BACA. and that is the power of words. And that is all we really have here in this chamber. and that is to address one another in a respectful manner and engage in a good faith debate about the merits or demerits of any particular issue. Unfortunately. words can be harmful and they can incite and be counterproductive. and to be a disservice not just to this institution but to the American people who are waiting for a good faith debate on the important issue of immigration. However. this debate has been framed in a certain manner. to appeal probably to that rather unattractive underbelly that is out there in society. and that is bigotry and racism. And that is a true danger. And when I say it is a disservice to this country. it is beyond a disservice. It is going back in time. A recent article that appeared this Sunday regarding this debate pointed out as follows. and this is so important that it cannot be adequately emphasized: Most Americans who are in favor of stricter border enforcement are not bigots. Far from it. But some politicians and other public figures see an opportunity to foment hate and hysteria for their own profit. They are embracing a nativism and xenophobia that recall the 1920s when a State Department warning about an influx about filthy and unassimilable Jews from Eastern Europe led to the first immigration quotas. or the 1950s heyday of Operation Wetback when illegal Mexican workers were hunted down and deported. We are a better Nation than we were in the 1920s. we are a better Nation than we were in the 1950s. but only if we respect what this institution is all about. and that is a good faith based debate on the facts and the figures. and not to appeal to an emotional part of the human spirit that is not to be admired or promoted. At this time I yield to my colleague.
Identified stereotypes
Jews from Eastern Europe are filthy and unassimilable.