Update II: Tomorrow around 12:30 p.m. EDT, I’ll make a second appearance on Tammy Bruce’s radio show to talk about illegal immigration.
Here’s an op-ed written by a liberal who opposes illegal immigration. Good stuff. I said the same thing, more or less, in Greatness Falls.
Update: If I may be so dramatic, there’s a tug-of-war for America’s soul going on. The winner has yet to be determined.
Blogger and editorial writer (and fellow Reformed Christian) Mark Tapscott says, “Americans won’t be blackmailed.”
Leave it to The Onion to make us laugh in the midst of this cultural war. Humor is good for the soul.
Did you know the Minuteman Project had a blog? Me, either. They’re on the march to protect the borders. Black Americans are volunteering too, including “rasta Republican” Ted Hayes.
An “immigrant activist” said of Hayes: “He has a right to express his opinion, but I don’t agree with him. Many and most African American leaders think otherwise and we’re appreciative of their support.”
Thank you, Lord in heaven, for being all the leader I need!
Interesting, but not surprising, news: Hispanics Carry Lopsided Share Of DWI Arrests in Wake County, North Carolina. More interesting is how many drunk driving hispanic arrestees are illegal aliens. But local law enforcement officials aren’t allowed to ask. Hispanics probably make up a significant percentage of drunk drivers in the D.C. area, too, as well as uninsured drivers.
Bush wants to reward such people with amnesty instead of punishing them with deportation.
———————————————————————————————————————-
A big hat tip to my friends at Help Save Herndon for letting me know about last night’s ouster of Herndon’s mayor and Town Council members who voted for a taxpayer-supported “day labor” center for illegal aliens in Herndon, Virginia, just down the road.
Yes, using public funds for illegal purposes is, well, illegal, but why quibble? Last year I wrote a two-part op-ed for Townhall.com about a then-proposed day labor center in Herndon. For the first part, I interviewed Council Member Dennis Husch — who opposed the center and was reelected to his seat. (Council Member Ann V. Null also opposed the center) I sought comment from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the spokesperson fed me an empty line about “working with law enforcement partners.” In the second part, I followed up on the developments.
Only 3,000 voted in the Virginia elections yesterday, but it’s a big victory for law and order. From the Washington Post:
Residents replaced the incumbents with challengers who immediately called for significant changes at the center. Some want to bar public funds from being spent on the facility or restrict it to workers living in the country legally. Others want it moved to an industrial site away from the residential neighborhood where it is located.
The labor center forced the western Fairfax County town into the national spotlight last summer as the immigration debate grew deeply contentious…The council voted 5 to 2 last August to establish the center, but yesterday’s vote created an apparent 6 to 1 majority in opposition. Steve J. DeBenedittis, 38, a health club operator and political newcomer, defeated Mayor Michael L. O’Reilly with 52 percent of the vote.
Most day center-supporting members got a swift kick to the curb, including Mayor Michael O’Reilly, who I called a fool for implying that taxpayers in Herndon had no right to influence the feds or their local legislators. How dare they complain about public funds being used for illegal purposes! Right now, O’Reilly’s probably wondering what right the people had to vote him out of office. Whatever America is — a democracy, a constitutional republic, a borderline Socialist nation, take your pick — a dictatorship it ain’t, and the people have the right, the duty, to express their will by voting and influencing people who write the laws.
I hope and pray the recent illegal immigration “demonstrations” backfire and cause a backlash, as some activists fear they will. Perhaps seeing and hearing unjustifiably irate foreigners demanding rights they don’t deserve will wake up complacent Americans.
Highly recommended: A Day Without an Illegal Immigrant, by Congressman Tom Tancredo. I met him in person last week. I’ll give you an update later.
Also recommended: Nobody blogs about ICE the way Debbie Schlussel does. See posts like See Why Women REALLY Don’t Run Plants…Or Immigration Agency’s Corruption Investigations. She’s dubbed the inexperienced, unqualified chief Julie Myers “The ICE Princess.” I wish Debbie had an “ICE” category for easy linking to all the posts. [Update: Debbie posts an internal ICE memo]
Also see this week’s Vent at Hot Air.
Other bloggers: A Certain Slant of Light, Church and State, Mary Katharine Ham, Latino Issues, Michelle Malkin, Gringoman, Daily Pundit…
[T]the great waves of American immigration in the 19th and early 20th centuries swept ashore in a harsh, sink-or-swim society where you either fit in and made your own way or died trying. The Latin American immigrants of today, on the other hand, show up in an advanced welfare state under the seemingly ineradicable spell of officially imposed multiculturalist dogma. So the first generation will be as hard-working and family-oriented as anyone could wish. But just wait until our educational system gets ahold of their children. Just wait. In the blink of an historical eye, their work ethic and family values will be replaced with a sense of aggrieved victimhood and entitlement to state compensation, with all the appalling panoply of ills that follow in their wake. After that, it will be ethnic separatism and socio-economic dysfunction as far as the eye can see.
Related posts:
Illegal Aliens and You
Insulation
Every little bit helps:
FOLLOW-UP II: More on Herndon from La Shawn Barber.
Pingback by A CERTAIN SLANT OF LIGHT — 05.03.06 @ 10:30 am
Thanks, La Shawn! That is a great idea. I will ask my webmaster if he can find room for an ICE button.
Comment by Debbie Schlussel — 05.03.06 @ 10:35 am
Welcome back, La Shawn. I commend the voters of Herndon for making their voices heard in the best way possible-at the voting booth.
As using public funds for illegal purposes is illegal, could we expect school boards in California to demand investigations as it’s been mentioned that school buses were used to deliver students to the ‘el grande protests’, and that some some teachers were sent along “To make sure the students were okay.” as they walked in the crowds of protesters? Meaning that teachers were being paid to walk, and buses were used illegally.
Anyway, welcome back La Shawn.
Comment by Doug — 05.03.06 @ 10:55 am
Has the Backlashing Begun?
La Shawn reports on the ousting of Herndon, Va. council members who supported the tax-funded construction of a day labor center for illegal immigrants.
Trackback by Hugh Hewitt — 05.03.06 @ 10:56 am
May Day Organizers Hijacking America’s Cornerstones
The man behind the el paro’s or work stoppages is Ricardo Diaz. In the About Us section of his website is this phrase: “…an organization that supports the rights of all immigrants to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Trackback by Church and State — 05.03.06 @ 10:57 am
Thanks for making me feel better this morning, LaShawn. I too have been wondering what kind of a country we are but after reading what the voters in Herndon did, I feel heartened.
The least we should demand of our elected officials is that they follow our laws. It’s absolutely incredible to me what we are seeing in the Senate. They’re ignoring the polls and what must be hundreds of thousands or even millions of irate calls/e-mails from their constituents.
Well, to our so-called representatives in Congress, take a lesson from Herndon, folks, cause we ain’t gonna take it any more.
Comment by dianne — 05.03.06 @ 11:18 am
Illegal Immigration–the backlash begins…
Via Michelle Malkin, here is this story from WJLA.The day labor site …
Trackback by Latino Issues, a Conservative Blog — 05.03.06 @ 11:52 am
It will be interesting to see how Herdon proceeds from this point. Will the reorganized city council turn a blind eye to the problem of illegals mobbing the makeshift hiring zones and thus enable the problem to fester and grow? Or, will the city council take steps to squeeze the problem to a place outside their jurisdiction?
What role will the media play in their constant search for “victims” (who are an essential part of their news soap opera)?
What pressure will Herdon encounter from the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Feds? And can it be long before a militant organization of Hispanics forms to intimidate Herndon and other small localities?
We not only need to have a controlled border with strictly controlled crossing points, we also need to focus on those among us who are damaging our social fabric. This focus will have to take place community by community across the nation.
Comment by Heliotrope — 05.03.06 @ 12:04 pm
STILL PLAYING GAMES
Catch. Release. Catch. Release. *** La Shawn Barber calls it a tug of war….
Trackback by Michelle Malkin — 05.03.06 @ 12:42 pm
Our First Mexican President
El Presidente Jorge Walker Boosh: Okay, folks, let’s try this in (heh-heh) English. Look, I know what you’re feeling. You feel the good old USA is being invaded and occupied by a country with a government so rotten, so
Trackback by gringoman.com — 05.03.06 @ 1:00 pm
Did the Herndon voters hear El Presidente’s speech for cartooned “Our First Mexican Prsident”?
Comment by gringoman — 05.03.06 @ 1:06 pm
La Shawn:
Placing the Day Labor Center in a residential neighborhood was a deliberate effort at class warfare.
If this was in any way to benefit day laborers in a sincere manor, it would be placed elsewhere.
In North Dallas, some smart aleck judge placed a public housing project, damning the opinions of homeowners; real estate prices plummetted. Same old same old.
Comment by Frank Zavisca — 05.03.06 @ 2:20 pm
Anti-Illegal Alien Tide Beginning to Rise
After Protests, Backlash GrowsThe anger evoked a word that immigrant organizers who opposed Monday’s boycott feared: backlash. McDonald and other Americans were particularly disturbed by Monday’s boycott and civil action, attended in large part by pe…
Trackback by Daily Pundit — 05.03.06 @ 2:48 pm
La Shawn reports on the ousting of Herndon, Va. council members who supported the tax-funded construction of a day labor center for illegal immigrants. Most day center-supporting members got a swift kick to the curb, including Mayor Michael O’Reilly, who I called a fool for implying that taxpayers in Herndon had no right to influence federal legislators.
Pingback by Amber — 05.03.06 @ 6:05 pm
Ace in the Hole: Founder of Minutemen targets run for POTUS
Comment by TexasFred — 05.03.06 @ 6:36 pm
In the mid 70’s I moved from a town in Iowa, population about 100,000 to Minneapolis. When I went in to get car insurance the agent said “You’ll be paying a lot more here.” I looked at the quote and told him I had been paying more where I came from. He then said “Oh, your from” and named my town. Seems the high rate was due to a large Mexican influx that started with a local meat packer who brought in Mexican labor and even housed them on it’s property during a labor dispute. By the way meat packing wages today are lower than they were in 1960 and for anyone who believes any of the savings were passed on to the consumer, I have a bridge to sell.
If you’re in a sinking boat, do you act like you’re bailing or do you plug the leak? I’d hate to go sailing with most of those in our federal government.
Comment by Mike O — 05.03.06 @ 6:48 pm
“Interesting, but not surprising, news: Hispanics Carry Lopsided Share Of DWI Arrests in Wake County, North Carolina. More interesting is how many drunk driving hispanic arrestees are illegal aliens. But local law enforcement officials aren’t allowed to ask. Hispanics probably make up a significant percentage of drunk drivers in the D.C. area, too, as well as uninsured drivers.”
Well here in NVa that is the case (so I would guess DC is pretty close being only a few miles up the road). You would think it is rocket science. It amazes me that the law enforcement appear to act “perplexed” by the percentage however what makes them think that if you break one law you won’t break others? That’s almost a given being man’s true nature.
Either way, I am pretty disgusted with our leadership and our country … and I can’t wait to see the country pull a “Herndon” (wow new term:-)) on our useless politicians.
Comment by Renee — 05.03.06 @ 7:19 pm
In other news, the title of La Shawn Barber’s post “Herndon’s Day Laber Center-Supporting Politicos Kicked to Curb” pretty much says it all. Encouraging news.
Pingback by Ninth State — 05.03.06 @ 8:42 pm
La Shawn Barber calls it a tug of war.
Pingback by NoisyRoom.net — 05.03.06 @ 9:32 pm
Herndon, VA Mayor Loses Election For Supporting Illegal Aliens
Herndon, VA Mayor Michael O’Reilly was defeated in a taste of justice from voters that is sure to spread throughout the county. Mayor O’Reilly was a supporter of a day labor center that helped in the hiring of illegal aliens…
Trackback by Diggers Realm — 05.03.06 @ 11:43 pm
Power to the people
Herndon, Virginia Mayor Michael O’Reilly and the city’s Town Council determined that their constituents should and would pay for the construction and maintenance of a day labor center for illegal aliens. Herndon’s citizens responded yesterday by gi…
Trackback by Pajamas Media — 05.04.06 @ 3:53 am
Hi Lashawn. Love your blog. There was an anti-illegal immigration rally scheduled in Atlanta about 3 weeks ago at the Capital. When I showed up, sadly there were more Hispanic counter-demonstrators than there were demonstrators for the rally itself. I don’t think Americans realize what they are up against.
Comment by Florian Guerrero — 05.04.06 @ 10:42 pm
Fri PM links
Patrick Kennedy? As sad as any addict, but would this guy ever have been elected if his name were Pat Shaughnessey? What has he ever done with his life? Resign, and take care of yourself, Patrick, and grow up. And try to make something of yourself.How lon
Trackback by Maggie's Farm — 05.05.06 @ 6:26 pm
Ironic how another Kennedy has another “incident”. The cover-ups with this family are almost too obvious now.
Comment by Florian Guerrero — 05.05.06 @ 8:39 pm
To #17, yeah but whats the alternative?
Republicans are controlled by the business lobby.
Democrats want the cheap votes.
Bush could spend less than a quarter of what we are currently spending in Iraq to build a fence, or whatever to completely secure the southern border. He could do that NOW. He could IMMEDIATELY enforce the current laws and punish businesses and people who hire illegal immigrant labor.
But why change it. you get cheap disposable labor, you get people paying into the gov’t coffers but taking relatively little out…nothings better than that.
Now we’re talking possible amnesty, which is probably causing an unprecedented rush to the border as we speak. These politicians (left, right, conservative, all of ‘em) know exactly what they’re doing.
I say let the ones who are here work to citizenship, and completely cut off the border NOW.
But, I’m still betting NOTHING changes.
Comment by lukeNC — 05.07.06 @ 5:00 pm
Beyond the Gate
The ManMy little congregation is in the process of looking for a pastor right now, so I really appreciated Brad Hightower’s thoughts on The Problem of Looking for The Man, over at 21st Century Reformation. This post made me reconsider how biblical my …
Trackback by Wittenberg Gate — 05.07.06 @ 5:42 pm
“Pull a Herndon”, “Herndon-ize”, “Herndon-ator” . . . Hmmm, you might be onto something Renee.
Ciao
Comment by Andy — 05.07.06 @ 7:11 pm