There is going to be another vigil on The Plaza tomorrow. Here's the presser:
"Arizona Governor, Jan Brewer, signed into law one of the most shameful bills that allows for racial profiling and will tear apart families, violate human rights, and cause thousands of immigrant families to live in constant fear. This bill undermines the civil liberties endowed to ALL that are written out in our constitution and it is certain to be challenged in court. A great injustice has been committed against the people of Arizona and of this country.
We must respond, and respond loudly!
This Sunday, April 25, at 4:00PM, there will be a vigil at J.C. Nichols Parks by the Plaza."
I don't put much faith in people or their vigils but I can see the big picture.
BECAUSE OF INCREASING POPULATION NUMBERS THERE IS A WIDESPREAD EFFORT TO MAKE LATINOS SECOND CLASS CITIZENS!!!
This isn't about immigration, it's about ethnicity.
Arizona's new racial profiling law won't help stop the flow of illegal immigration that's far more responsive to economic factors, the intent of this measure is obviously to stifle, intimidate and oppress the Latino (mostly Mexican-American) population.
It's a law against looking like a Latino.
The same kind of support for racial profiling exists in Kansas City and across Missouri and Kansas. While it may seem illogical that a society seeks to discriminate against its fastest growing and most vibrant contingent -- the only answer seems to be the widespread fear of dramatic change. There is no distinction between illegal immigrants and Latinos who are citizens because the goal of state-sponsored racial profiling is to enforce a de facto American caste system.
I have no illusions that yet another vigil on The Plaza is going to change this fact of life but I have to wonder: If Latinos citizens in the United States aren't protected by the same laws as everyone else and are automatically regarded as suspects, then those same freedoms and rights guaranteed by The Constitution are nothing more than meaningless propaganda that can be cast aside by a bigoted mob. This Arizona racial profiling law is just more proof that the United States is moving away from the free and dynamic society that achieved greatness and toward a litigious, bland and reactionary future.
On the local front, as usual, I don't expect any leadership from elected officials. Latino politicos are far too scared to speak up for their fellow citizens and so many worthless "progressives" and Democrats already stayed silent when similar measures to racially profile were enacted on Missouri highways.
It's nothing new that Latino citizens will continue to live as suspects in this nation, the only question is if this wave of hate and fear will be successful in stopping the progress of the fastest growing, ethnic group in the United States.
And all of this talk of Latinos and our future has inspired tonight's TKC Playlist.
As always, thank you for reading this week and have a safe and fun weekend.
I agree and I'd like to sign up for your newsletter.
ReplyDelete"A great injustice has been committed against the people of Arizona and of this country."
ReplyDeleteYou nailed it right there Tony.
Maybe we won't have illegals commiting crimes and then running back to Mexico and hiding? How come you never talk about the ugly side of undocumented latinos?
ReplyDeleteBorders, Language, Culture. Deal with it.
ReplyDeleteEnd the welfare state and all of the antagonism surrounding immigration issues will be gone.
ReplyDeleteBitches.
You're right, and it is shameful that given RECORD foreclosures, there is a sense of KEEPING HARD WORKING PRODUCTIVE people OUT of the country.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, and it is shameful that given RECORD foreclosures, there is a sense of KEEPING HARD WORKING PRODUCTIVE people OUT of the country.
ReplyDeleteFunny how so many are up in arms about steps taken to enforce existing laws while the same people silent when innocent landowners are slaughtered on the border. How about we compromise. We remove the bill that simply gives authorities the ability to enforce existing laws and we replace it with legislation that allows authorities to treat all illegal aliens as invading enemy combatants including the use of lethal force. The biggest threat to the general welfare of legal immigrants is the actions of illegal immigrants. The sooner the latino community understands this the better they will be.
ReplyDeleteThere is a reason why Mexico is a giant slum and that reason is the culture and people of Mexico. I welcome those immigrants from Mexico that have chosen to reject the failed policies and culture of Mexico. I don't like the law in Arizona. In fact I hate it. As long as the U.S. government fails to strengthen its borders and the leaders of the hispanic community refuse to acknowledge the problems with illegal immigration, these types of knee jerk reactions are the best we have. Notice how the critics of the new law, including President Obama, fail to offer any alternative or solution. You cannot have successful immigration reform without a strong border.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMy only hope for all of this is that opponents on both sides of this debate all kill each other. Then I would smile
ReplyDeleteIs there anything you jokers won't hold a"vigil" for? Will you have candles? What a generation of SISSIES!
ReplyDeleteIt's no different than when I get stopped for no reason on Southwest Trafficway with no reasonable cause at 2 am at a DUI checkpoint.
ReplyDelete"On the local front, as usual, I don't expect any leadership from elected officials."
ReplyDeleteOr apparently from you either.
What is the alternative solution to deal with the millions of illegal aliens that are breaking the law by being within the borders of the United States?
"Latino politicos are far too scared to speak up for their fellow citizens"
Because they know something needs to be done and don't have a better idea themselves.
If Tony has his way there would be no border at all. USA would just become another slum Mexico.
ReplyDeleteI'd be interested in knowing what Latino citizens think of the illegals. Will those at the vigil be holding a valid drivers license, ID card, or just glad it's not Arizona?
ReplyDeleteI think the invasion from the South and the the infiltration stateless wammabe terrorists means that we're just going to have to have 'papers' to prove who we are.
"Papers", a serious hard to counterfeit photo ID card means youre a citizen of record, who pays his taxes, can be found, and traced for background. Otherwise we're just white pit bulls without collars. Today, we can't afford this like we could back in 1950s.
Lets use this Arizona law, let it happen, to force the US government to take steps for effective measures to get the illegals out of here, build the fence, and provide photo ID's to illegal immagrants who have joined the system the rest of us are in, on the road to citizenship.
Citizens, from birth are required to have a social security number, and you can't do much in this country without producing that number. You need it for health care, probably schooling, for the privilege of driving, for being accountable for your actions and pay taxes on your earnings.
That needs to go into place immediately for everybody in the country, whether they contribute to SS or not.
And part of that is that the republicans need to stand down and go along with a provision for stiff penalties to employers who hire AND CHECK undocumented workers.
And computer systems need to be set up to check for duplicate or falsified ID cards...and fine them. Let employers validate cards submitted to them before actually hiring, not unlike a background check for most jobs.
This could be fixed. And I expect legal Latinos would support it, because I suspect they're not all that happy that the border is so porous.
I think the US needs to do some hard thinking about its future. We need to either close our borders more like Switzerland, or kick them open like Canada or the Netherlands.
ReplyDeleteWe are in this no-mans land middle ground that benefits nobody. Difficult to immigrate legally, easy as pie to jump the fence.
Sometimes the conspiracy nut in me says they WANT this no mans land.
Once again, Tony, come on, don't overreact.
ReplyDeleteThis law is only passed and applicable in Arizona. And even there, there is a great question of the constitutionality of the law and whether it will pass.
This new law doesn't apply to or affect one police officer in Independence, Overland Park, Kansas City or anywhere else in this area.
The law is stupid and irresponsible and over-reacting and yes, absolutely profiling in the worst way.
But it has nothing to do with any city around here, Missouri, Kansas or anywhere close.
The sky isn't falling, Tony. That should be good news.
Chill.
Mo Rage
New Mexico - by any standard - was approach a martial law situtation. This is the long overdue reaction.
ReplyDeleteAlso, what you don't acknowledge, is this applies equally to all people in the State regardless of origin. If they experience a huge influx of illegal Canadians, those intruders would be prosecuted, too. So, you see, the law is fair and balanced.
As a white American who lived and worked in Mexico for over 7 years, I could easily go into how 2:09 and 2:16 know zero about Mexico much less its Mexican culture.
ReplyDeleteBut I won't. Instead I'll just say that while sharing their frustration with border issues, their comments show that they agree that the intent of this law is to profile Latinos with hopes of finding illegals. Unconstitutional and trash legislation.
MoRage I like reading your blog but you're off a little bit in that Missouri's racial profiling reports show similar numbers to those of Arizona. Will these numbers rise with the flames of prejudice and hate politics?
We need to get over this racial profiling crap. It's no different than cops pulling over people who are driving old cars in nice areas.... or getting stopped for driving while you, or driving while black, or borrowing while wearing tattered clothes, or busting a woman for going into a mens room. Or carding kids trying to buy cigarettes.
ReplyDeleteYa profile because youre making judgments needed, race is acceptable along border areas. I'm not sure they're goint to stop you in an area of largely hispanic population, but over time, the large numbers of illegals will be reduced. Probably stopped because theyre not driving, or not at work. Not doing what citizens do because they belong here.
It won't be brown because dwb, it will be brown because don't look American. BTW, I support racial profiling on Airline flights from out of country.
They'll get over it, just like every 13 year old walking around town during school hours.
Cops simply don't have time to detain to examine papers for every Latino, but when in combination of other things that fit the profile, they will and they should.
I see cops all the time pulling over poor kids driving old Cameros with tail lights out. I call it DWP (driving while poor.) They got stopped for automotive profiling. I think too much is said about race. Wanna not be detained longer than ten seconds. learn the language. If it takes 7 years to become a citizen, I expect even illegals can learn the language in 7 years, and damned sure speak English in the home if they expect their children to succeed. Its part of learning to live in this country. I am personally offended at Home Depot and others posting bilingual signs.
(my earlier post wasn't so clean, I reposted it and improved it over on my blog which builds a case for the Arizona law and a federal one to do it right.
Pictures too.
http://radiomankc.blogspot.com/2010/04/arizona-forcing-us-to-solve-illegal.html
I'm liberal..and i like the law.
ReplyDeleteThese people are forging documents
like drivers licenses/social secruity cards/numbers/other federal documents and thats a crime.
Lets find a way to make the ones
already here legal...close the
borders to those wsho come here
illegally...and stop all this
b.s. that only makes americans
take sides.
I read the list of warrants outstanding in olathe and they
are all hispanics/mexicans.
why is that?
Wait if the beaners are all going to plaza who the hell is going to mow my grass??? Since they are going to be there round them up, very convenient of all you lil mexicans!
ReplyDeleteI lived in a city that had a large population of both legal and illegal immigrants (now 50% of the population). EVERY Mexican I talked to (and there were a LOT) detested illegal immigration. The ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS made the lives of the long time or legal immigrants much more difficult.
ReplyDeleteFTR, I don't like white trash who break laws either, but we gotta put up with them. They are 'family' so to speak, because they live here. Life isn't fair. Them's the breaks.
civil liberties are for citizens!
ReplyDeleteWhatever. I'm not hearing the "this law applies to all people. if illegal canadians come it would be the same" arguement. Seriously, we need to fix illegal immigration but in a manner that makes sense. Passing a law intended to take away the civil liberties of a certain group of people, civil liberties of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness protected by the Constitution of this great country, is not the way to do it. The people coming out and giving the this law applies to all people are not Latino and have obviously never had to experience frequent police harassment. Add that to the law allowing people to carry concealed weapons without registration, without a permit and you have real danger. Especially when you are talking about the heart of anti-latino extremmist nativist militas.
ReplyDeleteWhat's next, Latinos have to walk around with a tag on their coat indicating their status? Give me a break people.
Talk to all latinos and yes they would like to see border proection, the fight vs. narcos actually a real fight, and illegal immigration stopped but they also know that laws like these just point the finger at Mexico and at latinos.
Everyone who has ever had to go through the process or anyone who knows people that had to go through the process knows the expenses and difficulties of having to go through the process. They know that the vast majority of the people illegal here came with a visa and stayed after getting their visa rejected time and time again just because they couldn't speak english to perfection or had dark skin. they know that the vast majority of people reapplying will have to go through an automatic be rejected 3-times policy separating them from their families and costing them tens of thousands of dollars that they don't have and can't pull together in 1-5 years.
Anyone who has been to the u.s. embassies and seen the application process in action knows the prejudice that goes with it. They know that you don't get your visa or your visa renewed unless you can prove you have a business or enough money in the bank to convince them you aren't coming to stay.
They know that if you tell them the truth, that you want to stay with your family or that you want a better life...you will get DENIED.
It's next to impossible for Mexicans with money here who have no interest in coming and staying to get a visa, can you honestly imagine how hard it is for someone who isn't rich, who doesn't have a business and yes does want to come a live and grow a family and have a better life; if you haven't seen the process in action?
I'm a white citizen, I've lived in Mexico, I've worked in Mexico, I've seen the process in action on a daily basis.
So save the it's the immigrants fault comments and actually do your homework before commenting.
People don't have a right to go live in another country because they can get a better deal for their families in another country.
ReplyDeleteMexico would be much better off if their people knew that to better themselves, they need to improve their own place... not just go squat on somebody elses.
Sounds to me like those drug cartels need to pay taxes and build schools and factories. Invest in their own country rather than be lawless.
"This isn't about immigration, it's about ethnicity."
ReplyDeleteI could not agree more.
My grandma is an immigrant (legal) from Western Europe and I'm fairly certain she would not be stopped under this law. But I bet there are legal immigrants from Mexico who will be harassed, even if they've been here longer than my grandma.
We're a nation of immigrants. You cannot look at someone and know if they are an immigrant.
Legal immigrants will have papers. Most will speak English, many as . well as the police. Don't overreact. They pay taxes, pull their weight like you do. Pay for their kids' educations.
ReplyDeleteThe others don't. Need to be willing to be made legal or go back over the border, this time, probably in a bus.
They're theives... stealing from the US rather than building their own country.
Mexico needs to stand up and build itself up. Fixing their government would be a good start. Not working for the cartels would be another.
We need reform of our laws, to bring them into the llight so they will work for their citizenship. Like so many of our ancestors did.
I grew up in an immigrant community. Many, many, many legal immigrants do not speak English at home. Many speak a combination of English and other languages.
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that so many Americans are so proud to know only one language.
Tony,
ReplyDeleteHow is this law going to 'break up families'? Maybe the problem is that we should get rid of the law that created anchor babies. But wait, the illegals like having anchor babies so they can cry about having their families split up instead of taking their anchor babies with them when the are deported.
It's about fitting in... when you leave eastern Europe, ya don't go back. Ya look forward. You want your kids to be Americans. So you go out of your way to speak the language.
ReplyDeleteMy ancestors did. My mother had perfect English, her mother had an accent. Her mother came over from Eastern Europe. They came over with nothing, tho when my mother died, I found a vial of great grandparents dirt from their Illinois farm.
Ya make your kids earn English before they start school if you want them to have the best of this country.
Likewise, if you move to Germany, you need to learn German. Latinos bitch too much.
Maybe Chris Moreno will be out in front on this?
ReplyDeleteI don't care if immigrants are legal or illegal, because the laws are arbitrary & capricious. Just like our ancestors did, I say get here any way you can. We have room.
ReplyDelete"Give us your poor huddled masses yearning to be free."
Open the borders: Prove that this is the land of the free & the home of the brave.
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ReplyDeleteI have just learned that there is a blogger named Byron Crawford. I am not that person. All of the comments here listed as "Byron" are from Byron Funkhouser. And yes: I am Mr. Squitiro's younger brother.
ReplyDelete"How is this law going to 'break up families'? Maybe the problem is that we should get rid of the law that created anchor babies."
ReplyDelete"They pay taxes, pull their weight like you do. Pay for their kids' educations. The others don't"
"Mexico needs to stand up and build itself up. Fixing their government would be a good start."
I think it's pretty clear that those posting in favor of this law have no education on the topic, no education on immigrgation law or history and no international law, international relations or international business experience; especially when it comes to Mexico.
I'm not Mexican, Hispanic or Latino or whatever it is that the government makes that community label itself, but I do have a lot of experience in all of those fields and can say with a big smile on my face that Freedom of speech is a great thing! It's even better when you educate yourself before speaking folks.
Those supporting the law and commenting on here should probably follow that rule.
Bilingual signs are soooo offensive. Boy was I offended when I was in the Czech Republic and I saw signs in English.
ReplyDeleteRemember, if Mexico did not suck, they would not leave, but it does suck. It's a horrid,corrupt,dirty,crime ridden country with little to offer it's citizens.
ReplyDeleteLatinos just filled the natural void of American Poor who refused to work when the getting was good. The American Poor were asleep at the wheel during the housing boom. Waiting on their couches for handouts, while Latinos built houses, ran family cafe's, lawn services etc etc.
They work hard, while American Poor just wait.....and wait....and wait
Making Mexicans live in Mexico. Why that's torture!
ReplyDeleteMaking Mexicans live in Mexico. Why that's torture!
ReplyDeleteAll men dream, but not equally. Those who delusion before night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to espy that it was swell-headedness: but the dreamers of the hour are rickety men, benefit of they may sketch on their dreams with exposed eyes, to create them possible.
ReplyDelete