And $ is to a politician like cocaine to a drugger, or not? :) 
Posted on 04/20/2006 6:26:41 AM PDT by Joe Brower
May Day, mayday!
Illegal immigrants are seeking to impose their will by sheer force of numbers.
Joe Brower
April 15, 2006
I was at the Home Depot in South Venice the other day to buy some “Eucalyptus double-shredded” mulch; however, to my annoyance, there was none to be found. The reason? The company’s production had been down for three days, a result of its largely “undocumented immigrant” workforce having walked off the job to instead fill the streets of Ft. Myers to the tune of 75,000 strong, demanding their self-invented “rights” as a reward for being here illegally. As of this writing, after a couple of lame attempts at a legislative fix, it looks like our esteemed leaders are leaning toward the easy route: bow to the protestors’ will (and the large business interests lobbying on their behalf), in whole or in part.
Wow. We American citizens have to try that sometime. How about we hit the streets by the thousands and protest having to pay income taxes next year? I’m sure the same rules will apply – we don’t like the law, so we’ll just break it, consider it our God-given right, and then get disruptive when we’re not catered to. Surely the government will understand. Or maybe not. After all, somebody has to pay the bills around here.
Immigrant workers, mostly Hispanic, are no longer an uncommon sight here in Sarasota County. You see them every day, putting down stone pavers for someone’s front patio, mowing lawns in Bay Indies, toiling away on many of the local road expansion projects. I went through the Wendy’s drive-through on the bypass a week ago, and the two workers there were chatting back and forth in Spanish. One thing is certain: This isn’t your father’s Venice any more.
All the major papers, perhaps longing to recreate their “glory days” of the ‘60s Civil Rights Movement and based on the pictures they print and their page-one editorializing, fully support these protests. On April 12 the headlines read, “Latinos: Rising Numbers, Rising Voices.” Hmmm… Problem is, those voices can’t speak English. The day before that it was “Immigrants Rally for Recognition”. Oh, we recognize them all right, and the reaction of most people is “If Mexico’s so great, why are these people here?” and “Good lord, we’ve been invaded”. Because that’s what we have here, folks -- a slow-motion invasion, by numbers without historical precedent, who have no desire to integrate into mainstream American society. This is all expertly described in a powerful essay in Foreign Policy, written two years ago by political scientist and author Samuel Huntington, “The Hispanic Challenge”. The main danger, Huntington points out, is the one attribute that differentiates Hispanic immigrants from all others who have come to our shores, legally or no: The majority refuse to assimilate. Instead, they “Balkanize”. And when they chant, "!Aqui estamos, y no nos vamos!" ("We're here now, and we're not leaving!”), they mean it.
Now these illegal workers are planning to strike and conduct La Gran Marcha on May 1st, “May Day,” a longstanding focus for demonstrations by various “worker” (i.e.: socialist) groups, although most of the participants probably don’t know or care much about that. What these immigrants do know is that a variety of American businesses are going to suffer a bit, and the average American consumer is going to be suddenly running short on all kinds of things, like mulch, for example. And what is available will be more expensive. The idea is that the general discomfort level will be sufficient to make Americans acquiesce to their demands.
But how about this idea instead: Get used to it. Are we not Americans and, as such, undaunted by hardship? If we are truly a “nation of laws,” and we resolve as a people to preserve our distinct culture and way of life, there will be pain for all involved, because fixing this long-festering problem will be neither quick nor easy. Like a person who’s been addicted to heroin for thirty years, it’s high time for the U.S. to finally go cold turkey, break our unhealthy habit and get off the dope once and for all. It’s that or “Aprenda el español hoy, evite la prisa mañana.”
No more illegal immigrants means no more cut-rate labor. So what? I’ll take the preservation of my country’s laws and national identity over cheap lettuce and other such self-serving, short-term conveniences. And I’ll mow the lawn myself, thank you.
I have seen a few articles saying that some of the activist's have been having second thoughts about their May Day protest...fearing the backlash...
Have you been to the super market lately?
Most of the produce is imported and some from guess where? Yup mexico.
I agree with this suggestion more than you prior post. I also believe, if paid a fair price, we do have American Citizens who can pick our lettuce -- or what about paying welfare receipents to actually work (unless they are certified disabled Americans?
We live in a hotbed of illegal immigration. I was still able to find someone legal (and his helper is also legal) to mow our lawn. Sure it took phone calls and actually asking but hey there are still citizens out there doing it.
By the way, my guy is Spanish Basque who immigrated here legally over 30 years ago. He dislikes illegals too.
Yes, I have too. THEY are back-pedaling due to the backlash, but we will not forget the images of their "protests."
THEY are scrambling now to find the right tactic. One of the articles has their "leaders" telling them to place signs saying "In God We Trust" on their homes or vehicles on May 1. Also, to wear U.S. flag pins with white ribbon attached.
They are stealing our patriotic symbols from us and abusing them.... in their desperation.
I have been looking at the produce labels too, and will not buy "grown in Mexico."
If the produce isn't labelled, I ask the greengrocer where it is from.
Usually, they are Latino so they know what I am getting at.
Trader Joe's carries a LOT of produce from Mexico. But their politics stink anyway.
What does having "In God we Trust" have to do with their legality?
Boy do these people have a cockeyed sense of what makes one "American"...
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate "In God we Trust" as much as the next person...but if I hadn't read your post...I would have seen those signs, and I would have question mark above my head!!!
And $ is to a politician like cocaine to a drugger, or not? :)
"It is critical that we are embraced by the American public," said Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.
…..they can show solidarity by wearing white ribbons and American flag pins or posting placards bearing the phrase "In God We Trust" on vehicles and outside of their homes, businesses and work sites, he [Jaime Cisneros] said.
They just don't understand that we are SMART...and understand that they are "pretending"...
They did that by passing out American flags during the 2nd protests....
Now this....LOL
The drive-by media will gobble it up, but they don't fool most Americans either.
I don't think there is anywhere in this country now where citizens do not encounter this mess in their own towns and neighborhoods. Just as Joe illustrates in his essay.
This could be what is making people WAKE UP!
We fell back into complacency post-9/11, because we were used to that. We cannot afford complacency ever!
Semper vigilante...
And right on point.
Raise the price of lettuce, charge me higher landscaping prices, hell maybe I'll mow the lawn myself (can you imagine?!) or maybe a neighborhood child that won't do the job of an immigrant (please what a lie!) will put away their Game Boy and get to work-get some exercise.
Who knows, make enough headway of getting these people back to where they come from and we may have a sense of community that we can begin to be proud of.
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The alternative is importing lettuce from other countries.
A better alternative is to not buy lettuce (or any produce) out of season. Wait until it is grown locally in your area then have at it. Buy it at a local farmer's market. Get to know the farmer you buy from. Make sure he does not use illegal laborers on his farm. Try to buy organically-grown produce.
You know I think I'll plant a 'victory garden' - you know grow my own lettuce, radishes, green onions, carrots. We use to plant a garden when I was a kid and I had one when at the first house I ever rented... it actually fed us pretty well!
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