the Bush Administration recently tried to sell America on letting a Middle Eastern nation run one of our ports by arguing that we need to heal global schisms by reaching out to and being accepting of Middle Eastern culture. Virgil Goode doesn’t seem to understand this idea. There is an unhealthy trend in the Republican party nowadays to not abandon any halfwit fellow party member no matter how backwards or destructive he may be. I would advise you to take a cue from braver individualistic Republicans like John Warner, who refused to endorse the liar Ollie North, and suffered the loss of his party’s backing once, but in the end proved a good man can win no matter what his label is.
Adam C. Rhea, Esq.
Charlottesville
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