David Rovics What if you Knew Lyrics

If you knew that the earth was dying
If they said this on the news
If they would clarify the picture
Instead of seeking to confuse
If you could see the ice caps melting
If you could watch the oceans rise
If you could see the consequences
Right before your eyes
If you knew the kids were dying
If you could look inside
The river where their food comes from
Filled with cyanide
If you could hear the parents pleading
If they were looking right at you
If you could see the anguish in their hearts
What if you knew
If you knew the bombs were falling
If they showed them hit the ground
If you could see the bodies flying
If you could hear the sound
If you could see the rubble
Where the hospital once stood
If you saw the child's lifeless limbs
Would you hold them if you could
If you knew that they were lying
Every time they spoke
For every laser-guided pinprick
There were lives lost in the smoke
If instead of just the generals
They had doctors, too
To describe the carnage of the cluster bombs
What if you knew

If you knew what they were saying
When they think you cannot hear
If you understood what they do
If for you it was so clear
If you knew they shut down the factory
In an economic ruse
If you could kiss the cheek of the child
In the sweatshop that made your shoes
If every time we went to war
To fight our evil foes
They told you we were really fighting
For the good of CEOs
If you could feel the hunger of the many
And see the riches of the few
If they told it like it is
What if you knew
If you knew that you were living
In a huge conspiracy
Would you leave your suburbs
Get out of your SUV
Would you hit the streets
And fight for all our lives
Would you hold your ground
When the stormtroopers arrive
If you knew that the whole planet
Depended on what you do now
Would you take command
With the speed our times allow
If the pundits told the truth
For just a week or two
And real life was shown on TV
What if you knew

No one is Illegal: Tackling Immigration

Southern U.S border (Right side Mexico)

"Stopping illegal immigration would mean that wages would have to rise to a level where Americans would want the jobs currently taken by illegal aliens." -Thomas Sowell
  Just to back that quote up, Thomas Sowell is the author of over 30 books and an American economist, social theorist and political philosopher. There is a misconception that if more people immigrate (usually referenced from Mexico/South America) to the U.S. there will be less jobs for us already underemployed Americans and our economy will fall further into corporate abyss. This, however, is not true at all. If we "declare that no one is illegal" then every immigrant will have to get paid minimum wage and will have the same employment process as every other american. It is under the system of categorizing human beings as 'illegal' that allows people to profit. Building higher walls is not for keeping immigrants out, but to make sure the ones that get in are unregulated and therefore forced to work under the table, often harvesting the food we eat or making the products we use. It is undeniable that part of economy is fueled by the significantly cheaper workforce of 'illegals'. By denying these people rights to things such as medicare, social security, working regulations and other benefits, corporations earn considerably more than if they hired legals. Legalizing would allow a fairer economy and therefore a stronger economy.
       Ask yourself why people are willing to go to just great depths to reach the United States? Is it a unrelenting desire to take down the middle class by taking their jobs, or is it just a desire for a better life? We need to go further than the dream act to ensure that every immigrant living in the United States is documented. This might sound very liberal but in fact it still adheres to the conservative ideas of 'keep our workforce legal' (which technically would mean regulated, a word that conservatives don't like unless it has to do with immigration). Those who are coming to this country are fleeing from poverty and lack of human rights and yet, under this system, they remain with both.
       The picture on the top left is of the southern border (U.S on left, Mexico on right), and speaks for itself. We as an increasingly international community, have to address our neighbors' issues as well as our own. The United States regulations on child labor, factory conditions, working hours, should be upheld no only in America but also overseas- if a product we import is made beneath our standards than it should be declared illegal, this way we can begin to tackle the issue of outsourcing for cheap labor, therefore bringing jobs back to the United States that do not need to be international. Humanity knows no green card.
       Thank you for staying informed.