One Fine Day in Columbus

I have written several times about the impact of our government bringing tens of thousands of Somalis to the US as refugees in the 1990s. Like several other communities like Minneapolis, Columbus, Ohio is feeling the effect as well. Here is a local news report. The TV reporters don't even mention the fact that the people involved are Somalis though the video shows who is involved. Pay close attention to the comment thread. There are a lot of ugly comments here and not just about Somalis.

http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2012/12/08/columbus-apartment-application-crowd-loses-control.html

Of course, it is a delicate matter when you question the wisdom of admitting a particular immigrant group who are mostly without skills and education. It is especially so when they are black Africans. To say anything critical could easily bring a charge of racism. Yet I would ask the question of how the influx of 80,000 Somali refugees is of benefit to African-Americans. It comes down to the same issues; job competition, crime, and public support. Generally, visas are not granted to anyone who cannot show a means of support in the US, a job offer, or family support-anything that would prevent an immigrant from having to be placed on the public dole. I assume refugees are in a different category, but how many people do we have to admit just because their own country is dysfunctional or involved in a civil war?

I do know that many Somalis are, in fact, employed as taxi drivers, airport workers, and in meat plants around the US. That is all well and good, but many are in gangs or have gone back to Somalia to join the Al Shabab terror group. (Just this week, a Somali woman in San Diego has been sentenced to prison for her involvement in a terror plot.) As for the above jobs, when did we get away from looking for Filipina nurses, Indian doctors, or other nationalities with specific skills we need? One can hardly say we need more cab drivers or meat packers. In addition, meat plant workers have sued their employers over the right to take off work for their daily prayers, while taxi drivers and supermarket check-out clerks have refused to service customers with alcohol or those purchasing alcohol or pork products.

I think when you look at the balance, bringing 80,000 Somalis into the US has been a disaster-even if many or even most are law-abiding. There seems to be a problem with assimilation. Somali immigrants in Europe, particularly Norway, are not doing so well either. They can be mostly seen hanging around the Central Train Station.

The result of all this is increasing anger and yes, prejudice on the part of the native populations who have spent most of their lives being taught that prejudice is a bad thing. In the case of Columbus, the reader comments say it all. I am not defending those comments (especially the one that blames the entire problem on the Jews), but with the latter exception, I can see where it is coming from. What is unfortunate is that this further divides us as a people. It is not that the Somalis are black. Allowing educated and/or skilled Africans with a desire to assimilate and contribute will not increase racial antagonisms.  I have met too many quality African immigrants not to know better. But this has been a mistake.

What is happening to the fabric of our society? Why do our governments take actions that can only create further divisions that we do not need as we are trying to heal our own old wounds?  Are we determined to follow Europe into the abyss?