After a decade of living in Europe and various locales in the United States, I returned four years ago to the place where my family has long resided.  My great-great-great grandfather, John Maget, along with his brother Rufus, bought in to the Platte County Purchase in 1847, which included lands north of Kansas City.  They lost some of these lands shortly thereafter (having sided with Confederates), but this area has been home for over 150 years.

Kansas City, landlocked dead-center in the United States, has had its fair share of controversies over the years: The burning of Lawrence, Kansas to the ground; the Pendergast Machine; race riots; and high crime rates.  In the 1980’s, it was home to one of the most egregiously destructive desegregation programs, where federal judge Russell Clark effectively took control of the school district and ordered a “desegregation tax” from the bench, figuring that the previous egalitarian efforts had not gone far enough.  (Do they ever?)  Such experiments cost taxpayers millions, if not billions (adding in the secondary costs), precipitated white flight, and continued the transformation of large parts of the city into nearly uninhabitable war zones.

Having recently been released from the dictates of federal judges (for the moment), Kansas City has spawned yet another controversy: the appointment of 73-year-old Frances Semler to the City Parks and Recreation Board of Commissioners.  In saner times, Mrs. Semler would have been considered a matron of the city.  Active in various neighborhood associations, she has devoted much time to the beautification of Kansas City.  An active gardener, and a breeder of nearly 200 varieties of roses, she has overseen the upkeep of parks and other green spaces.  She has won numerous ribbons at the Missouri State Fair, is a past member of the Northland Garden Club, and is the current president of the Clay County Rose Society.

Mrs. Semler is also an active member of the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps.  After seeing her neighbors’ wages driven down by illegal immigration, she decided to join the Minutemen, a membership uncovered by someone in the local Hispanic community following her recent appointment as a parks commissioner.  The local media went out of its way to sensationalize this fact, painting the 73-year-old gardener as a symbol of racism and hatred.

Shortly thereafter, La Raza officials joined in the chorus of condemnation and announced that they would cancel their Kansas City convention unless she is removed from her position.  After public support began to pour in for Mrs. Semler, La Raza softened its ultimatum, graciously allowing that she may maintain her position as a parks commissioner if she drops her membership in the Minutemen.  As Mrs. Semler’s popularity began to climb, however, Mayor Mark Funkhouser refused to endorse the ultimatum, saying, “I think she has the right of freedom of association and freedom of speech.”  Although recent documents show that Mayor Funkhouser attempted to broker a compromise (Mrs. Semler would have been required to make a statement saying she will not speak publicly on behalf of the Minutemen), La Raza canceled its convention in Kansas City (a sad loss, indeed), and Mrs. Semler still has her job as of this writing.

The opposition refuses to relent.  La Raza board chairman Monica Lozano recently declared, “An active member of the Minutemen should not be an official representative for a city that purports to believe in diversity.”  And one community leader added, “The mayor is supporting a racist, violent organization.”  (The Minutemen have not committed a single act of violence in Kansas City.)  Critics are on the prowl, seeking whatever ammunition they can find.  If pencils or thumbtacks turn up missing in Mrs. Semler’s office, they will likely initiate embezzlement charges.  Regardless, Mayor Funkhouser hasn’t budged; local Minutemen have reported a membership spike; and cheers and applause greet Mrs. Semler whenever she appears in public.

Though Kansas City has won this small battle, it may be losing the war.  Since the implementation of NAFTA in 1994, thousands of jobs have been lost in the greater Kansas City area and surrounding towns, according to Judy Ancel of the Institute of Labor Studies.  Previous industrial anchors such as Lee Apparel, Quaker Oats, Mead, GST, Holmes, and Dunn­brooke Industries have moved manufacturing elsewhere, most often to Third World countries.  Ancel estimates that, between 1994 and 2002, there have been some 17,288 trade-related jobs lost in Kansas, and 31,068 in Missouri.  Unemployment has skyrocketed in Kansas City, and wages have fallen.

City officials have assured us that growth is on the horizon by guaranteeing that Kansas City will be home to a giant customs facility for Mexican trucks, as part of the “NAFTA Superhighway.”  Even better yet, an e-mail from the president of the KC Smart Port, Chris Gutierrez (obtained under the Missouri Sunshine Law) reveals that the Mexican customs port “would need to be designated as Mexican sovereign territory.”

So, while citizens’ wages are driven down by immigration, while free trade expatriates industry, and while Kansas City officials sell parts of the city to Mexico, the local media, chambers of commerce, and ethnic lobbies have declared war on Mrs. Semler, the patriotic gardener.  Despite all the propaganda, however, Mrs. Semler won.  The tired charge of “racism,” which usually silences all opposition, has failed.  Yes, there is hope.  The overwhelming public admiration for Mrs. Semler has demonstrated that citizens are becoming more astute and not as easily cajoled by the powers that be.  The paradigm of globalism may remain strong, but cracks are forming on the surface.