I
love Star Parker.
She had the guts to run against now former Congressman Laura Richardson in a
heavily Democratic district in South Los Angeles-Carson. She tells it like it
is, and she cuts through the crap.
I
was dismayed, however, with certain arguments in her recent article entitled:
"The
Republican Hispanic Challenge"
She
declared her agreement with failed GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney that
President Obama won the Presidency because he gave gifts to Hispanic voters.
First
of all, that is just patently untrue. Besides the executive order not to
prosecute young illegals in this country, who are in this country through no
fault of their own, President Obama has in fact deported more illegal
immigrants than than all the previous presidents combines, from Eisenhower to
Bush II. I would submit that Obama's executive order failed to address serious
issues, liking maintaining the rule of law in the United States with proper
border control and welfare-state reform which expands opportunity as opposed to
dependence.
Second
of all, to say "He gave them something" suggests that everyone with a
Spanish surname or a barrio address is on the dole. That's just insulting.
Furthermore, no political party can hope to win the approval or support of any
constituency if the leadership or speakership insists on insulting or talking
down to one segment of the population.
I
will never forget the comments from
Senator-elect Ted Cruz of Texas:
"Have
you ever seen a Hispanic panhandling on the street?"
Not
a chance. The work ethic is real for every person who seeks a better life in
this country. Free-market economist Murray Rothbard established reasonably
that less government and more opportunity has given migrant communities, no
matter where their nation of origin, the sure chance of a prosperous life.
The
notion that Hispanic individuals in this country are "begging for a
handout" does not ring true.
I
am certain that conservative African-American Parker has no interest in casting
aspersions on any one group of people. The entitlement mentality of any person
in any country is disturbing and delusional, since the state has less of other
people's money to give, in the first place. She is right to go on the attack
against a culture of expecting something from the state, or that the state has
the right to take everything from us to meet an end of equality for all.
Still,
comments such as these require scrutiny:
But the big challenge is that, although these constituencies would
be far better off in a nation with limited government and conservative values,
they by and large have already bought into the welfare state.
As
an example of "Hispanic" fiscal reform, Puerto Rico's governor Luis
Fortuno instituted massive
spending cuts
following the devastating revelation that the previous governor's promised
favors and spent money which the island nation no longer had. The governor
instituted a 90% cut in the country's budget. Fortuno's
recent reelection loss was a slim, weak
victory for his challenger, more likely mirroring the poor showing of the
national Republican conference, with Romney's anemic campaigning picking up
steam too late to secure Republicans or independents to go the polls. I imagine
that the next Governor of Puerto Rico will think twice before rescinding the
reforms instituted by Fortuno, since major corporate interests have offered
their interest to invest in the country.
Somehow, many Republicans have bought the myth that the
immigration issue is the main barrier between Hispanics and the Republican
Party.
The
real issue comes down to asserting values and permitting individuals to assess
the outcomes. Anyone is open to these opportunities. People deserve to hear
more than "self-deportation"
as an immigration policy. Enough with demagoguing one group of people. Limit
and streamline the "white" welfare state, and allow for a freer
immigration policy. Nothing could be simpler.
Parker
then pays attention to more disconcerting demographic issues:
Median Hispanic income is $38,409 compared to a national median
income of $60,088.
Fifty three percent of Hispanic babies are born to unwed mothers
and the high school graduation rate of Hispanic kids is 65.9 percent.
Thirty eight percent of Hispanic children live in single-parent
households.
These
statistics cannot support an assumption ofendemic state-sponsored dependence.
Democrat Jerry Brown had to slash the
welfare state here in the Golden State. The above outcomes are the result
of a tax-and-spend President whose policies have enlarged deficit-driven
government programs. President Bush created a number of faults and fallouts
during his adminstration, but President Obama has furthered these ruinous
policies, coupled with no leadership or vision beyond blaming someone else.
Parker
then outlines the real reforms that Hispanics, that all Americans need:
What America’s Hispanics need is a growing, prosperous economy so
they can work and get a decent wage. The anemic, government larded economy of
today is not going to deliver this to them.
They need to get their kids out of failing public schools and have
choice to attend private, church schools. And they need to live in a nation in
which the traditional family is the standard and it is once again shameful for
women to give birth out of marriage.
These
are the issues that every politician, every person who wants to serve in the
public interest must focus on. Republicans care about voucher programs. They
are not beholden to teachers unions, unlike a number of Democratic operatives
in the state of California. Voucher programs have proliferated in different
states. Why not here?
When
she sticks to the facts, she is spot on. When she gets stuck on the comment,
she oversteps her argument. It's time for the GOP to hear the needs and present
the best opportunities better to all communities, regardless of race, status,
or condition. The Republicans have a better record
on civil rights. They just need to let everyone know, including the Hispanic
community. Neither "gifts", not "handouts", but a gift for
letting families and local communities lend a hand: this legacy belongs to the
Republican Party — all they have to do is make it plain.