Firs published in India Life and Times magazine in March, 2019
There is a lot of enthusiasm about the candidacy of Kamala Harris, daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants. Media talking heads are comparing her with Barack Obama.
I should be excited to see a woman with an Indian name and
heritage running to become the president of the
Harris is sure of gaining the support of most
Indian-Americans who were born in the
Kamala Harris was born to highly educated
upper-class parents. Her father, a professor at
In 2016, she defeated the long-time senator from
I am an Indian-American who came to this country legally in
1973 with a few dollars in my pocket. I left
I do not talk for all Indians, but my association with
several Indian-Americans drives the belief that most Indians hold conservative
values and are not in any political affiliation. They want freedom and do not
want oppression from the rulers. We have seen the failure of socialism in our
homeland and in several other countries, the latest in
Most Indian-Americans immigrated to the
Many of us sponsored our siblings and brought them to this country. Many Indian families benefited through chain migration. Together, we have contributed a lot to the Indian economy by sending money and starting business ventures there.
Most Indians are not closed-minded people. We have tolerance
for most social movements and programs, but there is a limit to it. We see a
sea of change in this country caused by ultra-liberal teachings from schools
and politicians. The Democratic Party is not the party of Kennedy, Johnson,
Carter and Bill Clinton any more. The ultra-Left wing in the party has taken
control since Obama’s election. We don’t agree with the out-of-control gender
classifications and late-term abortion laws enacted in
Most of us do not see discrimination in this country as the ultra-Left liberals complain about and most news media portray. I have never faced discrimination from the government while carrying out my business or harassment from police (except for traffic tickets.) Most of our children got into good universities based on their academic qualifications.
We have no problem with white people. Most of them respect
us because their doctors and other healthcare providers are often our children,
wives, husbands, brothers and sisters. We do not get in trouble with the police
as we obey the laws. The police departments in this country and courts are far
better than in any other country in the world, especially
When we see people crossing the southern border illegally, our memories go back to the time when we went to US consulates and applied for a visa. That meant filling up numerous forms, undergoing medical tests and getting police clearance. We do not agree with this open border policy of the ultra-liberal Democrats. We want immigrants to walk into this country through the front door, not break in.
I noticed that Kamala Harris did not attend
the funeral of an officer, Ronil Singh, in
We Indian-Americans have earned what we got in this country, we do not apply for welfare or unemployment benefits. We have no problem paying reasonable taxes. We know that in a socialist system, rulers like Harris want to distribute wealth evenly among all. That will only create more lazy people. It will take away the incentive from people to work hard and improve the economy. Under socialism, the government will run out of other people’s money very fast. What happens then?
Harris has built a life based on political ambition and
is working hard to fulfill that. However, we are ordinary people who have built
a life with hard work. Socialism can destroy this country and its way of life.
The ruling class will lose nothing, but the middle class will suffer. That is
what happened in all the nations that experimented with Socialism/Communism;
the rulers benefitted and those who were ruled carried all the burden. In
If Harris becomes president, that will energize the socialists in this country. She will promote policies to break all social norms. She will become a magnet for Illegal aliens from all over the world who would try to enter through the southern border. We want legal, not illegal immigration.
Since she announced her candidacy, Sen. Harris has
tweeted support for
Going back to socialism, there is the threat that a permanent underclass will emerge. Many people will prefer handouts over work. Sen. Harris will have no choice but to raise taxes to fulfill all the promises she will be making. She is promising free health care for all, including for illegal aliens.
Everything, including higher education, will become free. But how many people will keep working? Who will care to invest when most of their earnings will be gone as taxes? Incentive is the fuel for growth. The progress we see today and enjoy came from hard work by people who took risks, invested money, and worked hard. It is the people, not the government, who create wealth.
Once the government starts pushing people to give up much of what they earn, many will lose interest in hard work. People will look for ways to cheat the tax system. Wealth will leave this country. Under-the-table payments will thrive. Investments will dry up. No more foreign investment will come to this country. The result will be higher unemployment, and the receiving lines will get bigger.
The end result will be creation of a permanent underclass. I
remember one of Obama’s speeches: ‘No red, no blue, no white, no black, no
yellow, no brown, only one