Immigration Bill Vote Today and the Violence of Language

From the Full Story at Forbes via Associated Press:

"Conservative Republican senators and a handful of Democrats are trying to put a final knife in President Bush's plan for legalizing millions of unlawful immigrants."

1. I don't want anyone to put a knife in anything. I want security at the border.

2. "...legalizing millions of unlawful immigrants." - This is Drug War language, which I interpret as obfuscation of fact. We aren't talking about "legalizing" anything. I was under the impression we are attempting to solve a problem with people illegally entering and working in the United States.

3. When opponents begin to get the Israeli Language Treatment, that is, language so skewed as to prevent a reasonable reader from drawing a conclusion other than that the side being discussed is unreasonable and potentially dangerous, then it is time to brace for the worst.

One line of this report and we learn through imagery that says in uncertain and shifting terms that sociopaths are trying to put a knife in the hopes of poor, unlawful immigrants. Brace up for the onslaught. I smell big, powerful interests at work - powerful enough to begin to change the terminology of the debate in the old media. Whenever that happens, when news reporting begins to adopt the language of violence to describe opposition, it's a safe bet the pressure is on to close the deal for the monied interests.

I suspect that by day's end, we'll be listening to self congratulatory speeches from Senators proud of their new reform bill. Of course, things could change, but I'm not hopeful. Start looking around for Primary challengers ASAP.