(Name-mce) ListServ FW: Comments on new DSCC web ad

[Barbara Acosta]

Dear All,

 

 

I wanted to share with you the letter sent by Ralph Neas, President of
People for the American Way in regards to the anti-immigrant ad ran by the
DSCC.  I urge all of you to send a similar letter to DSCC.

 

 Best Regards,

 

Barbara Acosta

-----------------------------------------------------------  

August 16, 2006

 

The Honorable Charles Schumer

Chairman

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee

120 Maryland Avenue, NE

Washington, DC 20002-5610

 

Dear Chairman Schumer,

 

It is extremely disappointing that the new DSCC web ad seems to equate
undocumented immigrants with Al Qaeda terrorists as a threat to America's
national security.

 

The ad engages in the same kind of demagoguery on immigration that we and
many others have criticized from right-wing politicians at the national,
state and local levels.

 

We and Democratic members of Congress have denounced this summer's House
"field hearings" as a barely disguised political exercise mounted by the
Republican majority to win votes by fanning anti-immigrant sentiment, which
has contributed to the wave of anti-immigrant ordinances cropping up across
the country.  We have been in the field, actively countering these hearings
and the ordinances.  They are contributing to a rising tide of ugly racist
and nativist sentiment that will leave many communities divided, and subject
residents to scapegoating, harassment, daily assaults on their dignity and
perhaps even threats to their personal safety.  Certainly the DSCC would not
want to add fuel to that fire.

 

While it is true that Bush Administration and the GOP majority in Congress
have failed to fix our broken immigration system, we can and must make the
case that it is possible to combine strong and vigilant border security with
fair and humane immigration policies.  Further, immigrant labor is critical
to our economy, an issue that resounds with business leaders on both sides
of the political aisle.  In fact, we have successfully gathered business
leaders into local coalitions in Texas and California to oppose the House
GOP approach and support comprehensive immigration reform.

 

Immigration is a challenging issue, substantively and politically.  Polls do
show that Americans are concerned about illegal immigration, but they also
show that Americans understand that it is a complex issue that must be
addressed.  Americans also understand that any attempt to suddenly deport
millions of immigrants is not only impractical but inhumane, and would tear
apart hard-working families in search of the American dream.

 

We urge you to make your case against the president's national security
policies without references to immigration that could further inflame the
debate.  We would very much like to work with you to promote positive
solutions to our immigration problems that Americans will view as fair, just
and reasonable.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Ralph G. Neas

President

 

We have also posted a signed copy of this letter at

http://media.pfaw.org/2006-08-16-DSCC-ad.pdf