Is Congress Engaging in Moral and Ethical Practices?

Moral Community: A group in America that is clearly being marginalized politically and socially is the community of undocumented immigrants. An estimated 11.1 million immigrants are living and working in the United States, and notwithstanding that the U.S. Senate and the executive branch have passed a bill allowing undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship, the Republicans resist supporting this legislation. Cultural relativism helps to understand why 11.1 million people are being denied the right to work towards citizenship. Cultural relativism: the beliefs of one culture (in this case, those immigrants that are not yet citizens) should also be understood by others (in this case conservatives don't relate to the cultural beliefs of immigrants and vice-versa). A conservative "moral argument" is that there are a limited amount of goods and jobs in the U.S. And immigrants take these away from citizens here legally, but cultural bias and racism also certainly play a role.

Part Two

Moral Inconsistencies: There may be inconsistencies in my argument that the conservatives that are blocking meaningful immigration reform lack are moral relativists. They are not morally committed to fairness for all those living here. My arguments about what is right and wrong are based on the culture I was brought up with. That culture emphasized Judeo-Christian values and ethics -- love thy neighbor as thyself and do unto others as you would have them do unto you -- and I see conservatives' opposition to giving immigrants a door to future citizenship as moral relativism -- and as morally indefensible. Many conservatives in the House argue that giving undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship (it will take up to 7 years) is "amnesty." That is a repugnant, cowardly and outrageous distortion of reality. I am angry and I hate entrenched right wing positions; but I try to resist despising individuals blocking the road to immigrant justice.

Part Three