Aaron Belkin: Hypocrisy on Immigration (and Salad): I teach an American politics class to 700 undergraduates at San Francisco State University. On the day that we discuss immigration, I broadcast a startling, live image of a field in Texas on the huge movie screen behind me.
The live shot of an apparently innocuous field is shocking because the camera that produces it is part of a program created by Texas governor Rick Perry to provide citizens with an outlet for their paranoia. Perry has placed web-cams along the Texas border that allow anyone with an internet connection to monitor fields and streams on a 24-hour basis. If a Mexican appears on-screen, you can click a red button to alert the border patrol.
During my class, someone appeared on screen. A few students started shouting. I asked, 'should I click the red button to alert an agent?' More students started screaming. The class deteriorated into mayhem and it took a minute to restore calm. I had made my point. I wanted the students to experience the politics of paranoia first hand.
