Swear words were forbidden in my childhood home, but my mother didn’t stop there – her six children were also not allowed to call anyone stupid.
Being smart (and smart-mouthed) kids, we devised a work-around. Maybe Mom didn’t notice we were calling each other “tupid” all the time, under our breath.
On Dec. 21, the Jefferson County Council voted 4-2 to pass a resolution that is tupid with a capital S.
The council is now on record as opposing “the importation of illegal immigrants in Jefferson County, Missouri.”
This might make some smidgen of sense if the county itself had the teeniest problem with illegal immigration.
It does not, as council members and resolution opponents Brian Haskins (District 1, High Ridge) and Scott Seek (District 5, Festus) pointed out.
“If we have a problem, let’s address the problem when there’s a problem,” Seek said.
Amen, brother.
Councilman Bob Tullock (District 7, House Springs), who proposed the resolution, had an answer for that, albeit a poor one.
“Let’s keep in mind that this resolution does nothing other than support our state and federal laws,” he said.
Bingo, on the “does nothing” part.
The resolution has no legal authority, but thankfully, there was no expense associated with drawing up the silly thing since the county counselor works on salary.
But if it cost even five minutes of time, that was wasteful.
Was there a background motive for Tullock and the three other council members who voted for the resolution – Gene Barbagallo (District 2, Imperial), Charles Groeteke (District 4, Barnhart) and Dan Stallman (District 6, De Soto)?
“Ain’t-it-awful” posturing on America’s immigration mess plays everywhere as a “red meat” issue and look no further than the long lines at Texas Roadhouse to understand how much we Jefferson County residents love our red meat (make mine medium-rare).
Tullock won’t face another election until 2026, but the other three who favored the resolution are up this year, if they choose to run again. (Seek and Haskins are in the middle of their four-year terms.)
Might as well let your constituents know you don’t like what’s happening on America’s Southern border, even if your posturing has nothing to do with the job you’re supposed to be doing, which is tackling local issues that affect your neighbors.
It really is awful down South and in the Northern metropolitan areas where border-crossers are being shipped by Southern governors, using human beings as pawns to score political points.
Recent national reporting says there are an estimated 11 million people inside the U.S. without legal immigration status.
USA Today reported Jan. 4 that more than 10,000 migrants are arriving at the border each day and that in fiscal 2023, Customs and Border Protection reported nearly 2.5 million migrant encounters at the Southwest border – a record.
Ordinary citizens of all political stripes desperately want remedies, but leaders in both parties are way more concerned about blaming the other side than they are about working together to actually start fixing things.
That must change, and I’m using space in a local newspaper to say so.
Groeteke seems to concur.
“The purpose of this resolution is to send a message to our representatives in Washington, D.C., to do something about the problems on our Southern border,” he said.
So, then, Charles, why not put forth a resolution that goads national politicians to act in bipartisan fashion to address this frustrating issue instead of one that goads me into (sort of) using the S-word?
I’d still complain about it being outside your job description, but at least such a resolution would speak to a real point rather than being pointless.
Just like everyone else in this country (except for Native Americans), I am the spawn of immigrants. My maternal and paternal forebears were Scots Irish who arrived on American soil in the 19th century. I’m so grateful for the land of opportunity they sought and found.
Our immigration system needs a complete overhaul to allow others to achieve that same kind of opportunity – by legal means and in manageable numbers. The last significant immigration reform was approved in 1986 under President Ronald Reagan.
We don’t need vile rhetoric about the kind of people who seek a better life in this land. A generation or two or three back, those were your folks and mine.
We don’t need more posturing on any level – national, state or county.
We need workable solutions, forged through the courage to compromise and work together.
My mom’s views regarding speech passed to my older sister, who directed her children to avoid the word “butt” or anything more offensive when talking about human posteriors.
“But, Mom,” my niece protested, “they sell pork butt at the store. Do you want us to say, “I fell down and hurt my steak?”
Yep, that’d work.
So, hey, you four misguided County Council members: Get off your steaks and address the real issue.
