Immigration marchers take to U.S. streets

[gwladgarwr]

Immigration marchers take to U.S. streets
POSTED: 1:36 p.m. EDT, May 1, 2007
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/01/immigration.protests.ap/index.html

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Demonstrators demanding a path to citizenship for an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants took to U.S. streets Tuesday while others lobbied Congress for action.

In southwest Detroit, which has a large Hispanic population, hundreds of people wore red and white, and carried American flags to a rally.

"Most of the undocumented people come here as a necessity of survival," said Rosendo Delgado, of Latinos United, one of the groups organizing the march. "For them, it's the only choice."

Hours before the march was set to begin in Chicago, dozens of demonstrators began arriving carrying flags, signs and placards, including one that read "We may not have it all together, but together we can have it all."

Marches and rallies were planned Tuesday in dozens of cities, but organizers conceded that a replay of last year's huge turnout -- an estimated 1 million nationwide -- was unlikely. (U.S.-born kids want immigrant parents to stay )

Still, organizers said the demonstrations reflect a robust movement for citizenship rights for illegal immigrants.

"There was a sort of energy last year," said Gordon Mayer, a vice president of the Community Media Workshop, which helped groups organize the Chicago march. "This year that boulder has split up into a lot of smaller rocks."

In Miami, Democratic Party Chair Howard Dean planned to speak to immigrant groups. In Washington, D.C., about 400 members of Asian groups from across the country were set to lobby lawmakers. Two large demonstrations were planned in Los Angeles County -- home to an estimated 1 million illegal immigrants.

While last year's May 1 boycott brought out more than a million protesters, later rallies failed to produce large turnouts, as legislation stalled in Congress and bipartisan proposals for illegal immigrants to gain citizenship have become more conservative. (Watch how prospective citizens face a new test )

The developments have disheartened many would-be marchers, but organizers said the frustration with Congress also brought out new supporters.

"It used to be that Hispanic immigrants, those who came legally, were more conservative on the issue," said Joe Garcia, a Cuban-American who heads the Democratic Party's Miami-Dade County chapter.

"But now it's become so wrapped up with issues of racism and identity, even Puerto Ricans and Cubans care about immigration," he said.

Yet stepped-up raids in recent months have left many immigrants afraid to speak out in public -- a major change over rallies in 2006 when some illegal immigrants wore T-shirts saying "I'm illegal. So what?"

"The raids are intended to terrorize people and make President Bush look tough," said Joshua Hoyt, executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. "But they are not a solution." (Watch one man's plea for a chance )

Melissa Woo, a 22-year-old American citizen who immigrated from South Korea, carried a Korean flag over her shoulder in Chicago on Tuesday as she criticized politicians for "buckling at the knees."

"Us immigrants aren't pieces of trash, we're human beings," she said. "To be treated as less than human is a travesty."

Thomas Rodriguez, of Aurora, stood in Union Park wearing a shirt that said: "We are hard workers. We're not criminals."

The 38-year-old has had no legal status since he came to the United States from Mexico in 1989 and is an employee at a Japanese restaurant in Chicago.

"Recent raids have worried me," he said. "We worry deportations are leaving too many young people without parents."

Some Los Angeles area groups called for an economic boycott and hoped for a repeat of last year, when thousands of immigrants and students stayed away from work and school in a sign of solidarity.

Others have rejected the boycott, arguing that it puts immigrants' livelihoods at risk and deprives children of valuable classroom time. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Cardinal Roger Mahony, head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, urged students to stay in school.

In Los Angeles, marches were set to include demands for a legalization program, a stop to the raids and an anti-Iraq war message. City and transportation officials were planning for as many as 500,000 people in downtown, believing it could be the largest in the city so far this year.

"This is a very decentralized and organic movement, so in all different cities people will be doing what they feel is important in their area," said Eliseo Medina, executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union, a major organizer of rallies.

In New York, groups planned an "American Family Tree" rally, where immigrants would pin paper leaves on a large painting of a tree to symbolize the separation of families because of strict immigration laws.

The event is a response to a White House immigration reform proposal in March, said Chung-Wha Hong, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition.

That plan would grant illegal immigrants three-year work visas for $3,500 but also require them to return home to apply for U.S. residency and pay a $10,000 fine. It has been roundly criticized by immigrant groups.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Tell me WHY is it that every single one of those interviewed in this story seem to have some sense of entitlement to just BE here? And once they are here - ILLEGALLY AND UNINVITED - they seem to feel entitled to full rights and privileges of American citizens? WHERE do they get this notion from?

If they fear that their families will be torn apart, did they NOT think about that before they started dropping anchor babies before they crawled under the fence on the border?

WHERE do they get the unmitigated gall to proudly proclaim they are fully ILLEGAL AND UNINVITED then turn around and DEMAND a green card or full citizenship?

"Together we can have it all." Oh, is THAT right? I'm very sorry to inform the great unwashed masses, but you can have it all when WE - AMERICA - deem you WORTHY of having it all. Being that the majority are ILLEGALLY here, they are NOT worthy. Thus, you may NOT have it all.

My own mother is an immigrant and not a citizen; however, she came to this country LEGALLY. She did not have to stow away in an Exxon bilge hold to get here, nor would it have crossed her mind to do so. If she and MILLIONS of other folks can APPLY to come here to stay LEGALLY, WHY do these illegals insist on taking that PRIVILEGE without having EARNED it?

Simple, I guess: porque se puede. We shall see about that, won't we?

Sgt gw:iwo:

PS to the demonstrating illegals: try waving an AMERICAN flag for once if you want to be here so bad.

[sgtofrifleman]

Open the gates and send them packing.

[SSgt Blue]

I need to Requal, Targets in the open.

[rktect3j]

I am starting to think we should legalize them. And then TAX the EVER loving crap out of them. Lets not forget union dues that a lot of them in their fields will have to pay. That ought to send about half of them back across the border.

Just a thought.

[drumcorpssnare]

My position has not, and will not change. Any immigrant who comes here legally, is law abiding, and who works hard...is welcome here. Period.
If you are here illegally...GO HOME! If you had kids born here, they are citizens, and you still, are NOT. GO HOME!

"IF YOU CAME HERE ILLEGALLY YOU ARE ONLY ENTITLED TO ONE THING.....YOU ARE ENTITLED TO
GO HOME !!!:evilgrin:

drumcorpssnare:usmc:

[SSgt Blue]

You know this is what I dont get, my family left Europe
because almost all were killed, thay came, learned the American way of life and were very proud of the fact that thay were American citizens, but thay never forgot were they came from and how bad it was. Now it is mexico first or what ever country thay came from and then the US. What the Hell happend. I just dont get it .

:devious:

[rktect3j]

You know this is what I dont get, my family left Europe
because almost all were killed, thay came, learned the American way of life and were very proud of the fact that thay were American citizens, but thay never forgot were they came from and how bad it was. Now it is mexico first or what ever country thay came from and then the US. What the Hell happend. I just dont get it .

:devious:
I have the same story in my families past. I think that we screwed it up though. We keep giving in to the illegals and now they can alomst vote in our elections. How much longer?

[drumcorpssnare]

This topic makes my blood boil! The illegals like to pick a day to gather and protest. Maybe WE should pick a day, and just have an "open season" on these leeches! Hell, next Nov. 10th...let's just shoot about 300,000 of 'em!
My guess is they'd get the message.

"WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE !!!"
drumcorpssnare:usmc:

[JinxJr]

Isn't "illegal immigrant" a contradiction in terms? If you're an immigrant then you have to be here legally! If you're not here legally, you aren't an immigrant...you're an alien. An "alien" has no legal rights to any government provided service(s). For any government agency using tax payers dollars to support or provide for an illegal alien (except for limited, vital humanitarian aid) is misappropriation.

[SSgt Blue]

Roger that SSGT, Roger that....

[fmoyer]

When they are all marching would be a great time to have buses, trucks and what ever to pick them up and send them south, way south.

[drumcorpssnare]

...Yeah, to like ANTARCTICA !!!:evilgrin:

drumcorpssnare:usmc:

[SSgt Blue]

Lmfao

[jegries]

Only in the US can you publicly announce you've committed a crime and walk away cause everything is so PR that our laws can't even protect us. I say let them march and when they mass surround them and check thier legal status. If they are illegal bus them home after processing. If you crossed the border illegally using false documents you are a criminal. If they have paperwork in process let them stay. Abide by the law and be honest is all we ask from every immigrant. Lie and you have something to hide. I feel we should have an amnesty period of 2 weeks to fill out the paperwork then deportation should be immediate. While processing take thier picture and prints and warn them that the consequences of re-entering illegally would be a nice desert prison compound on the border with tents and they must support themselves by farming thier own land. Simply play by the rules and stop complaining that they aren't fair cause they apply to everyone despite race, religion, or creed.

[FutureMarine916]

Seriously, what is the problem here? Why can these illegal aliens even get here, let alone protest there right to stay? If they herd themselves up in a ‘protest’ then why doesn’t the law jump on the occasion? I mean, if a bunch of crack heads rallied together, started getting high and ‘protesting’ there right to do something illegal then I am more than sure they would be arrested on the spot. I really don’t get it at all. Breaking the law is breaking the law.
<O:p

[GunsUp]

Notice that they chose 1 May to do this? And they say communism died with the Berlin Wall coming down....

[yellowwing]

December 5, 1492 - Christopher Columbus becomes the first known European to set foot on the island of Hispaniola.
He couldn't produce any documentation either. But since he traveled all that way, we let him stay awhile and spend some tourist dollars. :D

[marinegreen]

This is just my sorry arsed opinion but is our politicians allowing this to happen ( but acting like they care) so they can drive wages down or atleast keep them down. That way there will be a rich and a poor with no middle man. You know I get tired of hearing how nobody wants these jobs,well who the fuq did em before all the illegals started swarming the fence line, it was American peeps doing it but they wised up ans seen how fat the cabbage,cotton,tobacco,strawberrys, yatta,yatta,yatta farmers pockets were getting and they wanted a raise and our farmers say hey fuq you so they lobbied the politicians and got there illegals cuz they'll come here and work for $ 5 bucks a day. Hell when I was living out in Az you could drive by dairy farms and see lil shacks built there on farmers property and it was filled with illegals to help milk and scoop ****, and not once did you see INS around. Ok I could really ramble on about this subject but I can only take 1 blood pressure pill a day and it doesnt do a dang bit of good to get myself riled cuz I know in all reality our politicians are all for illegals homesteading here.
MG

[DougRagan]

I vote we allow them all to become citizens. <br />
<br />
They get their citizenship right after their honorable discharge.

[gwladgarwr]

By Lou Dobbs
CNN
POSTED: 8:52 a.m. EDT, May 2, 2007
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/01/Dobbs.May2/index.html

Editor's Note: Lou Dobbs' commentary appears weekly on CNN.com.

NEW YORK (CNN) -- What a spectacle, what a mess. What a day for thousands and thousands of illegal aliens and their supporters to march through the streets of many of our biggest cities demanding amnesty for illegally entering the country.

Tuesday was given over to illegal aliens and their supporters to demand forgiveness for using fraudulent documents and assisting others in entering this country illegally. What a day for illegal aliens and their supporters to demand not only amnesty but also the end to immigration raids and an end to deportations.

May Day was a peculiar choice for those demonstrations, a day in many countries in which international socialism is celebrated and a reminder of those old Soviet Union military parades.

It was also an unfortunate and ironic choice on the part of the organizers of the demonstrations. May 1 in the United States is actually Law Day, a day first established by President Eisenhower in 1958 and ultimately codified into law in 1961 at the beginning of John F. Kennedy's administration. The purpose of Law Day is to give all Americans an opportunity to reflect on our legal heritage, and by statute, encourages "the cultivation of the respect for law that is so vital to the democratic way of life."

I'll bet you know about the illegal alien amnesty marches, but I don't know of a single news organization, electronic or print that pointed out that May 1 is America's Law Day. The cable news networks gave almost wall-to-wall coverage to the illegal alien demonstrations, but they apparently couldn't find any American celebrating Law Day.

And no one seems to want to take note that we are first a nation of laws, and that without those laws and their enforcement, the foundation of our great republic turns to sand. What a spectacle on Law Day for demonstrators to demand amnesty for those who broke the law to enter our country, many of whom also broke the law with fraudulent documents.

And what a mess when the president of the United States and the U.S. Congress are pandering to a group of people who are not citizens and refuse to demand enforcement of our immigration laws, our criminal laws, and fails to secure our borders and ports.

I couldn't help but wonder as I watched monitors bringing images of the marches and demonstrations from all across the country, who should really be protesting on May Day. What about the millions of legal residents who followed the long, drawn-out process to secure a visa to enter the United States lawfully? Maybe they should be protesting. What about the seven-figure backlog at the Citizenship and Immigration Services agency of people who are following the rules. Should they demonstrate?

What about all of our fellow Americans who are being marginalized by the massive importation of illegal, low-cost and mostly uneducated labor into this country? Perhaps those citizens should take to the streets. And what about the more than 250 million Americans who make up our middle class and those who aspire to it whose wages have stagnated and who are paying for the social, medical and economic costs of illegal immigration? That's a big march.

If yesterday's demonstrators and their supporters in Congress and corporate America are serious about their deep desire for American citizenship, why don't we hear any of them clearly say they're willing to give up dual citizenship? Or that they're willing to learn English and surrender demands of bilingual education? Or declare they embrace English as our official national language? Or demand that illegal employers of illegal aliens pay for the social, educational and medical costs now borne by the taxpayers?

Yesterday was Law Day. I hope that we celebrate Law Day with a great national enthusiasm next May 1. I guarantee you I'll march in that demonstration.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer.

Amnesty, end of raids, and threats of deportation for illegally and fraudulently entering and remaining in the United States (regardless of personal sob story) - yeah, that makes sense [not].

Couldn't have said it better (but could do without the 'English as official language' bit). Maybe I should get a few friends and protest about the cockroaches skittering across the border who come up with an attitude that they can walk uninvited into the United States and commit fraud to remain here. I just can't stop getting mad thinking about the f***ing nerve these pieces of trash have (sorry - there's only so much dressing up you can do to a pile of sh**).

Build the wall, and build it quickly, then arm it to the tooth. It worked for the Commies in East Germany (bad example, but the most relevant one I could think of.)

If an illegal alien is caught (including during raids), initiate immediate deportation (not deportation proceedings.) I don't see what the problem is in this.

If they have American-born children (I hesitate to consider most of such children 'American' since they have a tendency to relate to their illegal parents' home country), they should accompany their non-citizen parents (who have parental custody, I'm assuming.) These American-born children are not being deported (deport an American citizen? NO WAY!)

Their children are always welcome to re-enter the United States since they are American-born citizens (albeit as 'anchor babies' to illegal alien parents who conciously bore their children on American soil for the purposes of avoiding deportation). Their parents, however, will have to get in line and apply for entry or get sponsored by their children (if the kids are old enough to do so.)

This argument is so tired. This has to end. No amnesty. No concessions. No 'path to citizenship'. If you enter and stay illegally, you get deported and lose any future chance of permanent residency and citizenship. If you commit the crime of illegally entering the United States, I could not consider you to be worthy of citizenship (most of them are not here for citizenship and to become Americans - they are here for the money, plain and simple. They will for the most part always be guatemalanmexicanhonduranchinesekoreancostaricanni gerian and refuse to become American (however you define it), but they'll take your dollar in a heartbeat - guaranteed. That is, they want to be here and extract all the benefits from America but have no intention of putting back into it nor of becoming American. That really says it all.

In that case: fire up the buses and fill them up, head for the border (or airport), and drop them off. Again, I'm not sure why this is so difficult to comprehend.

Sgt gw:iwo:

[drumcorpssnare]

gwladgarwr- Twenty years ago, I worked as a roustabout in the oilfields of Wyoming. For the hundreds of oilfield companies, it could be "boom or bust" on any given day, due to local "Big Oil" politics, how a particular company performed, or sometimes just luck. Employees generally had no real loyalty to a company. They went where the money was. It was a whirlwind of hiring, quitting, lay-offs, firings, etc.
Anyway, I left one company, (don't recall why) and went to another to seek work. This place was swarming with illegal aliens from Mexico, willing to do $15 hr. work for $8 ! That day, all the illegals went out to work, and I went home. I was livid !
I called Immigration in Denver, CO. They gave me a BS song and dance about only being allowed to do one "sweep" per quarter.
But, to get to my point... There were occaisional "sweeps" by the Border Patrol folks. They would put these aliens on a bus, give them a bag lunch, and haul them back to Mexico. Two days later...these SAME ALIENS were back at their jobs, with the same companies!

THAT'S WHY WE NEED A WALL, MANNED BY ARMED GUARDS...WITH ORDERS TO "SHOOT TO KILL !!"

drumcorpssnare:usmc:

[fmoyer]

We should organize a march of our own, but wait I think all of us marched for at least four years to show our support for the American way of life. Perhaps it is time we become more interested in doing something rather than just talking about it. Why are we so silent outside this room when we can once again make a difference. This problem is not going to go away unless everyone gets involved, why is not English spoken, why do we have to pick english on the atm or telephone? Why do we not report illegals when we find them everytime, why do we rent to them give them places to live provide food and medical care for them. Until each and every American gets involved in this problem we are in big trouble. This problem is greater than any other problem we have , we are being over run and are just watching it happen, our way of life is going down the tube, keep watching as Americans in America are becoming a minority. Ok rant is over feel better.

[gwladgarwr]

Drumcorpssnare:

It's not so much about undercutting wages (which illegals cause), though this is a serious problem.

It's the total disregard and flaunting of this country's sovereignty that ****es me the f*** off. Illegals coming back to work on Monday after being booted back over the border on Friday just makes me stop breathing! They do not WANT to understand the concept of NOT INVITED but they know it's there. They simply ignore it. And they will continue to ignore it until they are reminded. The way to remind them is first to round them up (this isn't rounding up of American citizens like they did during WWII - these are illegal foreign nationals who were not invited to be here to begin with). Then, make sure the hole in the wall is plugged up (at least the little Dutch kid with his finger in the dijk figured out what the problem was with little thought). Then, as you and I both said, man the border/wall and arm the guards, instructing them to shoot to kill (the wall would have to be set back on the U.S. side before the actual border so that any border jumpers who get shot will get shot on the U.S. side of the border).

Mexico and any other country faced with an ongoing flow of illegals crossing into their country daily would do the same thing. Why is it that we can't? And why is it that Mexico would object to that? (Simple: the same concept does not apply to THEM, in their view.) Besides, a re-enforced and armed border with a wall will cut off their foreign revenue.

Before new legislation and policy can be introduced, the leak has to be fixed. The armed and walled border is the first step to plug this leak - and damned the cries and wailing of the selfish illegal border jumpers who despair that their buddies and families won't be able to join them. And Mexico can kiss my azz. The same for any other country whose citizens have this jumped-up, crazy notion that they can simply waltz into America as if America were some sort of Oklahoma Sooner land grab.

Sgt gw

[jinelson]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/SpeakEnglish.jpg

This is America not Mexico or at least it wont be until a Democommie President is elected and if you have noticed Hildabeast cant make up her mind to do campaign speeches in Spanglish or Ebonics! Be prepared arm up stockpile ammo we are on the path to civil war here as fast as Iraq is thanks to the secular progressive Democommie Party! Why do you think the left wants to abolish our second amendment rights to keep and bear so badly?

Jim

[gwladgarwr]

I can do with the secular and progressive (but not the Democommie part).

I'm all for defending the 2nd Amendment, but I'm also all for defending the other 26 Amendments, too, including the 1st Amendment:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

I don't need the authorities nor anyone else to tell me what I should or should not believe in - that is not their right to do so. The authorities need to stay out of the religion business (unless those rights are somehow infringed upon) and leave it to individuals. This is one of the reasons why the colonists revolted to begin with.

With respect to the right to peaceably assemble, this right somehow does not extend to ILLEGAL ALIENS. I think we can agree on this and be comfortable with it.

There is no federal law that requires anyone to speak English, nor should there be one. There should be no law making English the official language (whatever THAT means.) Speaking English doesn't make me any more American than eating turkey on Thanksgiving. The vast majority of this country is first-language English-speaking. There is no reason to believe English will gradually disappear, and it won't ever get displaced.

I speak five languages but that doesn't make me French/Spanish/German, etc. However, I do happen to know English, too (and quite well, or else I wouldn't have made it through grad school in linguistics.) If I stopped speaking, reading, and writing in English and spoke only Welsh, let's say, that would be MY decision. However, reality tells me I couldn't expect everyone else to accomodate my choice. If I never knew English, and find myself in a sea of English-speakers, common sense tells me I'd better get with the program. Most illegals (and even some legal ones) refuse to "get with the program".

Refusing to acquire English (for strictly practical reasons, not to link speaking English with being American) in this country is another facet of the attitude of illegal aliens: they want to take everything from this country without putting anything back in it. If they acquire English, it would mean to them that they are one of US, and they have no intention of being one of us - they just want the money, the benefits, and protection under the law (but not obeying that same law) as full Americans.

Your opinion: do you think most illegals nurture this same attitude back in their own countries? Maybe this is why their own countries are so jacked up wallowing in Third-World misery.

Sgt gw:iwo:

[marinegreen]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/jinelson/SpeakEnglish.jpg


This is America not Mexico or at least it wont be until a Democommie President is elected and if you have noticed Hildabeast cant make up her mind to do campaign speeches in Spanglish or Ebonics! Be prepared arm up stockpile ammo we are on the path to civil war here as fast as Iraq is thanks to the secular progressive Democommie Party! Why do you think the left wants to abolish our second amendment rights to keep and bear so badly?

Jim


I just heard on news today the top dog of the Border Patrol says we're loosing ground patroling the borders, the illegals and drug lords are winning and winning big. Why post guardsman on it when they dont even get any live rounds, this Barney Fife attitude our govt has towards this issue is ridiculous. Both parties are to blame on this issue.Hell there shipped into lil ole podunk Iowa here every summer to do roofing,construction,detassling,walking beans, blah,blah,blah and then shipped out at seasons end, I mean WTF already and there employed by the packing houses and when its round up time they go all ballastic and want to start trouble. Its sad to say my fellow Marines but we've lost this battle, get prepared to get taxed more and more so we can feed,house,cloth and cheaper medical for them.:devious: