I write in response to Gabe Faraci’s letter in the September 13 edition.

Mr. Faraci lets us know that undocumented immigrants are ‘CRIMINALS’ all in caps, as if they’re all just massing at the border with murder, robbery and mayhem on their evil little minds. My impression is that these are mostly poor and desperate people looking for work because there is none in their native countries. They take huge risks to come here and work long hours doing crappy jobs Americans don’t want. Making them all sound like cutthroats waiting to prey on the US is a demonization that should be beneath anyone engaging in civil discourse.

Besides, I’m technically a criminal, so probably are you and so probably is Mr. Faraci. As a law enforcement official he of all people should know that there are so many laws about so many miniscule points that one cannot live a normal life without committing some form of ‘crime.’ And laws themselves are not always just or rational. People who helped slaves escaped were ‘criminals’ and during World War I merely saying the war was wrong could land you in jail.

I always laugh when I hear descendents of immigrants complaining about immigration today. Your great-grandparent came here legally, eh? Let me ask you this: would they be able to do so today?? Surely Mr Faraci is aware that the slur ‘wop’ stands for ‘without passport.’ And of course they were determined to learn English. They must have completely bypassed a stint in Bensonhurst, Bay Ridge, Canarsie or any of New York’s other enclaves where the older folks speak Italian to this day.

My grandparents came here in the 1920s. Like many immmigrants in those days, they were poor, undeducated and unskilled. They never learned English. They would never have gotten in today. For one thing it costs about $100–a lot of money in much of the world–just to apply for a visa to come here. And if your request is denied, you don’t get your money back. Furthermore there are waits of years, something that didn’t happen back when US industry was expanding rapidly and they’d take just about anyone who would work cheap.

At least one thing was the same, however: there were anti-immigrant forces claiming that ‘new’ immigrants from southern and eastern Europe were both unwilling and unable to assimilate. And that they were criminals. I assume Mr. Faraci is not one of those Italian-Americans who gets upset over ‘The Sopranos’ and other media portrayals of his ethnic group as mafiosi.

One last, unrelated point. Faraci states that respect should be shown for George W. Bush no matter how bad a leader he is. He seems to forget that this is not a monarchy where we must show automatic respect to those in certain positions, nor is it a dictatorship in which the Dear Leader must be spoken of in reverence or face consequences. This is supposed to be a free democracy in which respect must be deserved and we, the taxpayers who pay public officials, have every right to call a boob.

Sincerely,

Chris Sorochin

Host of ‘If This Be Treason’ on WUSB (90.1FM)