Trump speaks only for himself
While Donald Trump continues his 15 minutes of fame, let’s not lose sight of some of the things he is proposing.
First, he would use a “deportation force” to round up immigrants in the country illegally. If my memory serves me correctly, isn’t this the same type of enforcement Adolf Hitler used to rid “His Germany” of over 6 million Jews?
How many of us can honestly say that our parents, grandparents, even great-grandparents came here with proper documents? Nevertheless, they were given safe harbor in our communities. They came here to better themselves. They worked in housekeeping for hotels, in our textile and steel mills, in road and bridge construction crews, on farms, and became leaders not only in their communities, but also in state capitols and Washington, D.C.
The very same illegal immigrants Trump spews vitriol about are the same ones who clean his resorts, hotel rooms and office buildings, remove the trash from his dumpsters, care for his ailing family members in nursing homes, and mow the grass on his estates and golf courses. These are all jobs that nobody else wants or would do on a regular basis.
For far too long, we’ve blamed illegal immigrants for too many of our employment ills. Let’s get real. Donald Trump does not speak for good, hardworking, tolerant Americans. He speaks only for himself.
Barry L. Andrews
Washington
Andrews is the retired president of the Washington-Greene Central Labor Council.