Posted on 01/29/2005 7:38:39 PM PST by bayourod
LITTLE ROCK - Gov. Mike Huckabee Thursday denounced a bill by Sen. Jim Holt that would deny state benefits to illegal immigrants as un-Christian, un-American, irresponsible and anti-life.
Holt, R-Springdale, replied later that Christian charity does not include turning a blind eye to lawbreaking.
Senate Bill 206, filed Wednesday, also would require proof of citizenzhip to register to vote and would require state agencies to report suspected cases of people living in the country illegally.
"Somebody needs to ask Sen. Holt what welfare this bill would stop," Huckabee said in a question-and-answer period with reporters on Thursday morning. Many aid programs are state-administered but federally funded and are mandated to be available to people in need, Huckabee said.
Even if benefits to people who are in the U.S illegally could be stopped, "I don't understand how a practicing Christian can turn his back on a child from this or any other state," Huckabee said.
Holt replied, "I think the politically correct movement has misconstrued what compassion really means. They think compassion means that any person can disrespect our laws and that we're supposed to be tolerant and let them get away with it.
"True compassion is correcting them so in the future they can be law-abiding citizens," Holt said.
Holt said he would seek a state attorney general's opinion on what the bill would do if passed. He said he would delay further action on it, at least temporarily, to allow the attorney general to respond.
The bill is modeled after a similar law in Arizona and supported by the newly formed group Protect Arkansas NOW. The group's chairman is Joe McCutchen of Fort Smith. "I know Sen. Holt and Mr. McCutchen say they're pro-life," Huckabee said. "We're trying to preserve the life of someone who, when born, will be an American citizen with his first breath. We can spend $900 on pre-natal care when the mother is pregnant. Instead, this bill would have us take a chance and spend $2,000 a day at Children's hospital if the baby's born and something has gone wrong. That's anti-life."
Huckabee said he took exception to characterization of immigrants in the bill and by its supporters as exploiters of social programs. "They pay sales taxes on their groceries," Huckabee said. "They pay fuel taxes. If they're using a fake Social Security number, they're paying Social Security taxes and will never receive any benefit. It would be closer to the truth to say they're subsidizing Joe McCutchen and Jim Holt more than the other way around.
"Something that's not worth sharing is not worth celebrating," Huckabee said. "This is the kind of country that opens its doors. This bill expresses an un-American attitude."
McCutchen, reached by telephone at his home in Fort Smith, repeated some of Holt's arguments, including the one that the people referred to in Holt's bill are in the United States illegally.
"They broke the law," he said. "My angst is not with them, though. My angst is with the state and federal government for not enforcing our laws."
People living illegally in the United State has "overwhelmed our school and welfare system," McCutchen said. As for whether the bill reflects un-Christian attitudes, McCutchen said: "Jim Holt is as good a man and as good a Christian as any man walking this Earth."
"Doggone it, the rule of law is not being upheld, and that's wrong," McCutchen said.
McCutchen joined Holt in a news conference last week to announce the forming of Protect Arkansas NOW and to discuss plans to file SB 206. Since that news conference Friday on the state Capitol steps, McCutchen was featured on the web page of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks membership and activities of groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. One group tracked by the center is the Council of Conservative Citizens, which claimed McCutchen as a member, according to the law center's article. The article is available at: http://www.splcenter.org/index.jsp
"To anybody who will listen, I'll make a speech at my own expense," McCutchen said. The CCC "asked me to come up and make a talk on illegal immigration. The talk lasted 15 minutes and I drove myself to Virginia to give it. I financed that thing by myself."
A letter of McCutchen's was reprinted in a magazine owned by the CCC, according to the law center website. "I did buy a list of donors from the American Immigration Council. I sent out a letter to about 200 people telling what I was doing," McCutchen said. "I suppose one of those letters went out to this magazine.
"That was the end of that, I thought," McCutchen said. "I'm just astounded by the attention this has received. CNN (Cable News Network) was at my home Tuesday afternoon. The very next morning, the Southern Poverty Law Center sent this out and the segment on CNN is on hold."
Were their any line jumpers or illegal boarder crossers here?
No, your point was that there is a scarcity of workers in the US, so companies have to outsource. That's just not true.
:::applauding:::
Well said!
Hey Rod, If we want to be Christian about the Illegal invaders how about we teach them to fish and then send them back. We, in this nation, have done our Christian duty and more. We are now being taken for fools.
I don't think so. There are isolated situations, as there always will be of economic dislocations and changing demographics. But most cities that have (or had) large immigrant populations have made the necessary adjustments and are better off now because of the immigrant labor/tax base.
Compare Houston which is several times smaller than LA, but has three times the number of police. Both cities have large immigrant/Hispanic populations. LA has a severe gang crime problem, Houston doesn't. What's the real cause, immigration policy or law enforcement priorities? (I know, I know, California makes up for it with a three billion dollar embryonic stem cell research project)
That's the stupidest thing I've heard tonight. How long do you think your favorite fishing hole would last if you took a bunch of them down to it and taught them how to fish?
It's one thing for them to take our jobs, but our fish? No way.
I went fishing once to Mexico's biggest lake, Lake Chapala. You didn't even have to bait your hook, the dead fish floated to the top everywhere.
Come to the Gulf Coast sometime and I'll teach you how to fish.
..why illegal immigrants aren't being sent back to Mexico after illegally crashing the US border?..Why are they not being pursued?..b/c to do so, would give the 'RATs, an opportunity to make news, "About GWB prosecuting "the poor" illegal Mexicans."...and of course, the MSM, will only amplify any liberal propaganda. Mexico receives a huge amount of remittances ($$$$) from the illegals, in this country and they don't pay much in taxes.
I guess Teddy could say the same about abortion.
Bump for later!
They are business partners in the mailing list development business.Link
Wonder how many 9/11's it will take? How many Pearl Harbors did it take? Boy, is something REALLY screwed up here.
...Agree, hopefully Real Democracy can be exported to Mexico..and that would solve these problems. :))
I would take off your rose-colored glasses. There is a war occurring on the border with Mexico, tens of thousands of criminals who are illegal aliens are released into the general population, illiteracy is rampant among illegals with almost no hope of correction, many legal residents want illegal immigration stopped as it depresses wages, hospital ERs are hit hard in many areas, services are strapped...and you list Houston along some silly remark about abortion.
My hunch is that you don't read very much beyond what you want to find. Your assessment is plainly ridiculous.
No gang proble? I guess this was in error:
Jan. 27, 2005, 12:05AM
Teenager slain in apparent gang-related shooting
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
Interesting to see the Arkansas governor attempting to couch his support of crony-capitalism, lawlessness, and treason in such religious terms.
Yes, we are well aware that the ruling class, the crony capitalists, sleazy quasi-slaveowners and assorted leftists intent on destroying the US are all in favor of open-borders. Since when is it scriptural to sieze the money of one person via taxation and give it to another - who is here in violation of the law to begin with? You can repeat a lie all day if you like - it will never be true. Of course, for some people the only truth that exists is their personal profit.
and yet another....
Gang suspected in teen's death (Houston, TX): A teenager shot to death while walking home from school with some friends Tuesday was identified as Luis Antonio Vidales, 14, of the 11500 block of Gladefield, police said. Police indicated Tuesday the shooting may have been gang-related.
Source: Houston Chronicle Date: January 12, 2005
[Link]http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2988716
It only took one for Bush to do everything we could do to prevent another terrorist attack on the U.S.
Don't you agree he did a good job? The airlines had to be secured first, then the ports from ships that were floating bombs, then nuclear power plants, dams, shipping containers, Muslim organizations, chemical/biological labs, medical/nuclear waste, transportation centers, government buildings, dirty bombs, foreign airports/seaports, intelligence coordinations, NOT TO MENTION AFGANISTAN AND IRAQ!
But unfortunately there are certain bottom feeding professional fundraising scam artists such as the Buchanan/Tancredo type organizations that took advantage of the Islamofacists threat to con money out of racists and homophobes by legitimizing in their minds a relationship between terrorists and Mexican laborers.
Stopping terrorists has nothing to do with stopping illegal laborers. They don't enter the same way because the terrorists can't afford to take the risks of being caught that the laborers can take. And the laborers don't have the access to official government documents permitting legal entrance that terrorists have.
But some people still can't distinguish between laborers and terrorists.
It seems all you do these days is advocate for those who refuse to abide by U.S. law, or honor their oath of office.
Here's a little refresher for you.
Naturalization Oath to the United States of America
"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."
he must never be invited back to the next ball if this is his attitude.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.