COMMENTARY: Nasty proposals to bring out the worst in all of us

c. 1996 Religion News Service (Andrew M. Greeley is a Roman Catholic priest, best-selling novelist and a sociologist at the University of Chicago National Opinion Research Center. His home page on the World Wide Web is at http://www.agreeley.com. Or contact him via e-mail at agreel(at)aol.com.) (UNDATED) Ever since the Nixon era, when the Republican Party […]

c. 1996 Religion News Service

(Andrew M. Greeley is a Roman Catholic priest, best-selling novelist and a sociologist at the University of Chicago National Opinion Research Center. His home page on the World Wide Web is at http://www.agreeley.com. Or contact him via e-mail at agreel(at)aol.com.)

(UNDATED) Ever since the Nixon era, when the Republican Party embarked on its”Southern strategy”to woo Southern Democrats with thinly veiled efforts to reverse the gains of the Civil Rights era, it seems to me the GOP has pursued a policy of crypto-racism. More recently, it has also pursued a policy of virtually explicit nativism _ hatred of foreigners, especially foreigners with dark skins.


To those who question this assertion I cite the welfare reform measure recently approved by the Republican-controlled Congress and pending legislation that would restrict immigration and make English the official language of the federal government.

This kind of legislation appeals to the worst aspects of American culture, those that most incline us to hate other human beings.

The Republicans have managed to make welfare a major issue in national politics. To me, the subtext of their rhetoric is that middle-class Americans are heavily taxed to provide benefits to black unwed mothers who refuse to work.

But in fact, aid to the nation’s poor costs less than 1 percent of the federal budget; more white mothers receive welfare than black mothers; half of those who receive aid are on welfare for only a year; and three quarters do not exceed two years.

Certainly, welfare reform is necessary to help some of those caught in the grip of poverty take control of their lives. But the cruelty of many of these so-called reforms is unconscionable.

Particularly evil is the neat combination of racism and nativism contained in a Republican proposal to ban welfare for legal immigrants. These legal immigrants pay taxes just like everyone else; in fact, they under-utilize welfare. The only reason to single them out is to subtly appeal to the current American fear of and hatred for foreigners.

Another bill, still pending, would permit states to expel children of illegal immigrants from public schools. This is as vicious an appeal to nativism as one could imagine. Many of the Republicans who support such legislation know that immigration is not a major problem in this country and that indeed immigrants are an asset. But they don’t seem to care.


Punishing immigrants, like punishing unwed black mothers, is red meat for the yahoos of the country _ and for the yahoo who lurks in each of us.

Finally, to really stick it to foreigners, proposed legislation to make English the official language of the country would forbid government employees to give advice or instruction in any language but English. For more than two centuries our republic has flourished without an official language. Indeed, English became a requirement for citizenship only in the beginning of this century. But now we are asked to exclude all other languages.

Will this make life more difficult for immigrants? Yes it will, but such cruelty appeals to many Republican extremists and their supporters _ some of whom are descendants of recent immigrants.

All three pieces of legislation are exercises in demagoguery. Republicans have no monopoly on such hatred. But it is hard to find much in their present program that does not bring out the worst in Americans.

Targets of Democratic demagoguery are usually the elite, the wealthy, the successful. That is objectionable too, but at least it doesn’t target those who are least able to defend themselves. The officers of tobacco companies and the makers of guns can at least protect themselves with large gifts to public officials and huge fees to high-priced lawyers. The poor, the immigrant, the welfare mother have no such powers of the purse.

President Clinton agreed to sign the Republican welfare bill, after vetoing two previous reform efforts for the obvious reason that it will help his chances for re-election. He promised after the election to try to correct some of the bill’s worst provisions. Is he also appealing to racism and nativism? Or is he making the best of a bad situation?


If Republicans end up winning the White House and controlling Congress this election year, it will be a sad day for those who are not white, wealthy, and native-born. Rest assured that the GOP will appeal to every mean-spirited and punitive motive that lurks in the dark side of the American character.

Suddenly, cruelty will be back in fashion.

MJP END GREELEY

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