HERMAN CAIN’S ELECTRIC FENCE

Washington D.C.: Today, Chairman Charles A. Gonzalez (TX 20) released this statement after Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said in a stump speech this weekend in Tennessee that he believed the federal government should electrify the border fence as a method of resolving immigration problems:

“Words have consequences, both in shaping ideas and inspiring actions. Whether or not he made his comments in jest, Mr. Cain’s words show a lack of understanding of the immigration issues our country is facing and a staggering lack of sensitivity. Surely, Mr. Cain understands the duty that candidates have to offer responsible policy proposals.

“Mr. Cain has said that America ‘needs to get a sense of humor,’ but I see nothing funny about killing other human beings. Leave the comic routines to the professional comedians.

“Considering Mr. Cain is a businessman in the restaurant industry, an industry where Hispanics make up 22% of the labor force, the CHC would hope he would follow the responsible path taken by the National Restaurant Association, an organization he served as president, in calling for Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

“The most pressing question is how the other Republican candidates respond to this ‘policy position’ by Mr. Cain. I urge these candidates to immediately repudiate Mr. Cain’s comments and to show strong disapproval of even so-called jokes about killing human beings.”