Millions of Americans look forward to the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, he represents the rich ethnic diversity of America. In a post racial America anyone with the drive, determination, intelligence and eloquence of Obama can achieve greatness in their realm of expertise.

The vast majority of Americans, Republicans and Democrats, look upon Barack’s triumph as a symbol of hope and progress. But there are a few Neanderthals who don’t like our democracy’s rainbow of diversity, they prefer the monochrome hues of the 1950′s.

These reactionaries are terrifed that in a few years our country will be less than 50 percent white. They focus most of their vitriol on the hardworking undocumented workers who come from Mexico and South America. But their hatred can’t overcome the deomographic trends, and their racism won’t stop progress.

They portray Hispanic undocumented workers are criminals who come to America only to take advantage of our liberal social welfare programs. This is a bald-faced lie, migrants are the embodiment of the Protestant work ethic, and they contribute to the greatness of our nation.

Right-wingers are always railing against the “illegal immigrants” who are flooding our country with drugs and violence. There are millions of Americans, of all political persuasions, who eagerly consume these illicit narcotics. Mexico and the United States are responsible for the drug problem that plagues both countries.

Mexico has a right to complain about the guns that are being smuggled into Mexico from the United States.

“One priority of Mr. Calderón’s government is to reduce the number of real guns in Mexico, the vast majority of which are smuggled into Mexico from the United States. That is likely to be high on the agenda when Mr. Calderón meets with President-elect Barack Obama on Monday in Washington.” — The New York Times

Mexico is in the middle of an epic battle with drug cartels that has taken the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers, judges, politicians and civilians. And yet I don’t hear Mexican politicians blame our country for their predicament, and stereotype us as violence prone because we flood their country with lethal firearms.

The election of an African American president is not an aberration, it’s the beginning of a trend. We will elect politicians who look like the America of the 21st century: A multi-cultural and ethnically diverse democracy.

I look forward to the day in the near future when racists and reactionaries will be looked upon with disdain, and they will be in the same category as those who insist that the world is flat.

These racists are enamored with the past, but I thrilled with the present where we have an African American president, and I look forward to the future when the great majority of Americans will warmly embrace the undocumented workers who are part of the American landscape.

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Reference: Arming the Drug Wars (by James Verini) — The U.S. has pledged more than $1 billion to help Mexico win its war on drugs. But even as the body count rises above 10,000, most of the guns that do the killing — Colt .38 Supers and big-bore Barrett rifles among them?keep pouring in from the U.S.
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