From Numbers USA:
From: Roy Beck, President, NumbersUSA
Date: Wednesday 29SEP2010 noon EDT
This New 'Gumballs' Video Refutes the Bishops
Who Say U.S. Must Double Immigration
To Show Compassion to Rest of World
UPDATES 1996 VIDEO THAT HAS BEEN VIEWED
MORE THAN 6 MILLION TIMES ON THE INTERNET
Please take a look at the 6-minute YouTube video right now.
"Just 1 word: EXCELLENT. This is as great as the original Gumballs. Can we get the link to this video to send out?"
-- Gene1925 of IL after we posted the new video on our website yesterday
I hope so many of you immediately click to view that you will move this video into a "most-watched" list which will expose it to a far larger and wider audience who desperately need to see this perspective about international humanitarianism and immigration.
Please forward the link to the Gumballs Video to everybody you know who is concerned about and interested in the ethical issues involved in immigration policy.
Polls have shown that most Americans tend to agree that U.S. immigration should be lower in order to take pressure off our most vulnerable fellow citizens and off U.S. natural resources and habitat. But . . .
BUT large numbers of these Americans are insecure about whether it is right to protect America's poor in light of claims that high immigration is necessary to combat world poverty.
'Our' MORAL ARGUMENT TO COMBAT
'Their' MORAL ARGUMENTS FOR HIGH IMMIGRATION
It brilliantly demonstrates how migration never will be a solution to a poor country's problems, and with the enormous current numbers of legal and illegal immigrants our government allows to enter, we will clearly be destroyed, since we do not have unlimited resources." -- Comment left on YouTube about the original Gumballs Video
Have you ever felt intimidated by somebody who tried to claim moral superiority over you because you argued for limiting total immigration and they claimed they were on the side of the world's poor?
Thousands of people have told us that they have felt morally confident and equipped after watching the 'gumballs' video.
"Some people say that mass immigration into the United States can help reduce world poverty. Is that true? Well, no its not and let me show you why."
-- Opening lines of "Gumballs Video"
Are you frustrated with the bishops of the Episcopal, Lutheran, Catholic and United Methodist Churches, and with the National Association of Evangelicals and myriad Jewish groups, who suggest that you are not behaving in a Judeo-Christian manner if you want to reduce immigration numbers?
All of the national religious leaders who are pushing for more and more immigration do so based heavily on the idea that U.S. immigration is an effective way to combat world suffering.
This video, however, provides the numbers to put those arguments into practical perspective.
HIGH IMMIGRATION HURTS POOR OF OTHER NATIONS BY TAKING
THEIR BEST 'CHANGE AGENTS' WHO COULD MAKE THINGS BETTER
The first argument of the video is that it makes no sense to harm America's own poor, unemployed and vulnerable -- as well as America's own natural resources -- by having high immigration. The key reason is that even if we were to double our immigration levels, it can't make even a tiny dent in reducing world poverty.
But the second argument may be even more striking:
"We may be really hurting the impoverished people of the world because the million that we do take are among the most energetic -- often the better educated, certainly the most the dissatisfied -- people who if they did not immigrate would be the agents for change to improve the lot of all the people in these (impoverished) countries."
-- From the new Gumballs Video
GUMBALLS?
If you are wondering what in the world gumballs have to do with all of this, you haven't seen the original.
I started using gumballs to help people visualize gigantic numbers after guest teaching my son's 7th grade class.
We made the original video of this presentation in 1996. A few years ago, several people put the video on Google Videos and then edited versions on You Tube. It went viral, and millions of people have seen it.
The original video made me a bit of a mini-celebrity as The Gumball Man.
It not uncommon for me to be walking through an airport, a conference or other public palces and have strangers approach me and say, "Hey, aren't you the Gumball Man?"
For the rest of you
If you saw the original 1996 version, you will be amazed at how much worse the global situation has become. Another 1 BILLION people have been added to the numbers who live in countries with average income below Mexico's.
If enough people watch this new video immediately, it will move to most-watched lists and be exposed to a far larger and wider audience.
This "gumballs" presentation has helped millions of Americans over the last 14 years to feel morally confident in arguing for
I am hopeful that so many of you will take a look at the video, give it a thumbs up and leave a comment that the video will start showing up on most-watched lists. That in turn will expose the message to a far larger and wider audience.
This gumball represents the 1 million legal immigrants that the United States has taken every year on average since 1990. Now who in the world deserves our humanitarian compassion? The World Bank has one major of the desperately poor of the world, they make less than $2 a day. And how many people make less than $2 a day in the world? Well start with Africa. In Africa alone there are 650 million people who make less than $2 a day, 650 million. And in India another 890 million people desperately poor. China adds another 480 million people making less than $2 a day and unfortunately the rest of Asia has a heartbreaking 810 million people who the World Bank say make less than $2 a day. And finally theres 105 million of Latin Americas population that are desperately poor. All total the World Bank says that there 3 billion people in the world, 3 billion people who are desperately poor making less than $2 a day. Thats 3 thousand gumballs and every year we take a million and suggest that weve somehow made a humanitarian difference. Of course, we dont pull our immigrants from these desperately poor populations, do we? These people are too poor, too sick, too disconnected to make it here as immigrants. We tend to pull our immigrants out of the better off poor of the world and Mexico tends to define the type of immigrant we bring here because the plurality of people come here from Mexico and Mexico is poor. How many people in the world live in countries that have average incomes lower than that of Mexico? And the World Bank tells us that that number is these 3 billion plus another 2.6 billion people. 5.6 billion people in the world who live in countries with average incomes below that of Mexico, thats 5,600 gumballs. So what is it the elite are telling us? Their telling us when we take this 1 million immigrants that we somehow or another are tackling world poverty and we have to do it regardless of the effect on our unemployed, the working poor, the most vulnerable members of our society. Regardless of the affect on our natural resources.
the true heroes in the global humanitarian field are the people in these countries who have the wherewithal to immigrate to another country but instead stay in their countries to apply there skills to help their fellow countrymen. Unfortunately, our immigration system tends to entice these very type of people to abandon their countrymen. The impossibility of making even a dent is actually worse than it looks here because last year when we took 1 million immigrants these countries added births over deaths 80 million more people into the impoverish population. And this year Congress is bringing in a million legal immigrants and this year according to the United Nations these countries are expected to add another 80 million people and next year you can be quite sure that Congress unless stopped by the American voters will bring in another million immigrants and these countries unfortunately will be adding another 80 million people into these impoverish nations. We could take 5 million a year but wed never get ahead of whats happening in these countries. Not in this century. Dont you see immigration can never be an effective or significant way to deal with the suffering people of the world. They have to be helped where they live, 99.9% of them will never be able to immigrate to a rich country. Theres no hope for that. They have to bloomer their planet, the only place that 99.9% of these people can be helped is where they live. Lets help them there.
It is really important that you go to the video now and watch it for the following reasons:
It brilliantly demonstrates how migration never will be a solution to a poor countries problems, and with the enormous current numbers of legal and illegal immigrants our government allows to enter, they we will clearly be destroyed, since we do not have unlimited resources. As the video unfolds, Roy compassionately and intelligently presents his jaw dropping information.
From a woman new to NumbersUSA:
I swear: after watching it, you will never see the world the same again."
It brilliantly demonstrates how migration never will be a solution to a poor countries problems, and with the enormous current numbers of legal and illegal immigrants our government allows to enter, the we will clearly be destroyed, since we do not have unlimited resources. As the video unfolds, Roy compassionately and intelligently presents his jaw dropping information.
Most importantly of all, with all the hype and hatred, is Roy Beck's instruction without animosity. That, I believe, is not only humane it is a reasoned approach which avoids some reflex response." Jacqueline O'Connor
Immigration by the Numbers is a superb video. The story it tells should compel every US citizen to contact their lawmakers and demand corrective action. Ross Meyer
You folks are incredible! The information you provide is virtually impossible to obtain anywhere else. Keep up the excellent work. Joseph
NumbersUSA and the Internet make it possible for citizens to be informed and actively involved in legislation that will affect our lives and that of future generations." Karen Z.
You have encouraged me when I felt so dejected and broken. I appreciate your leadership and ability to provide all this objective information. You are a gift." Gail
"What a great job and service you are doing! If not for you many of us would not know what Congress is (or isn't) doing. They need to be put on the hot seat!" Phyllis
I'm very touched by your pitch to fight for the less fortunate. NumbersUSA is an organization that I am proud to help support, and you can count on me being in it for the long haul. Cooper
Two members of the Sierra Club Board of Directors requested copies of our Environmental Choice is Yours video.
The following testimony comes from someone who just saw Roys video:
This is the most paramount issue we have, even above the war on terrorismI can tell from the video that Roy is a good man, a smart man. Not hateful, but realistic. He is the point man for us on this.
Mark C. Thies, professor of chemical engineering at Clemson University, spoke to the group Students for Environmental Awareness (SEA) at Clemson in September. He gave his talk, Stabilizing Runaway U.S. Population Growth Where are the Environmentalists?" to a group of about 40 students and some faculty. Mark showed Roys video and reports it went over quite well. After the talk about 15 students asked for a tape and said the talk had really opened their eyes.
John Krenetsky, a college professor at the Metropolitan State College of Denver, has used the NumbersUSA.com video as the basis for a CD on population growth and immigration. John uses the CD in his human ecology class and reports that it has been well received. He writes,
As I hit immigration you can see the frowns on some of the audience; at that point they view the clips from Roy's video. After the video I continue the presentation and have yet to receive a negative evaluation.
Ed DiBella in San Diego was able to provide a college student with NumbersUSA charts and videos because he always keeps some on hand.
Two weeks ago, a student here at the university where I work came to the library circulation desk with books on population growth problems. I asked him what he was studying. He responded that he had to give a persuasive speech in his communications class on a topic of public policy or interest. I offered him charts and a video from NumbersUSA.com I explained to him how immigration was the driving force behind our population growth crisis, and how the information that he now had in hand would make a strong presentation and disarm any opposition.
He returned yesterday to return unused materials and to say that his presentation was a complete success. He gave each student in the class a packet of materials, and demonstrated how immigration reform was essential to solving our environmental problems. He said his classmates were blown away by what he showed them. He got an A!
Paul Westrum was invited to present the case for lower immigration numbers to an Albert Lea, MN high school. One of the teachers was sent to Paul's home to invite him to make the presentation. Paul played Roys environmental video for the teacher. The teacher was especially impressed with the gumballs demonstration and wanted to know if more copies of the tape were available.
Tom Moody in Michigan spoke to two 30-person political science classes at a local college and was invited back to speak at a third class later that day. Tom used Roys environmental video as the basis of his presentation and concluded with a question and answer session. Tom was able to use the break in between his two presentations to answer additional questions from students.
Environmentalists
A League of Women Voters (LWV) representative in California has spent quite a bit of time exposing her LWV contacts to our video. As a result of her efforts, a LWV leader in Washington state has become energized by the video and is now promoting it for use at LWV board meetings and other gatherings.
Sue and I have just reviewed a videotape entitled Immigration by the Numbers as well as some publications on the same issue. I received these from a LWV person in California with whom I have been communicating because of our mutual interest in climate change and sustainability. We both found it to be excellent, but frightening in our government's (once again) lack of foresight or planning.
Walt Kosec in Minnesota attended the state convention of the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA). Twenty-three chapters were represented at the convention where Walt set up a NumbersUSA.com display and distributed posters and videos. As a result of Walts efforts, a delegate to the convention asked Walt to meet with her IWLA chapter to show Roys video and discuss population.
Dell Erickson of Minnesotans for Sustainability attended the Minnesota Sustainable Communities Network conference and hosted an information booth heavily supplied with NumbersUSA materials. Attendees took 70 copies of the NumbersUSA video, and a handful of website cards and posters.
Civic Groups and Organizations
Our Linda Purdue addressed the Maryland chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in March. Linda gave a short talk on immigration to the 200 - 250 members who were present, and then had the opportunity to host a workshop for about 25 members during which she showed Roys video and talked more about immigration. Lindas remarks were seconded by the President of the Maryland DAR who said that everyone should definitely see the video.
Marlene Paul in Owatanna, MN organized an immigration meeting for the Steele County Coalition for Immigration Reform to which they invited the Sheriff, Mayor, County Commissioners and City Council. Their congressman, Gil Gutknecht, was the speaker with Roy's tape being shown at the beginning of the meeting to the 90 people in attendance.
William in California sells copies of Roys videos at different meetings he attends nationwide and sends us the proceeds. Recently the tapes we sent to him for his Constitution Party meeting in South Carolina sold so quickly, that he ran out! William requested another 25 videos from us the next day.
The Dorchester (SC) County Taxpayers Association April meeting focused on immigration issues. Roys video was shown and NumbersUSA.com materials were on hand for distribution. South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon was at the meeting and got to see Roys video.
Sterling in West Virginia has distributed copies of Roys video among state Labor membership over the past several months to good effect.
Betty, who is active in the Republican Party in Arkansas, has started including Roys red and green population chart with her donations to the Party.
Jim of Oregonians for Immigration Reform (OFIR) reports that the group recently had the largest turn out ever for their monthly meeting. Jim shared with us the following e-mail from an OFIR member who had seen Roys video on TV:
Your words about the environmental community needing to get involved were prophetic. The public access channel has been running the Roy Beck video the last couple nights.
Our videos were distributed at the annual Conservative Political Action Committee conference.
The Steele County Coalition for Immigration Reform in Owatonna, MN manned an immigration tent at their county fair - the largest in MN. They were stocked with videotapes and website cards for the event. At the fair, a retired police officer from Iowa stopped by their booth. He was so pleased to learn that someone is working on this issue that he has requested copies of the video, and is going to start a grassroots group in Clear Lake, Iowa.
Terrence, a member of his local World Peace Through Law organization, is often a presenter/speaker at the groups meetings. Terrence addressed the group on the subject of immigration and showed Roys tape!
Our Linda Purdue recently traveled to Salt Lake City to address a breakfast meeting of The Newquist Group, a semi-annual breakfast group has been going without a break since the 1960s. About 180 - 190 individuals attended the breakfast meeting during which Roys video was shown. One of the attendees told Linda that after the breakfast, he went to Rep. Chris Cannon's (R-UT) house to deliver a copy of Roys videotape and put the video in Rep. Cannons hands.
Paul spoke to the Golden Kiwanis Club in Albert Lea, MN and showed Roys video as part of his presentation. The meeting was scheduled to go one hour, but went an extra 40 minutes due to questions and comments from the audience at the end. Paul reports that most of the audience agreed with him and that two more Kiwanis Clubs in the area have asked Paul to speak to their groups. One of their officers reported to Paul that he'd gotten more phone calls - all positive - about his presentation than any other presentation in the seven-year history of the group. A former teacher of Paul's who was in the Golden Kiwanis Club audience is taking the tape and materials from NumbersUSA to do a presentation in Arizona for about 100.
Dave Gorak in Chicago took advantage of his visit to the dentist to give the dentist and dental assistant a copy of Roys videotape!
Jim in California has given numerous presentations to various audiences using a copy of Roy's red and green population chart on a slide. His audiences have included: Rep. Van Hillary; 50 members of the Retired Officers Association; Toastmasters, International; and the local Lions Club.
Here are some youtube comments on your Immigration by the Numbers video:
Sevenuk: This man makes a very good point in a very clear way! We should be enabling third world countries to help themselves and working on ways to limit population growth in already overcrowded countries or their will never be an end to this! Simply taking in more and more people will only cause the collapse of developed nations. Then there will be no one to offer help!
Queenboudicca: We cannot ignore this problem any longer. I for one refuse to roll over and let them take over the country that my ancestors fought for and shed their blood for. Wake up AMERICA!!! We aren't in Kansas anymore...
Mollybday: Now is not the time for partisanship! This video is about is action. We are a representative government. Use that representation! Make some noise! Blogs can be for grumbling or taking committed action. "If it's to be, it's up to me" (Ghandi) He also said "Be the change you want to see in the world."
Daysiecakes: I am a student studying demography and we are just finishing up our section on migration. The projections in this movie are accurate. I had actually come to my own conclusion a few weeks ago about migration and have decided that I am not pro-migration. It is not beneficial to either the sending or recieving state. Economic and social problems cannot be solved by running away.
LothairLorraine: This video was excellent. No rant, just facts and a clear picture of the future if Congress continues to sit on its laurles. The speaker has my respect.
Catapillow: Mindblowingly educational. Thanks bunches.
Praise for the videos
Last night I saw your video in which you used the charts and gumballs. It
was superb. Thank you for producing it. It does get people's attention. Keep up the battle. Dave
The tape is FABULOUS. Im going to order about 20 of them to distribute among my friends who I cant say would enjoy it but NEED to view it!
I have finally given out all the videos and I still think it is the best.
This is the most paramount issue we have, even above the war on terrorismI can tell from the video that Roy is a good man, a smart man. Not hateful, but realistic. He is the point man for us on this.
It brilliantly demonstrates how migration never will be a solution to a poor countries problems, and with the enormous current numbers of legal and illegal immigrants our government allows to enter, they we will clearly be destroyed, since we do not have unlimited resources. As the video unfolds, Roy compassionately and intelligently presents his jaw dropping information.
From a woman new to NumbersUSA:
We (a husband and wife from California) had the privilege of seeing Roy Beck's presentation at CAPS last summer - and the tapes are an excellent tool for pulling more people to our side. We want to do some small group showings/discussions - and also want to put tapes into the hands of a number of people we believe can add to the spreading of the message. Would it be possible to get a dozen of the videos? Thank you for helping us fight for a sustainable future by stabilizing U.S. population!
The following message was forwarded to us by a California faxer who has widely distributed our videos:
Thank you for your efforts re: immigration and the numbers game. I viewed the tape with great interest. Roys teaching style and AV aids are excellent. If someone from West Coast Numbers USA is available free of charge to speak in Santa Cruz I will happily suggest this to our new Board which meets in July.
From other NumbersUSA supporters:
Thanks for the videos and pamphlets that arrived today. Next time there is an article in our local paper about "sprawl" the newspaperperson is going to be hit with a few of these!
Last night April 11 Kevin and Janice presented the film from Roy Beck and discussed immigration with the approximately 25 members of the VFW Womens Auxiliary in Mason City, Iowa. Most of them signed their petition and also asked questions. After the meeting many members thanked them over and over for coming and giving them this information. A lot of them said they knew nothing about what was happening to our country with immigration. Kevin and Janice had to carry in their own TV and VCR, but they will do anything and everything to get the message out.
From Larry in Portland, Just looked at your excellent tape this morning. I thought it was superb. Do you have any problem about my duping it if I can in order to distribute it to others [NOTE: You may duplicate all that you want. But you may find our free originals to have more impact.>
From a LWV leader in California, So far, the NumbersUSA videotape Environmental Choice: Immigration by the Numbers has been a most potent weapon in our fight to dispel the League's ignorance and misconceptions on this subject.
From a faxer in Texas, We showed the tape An environmental choice: IMMIGRATION by the numbers at First Unitarian Church of Dallas today, passed out fliers on the Stump bill, and had a good discussion of population issues. Keep up the good work, Roy --and the rest of you!
From Marilyn in California, The video tapes, booklets and brochures you sent were very successful at the League of Women Voters CA state convention. We distributed everything we had--about 10 tapes and 40 of the booklets. I hope this leads to more community meetings, education, and action.
From an activist in Minnesota, Last night I attended a meeting of the Humanist Club of Minnesota, because they had asked David (Paxson) to speak on immigration. He did an excellent job and said many nice things about Numbers USA.
This was the first time he had ever done a presentation on immigration as the head of World Population Balance (Roy stayed at his house when he was here in the Spring). He showed some of the highlights of Roy's video and had lots of material available for members. Some seemed very interested and hopefully you will hear from them.
From Joyce in Florida, I spoke to a group of about 80-100 Rotarians in Bonita Springs, FL this morning. I was able to show part of Roy's video with a short warm up of the numbers from the 2000 census. It received rapt attention but the allotted time was too short.
One of the committee chairs asked if I would return in February when they have 150 folks in attendanceI left the video with one particularly interested woman who was sitting near me. And, I had the Table of Contents and the the issue intro to Too Many People by Lindsey Grant to pass out along with the Sprawl Charts and Roy's web page cards. Almost everything was picked up.
From Environmentalists
A League of Women Voters (LWV) representative in California has spent quite a bit of time exposing her LWV contacts to our video. As a result of her efforts, a LWV leader in Washington state has become energized by the video and is now promoting it for use at LWV board meetings and other gatherings.
Sue and I have just reviewed a videotape entitled Immigration by the Numbers as well as some publications on the same issue. I received these from a LWV person in California with whom I have been communicating because of our mutual interest in climate change and sustainability. We both found it to be excellent, but frightening in our government's (once again) lack of foresight or planning.
From Civic Groups and Organizations
William in California sells copies of Roys videos at different meetings he attends nationwide and sends us the proceeds. Recently the tapes we sent to him for his Constitution Party meeting in South Carolina sold so quickly, that he ran out! William requested another 25 videos from us the next day.
Terrence, a member of his local World Peace Through Law organization, is often a presenter/speaker at the groups meetings. Terrence addressed the group on the subject of immigration and showed Roys tape!
.From Youtube Users
LothairLorraine: This video was excellent. No rant, just facts and a clear picture of the future if Congress continues to sit on its laurles. The speaker has my respect.
AspiringPotato: I love this argument because it's utterly logical, and quite true.
SuperCalimom: Absolutely solid representation and example here, and simple to understand. This fact and reality will hopefully give the U.S. government the courage and motivation they needed.
Benjamin Wertz: Very good presentation, well put and good illustrations.
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