Opinion A MIX OF IDEAS Editorials are posted and archived on JNonline.us . Dry Bones EMIT CHAT IN A BAR Editorial Immigration Reform Now T here are good reasons why Jewish groups like the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) and the American Jewish Committee have been active advocates for compre- hensive immigration reform. More than most, the Jewish community under- stands America's role as a safe haven and land of opportunity for those "hud- dled masses yearning to breathe free." And more than most, we understand the dangers of scapegoating immigrants for political gain, sadly a long American political tradition and one of the rea- sons serious, fair-minded immigration reform has been so difficult to pass in recent years. A new immigration reform mea- sure was introduced in the House of Representatives just before the December holiday recess. It is critically important that Congress move swiftly on this issue — and not just because the American immigration system is badly broken. The Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act, introduced by Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., would beef up border security, increase support for family reunification and change employment verification procedures, among other provisions. Also included is an "earned legaliza- tion program" for some of those who are in this country illegally. That represents an important start. Family reunification must be a key goal of the legal immigration system. Immigration bottlenecks need to eliminated. And Jewish groups have long argued that truly significant reform must include a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants — although a Zogby poll in January suggested that the Jewish rank and file may not feel as strongly on the issue. Don't get us wrong: illegal immigration is a problem that needs to be addressed. And in this age of global terrorism, bor- der security must be a priority. We ignore those realities at our own peril. But scapegoating illegal immigrants as the carriers of crime and disease who steal American jobs and endanger our communities has become a too-com- mon feature on our political landscape, promoted by talk-show hosts who exploit legitimate fears, and too often legitimized by mainstream politicians who should know better. Immigration strengthens America — a fact our own community, built on a foun- dation laid by our immigrant parents and grandparents, so dramatically demonstrated. Finding ways to maintain that tradition in a very differ- ent, post-9-11 environment is critical to preserving the pluralism and tolerance that have been so good to American Jews and to countless other minority communities. Serious, comprehensive and balanced immigration reform is long overdue; we hope this is the year a reluctant DryBonesBlog.com Congress will finally act intelligently and responsibly. ❑ This editorial comment originally appeared in the New York Jewish Week on Jan. 8. Please share your thoughts online: www.thejewishnews.com/community. Go to Local News. Reality Check Cabbages And Kings 0 ne of the strangest characters in the works of Charles Dickens is a fellow named Mr. Dick. He has been described as a "harmless lunatic" by literary critics. Well, maybe. He turns up in David Copperfield, writing a letter to the lord high commis- sioner that he will never finish. That's because after every few sentences, he begins, instead, to write about King Charles' head. Charles I was the only English king to be executed after a trial. The method, of course, was decapitation. Although it had happened some 200 years before Mr. Dick's lifetime, he just could not let it go. I think of poor Mr. Dick every time I follow a story on my computer and enter a chat room where people are invited to give their opinions on what they have just read. It makes you wonder how much longer a democracy governed by an enlightened citizenry has to go. 22 February 4 • 2010 It's not a question of whether they agree or disagree with me. It's the tone and the content of these replies that resembles Mr. Dick on steroids. While there is a minority who address the issue in a civil and rational way, the rest should be placed in restraints as soon as possible. These peo- ple vote, I keep telling myself, and their parents love them. It makes no difference what the article was about. Earthquake in Haiti. A terror- ist with flaming underwear. Censorship in China. Bombs in Gaza. Rioting in Africa. Strife in Iran. Their answer is always the same. It's all because of race: The decline of faith by banning prayer in the public schools. The legalization of abortion that brought down the wrath of God. Too much government. Too little roughage in your diet. The des- ignated hitter. And how do we address these issues? Well, first we call any e-mail writer who dissents from your opinion every name in the book. It goes something like this: • Reader One: Closer atten- tion to tectonic shifts in the Caribbean must be paid to pre- vent another major quake there. • Reader Two: You stupid obscenity. Are you looking at who lives on that obscene island? Nothing but a bunch of obscene racial term running around bab- bling in French. • Reader Three: God will strike you both down dead. • Mr. Dick: It's because of that deceased monarch's head laying right in front of you. Are you too obtuse to see it? Mr. Dick may have been obsessed, but he kept his cranial delusions to himself. These guys have a world-wide audience of drooling fools. King Charles' head did cause some problems in its time. The restored Stuart monarchy vowed to hunt down and kill every judge who voted for the death sentence. A few fled to America and near New Haven, Conn,. there is a rocky out- growth called Judges' Cave where some of them managed to elude their pursuers. There have also been many examples of extreme partisanship throughout American history. But in most cases, they have been clustered around reasonable issues where some logic prevails. How do you argue with someone who screams that halitosis is the root of all evil? One Mr. Dick is a comic triumph. A few thousand of them bellowing their received truths aren't funny at all. ❑ George Cantor's e-mail address is gcantor614@aoLcom.