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Health & Fitness

Rick Perry's Achilles Heel, the Dream Act

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I am a registered independent and given the tenor of discourse could never vote for someone who panders to the base of today's Republican party. This is a group that can boo a soldier serving his country in Iraq because he's gay and cheer a situation where a young man will die because he didn't buy health insurance. A political base that would put Medicare on a voucher system, abolish social security, cancel the voting rights act and more, but it's immigration that could ruin the hopes of Texas Governor, Rick Perry.

Perry is the front runner for the Republican party's nomination for President. But like the former President, George W. Bush, he's a TEXAN and therein lies a tale. Both men are staunch conservatives but Texas is not part of the deep south and the presence of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans is everywhere.

The racism is more benevolent although much of the history is harsh. Yes we all heard the derogatory words again and again. But when hunger struck or a tragedy hit, the kindness came in waves, suddenly we were all Texans, a perplexing contradiction. There's not one white kid in all of Texas who hasn't played or chummed with a kid of Mexican descent, yes there were limits but the influence lingers. Bush called for immigration reform and was loudly panned by his base. He also called on us to be tolerant of muslims after 9/11.                          

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Perry supported and signed a bill that provides tuition aid to chldren of illegal immigrants- The Dream Act, which California also passed. Perry called it a mattter of "heart." That deep Texas heart could be his downfall. Someone pointed out that not even Jesus Christ could win today's Republican nomination: After all, he was the child of an unwed mother, he threw the money-changers out of the temple, healed the sick, fed the hungry and gave his riches to the poor. Christ, he wouldn't have a chance.                                                                                                                                                              

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