Successful advertising campaigns often resort to the use of slogans that are repeated as often as possible until they nearly become a mantra that is chanted as often as possible.
My most recent commentary for the CAPS (Californians for Population Stabilization) website focuses on the use of deceptive language by those who seek to obfuscate the truth where immigration is concerned.
Before tobacco products were banned from broadcast commercials one brand was known to be advertised by the often repeated phrase “Winston tastes good like a cigarette should!” I remember my high school English teacher taking exception with the grammar of that sentence, saying that the phrase should have been “Winston tastes good *as* a cigarette should.” but not much thought was given to how good a smoke from a cigarette could taste!
There is a reason why the advertising companies make lots of money; their clients understand that without a successful ad campaign, they would likely not be able to sell their products or services.
Advertising also exists in government efforts to sway the attitudes of their masses of citizens. Dictatorships have been particularly dependent upon such campaigns that are accurately referred to as propaganda. The artful use of deceptive language and propaganda, however, is a tactic not limited to dictatorial regimes but is also used in democracies around the world including the United States.
In the past I have noted the use of the term “Immigrant” instead of the accurate and law-based term, “Illegal Alien.”
My commentary is intended to shed a bit of light on the often repeated phrase, “Our nation was built by immigrants,” and the misleading narrative in which the open borders advocates (immigration anarchists) bemoan the closing of Ellis Island.
It is time for our nation’s leaders, on all levels, to come to terms with the fundamental fact that the purpose of our immigration laws is to protect our nation and our citizens from aliens whose presence has the potential to have a serious adverse impact. Ignoring those laws exposes our nation and our citizens to a variety of serious threats and challenges ranging from national security and criminal justice and public safety to the economy, the environment, healthcare and education!
A country without secure borders can no more stand than can a house without walls!
If our country is to survive and if our children and their children are to get their share of the “American Dream” the citizens of this nation must take their citizenship seriously!
We the People must be the best citizens we can be, citizens who are worthy of the gallantry demonstrated by our valiant men and women in the military, law enforcement and firefighters, who routinely go in harm’s way in defense of this nation and our citizens.
My goal in writing this and other commentaries is to point out our nations many failings before more victims pay the ultimate price for the incompetence and ineptitude of our government.
The first step in problem-solving is to first identify the problems and vulnerabilities and then devise strategies to overcome them.
If you find yourself to be in agreement with this commentary, I ask that you forward it to as many of your friends and family members as possible and encourage them to do the same. We need to create a “Bucket Brigade of Truth!”
The practice of good citizenship does not end in the voting booth, it only begins there.
For far too long our citizens demonstrated apathy which emboldened elected representatives to all but ignore the needs of the average American citizen in a quest for massive campaign funds and the promises of votes to be ostensibly delivered by special interest groups.
It is therefore understandable that the politicians of both parties are greatly concerned about the demonstrations currently sweeping our nation just as did the creation of the Tea Party. Clearly more and more of our fellow Americans are demonstrating that they are not as dumb as the politicians from both parties had expected us to be!
I am encouraged that more and more of us, We the People, are not willing to simply sit on the sidelines anymore!
I believe our nation’s is greatly benefited by the rich diversity of our people which is why I could never imagine living anywhere except New York City, arguably the most diverse city in our nation if not, in fact, the world. However, my idea of diversity most certainly does not include members of MS-13, the Mexican drug cartels or members of other transnational gangs or members of al-Qaeda!
If our government’s failures to secure our nation’s borders and effectively enforce our immigration laws concerns you or especially if it angers you, I ask you to call your Senators and Congressional “Representative. This is not only your right- it is your obligation!
All I ask is that you make it clear to our politicians that we are not as dumb as they hope we are!
We live in a perilous world and in a perilous era. The survival of our nation and the lives of our citizens hang in the balance.
This is neither a Conservative issue, nor is it a Liberal issue- simply stated; this is most certainly an AMERICAN issue!
You are either part of the solution or you are a part of the problem!
Democracy is not a spectator sport!
Lead, follow or get out of the way!
Ellis Island and Other Myths
