Update later in the day: Brian Mosely has the latest from Shelbyville today here. And, here is my response to the bigotry charge.
Who would have thought the Shelbyville Times-Gazette article last Friday would open the hornets nest it has. Even the New York Times got in on the story. (Hat tip: Blulitespecial) Here is the part I found most interesting at the Times:
Mr. Hadley said both management and union were surprised when nearly all the Somali workers — Tyson puts their number at 250, the union at nearly 400 — did not work on Id al-Fitr last year. They were not paid, but the plant almost had to close that day, said Mr. Hadley, adding that management was “elated” by the proposal to make Id al-Fitr a holiday.
Why are the numbers changing? First we heard 700 from the union, now 400. I would think that counting the Somali employees wouldn’t be that complicated. So it makes one wonder if they are purposefully being deceptive. And why was management so surprised that so many Somalis skipped work on the holiday when anyone who has studied the issues involving Islam in America knows that Somalis are devout Muslims.
But, that isn’t what I wanted to talk about this morning. As I read through all the articles and comments mostly taking aim at Tyson’s and suggesting boycotts, I see virtually nothing about the source of all of this—-the US State Department’s Refugee Resettlement Program. I don’t expect the general public to inquire, but where are the investigative journalists?
Does no one want to know how over 80,000 Somalis got here in the first place?
Did you know they are eligible to bring family members once resettled?
Did you know that “church” groups are paid (by you the taxpayer) to resettle these Muslim refugees (and hundreds of thousands more)?
Did you know that the taxpayer pays their airfare? How many ever repay those “loans”?
Did you know the Somalis are entering the US with HIV and TB?
Did you know that they originally received subsidized apartments, health care, food stamps, employment case workers, and other welfare?
Did you know that Tyson’s Food (and other meatpackers) have run into problems in other US cities?
Do you want to know if Tyson’s gets a tax break for hiring refugees?
I’m told that Tyson’s and other meatpackers used to pay decent wages (higher than today) but began lowering wages first when they found a supply of illegal workers and have kept them lower now that they have a ready supply of refugees, is it true?
Are politicians in Washington on both sides of the aisle encouraging refugee resettlement to fuel big businesses need for cheap labor (while they get to wear a sanctimonius do-gooder white hat)?
And following on that question, is the State Department the employment service for big business?
How many of the Somalis in the US right now are asylees? In other words, how many slipped into the US illegally and then sought asylum?
Does anyone ever consult the community in advance when a large group of third world refugees are brought into a city or town? Does the local government have any recourse?
Did you know that the Somalis have practiced female genital mutilation and polygamy in the United States, how widespread is it?
Did you know there is a conflict going on in many black sections of cities over the Somalis who act arrogantly toward American born blacks?
I only have 20 or 30 more questions, but I will quit, I’ve made my point. So where are all the investigative journalists? Guess its up to us bloggers to investigate and report the real story.