DWMC Installs New Officers
OFFICERS OF THE DWMC, 2018-19
From left,
First VPs for Programs: Jessica Wells and Jeanette Sabo,
President Paula Shelton,
Treasurer Kerry Arnold,
Second VP for Communications Sandy Waterkotte,
Outgoing President Darlene Dunham,
Recording Secretary Betty Barnett,
(not shown) Corresponding Secretary, Diane Anello
Many of us, I suspect, if we were fleeing brutal poverty or a corrupt regime or death squads, would give very little thought to anything beyond removing ourselves and those we love from an untenable situation.
We’d snatch up our children and flee to a place that held the promise of a better life. I’d wager that some of us would even sneak across a border with our babies in tow to escape a life that offered us no hope.
That said, every nation has a right and a responsibility to protect its borders. While it only has two to defend, the United States faces a distinct challenge with its neighbor to the south. While we have in-migration from all over the world, our border with Mexico is unique because the U.S. is a wealthy country and Mexico is a poor one.
It is rare in the entire world that an enormously rich country shares a porous border with another country so impoverished. And indeed, the overwhelming majority of undocumented immigrants in this country have come from Mexico.
It’s clear to anyone with the most rudimentary understanding of migration patterns that we do not encounter the problems with our northern border that we do with our southern. The inescapable conclusion is that the United States is an irresistible beacon of aspiration and prosperity to millions of our poorest southern neighbors.
The evidence is in the appreciable number of Mexican nationals who have risked everything to attain these ideals. Yet regardless of our feelings about them, we must never forget that the children they bring with them are guiltless.
When war, pogroms and famine have driven people to flee their own countries, the majority of Americans have repeatedly shown a willingness toward leniency to those who have found themselves outside our laws because of situations they had no ability to control.
Such is the case with the “Dreamers.”
Brought here by their parents as infants and children, many have never known another home. They think of themselves as Americans. Some have never again set foot in the country they were born in.
These children were raised with the same hopes and dreams that most of us have for our offspring: a good education and a job that will make them happy and economically secure. Under DACA, that is exactly what many of these young people have been able to accomplish.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a stopgap program introduced by President Obama in 2012 because Congress couldn’t or wouldn’t pass the Dream Act, first introduced 17 years ago. The Dream Act would have created a pathway to citizenship for these children. Nevertheless, neither DACA nor the Dream Act — if it had passed — was intended to be easy, hurtle-free avenues for remaining in this country.
DACA, which must be renewed every two years, has numerous restrictions with regard to who is eligible. Among them: DACA recipients must have been brought to the U.S. before the age of 16 and have lived here continuously since June 15, 2007; the program is available only to those now aged 16 to 35; and those eligible must currently be enrolled in or have graduated from high school or possess a GED.
They are ineligible if they have been convicted of a felony, a serious misdemeanor or are considered a threat to national security.
After they have cleared these hurdles and become DACA enrollees, these young people are eligible to apply for driver’s licenses, Social Security cards, jobs, and although they do not qualify for federal financial aid, they can attend college utilizing private loans.
DACA recipients are Dreamers, but not all Dreamers are DACA recipients. When anti-immigrant legislators denigrate Dreamers and vow to kick them out of the country, they often fail to distinguish between the two. According to the independent, nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute, DACA recipients are more likely to be enrolled in college or to have already graduated. They hold higher paying jobs than the average Dreamer. They’re even organ donors at a higher percentage than the rest of us.
While there are fewer than 800,000 DACA recipients, their economic contribution is enormous.
In the state of Iowa, for instance, programs like DACA have helped propel growth. Seven thousand Iowans fled the state between 2010 and 2015, but 29,000 immigrants moved in. Iowa’s economy could not be sustained without these new workers.
DACA is not any kind of permanent solution, and we absolutely must do something about our immigration laws. Many Democratic lawmakers have tried mightily to balance our immigration policy with empathy and compassion for DACA recipients.
But the Republican Congress members now bent on deporting these high-achieving, incredibly motivated Dreamers — who through no fault of their own cannot fully claim this country — are just plain mean-spirited and wrong-headed. Click here to read the Counterpoint
The Democratic Women of Moore County filled a bus with ReSisters (and a couple of ReMisters) on Saturday, January 20th! They traveled to Raleigh for the Women’s Rally, brought their signs, their enthusiasm, and their voices to a wildly enthusiastic scene!
Here’s a sampling of what we saw in, and what we brought to, Raleigh!
Donald Trump’s Presidency Has Inspired 11,000 Women To Run For Office From
“Over ten thousand women isn’t a ripple — it’s a wave,” Emily’s List president Stephanie Schriock said.
Emily’s List has seen an “unprecedented” amount of women interested in running for political office, the group’s president Stephanie Schriock told The Washington Post on Friday for a story about Democrats challenging Republicans in traditionally red districts during the midterm elections.
“During the 2016 cycle, her group spoke with about 900 women interested in running for school board, state legislature or Congress,” WaPo’s Ed O’Keefe and Mike DeBonis wrote. “This year, they’ve heard from more than 11,000 women in all 50 states — with a few dozen seriously considering House races, she said.”
In December, The Huffington Post’s Emma Gray reported that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s loss in the 2016 presidential election had motivated women across the country to get more involved with the political process. Read more …
OFFICERS OF THE DWMC, 2018-19
From left,
First VPs for Programs: Jessica Wells and Jeanette Sabo,
President Paula Shelton,
Treasurer Kerry Arnold,
Second VP for Communications Sandy Waterkotte,
Outgoing President Darlene Dunham,
Recording Secretary Betty Barnett,
(not shown) Corresponding Secretary, Diane Anello
Contact any of our Officers using the following form: