Hate. Isn’t it fun? We humans are naturals at it. And, when we are stressed, our hatred searches for an object. This object is called a scapegoat. We can feel close with our neighbors because we have a common enemy to unite against. Protesting, say, war, can make us fearful, because it could makes us pariahs, and being cast out of the group is a terrifying threat human beings.

But, blaming undocumented Latinos in tough times, that is safe, and, in many circles, accepted. (There are countless Russians and other aliens living in the United States illegally, yet we usually think “Mexican” when we think “illegal.”) We are being squeezed, and there is plenty of blame to go around, but, why Mexicans?

Let us look at some of the key issues. The war in Iraq: That war, as of a few years ago, (and, remember, the meter has continued to run), according to Nobel economist Joseph Stiglitz, cost $3 trillion. Mexicans did not cause that war. George Bush started the war, and, while he speaks Spanish, he is not a Mexican.

The financial sector of the economy, unrestrained by regulation, leveraged a meltdown of the economy that drove it to the brink of collapse, vaporizing trillions of dollars. Mexicans did not do that.

The collapse of the housing market: no Mexican conspiracy there.

The influence of giant corporations: They are now unlimited in using money to influence issues. They never let the environment or worker safety interfere with their drive for increased profits: witness the oil spill. We can’t blame the Mexicans for corporate abuses either.

While illegal immigration is not the most important problem that we have, it is a problem. The problem is not Mexicans, however: the problem is Mexico. All of the immigrants that I have spoken to did not want to leave their home and go to a new land with different customs, laws and a different language. But there was no economic justice in Mexico and little opportunity for change. And the United States has not pressured Mexico to change to a more equitable society.

Folks don’t want to work all day for subsistence wages. There is hope to the north, so people attempt to cross the border, even at risk of their life (over 5,000 bodies have been found in the desert).

Undocumented people, it must be admitted, get many services for themselves and for their children, including health services, food stamps and education. But, let us not forget that undocumented people buy goods, pay taxes, pay into Social Security, rent houses and provide cheap labor. So, while some may get free services, many contribute to our economy.

In summary, I hope that we will not give in to an irrational hatred and look at the immigration problem in its totality. And more importantly, let us stay focused on the most important issues: unemployment, war, environmental degradation, education, business regulation and corporate influence.

Nelson Strasser lives in Kelseyville.