The following are reponses from students of Dr. Hector Garcia at Loyola University’s Department of Modern Languages and Literatures:

Alex Cinali, student, Loyola University Chicago

The most trusted name in news has increasingly become an arena for strong political opinion that, in my mind, has made this channel merely an entertainment station. This is unfortunate as I have been a consistent watcher through my daily life of this channel, keeping it in high standards in contrast to that of neo-con-entertainment shown on FOX. Lou Dobbs is clearly one of CNN’s responses to a ratings war that is throwing the impartial new source into a factual blight. I do agree with Lou Dobbs on many important issues in the U.S. today. His emphasis on middle-class America, along with checks and balances on powerful multinational corporations are laudable from a populist and worldly perspective. However, his strong opinions on issues of immigration and undocumented residents distort the more constructive reasoning we need for a moderate and egalitarian state.

Lou Dobbs takes a strong stance on outsourcing, most particularly to those of “Hispanic” origin within our own borders. His fascist tones seem to suggest that U.S. workers are having their employment stolen by fence-jumping “illegals” that live off the system while giving back nothing but crime, disease, and welfare nightmares. My response to this is historical and psychological. Historically, these “illegals” share much in common with the same people that supported the U.S. economy during the WWII campaigns where U.S. males were shipped around the globe with their U.S.-based employment positions left vacant. Now, these same people seek work today but now they are unwanted illegals sucking the U.S. dry of jobs. Psychologically, the U.S. population is so arrogant that even if these “illegals” were “shipped home,” no U.S. citizen would allow themselves to take on such “immigrant” work. Dobbs seems to suggest these jobs have waiting lists that Americans are eager to join, when in reality there is no one even willing to consider the type of dangerous, unsanitary, and degrading work these “citizens” provide.

Crime. Dobbs has many times considered the immigrant community as havens for crime. While this may be true, it is no more statistically shadowing as the crime populations in areas inhabited by “non-illegals” experience. Never has an atrocity been carried out by an undocumented worker that has grabbed the attention of national media, yet I do recall Timothy McVeigh and the Unabomber (both middle-class white “legal” citizens). Crime is not racially influenced, it is socioeconomic. Race does not create crime and vice versa. It is economics and the lack of egalitarianism that fuels the crime on our streets.

Disease. The economic system is again to blame, not an influx of racially diverse peoples from a southern state. The poorer are dying because we don’t want to help, not because the evil border crossers are bringing disease.

Lou Dobbs, although correct in many of his positions, is dangerous for a formally impartial news network. Unfortunately, ratings and sales are based on what people want to hear, not what they should hear. The biased, and many times incorrect, stories that Dobbs presents distort the reality that many young and politically inexperienced voters may consider when participating in the upcoming political process. The young, retired, and union members are strong entities that candidates must appeal to for success. Dobbs is not your man for advising an informed decision.

My question to Lou Dobbs is this: Does he mow his own lawn? And if he wants to strengthen our borders and kick out the illegals, who are we going to get to build the fence?

Daphne Blancas, student, Loyola University Chicago

Without the immigrants eagerly working America’s dirtiest jobs, who will? The construction, cleaning, serving … who will cater to our needs? Supposing that workers are found, how much will they expect for these jobs? Will we be able to afford it? America already has this issue taken care of by the illegal immigrants, who eagerly accept almost any task in exchange for a small monetary compensation. Therefore, from an economic standpoint, the “big businesses” of America are benefiting from these people working for a fraction of what the poorest American would accept. Furthermore, corporations need not worry about other benefits, such as health insurance, which allows for businesses to keep greater revenue than they would if Americans worked these jobs. It would therefore seem reasonable to try to find a solution for these people who have already made it alive to the U.S. rather than just ship them back from the hell they have escaped.  

Furthermore, in regard to legal immigrants, why should they completely forget their roots and adapt to our way of living? Why should we repel their identity when we tell them that they must assimilate and accept our culture as their own? Is it right to play the role of God and command them to strip naked of their culture and wear our clothes, habits, and norms. Is this fair? Is it just to insinuate that our culture is superior to theirs and that they must forget theirs to embrace ours? If a person is following our laws, paying taxes, and contributing to society, why should we tell them that it is wrong for them to waive their flag proudly? What is wrong with them celebrating a holiday that they hold dear? Yes, America is their new home, but their memories, family, heritage, and language is found in another country. We must accept the fact that not everyone is born under the same conditions. A flag is a symbol representing where they come from, and while they have found a new home in the United States of America, under our constitution they are guaranteed certain freedoms and there is nothing wrong with waving another flag.

Furthermore, if they remain loyal to our country, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a person smiling and toasting to a holiday that they wish to celebrate. Yes, we may all be American, but no one can tell our hearts where to stand. America cannot play the role of God and tell people of different colors, backgrounds, and history that they are supposed to celebrate only certain holidays and only waive one flag. We are a country promoting freedom, and how can we call our people free if we frown when they wish to waive three flags or celebrate a holiday?

Hamlet González, student, Loyola University Chicago

 Lou Dobbs uses shock doctrine that in its underlining underpinning has poor argumentation. He consistently titles his news segments with alarmist titles, which make for cheap attention grabbers in this day in age of 30-second sound bites. For a man who graduated form Harvard and has become a distinguished journalist it is sad to see how often he ignores and distorts facts as a tool for his ridiculous rhetoric.