Jeff Johnson Touches The Third Rail Of State Politics: “Refugee” Resettlement In Minnesota

Johnson's call for a pause in refugee resettlement in Minnesota is correct and courageous.

Jeff Johnson, a Republican gubernatorial candidate who was that party’s nominee in 2014, recently penned on oped for the Pioneer Press that has the potential to radically transform the race for governor. In a courageous, thoughtful piece, he asked what most Minnesotans have tried to but have been shut down in the process: what is the value and purpose of unfettered “refugee” immigration into the state of Minnesota over which local citizens have no say?

The cultural mandarins of this state, by which I mean the Regressive Left ensconced in media and DFL political subcultures, refuse to have any honest discussion of the issue. This in the face of “immigrants” who affirmatively refuse to assimilate and who insist that the Americans with whom they are blessed to live adapt to their backward cultural ways. In addition, these “refugees” are often the source of terrorists, either at the Crossroads Mall in Saint Cloud or abroad.

Johnson rightly points out that any discussion of this issue is met with slanderous insults of racism and worse. Speaking specifically of efforts by Saint Cloud residents to have more transparency about this forced flood of “refugees” upon them, Johnson notes:

“While a thoughtful debate could have ensued regarding whether the city can dictate resettlement or what the costs to taxpayers are, instead the motion was labeled as ‘despicable’ and ‘racist’ and deemed to expose ‘latent strains of white supremacy that endanger our American values and threaten our democracy.’ No wonder people are unwilling to have legitimate conversations about this issue. If you ask questions or voice sincere concerns, you are accused of the most offensive and outrageous motives.”

This is not a new tactic and is, in fact, one that is dying from overuse. The surprise here is that Johnson is standing up to this this failed ploy because that racism card still has an effect on Republicans in Minnesota. It is to his credit Johnson realizes that even here, where too often Republicans try to pass themselves off as Democrat-lite, he can call the bluff. Not coincidentally, it establishes him as the leader in addressing difficult topics others would prefer to ignore.

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Somali immigration into America has, by any objective standard, been a comprehensive failure. Sen. Tom Cotton set out the details when he spoke earlier this year at the Center of the American Experiment and about which I wrote about here. Ann Corcoran’s Refugee Resettlement Watch is an indispensable resource in learning the truth about these programs across the country. Similarly, investigative reporter Leo Hohmann has written “Stealth Invasion,” the first full length treatment on the U.S. Refugee Admission Program and has now launched his own website. The truth is out there.

America deserves the highest quality immigrant possible, albeit in much reduced numbers in order to protect American citizens, to whom government owes its highest priority. The world is full of failed, backward nations and cultures and the wholesale importation of them into our great country is a folly, designed to replace a populace one party cannot win the vote of with another, dependent class with which it might. These things need to be spoken of honestly.

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Johnson recommends three things: first, pausing refugee resettlement to Minnesota, second, getting accurate information about how many refugees have been forced on Minnesotans, the impact of that on residents and the costs to taxpayers into the hands of citizens and third, ceasing calling people who want honesty & transparency bigots and racists. Good luck with that last one given a media that does nothing but promote open borders and a corrosive diversity.

Johnson rightly claims that “the concept of a federal program resettling people into communities with virtually no input from that community’s citizens is unacceptable.” Gov. Mark Dayton, to his disgrace, told Minnesotans who have legitimate concerns to “find another state.”

Except that’s not how it works and it is only through force and suppression that the refugee resettlement industry can thrive, leaving communities into which they dump these people in disarray. The idea that anyone from anywhere magically fits into America is utter nonsense and can be dismissed as “magic dirt,” i.e., simply being on U.S. soil makes one an American. The evidence against that is conclusive.

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Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, whose personal nastiness is rivaled only by Rep. Paul Thissen, was quick to condemn Johnson’s oped by invoking his Irish ancestry. Well, I’m Irish too, Mr. Mayor, and the last time I checked our people didn’t bring with them the barbarism of female genital mutilation and a predisposition not to assimilate but rather force cultural changes on a native population that has no interest in returning to the seventh century. All cultures are not equal.

Minnesotans deserve a full and thorough public discussion of all aspects of refugee resettlement in this state. Johnson has provided a signal service to this end. Whether or not he is the Republican nominee for governor, the issue has now been squarely laid on the table for the 2018 elections. His challengers would do well to rise to the occasion and meet the benchmark he has set for courage and clarity.  

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In addition to Alpha News, John Gilmore is also a contributor to The Hill. He is the founder and executive director of Minnesota Media Monitor.™ He blogs at MinnesotaConservatives.org and is on Twitter under @Shabbosgoy. He can be reached at Wbua@nycunarjfza.pbz. There will be no Sunday column next week, New Year’s eve. A very Happy New Year to my readers, including the haters and the losers. 

Photo credit: Star Tribune

John Gilmore

John Gilmore is an author, freelance writer & former opinion columnist for Alpha News. He blogs at minnesotaconservatives.org & is @Shabbosgoy on Twitter