Duke Machado
At the height of political correctness, Republican politicians must be either crazy or bold, maybe a little of both, in order to show Hispanics they are truly concerned about their future.
The familiar rhetoric is "We must secure the border and have a process for identifying the Illegals here in America." Across the country, politicians utter these words to gain the support from their Conservative base.
If they come across as weak on the border, they may as well kiss their election goodbye.
But, is it more important to get re-elected? Or should an elected official do the works promised during their campaign, letting their actions speak for themselves?
It's a tough question, but one we must analyze in order to get to the bottom of this border issue.
Our representatives all speak about what they will do when in office, so once they're in, why do many of them veer from their objectives? It could be because now they are under the microscope. Now every word is scrutinized by the opposition, the media is on attack and someone is waiting to pounce on the opportunity to defeat them in their next election.
I was speaking to someone recently about the border issues and asked why we couldn't get the Republican Party to step up and claim the border as a primary focus and commit resources and develop a plan to assist our fellow Americans.
He responded by saying, "The reason you won't get anyone to touch it is because it's so volatile. Anyone would be crazy to touch it...especially if they were trying to get re-elected."
So, there you have it...it's not "worth" the effort. It is too risky.
If having a strong stance on border security is considered politically risky, one must wonder what kind of world we live in. Isn't our security the top priority?
Republicans might miss a golden opportunity.
The opportunity is right in front of us. We have to capture the hearts and minds of Hispanics by showing Leadership and not allowing ourselves to fall in the trap of self-preservation. After all, our elected officials serve the people. Right?
Here's a new angle.
I know, just like you know, people are being flushed from their homes, property is being taken from ranchers, the economy is in shambles and American citizens are living along the Texas border in conditions similar to third-world countries.
What if, rather than turning our backs on the people, our fellow Texans, we stand up for them. What if we made the claim, "The Republican Party wants to help solve the issues facing our people along the border."
Maybe for the first time, Hispanics could see the Republican Party standing for them instead of making vague promises and empty commitments. Do you think they can't see right through the pandering?
Like a paradigm shift, we focus on making life better, not locking down the border.
Who is against a Party dedicating itself to advancing living conditions along our border? Who would frown on a Party that was investing in the future of Hispanics by creating a safer environment for their children?
Of course we need Leadership at all corners. A plan needs to be developed.
We need Hispanic Leadership to step up and join the battle. No longer can Hispanic businessmen sit on the sidelines and not get involved in politics.
We should adopt a new mantra: "Republicans care about the Border"
Like the title of this article says, it will take bold moves to gain the respect and trust of the Hispanic community.
Maybe these are too bold?
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
