Opinion: ‘Immigrant crime’ is the new ‘radical Islamic terrorism’

To the editor: There’s a new club on campus: Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement, or VOICE. (“Trump’s proposed database of crimes by the undocumented is shameless propaganda,” editorial, March 1)

Much as the phrase “radical Islamic terrorism” allows myopic individuals to juxtapose “Islamic” and “terrorism” in order to imply a necessary association between them, now the words “immigration” and “crime” are candidates for the same treatment under the Department of Homeland Security’s new office called VOICE.

Of course there are some bad actors in the immigrant community, just as there are some evil doctors, evil teachers and evil clergy. But anecdotal accounts don’t negate the existence of overwhelming numbers of good guys in the same groups. Statistics trump anecdotes.

We can’t allow a governmental negative stereotyping of the immigrants in our society. With the exception of Native Americans, we are all immigrants or their descendants. We should cry out loudly with a counter movement that will: Value Our Countless Immigrants for Everyone, Regardless of Underlying Source (VOCIFEROUS.)

Darrell Manderscheid, Fountain Valley

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To the editor: The Oxford dictionary definition of “propaganda” is “derogatory information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.”

It is a synonym for “spin.” So how is President Trump’s proposed database of actual crimes committed by undocumented immigrants a piece of shameless propaganda since it will report facts?

Or is The Times Editorial Board misleading the public by using a false definition of propaganda? If so, why?

Bob Driscoll, Woodland Hills

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