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Sunday, August 06, 2006

The Bizarre World of Rep. Ed Emery (R-Lamar)

In the strange, twisted world of state representative Edgar Emery (R-Lamar), there is no color gray, and he'd just as soon there were no brown either. Like many Republican legislators, he believes in the simple rule of law (we'll have amend this section since 2016), right and wrong, cause and effect - there is a simple response to every action.

Emery, a staunch conservative who does little to hide his disdain for undocumented workers, currently serves, ironically enough, as chairman of the House Special Committee of Immigration Reform. At a recent hearing in Joplin, he spent the day listening to a host of Hispanic educator/advocates plead their case on behalf of immigrant workers.

During the afternoon session, several immigrant activists spoke quite eloquently about the plight of undocumented workers in the Ozarks - how Mexican agriculture collapsed after the implementation of NAFTA, how Mexican farmers were forced to look elsewhere for work in order to earn money to support their families - you know, family values.

Another immigrant advocate observed that most workers were taking on jobs that the vast majority of American workers didn't want. Yanking chicken guts eight hours a day at a Tyson plant is not considered a viable career choice for most white folks. One speaker pointed out that the human hand is the only device that can perform that particular task.

Emery, in his infinite wisdom, countered by proposing that perhaps immigrant workers were to blame for the lack of technological advances in the chicken-gutting industry - that a robotic hand may have already been invented to perform these tasks if it weren't for those pesky immigrants.

Emery and other panel members actually took up more air time than the speakers at the forum, which was unfortunate, since most who testified were far better versed in American history and economics than the panel members. Instead, Emery used the hearings as a bully pulpit for espousing his own cracker barrel ideas on American patriotism and ideals.

"You know, our immigration laws are in place to protect Americans, not Mexicans," Emery chided one speaker. "Mexico has their own immigration laws to protect their people."

And then, without provocation, an inexplicably emotional Emery spoke with quivering voice about the depth of his own patriotism, implying that immigrants were a underlying threat to America.

"I feel so strongly about maintaining our own American freedom, our love of liberty, that I would even be willing to sacrifice my own children in the defense of those ideals."

The room went silent. I wanted to ask him how many of his clan were currently serving in the military, but I was just an observer, and it would have spoiled a poignant moment. I did, however, take the opportunity to talk with Emery just after the meeting adjourned.

I asked him if he really thought that state laws would do anything to help solve a national problem. "Are you just wanting to establish some kind of state law that would push immigrants into Arkansas and Kansas?"

"Hopefully," Emery said with a smile. "And you know, this whole immigration problem would not even be an issue if it weren't for Roe vs. Wade."

"Excuse me?"

"Twenty million potential workers have been needlessly killed. We would not need any immigrant workers at all if those twenty million aborted fetuses were contributing to the economy."

So there you have it. The World According to Ed. In Emery's world, where the prohibition of abortions presents all those millions of saved fetuses a golden opportunity to build careers in yanking chicken guts and picking fruits and vegetables in patriotic service to the American economy. Wonder if he'd sacrifice his children to such a fate.

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Please vote for a rational human to represent you in the state legislature. It's more important now than ever.

9 comments:

Jackie Melton said...

I lived in Alpena, AR for a time. There were plenty of white Americans who yanked the guts out of chickens all around that region, some worked at the chicken plant in Green Forest, and some at the chicken plant in Berryville. I even lived right next door to a chicken gut "yanker."

My ex-husband also used to have jam sessions with a dreaded white male who happened to be a supervisor at the Tyson's plant in Green Forest. He likely worked his way into the position by yanking a few chicken guts, his wife worked there too, she had (gasp!) blonde hair and blue eyes.

Both of my young step-sons were hired there after they graduated from high school and worked there for a short time in the summer before going to college, oops, they are white Americans.

I do hope none of this spoils your theory that there are no white people willing to do these jobs.

I don't think it does either party justice to demonize the other unfairly and to reject out of hand, without consideration, their viewpoints. Usually it just makes the one engaging in the rhetoric look bad. I'm glad you're far too *mature* to engage in such tactics. ;)

Momma Twoop said...

You attempt to portray Rep. Emery as a racist, one who would prefer there be no "brown" people. Did he actually say that, or is it merely your belief that people who have a problem with ILLEGAL immigration are racists? Ironically, while people speak out specifically against ILLEGAL immigration, those who support it and/or amnesty are generally always the first ones to bring up race, just as you did in your post, as in "....not a job WHITE folk would do," and Rep. Emery wants "BROWN people gone."

ILLEGAL is not a race, no matter how hard illegal immigrant apologists attempt to make it so.

Glad to see you're "mature" enough not to misrepresent the facts. *eyeroll*

Oh, BTW, there was an article on AOL recently discussing the "ghost town" left behind after several crackdowns on illegal immigrants. The plant where they had been working, the poor thing, had to increase its hourly wage by one whole dollar to entice Americans and legal residents to do those jobs they kept insisting Americans would not do. Guess what, Americans are now doing those jobs, just not for slave wages...something they could probably get by on if they paid little or no taxes, received free healthcare, education for their children, and lived in a home where expenses were split among three or more families (an all too common occurence which also happens to be illegal).

RSmith said...

Jacke,

Go on down to the Monett area and check out the plants yourself. Your anecdote is well-taken, but it's also the exception, and you know it. And how many of your people made a career of this?

I'm just trying to figure out why you and your sidekick feel compelled to defend this extremist legislator's absurd assertion that abortion has caused an influx of illegal immigrants into our economy.

America has a recurring history of exploiting immigrants to do the shit work. And there has almost always been a racially-motivated backlash by god-fearing crackpot white folks like Emery and yourself once immigrants start to assimilate into "American" society.

I think you should both start praying that God will help you overcome your hypocrisy.

Jackie Melton said...

rsmith writes:

"I'm just trying to figure out why you and your sidekick feel compelled to defend this extremist legislator's absurd assertion that abortion has caused an influx of illegal immigrants into our economy."

It really isn't my job to defend every Republican candidate in America nor would I either want to or feel the need to defend every Republican candidate in America. That said, you miss the point that Rep. Emery was making, in my opinion. I don't see where Rep. Emery made the claim that:

"abortion has caused an influx of illegal immigrants into our economy."

I think there is a valid argument to be made that if "twenty million potential workers" had not been killed through abortion that there would be more American citizens to fund Medicaid and Social Security. I also didn't see Rep. Emery suggest that every one of these "twenty million potential workers" would be applying for jobs as "chicken gut yankers" in Monett. You take license and spin Rep. Emery's remarks into something he didn't say at all so that you can attack a straw man and try to demonize him by making him look like a lunatic. That's fine if that's your GAME, but it IS a game and should be recognized as such, that is what I and my "sidekick" were doing, exposing the FACT that you spun Rep. Emery's remarks into something he never said at all just so you could laugh at him and make fun of him, call him bizarre and dismiss a legitimate theory. Could he have expressed himself in more detail and made his point more articulately? Certainly.

My "sidekick" makes an excellent point that when the racist card is played it is usually originally played by : "those who support it (illegal immigration) and/or amnesty" and that they "are generally always the first ones to bring up race, just as you did in your post, as in "....not a job WHITE folk would do," and Rep. Emery wants "BROWN people gone."

ILLEGAL is not a race, no matter how hard illegal immigrant apologists attempt to make it so."

Like I said, and as you ignored:

"I don't think it does either party justice to demonize the other unfairly and to reject out of hand, without consideration, their viewpoints. Usually it just makes the one engaging in the rhetoric look bad."

Oh, one more thing. You write:

"America has a recurring history of exploiting immigrants to do the shit work. And there has almost always been a racially-motivated backlash by god-fearing crackpot white folks like Emery and yourself once immigrants start to assimilate into "American" society."

I think it is awful that America exploits ILLEGAL immigrants to do "shit work," rather than supporting illegal immigration, wherein illegal immigrants set themselves up for this sort of exploitation I, personally, feel it is a more COMPASSIONATE view to STOP illegal immigration so that they CANNOT be exploited rather than support illegal immigration so that the cycle can continue.

Is it or was it necessary to call me a "hypocrit" or a "god-fearing crackpot white folk" because I disagree with your viewpoint for legitimate and valid reasons? I don't think that's very nice, rsmith...tsk, tsk. Who looks like the bigot here now? :0

Jackie Melton said...

Oh, and rsmith writes:

"Go on down to the Monett area and check out the plants yourself. Your anecdote is well-taken, but it's also the exception, and you know it."

Green Forest, AR and Berryville, AR are exceptions but Monett is the rule? Is that what you are suggesting?

:/

Anonymous said...

Off-topic (I'm sorry)!

You, the Ozarks Angel, have been tagged for a Vicious Meme that has been circulating throughout the Ozarks' Blogisphere.

Make a post telling us 8 things that we don't know about you... and don't forget to tag your friends.

Peace!

rob rob the party slob said...

I can't say I totally disagree with him but I'm not turning a blind eye on it either. I think we need to ensure all workers in the U.S. are documented, tax paying individuals... however i also believe that these aliens should be able to be afforded the same opportunities in life that I've been given, just because I was born in america. I think we should reform the process for becoming a citizen and enabling hard working people willing to gut a chicken to become U.S. citizens

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