But I Don't Wanna

It is that time again folks...ranty time. (Please keep in mind that doesn't mean that I am angry, just that I have views to express)

You may or may not know that I am a broker. That essentially means that my company is a financially responsible party that coordinates between two other parties. I work for a logistics brokerage firm. It's not a glorious job, but a worthy one. All those things that you consumers need and depend on to make it through your day (and don't be fooled, you all use these goods way more than any of you realize) are dependent upon people like me getting them to the destination point. In order for me to get those loads of product to the destination point, there has to be product to be moved. In other words...production of product is a necessary part of this equation. Seems logical, right? Most people don't think about what they consume, where it comes from or how it is manufactured until there is a demand for it.

Yesterday there was a Homeland Security raid on a manufacturing company that we do business with. It isn't a big facility, but it does a lot of business and has several sites across the U.S. I don't feel like it is my duty to expose any more information than that. The job these people do is dirty, strenuous, hot and the hours are long. If any of you haven't gathered by now what happened, I will give a more clear explanation: Many of the workers there were illegal immigrants. Their stop in production will be affecting hundreds of other workers, costing businesses millions of dollars in profitability and putting jobs on hold.

What is my problem with all this? There are a couple of things that I take issue with here. First of all, I have no problem with people wanting to immigrate to this country. Most of my ancestors immigrated here (obviously I am part native) While no nation is Utopian, for the most part, we have it good here - clean drinking water, ample roadways and through fares, a seemingly endless food supply, plenty of jobs, good schools, etc. Those might seem like simple things to us, but to many people that is ideal. Those people aren't whining about what jobs there are or that they are beneath them. They do them, without complaint, earn their paycheck and usually help their community with it. You can sling stats at me about minorities and the criminal element, but the simple fact is that wherever there is poverty (have nots) there will always be people looking to gain financial and material wealth (haves). There are just as many, if not more, of those illegal immigrants just trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. What I would like to see would be a broader system for "migrant" workers. Allow those businesses to profit if they want to, feed that money back into the economy. Provide jobs in a more legal way to mitigate some of the criminal element to just wanting to earn a paycheck. I am not saying that opening up the proverbial flood gates of immigrants is the answer, but loosening the reigns might be called for.

My second issue: Those jobs I talked about - the ones with long hours, dirty conditions, strenuous work are ones that legal workers are not taking. The unemployment rate here is significantly lower than other states, but we still have almost 90,000 people in this state unemployed. I know of able bodied people that are unemployed and refuse working certain types of jobs because "that is beneath them". That has to be one of the most repulsive statements I have ever heard! Sitting on your ass, doing nothing and collecting a check for it is far worse than anyone working here illegally. What is even more inflammatory is when parents or women  say that. Really?! First, you are teaching your child the value of not being productive and leeching off the system. Second, as a parent you have cleaned up and been puked on, wiped asses and cleaned up shit, done laundry and you want to say that there is a job beneath you?! While parenting is the greatest honor, it is also the dirtiest job out there. There are thousands of jobs out there that are waiting to be filed if someone would accept their civil duty to earn a living instead of believing they are entitled to one. Nothing is lower than someone who excepts others to take care of them financially that is perfectly able of taking care of themselves.

If you want illegal immigrants to stop coming in and "taking your jobs" then take them back. Work a job that you might feel you are overqualified for. Work harder. The more jobs we as Americans fill, the less there is for someone else to fill. Have more pride in yourself and for your family than just being willing to accept a handout.

Get to work ~ Andrea