House Republicans are looking closely at ending birthright citizenship and building a barrier along the entire U.S.-Mexico border as they search for solutions to illegal immigration.
…
“There is a general agreement about the fact that citizenship in this country should not be bestowed on people who are the children of folks who come into this country illegally,” said Rep. Tom Tancredo, Colorado Republican, who is participating in the “unity dinners,” the group of Republicans trying to find consensus on immigration.
Birthright citizenship, or what critics call “anchor babies,” means that any child born on U.S. soil is granted citizenship, with exceptions for foreign diplomats. That attracts illegal aliens, who have children in the United States; those children later can sponsor their parents for legal immigration. (Source)
There are a handful of real conservatives in Congress, including Tom Tancredo, but I won’t become optimistic about immigration reform until I see a few bills on the floor.
Ron’s Random Ruminations:
The recent Paris-Area riots got me to thinking (this can be a dangerous thing). Are we breeding our own Intifada?
…
All the social and structural conditions for an American Intifada are present in the relationship between Mexico and the U. S. There is a porous border between the two countries with a high level of illegal immigration. There are significant cultural, linguistic and religious differences between the U. S. and Mexico, as well. With Mexican and Latino gangs already controlling much of the drug traffic in the U. S., there is money and a social infrastructure that may be used to plan and communicate terrorist activities. Finally, there is a growing ideology of resentment over a perceived foreign occupation that may inspire young and alienated Latino insurgents.
Related posts:
I don’t remember what director Spike Lee did or said that turned me off (it was something), but I was once a big fan.
I was an undergrad at an historically black college when the best movie he ever made, School Daze, came out. My school was one of several selected to screen the film before it hit theaters.
Set at a fictional, historically black college (filmed at Morris Brown College in Atlanta), School Daze was about color consciousness among blacks (light skin vs. dark skin, “good” hair vs. “bad” hair, etc.) in general and at black schools in particular. Although dramatically enhanced, most of the scenes rang true.
When Lee says something I like, I ought to acknowledge it. From the Tennessean:
“Young black kids didn’t grow up wanting to be a pimp or a stripper like they do now,” Lee said of his own youth. You might think I’m making generalizations, but I don’t think I am. That’s how serious this stuff is.”
…
“We do not all think and talk alike, and I’ve been struggling to get that message through Hollywood,” Lee said. “And I will continue to bring that message.”
Spike Lee is a die-hard New York Knicks fan, and as a formerly addicted Knicks/John Starks fan myself, I share his impeccable taste in sports teams. 
By the way, TURN OFF THAT IDIOT BOX!!!
Update: I forgot to mention the best part of the article:
Many of hip-hop’s heroes amount to minstrel performers in Lee’s opinion. The pimping and gangsta personas are what sells right now, Lee said, and rappers may not be wearing blackface, but they are presenting an image of what it means to be black like minstrel shows of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. (Emphasis added)
I second that.
Update (11/4): The rioting continues to spread. If anyone finds a headline with the word “Muslims” in it, please let me know.
Disabled woman set on fire by “youths.”
Recommended site: Know Islam.
Recommended book: Islam Unveiled.
Review of The Crisis of Islam.
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Paris is reaping what it’s sown, and if we don’t heed the warnings (as if the murder of thousands and destruction of two buildings in New York City weren’t enough), we can expect the same.
Lax immigration policies, prostration to the god of multiculturalism, and the refusal to fight fire with fire are three reasons why Muslim “youths” in Paris are rioting in the streets.
As I see it, the religion of Islam is inherently incompatible with the concept of individual liberty, a crucial component of western countries. It’s no accident that a culture like the West and a nation like the United States were envisioned and created by people who were either Christians and/or biblically literate and/or respected the Christian tradition. In countries under Islamic law, there’s no such idea as “individual liberty.” You’re either a Muslim or in danger of having your throat sliced open.
[click to continue…]
…George Bush emerged from the 2004 presidential election victoriously. I’ve been giving him a hard time lately, but between him and John Kerry, I still think the better man won.
When I’d gone to bed in the early morning hours of November 2, 2004, I was very excited. At the time I was still at the day job, a non-profit organization heavily stocked with liberals. On the Metro that morning, it was as though someone had died. At work, it was worse: as though two people had died. I didn’t gloat or even mention the election, but I don’t think I would’ve been extended the same courtesy had John Kerry won.
Nine percent of voting D.C. residents voted for Bush, but I didn’t see any that day, judging from the faces of people on the street. I didn’t see one smile the whole day other than the one I saw in the mirror when I powdered my nose.
George Bush can’t be all men to all people. He’s only one man, doing what he thinks is best, I suppose. I hate his amnesty-for-illegal-aliens plan, but I’m glad he’s in the White House screwing up instead of John Kerry.
(AFB photo)
Round-up: Blogs for Bush, Generation Why?, Sister Toldjah, Randy Thomas, Brainster’s Blog…
Related posts:
Garloward
Despite the apparently set-in-stone achievement gap between black and white students, a little common sense at home can go a long way.
A few years ago, NAACP president Kweisi Mfume insisted that there should be more blacks on TV. Too few colored folks on the idiot box hurts black kids’ self-esteem.
Reasonable people, myself included, thought the man was out of his mind. Children of all colors should be watching less or no TV, not more, especially when a persisting achievement gap leaves black kids, on average, four years behind their white peers by the time they graduate from high school.
[click to continue…]
This will probably be the only post for the day because I’ll be traveling. Time for another road trip.
Some of my long-time readers may remember a controversial post I wrote called A Christian or a Liberal? It generated a lot of comments and some not-so-nice e-mail. A high-profile liberal blogger linked to it, and his minions crawled out of the woodwork to serve their master. It was a hoot.
I’d linked to a column written by Doug Giles on the topic. He’s a much edgier writer than I am, so I can only imagine the kind of mail he receives. Doug is no stranger to controversy (see his archives).
He liked my latest column on Townhall.com, Harry Potter and the Charmed Christians, and I’ll be on his radio show tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. EST to talk about it. I only recently came out of the closet as a fan of the books, and now I’m doing radio interviews about the boy wizard. 
I’m also doing a BBC radio interview (TBA) about the Narnia books. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe will hit theaters in December.
This post will be open to whatever you want to discuss. Leave links in comments and/or trackback to one of your posts. For readers who e-mail links to posts, I haven’t been ignoring you. I get too many requests, and I’m usually too busy to post many of them. Whether you’ve sent links or not, I encourage you to let readers know about your latest and/or greatest post.
Discuss Harry Potter theories, the new Supreme Court nominee, or whatever else is going on in the world.
See you tomorrow.
Update (11/2): Tune in to Clash Radio tonight at 8:00 p.m. EST to hear me and Doug Giles talk about Harry Potter and Christians.
by La Shawn on October 31, 2005
in Faith
To LBC readers who prayed for my sister and/or contributed to the “Send Shannon to California” fund, she has a message for you.
By the way, welcome her to the blogosphere! I’m still working on my other sister and brother.
by La Shawn on October 31, 2005
in Bloggers
This may be a strange question, but have you bloggers made arrangements for your blog when you die? Is there someone you trust with the password to carry out your wishes? For instance, if this site is still in operation at the time of my death, I’ve made arrangements to have it shut down completely. It will live forever in Google’s cache, of course, but LBC will cease to be, just like me.
A morbid rhyme.
A story called Ghosts in the Machines reminded me of my own blogger mortality:
More than a year after his death, Aaron Huth continues to haunt those who knew him. His profile on the behemoth six-degrees-of-separation Web site Friendster.com still lets people know that in May of 2003 he was listening to bands like the Birthday Party and the Postal Service and reading Nietzsche. His likes and interests were frozen for posterity on May 26, 2003, the last time he logged into the site….Twenty years old at the time of his death, Huth had made no preparations and left no instructions with regards to how his worldly affairs should be dealt with, much less his online presence—how the people he knew only in the virtual sense should be notified. He is far from being alone in that regard.
Think about it. If you’re like me, blogging and various online activity have become a big part of your life. Just as you make plans for your assets, the care of dependents, etc., you ought to make plans for your blog and all password-protected web-based accounts, such as e-mail. Remember this story?
Happy Monday.
By Jove, I think he’s got it!
Selecting an experienced, sitting judge for the Supreme Court instead of an inexperienced former employee…what a novel idea!
Update: “In a recent column I suggested that all the fuss about Harriet Meirs’ credentials and by implication her intelligence, which is probably higher than many of her critics, is a distraction. What matters is not that she have previous experience as a judge or be several standard deviations to the right on the Bell Curve, but that she have an originalist judicial philosophy.” — Red Phillips.
Regarding the “separation of church and state” issue, see Incompatible Kerry’s Immaculate Deception.
by La Shawn on October 29, 2005
in General
Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. EST (Don’t forget to turn back your clocks this weekend!) on WRKO in Boston, Kevin and Gregg of Pundit Review will interview Kris Mineau, President of the Massachusetts Family Institute and Vote on Marriage, about homosexual “marriage.”
Mineau is collecting signatures to put a marriage amendment protecting traditional marriage on the 2008 ballot in the state. Gregg in particular wants to debunk the ridiculous notion that homosexual “marriage” is a civil right or is in any way related to the Civil Rights movement.
To stir things us up (This typo has been up here all day. The shame…) a woman from Mass Equality will be joining them. Listen live at WRKO in Boston at 9:00 p.m. EST.
Call in and weigh in at 617.266.6868 or 877.469.4322.
Don’t forget to turn back your clocks!
Related posts:
Bloggers are more of a threat than people realize, and they are only going to get more toxic. This is the new reality. — Peter Blackshaw, Intelliseek (which has a blog!)
Forbes magazine’s cover story (try BugMeNot to bypass reg.) makes a few good points about blogs and certain legal issues, but the overall tone is hysterical (as in neurotic, not funny). According to the article, blogs promote a lynch mob mentality. I’ll admit that in the aggregate, blogs can whip up a frenzy and create an opinion storm that probably scares the establishment more than we bloggers imagine. And that’s good.
This is America. It’s our duty to challenge politicians and the press, and with a free market system, businesses better beware, too. What frightens them so much is they can’t control us. Yes, if we libel companies or individuals, there should be consequences. But a blog swarm in itself is not a crime or an infringement of anyone’s civil rights.
A blog swarm can be a stinging gadfly, a much-dreaded possibility, or someone’s worst nightmare, but in my opinion, blogging is free expression at its purest. If we’re willing to embrace this freedom, we ought to be willing to embrace its power.
Although the Forbes article is technically not a tirade, I really enjoy reading and listening to anti-blog rants.
Is that normal?
(Hat tip: Micro Persuasion)
Related posts:
Update: Mean Dean has spoofed Forbes already!
Unrelated Update: See my update on the Harry Potter post. Spoiler alert! If you have a response, please comment there.
Update II: No time to celebrate. I agree. And I feel for Miers. If this post comes off as an attack against her, that wasn’t my intent. Bush is either getting bad advice or no advice. He looks a bit haggard in the photo, doesn’t he? Running a country, especially one with free expression and a free press, can’t be easy.
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Miers is gone.
Blog swarm?
But I predict George Bush will nominate another unqualified person. Perhaps his tailor. Or his dentist. Or his dog walker.
What did Bush learn? Maybe he learned that the people who put him in office actually expect him to be a conservative with common sense and choose someone qualified to sit on the highest court in the land, and not an unknown-quantity crony. We’ll see.
Other bloggers: SCOTUSblog, Michelle Malkin round-up, Captain Ed, Patterico, Pundit Guy (another round-up), The Buzz Blog, Jason Smith, The American Princess…
Dan Phillips says:
My fear now is that either W will nominate Gonzalez, for whom I have NO enthusiasm, but who is qualified, and pretty clearly NOT in our corner ideologically; OR he will nominate an excellent candidate, and our enemies will use the very weapons we just so thoughtfully handed them to oppose him.
Ugh! Read what I wrote about Alberto Gonzales last year.
Dan adds: “To make sure I was clear, when I say Gonzales is “qualified,” I mean technically so — i.e. in the ways Miers’ critics complained that she was not.”
Mean Dean says:
It is my hope that Harriet Miers, by nobly putting her Nation and her President above her own personal ambition, would motivate George Bush to take this do-over opportunity to make a bold move to the right - and nominate a great thinker who understands the Constitution and is willing to forgoe the social fads of the day in favor of good law. Even if said nominee isn’t a long time pal of the Bush administration.
Important Update: Would Janice Rogers Brown, who has the proper judicial credentials, suffice? Will Bush dare?
If you’re bored with this topic, check out the Harry Potter post. Book 6 spoiler warning!
