Tuesday, June 3, 2008

"Illegal Immigrant" Kills Cyclist



But it's not what you think.

Every time Lou Dobbs or Glen Beck speaks out about "illegals" committing crimes in this country, try to remember that picture.

It's a photo of a American citizen, drunk and asleep at the wheel, killing a cyclist and injuring others, in Northern Mexico. He's a resident of Browsville, TX, and he's driving drunk inside of Mexican territory. He may not be an immigrant, but he's breaking a law on foreign soil. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that you can't drive drunk in Mexico and fall asleep and kill people.

Sometimes the stupid shit happens on both sides of the border, and sometimes it doesn't matter whether they're legal or illegal. Sometimes, you can demagogue an issue to the point where common sense goes out the window. Sometimes, you just have to ignore the pundits and remember that this is a pretty complicated world, and there are no absolutes. If this happened in Podunk, America and if the person behind the wheel was an illegal immigrant, you can bet your bottom dollar that the outrage meter would be pegging all throughout the intolerant pundit world. When the shoe gets put on the other foot, it sure punctures their worldview, doesn't it?

Well--there is one absolute. Drunk driving kills. And that kind of stupidity has no respect for borders, citizenship, nationality or race.

--WS

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