Marches coast to coast [powerful, unsettling, thought-provoking document by John @ Powerline]

At Power Line News Video, you can find the video (with photographs) of the "marches of the illegals" around the country on Monday. Assembled and edited by Joe Malchow and John, it is a powerful, unsettling, thought-provoking document. John comments on the video here. Please check it out. [See Below For John's Comments:

As an exercise in citizen journalism, we put out a call to readers to attend yesterday's demonstrations in support of illegal immigration, film them, and send us the resulting video. We didn't know what to expect, but the results were gratifying. We got lots of submissions, both of video and photographs. As a result, we've put together a Power Line Video of yesterday's rallies, from Seattle to Washington, D.C., which you can watch here.

We intended this as an experiment to see whether this type of citizen journalism can work; our conclusion is that it certainly can. We also learned valuable lessons that will help us do this more effectively next time.

What conclusions do I draw from the materials we received? You can judge for yourself, but I would make two broad observations. First, notwithstanding mainstream media accounts that portray the turnout as vast, most of the rallies struck me as of modest size. The flagship demonstrations were pretty big; most of the others looked small to me.

Second, despite the blowback against the display of Mexican flags two weeks ago, and the distribution of American flags by leaders of some of the demonstrations, many of the demonstrators are still defiant about carrying the flags of Mexico and other Latin American countries and displaying radical slogans and images, thereby undercutting the "all-American" image of the rallies that most of the mainstream media worked hard to present.

This point can be made strongly by focusing on yesterday's demonstration in New York, and considering its coverage in the New York Times. The Times reported on the nationwide rallies here in a story that was almost entirely positive. The large photo that leads the story shows a sea of American flags, while the Times' story begins:

Waving American flags and blue banners that read "We Are America," throngs of cheering, chanting immigrants and their supporters converged on the nation's capital and in scores of other cities on Monday calling on Congress to offer legal status and citizenship to millions of illegal immigrants. The demonstrators marched under mostly clear blue skies with Spanish-language music blaring, street vendors selling ice cream and parents clinging to mischievous toddlers and the banners of their homelands.

Check out the portion of our video that shows the demonstration in Washington, and see how well it matches this cheery description of "street vendors" and "mischievous toddlers." And, of course, all those Mexican and Honduran flags aren't intended to be belligerent, they're just "banners of their homelands."

The Times covers the demonstration that took place in the paper's own city here. Again, the paper's coverage is entirely positive, although it implicitly acknowledges that turnout in New York was disappointing. The Times notes the presence of Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer, who addressed the rally, but it makes no comment at all on who organized the demonstration.

In fact, as our video shows, the New York demonstration (like those in some other cities) was organized and controlled in substantial part by International A.N.S.W.E.R., the Communist organization that we have written about many times, most recently here. A.N.S.W.E.R.'s National Coordinator, Brian Becker, was prominent at the New York rally; he is the man in the blue shirt on the right in the photo below. Click to enlarge:

Note A.N.S.W.E.R.'s large "amnesty" banner with the words "Full Rights For All Immigrants!" as well as the Che Guevara banner.

International A.N.S.W.E.R. passed out thousands of mass-produced, yellow and black signs with exactly the same message. You can see them prominently displayed in our video footage from New York. Here, though, is what I think is even more interesting. At either of the two New York Times pages linked above, you can also link to the Times' own video of the New York demonstration. Take a look at it.

Look at the sea of yellow and black, International A.N.S.W.E.R. signs. They vastly outnumber all other signs and banners. They are the dominant visual image of the New York demonstration. It is inconceivable that the Times' reporters could have failed to note the prominent role played by A.N.S.W.E.R. in running the demonstration, or the dominant role played by that group in equipping the protesters with signs. Yet the organization's role was not acknowledged by the Times, or, to my knowledge, by any other newspaper. Why? The Times' reporters were obviously aware of A.N.S.W.E.R.'s prominent involvement, and thirty seconds' worth of research would have disclosed the fact that the group is an unabashedly Communist organization. It wouldn't have taken much more than that to learn that A.N.S.W.E.R.'s National Coordinator has said that illegal immigration can be the "catalyst for a broader class struggle, even possibly a revolutionary struggle."

Now, I'm not suggesting that most of those who carried A.N.S.W.E.R.'s signs in yesterday's demonstrations sympathize with, or are even aware of, that group's extremist agenda. But isn't A.N.S.W.E.R.'s role newsworthy? Isn't it something that newspaper readers need to be aware of, to get a balanced picture of the demonstrations?

The Times doesn't think so. The Times made the editorial judgment that you're better off not knowing who was responsible for that sea of yellow and black signs so clearly depicted in their own video. Because, when mainstream media organizations start referring to "mischievous toddlers," it's not hard to figure out whose side you're supposed to be on.

Thanks to all who sent video and photos, and thanks especially to the tireless Joe Malchow, who assembled the Power Line Video. There were a number of other sites that put up pictures and movie footage of yesterday's demonstrations, some of which also contributed to our movie. I'll try to get links up to as many of those sites as I can later in the day.

UPDATE: Michelle Malkin attended the Washington demonstration and posted both photos and video. At 3:35 this morning! Her site has lots more, just scroll.

If Congress and the President are ultimately only willing to offer a "virtual wall" to prevent unauthorized entry of foreign aliens into this country over our southern border with Mexico, why should the "estimated 11 million" "undocumented' aliens currently living in the US be offered anything more than "virtual amnesty"in return?

"Amnesty": an act by authority by which a pardon is granted to a large number of persons for past transgressions. Interstingly derived from the same root as amnesia.

"Virtual Amnesty". You can stay as long as and only as long as,

a) you have a job no american wants -- if an American shows up at your place of employment and asks for your job at any rate of pay up to 200% of your current wage and such person is ready able and capable of assuming your duties, you can move aside and leave. You have 60 days to find new employment or leave the country;

b) all your pay is reported as income to governmental authority and social security and income tax is properly withheld and paid (aliens are not eligible to receive social security benefits, the money would fund the inadequate SS reserve);

c) you pay all your own expenses and do not receive any public assistance for housing, medical care, food stamsp, aid to dependant children, or public education;

d) if you do receive public assistance, such as for emergency medical care, you will reimburse the full costs of any assistance received; if you are here with a spouse, family or 'domestic partner' de jure, your offspring are not U.S citizens, you waive that right on their behalf by remaining here.;

e) if you have children of school age, public authority will provide you with books, software and programs authorized for home schooling families. Statiistics indicate this is a much effective and valuable educational assistance than participating in public education;

f) you will not engage while in the United States in any political activity;

g) in particular you will not vote or attempt to vote;

h) membership, participation, active support or conspiracy with any organized criminal gang shall be the equivalent of a "third strke" felony. Conviction of same shall mean immediate and permanent deportation or incarceration for life at the option of the government. A criminal history prior to US entry shall be grounds for immediate deportation with a permanent bar to reentry;

i) If you commit any "malum per se" or "specific intent" crimes while present in the U.S, you shall serve your sentence and then be deported with a permanent bar to reentry;

j) At all times, any and all covered persons shall carry upon their person, sufficient and accurate identifying information as to the covered persons, identity, place of residence in the US., country of national citizenship, date of birth, place of birth, names of parents, and dates of entry into the United States; and,

k) At no time shall a covered person occupy, hold, or be compensated for performing any public sector job or position.

Conditions of limited license to remain in the US:

By electing to remain within US territory on or after 30 days after the enactment of this legislation, a covered individual voluntarily waives any protections of law, including any application of the 4th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and consents at any reasonable time and upon any reasonable circumstance, such as but not limited to in any public place at any time, to being detained for a reasonable time without suspicion or other cause by law enforcement in order for governmental authority to verify the persons identity and compliance with these "tempory worker" statutes.

"Jail Tax" All covered persons and only such persons shall be subject to a 10% tax on income earned over and above all other taxes and assessments on income, to fund reimbursement of state and federal penal incarceration of undocumented aliens

Citizenship: If and when an applicant can affirmatively demonstrate 10 continuous years of compliance with the foregoing, or alternatively upon completion of a full term of service with any branch of the Armed Services of the United States resulting in an honorable discharge; and,
If and when the applciant can demonstrate fluency in the English language; and,

If and when the applicant can demonstrate a 12th grade equivalency of knowledge of American history and American literature and American Laws

Said applicant may then apply for American citizenship.

Notwithstanding any of the above, not more than 750,000 complying alien persons shall in any year become citizens of the United States.

Text of Remarks at Mexican Flag Burning—April 10, 2006 Tucson, Arizona

[DefenderUSA NOTE: Please notice the difference here between what the media reported and what was read here! The media had no understanding of the purpose of burning the flag, as stated here.]

Laine Lawless:

Before we begin, I want to say what this is NOT. This is not an act against any legal American-Mexicans in this country; it is not an act against the Mexican people in Mexico. Our protest today is directly solely toward the Mexican government and any of its citizens illegally present in the United States.

As always, Border Guardians remains committed to only lawful actions to combat illegal immigration. The only violent thing we do today is to burn the flag of a foreign nation. While we are not pacifists, and will defend ourselves if necessary, we are committed to practice only peaceful, lawful action in defense of our country. Our words are plain-spoken, perhaps even harsh; but our physical actions are gentle.

Roy Warden:

ALL OF US HAVE COME HERE TODAY TO ENGAGE IN A SOLEMN EVENT. WE ARE HERE TODAY TO PROCLAIM OUR SUPORT FOR FREEDOM, OUR PRIDE AS AMERICAN CITIZENS AND TO PLEDGE OUR ALLEGIENCE TO THE AMERICAN FLAG.

WE ARE ALSO HERE TO DECLARE OUR CONCERN FOR THE GREAT BORDER ISSUES THAT TROUBLE US. MANY OF YOU HAVE COME HERE BECAUSE MEXICO HAS EXPLOITED YOUR LABOR, STOLEN YOUR LAND, TRAMPLED ON YOUR DREAMS. THE MEXICAN FLAG IS A SYMBOL OF THAT EXPLOITATION.

SO WE ARE HERE TO DECLARE OUR SUPPORT FOR YOUR DREAMS AND DISGUST FOR THOSE WHO OPPRESS YOU. THAT’S WHY TODAY WE WILL BURN THE MEXICAN FLAG, A SYMBOL OF YOUR OPPRESSION AND EXPLOITATION. AND A DECENT RESPECT FOR ALL LAW ABIDING CITIZENS REQUIRES US TO EXPLAIN JUST WHY WE DO THIS.

BUT FIRST WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US, SHOW RESPECT FOR AMERICA, AND PLEDGE ALLEGIENCE TO OUR FLAG. [Roy leads Pledge of Allegiance.]

NOW, I HAVE NOTICED THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE REFUSED TO PLEDGE ALLEGIENCE TO OUR FLAG. WHY IS THAT? IS IT BECAUSE YOU HAVE ALLEGIENCE TO ANOTHER COUNTRY? WE YANQUIS WONDER: WE WONDER WHY ARE YOU HERE, IF YOUR ALLEGIENCE IS THERE?

I WOULD NEVER DESERT AMERICA FOR ANOTHER LAND. MY COUNTRY STANDS FOR FREEDOM AND THE DREAM OF BOUNDLESS OPPORTUNITY. EVERY YEAR A MILLION OF YOU ENDURE GREAT HARDSHIP TO COME HERE AND SHARE THAT DREAM.

THE FIRST DAY OF YOUR PROTEST WE SAW TENS OF THOUSANDS OF YOU MARCHING IN OUR STREETS WAVING THE MEXICAN FLAG. SOME OF YOU HAD THE WORD “MEXICO” WRITTEN ON YOUR FOREHEADS. SO WE AMERICANS WONDER: WHY DO THESE PEOPLE ABANDON MEXICO, THE COUNTRY THAT OPPRESES THEM, AND WAVE THE MEXICAN FLAG, A SYMBOL OF THAT OPPRESSION?

WE REMEMBER OUR BLACK AMERICANS WHO MARCHED FOR THEIR FREEDOM IN THE 1960’S. I MARCHED WITH THEM AND SHARED THEIR DREAM. NOT ONE OF THEM WAVED THE CONFEDERATE FLAG, THE FLAG OF THEIR OPPRESSION. SO WE WONDER: WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS, YOU WHO WAVE THE MEXICAN FLAG, THE SYMBOL OF YOUR OPPRESSION.

MANY OF YOU WHO HAVE BROKEN OUR LAWS. MANY OF YOU WHO ENJOY THE BOUNTY OF AMERICA AND SEND 30 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR BACK TO MEXICO. MANY OF YOU WHO REFUSE TO PLEDGE YOUR ALLEGIENCE TO OUR COUNTRY. WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT YOU.

WE HAVE HEARD RUMORS ABOUT A LAND CALLED “AZTLAN,” A MYTHICAL LAND WITH A GOD CALLED “QUETZACOATL.” AND WE HAVE SEEN AN OUTLINE OF THAT MYTHICAL COUNTRY, BEING SOMEWHERE HERE IN OUR AMERICAN SOUTHWEST.

UNDERSTAND THIS: LAND IS ALWAYS FOUGHT FOR AND PAID FOR WITH BLOOD. WE AMERICANS FOUGHT FOR THE LAND I NOW STAND ON AND PAID FOR IT WITH OUR BLOOD. MANY CENTURIES AGO WHITE SPANIARDS CAME TO MEXICO, AND PAID FOR IT WITH THEIR BLOOD. AND OF COURSE THEY SPILLED THE BLOOD OF MILLIONS OF NATIVE BORN MEXICANS, SOME OF THEM CALLED “AZTECS.”

THEY EXTENDED THEIR POWER THERE, AND HERE, BY MILITARY FORCE, BY SPILLING MORE BLOOD, AND BY USE OF FILTHY PRIESTS WHO ENSLAVED THE INDIOS, DESTROYED THEIR CULTURE AND FORCED THEM TO BUILD MISSIONS. AND AFTER THOSE MISSIONS WERE BUILT, THOSE SAME PRIESTS BEGAN TO SODOMIZE THE INDIO CHILDREN. THE SAME FILTHY PRIESTS WHO SODOMIZE OUR CHILDREN AND SUPPORT YOUR CAUSE TODAY.

THIS LAND WAS ONCE CONQUERED BY SPANIARDS WHO SPILLED BLOOD. THEN WE AMERICANS CONQUERED IT BY SPILLING THEIR BLOOD. I WILL TELL YOU THIS: MY FAMILY WAS QUITE PROMINENT IN THIS EFFORT. WE TOOK A LOT OF LAND IN CALIFORNIA. AND WE SPILLED A LOT OF BLOOD. AND WHEN THE BLOOD SPILLING WAS OVER, ONE OF MY GREAT GRANDFATHERS TOOK LAND THAT HAD ONCE BELONGED TO A SPANISH NOBLEMAN. AFTER MY GREAT GRANDFATHER TOOK THE LAND HE MARRIED THE NOBLEMAN’S DAUGHTER, AND AFTER THE CEREMONY SHE WAS PROUD TO CALL HERSELF AMERICAN. SHE WAS MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER WHOM I STILL REVERE AND CALL “MAMA NINA.” SO, IF ANYONE BELIEVES THEY HAVE A GRIEVANCE WITH MY FAMILY, AND THE LAND WE TOOK IN CALIFORNIA, HERE I STAND, AND MAMA NINA STANDS NEXT TO ME.

BUT REMEMBER WHAT I TOLD YOU. THE SIMPLE LESSON OF HISTORY: LAND IS ALWAYS PAID FOR WITH BLOOD. AND IF ANY INVADER TRIES TO TAKE THIS LAND FROM US, WE WILL WASH THIS LAND AND NURTURE OUR SOIL WITH BLOOD, WITH OCEANS OF BLOOD.

ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS A MAN CALLED CHE. HE WAS A FRIEND OF A COMMUNIST CALLED FIDEL. FIDEL STILL LIVES. SOME SAY CHE STILL LIVES. HE DOES. HE LIVES IN THE HEADS OF SPOILED RICH WHITE KIDS. I THINK THOSE KIDS HAVE TAKEN TOO MANY DRUGS, TOO MUCH COCAINE. MAYBE THEY SHOULD EAT A LITTLE PEYOTE AS I HAVE DONE--THEN THEY MIGHT SEE THINGS AS I DO.

AMIGOS. ESCHUCHENME. COMMUNISM IS DEAD. AND CHE GUEVARRA IS DEAD. HE DIED FAR FROM HOME, BECAUSE HE TRIED TO STEAL ANOTHER MAN’S COUNTRY. MANY HAVE DIED HERE IN OUR COUNTRY, IN OUR DESERTS. 298 DIED LAST YEAR. DESERTS ARE DANGEROUS PLACES. MAKE SURE YOU DON’T END UP IN ONE, MUERTO LIKE CHE, FAR FROM HOME, BECAUSE YOU TRIED TO STEAL ANOTHER MAN’S COUNTRY.

I HAVE A BETTER IDEA FOR YOU. RATHER THAN FIGHT YOU TO PROTECT MY COUNTRY, I WANT TO HELP YOU FIGHT FOR YOURS.WE AMERICANS ARE EXCELLENT AT THIS. ONCE WE BECOME AWAKENED TO OUR DANGER, WE ARE VERY, VERY SKILLED AT WAR. A VERY FEW OF US TOOK THIS COUNTRY FROM THE BRITISH WHO ONCE OPPRESSED US. A VERY FEW OF US, CALLED PATRIOTS, TOOK ON THE MOST FEARSOME ARMY THE WORLD HAD EVER KNOWN AND BEAT THE LIVING HELL OUT OF THEM.

LET US HELP YOU TAKE YOUR COUNTRY BACK FROM THE WHITE SPANISH WHO ONCE TOOK IT FROM YOU. LET US HELP YOU BEAT THE WHITE CASTILLANOS WHO OPPRESS YOU, WHO DRIVE OUT A MILLION OF YOU EACH YEAR SO THEY MAY STEAL YOUR LAND. DID YOU KNOW EVEN NOW AS WE STAND HERE A MAN FIGHTS YOUR OPPRESSORS FOR AZTLAN? HIS NAME IS MARCOS. AND I THINK HE IS SOMEWHERE IN CHIAPAS.

REMEMBER WHEN YOU ONCE TOLD US “YANQUI GO HOME?” WELL, WE YANQUIS ARE NOW HOME. THIS IS OUR HOME, THE LAND OF OUR ANCESTORS, OUR CHILDREN AND OUR DREAMS. AND WE WANT TO HELP YOU RETURN HOME, AND HELP YOU AND MARCOS FIGHT FOR THE LAND OF YOUR ANCESTORS, YOUR CHILDREN AND YOUR DREAMS. TO DRIVE OUT THE RICH SPANISH LANDOWNERS. TO FIGHT FOR YOUR DREAM, OF AZTLAN, IN MEXICO. VIVA FREEDOM! VIVA LIBERTAD! VIVA MARCOS! VIVA ZAPATA!

Laine Lawless:

In the last two weeks, American citizens have been horrified at the sight of mobs of illegal aliens taking to the streets fearlessly demanding that they be given rights to which they clearly are not entitled. We have been saddened and shocked by the worship of the Mexican flag and the disrespect shown the American flag.

We are here today standing up for America, defending our sovereignty, our flag, and our laws, to say to Mexico and its citizens illegally in the United States: you have no right!

Mexico has sought to steer American immigration and foreign policy for more than a decade. In 1997, then-president Ernesto Zedillo said: “The Mexican nation extends beyond the territory enclosed by its borders.” In 2005, Mexico published a comic book for its illegal migrants to aid them is successfully breaking into America and evading legal authorities. Mexico, through a professional public relations firm in the US, has tried to influence politics at local and national levels, has opposed building a border fence or wall, has opposed Prop 200 in Arizona, and has demanded amnesty, special guestworker visas, and citizenship for its nationals in America. Cabinet member Juan Hernandez, while serving under Pres. Fox, said candidly, “We are betting that the Mexican-American population in the United States will think Mexico FIRST.”

As a Nativist American, I must agree with Yeh Ling-Ling, director of the Diversity Alliance for A Sustainable America, http://www.diversityalliance.org when she says, “Our immigration policy should be set according to our national interests, not dictated by any foreign nation.”

American citizens’ message to Mexico needs to be loud and clear: you have no right to shape our immigration policies!

A nation that encourages its oppressed and unwanted to leave and sneak in the back door of America is not worthy of our respect. In America, the right to own private property is cherished. A person’s home is his or her castle. Imagine, if you will, someone trespassing upon your property, in your yard, and him refusing to leave once you have asked him to do so. Imagine him breaking down your front door and staying inside your home. You tell him to leave, but he says, “I’m hungry!” heads for your refrigerator, and starts stuffing his mouth with your food. You ask him to leave again, and then he says he needs a shower and some first aid, and heads to your bathroom.

By now, you are thoroughly perplexed, and call the police. They come to your house, and say they cannot arrest him, because they are not allowed to ask him his “status.” You are stuck with an unwanted trespasser in your home, and no way to get rid of him.

Fellow American citizens, this is exactly what illegal immigration is like. Foreign nationals, many of whom are from Mexico, are breaking into our national house, demanding things to which they are not entitled, and then refusing to leave! THEY HAVE NO RIGHT to do so! The federal government is derelict in its duties under Article 4 Section 4 of the US Constitution, by failing to protect America from foreign invasion and expelling enemies of the state, including any potential terrorists or foreign agents.

As wages and standards of living have declined, the American citizen has become the new underclass in America, sold out by heartless, greedy corporations and traitorous politicians influenced by the globalist Open Borders Lobby. We are here to demand that illegals, who undercut the wages of American citizens’ jobs, be expelled from our homeland immediately!

Americans send this message to illegal aliens: you have no right!

It seems illegal Mexicans who are protesting feel that they are entitled to some special status here because of their nationality. We say, you have no right! Go to the back of the immigration line and wait your turn! You are not special; you are illegal, and you WILL BE DEPORTED! You have no right to be here, you have no right to demonstrate and claim the same rights under the Constitution as American citizens.

Did you know that Arizona is the FOURTH most dangerous state, in terms of crime, in the United States? Could this be because we have so many illegal aliens here who feel they can do as they please, without any punishment? It seems, that we, American citizens, have no rights; no rights to safe neighborhoods and streets, no rights to be free from foreign-borne diseases, and no rights to a proper public school education for our children!

Mexico’s meddling in the internal affairs, immigration and foreign policies of the United States of America can no longer be tolerated. Mexico has sought to overturn basic Constitutional laws and to undermine American sovereignty and America’s right to control her own borders at every turn. We say to Mexico: you have no right!

We American citizens are tired of our own government’s approval of a southern invasion, we are tired of Mexico trying to steer our immigration policy, and we are tired of Mexico’s criminals in the United States telling us, “we’re here, we’re not leaving, and you’d better get used to us!” YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE HERE, NO RIGHT TO VOTE, AND NO RIGHT TO STAY. If you love Mexico so much, go home!

Citizens of La Raza: Aztlan is in Mexico, not in the United States! You belong there, in your own land, not here, in the United States of America. We will not fight another battle of the Alamo and lose it to Mexican imperialism! The United States will not be turned into another corrupt Mexico where individual rights are trampled, and the law of the land is mordida, the bribe given to government agents!

To those of you who think you can get over on us because of a corrupt, sold-out government, traitorous politicians and greedy corporations and globalists, we say: NO SE PUEDE! No, you can not! We Americans have had enough; we are not going to sit idly by watching you invade our land and reduce our country to lawlessness and ruin. WE HAVE THE RIGHT! Ustedes no tienen el derecho. You have no right!

[As the flag was burning, Roy Warden yelled, “Viva Zapata, Viva Marcos!” in an attempt to get Mexicans to understand that they need to make a revolution in their country to make it better.]

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