'Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day'

Wanna play a game? OK, we need one illegal immigrant and a mob of angry zealots. The immigrant will run around, and everybody else will be the mob and hunt him or her down. The first to catch the immigrant wins $200 in blood money -- er, that is, cash prizes! Sounds fun, right? \nIt does to a conservative group on the University of Michigan's campus. These brainiacs who call themselves Young Americans for Freedom have stolen the idea from Michigan State University to host a holiday this week -- "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day" -- during which a contest will take place to catch a student posing as an illegal immigrant of indeterminate nationality. How PC!\nRepublican, Democrat, Jedi: Be your political affiliations what they will, this is just plain offensive. There is no other word. Well, maybe there are a few others: hateful, ignorant, bigoted, divisive, to name a few. \nThis appears to be, though, the kind of reputation they are trying to create. The idea comes from Morgan Wilkins, an independent contractor working for the Republicans to recruit Michigan students. Wilkins has also proposed an equally humane "Fun with Guns" fiesta. This gem involves shooting cutouts of Democratic candidates with BB guns and/or paint guns. Again, sounds like a good time! The promotion of violence against real living people is just phenomenal. \n"Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day" is nothing but a publicity stunt, and, to that extent, it's working. People are up in arms over this plan, students and non-students alike. However, we are of the belief that the old adage is bogus -- there is such thing as bad publicity, and this is it. Want to give Republicans a bad name? Pull a stunt like this. You might as well hand your enemies proof that you've stolen purses from old ladies or kittens from children. \nYoung Americans for Freedom might as well call themselves the "Young Americans for Shameless Self Promotion and Deplorable Agenda-Pushing by Employing the Ever-Popular Shock-and-Outrage Technique." It may not fit on a club T-shirt, but it does fit their taste toward gags and gimmicks like a glove. At this rate, why not just say, "Catch the alien, win a keg" or "Shoot the beaner, and win 20 burritos"?\nWe fear, though, that, while this may leave other students as offended as we are, the lure of cash prizes will cause this financially vulnerable demographic to surrender their convictions, or at least their understanding that this may not be in the best taste. After all, $200 is a lot for a college student. \nSo, if you find yourself contemplating this game, manipulated by the promise of 30 pieces of silver for what seems like a little kiss, at least watch out for those "decoys" -- you know, real immigrants? The ones who came here for a better life, like most of our ancestors? They might not find the idea quite as amusing.