Synaptic Silence

The proposal to place a measure declaring Columbia County an Illegal Worker Free Zone on an upcoming ballot has already prompted strong emotional reactions, pro and con. I do not doubt that the people who support this proposal do so out of a sincere conviction that such a measure is necessary to address what they view as an important legal and social issue—the strict enforcement of existing immigration laws as a means to provide protection to citizens and other persons legally residing and working in this country.

Those of us who stand on the other side of the immigration issue, however, have equally sincere convictions. A conviction that every human being has value and the right to be treated with respect and dignity. A conviction that a codified policy of exclusion and alienation is the first step backwards to the racist policies of our recent past. A conviction that complex issues are rarely successfully addressed by seemingly simple solutions. And a conviction that a focus on the higher moral context of any issue provides the best framework for solving the truly serious problems that we all face in an increasingly confusing world.

The opinions about immigration that have already been voiced in meetings and in the media would appear to indicate there is no middle ground on this issue. But there is a higher moral question underlying this issue that confronts all of us, not just as citizens, but as human beings and keepers of this planet. How do we go about making this county, this country, and our world a place where every individual can pursue what our Founders identified as inalienable rights endowed by the Creator—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?

That is the context in which we should examine every issue that confronts us. And I believe the right path can be found by answering the following questions. Do we become a nation of fear? Or do we remain a nation of hope, not just for us, but for all the people in the world?.

If we choose fear, we will continue to build defensive walls, virtual and physical, ever higher in an attempt to remain unaffected by the real and imagined terrors outside our gates. Except that one day, when our fear is greatest, we will convince ourselves we have no need for gates at all. And at that moment, our zone of perceived safety will be transformed instantly into a self-imposed prison of the like-minded.

If we choose hope, we must realize that true freedom requires the acceptance of continuing challenges as our society transforms itself into successive new identities. We must accept that change and permeability to new ideas and cultural influences are the keys to keeping this nation replenished and alive. And we must admit to ourselves that freedom becomes a meaningless word the first time we deny it to someone else who craves it as much or more than we do.

I choose hope.