Posted on 03/25/2006 4:34:12 PM PST by calcowgirl
Joining what some are calling the nation's largest mobilization of immigrants ever, hundreds of thousands of people boisterously marched in downtown Los Angeles Saturday to protest federal legislation that would crack down on undocumented immigrants, penalize those who help them and build a security wall on the U.S. southern border. Spirited crowds representing labor, religious groups, civil-rights advocates and ordinary immigrants stretched over 26 blocks of downtown Los Angeles from Adams Blvd. along Spring Street and Broadway to City Hall, tooting kazoos, waving American flags and chanting "Si se puede!" (Yes we can!). The crowd, estimated by police at more than 500.000, represented one of the largest protest marches in Los Angeles history, surpassing Vietnam War demonstrations and the 70,000 who rallied downtown against Proposition 187, a 1994 state initiative that denied public benefits to undocumented migrants.
(snip)
Many of the marchers were immigrants themselves — both legal and illegal -- from Mexico and Central America. Some had just crossed the border, while others had been here for decades. There were construction workers and business owners; families with young children and people in wheelchairs. Throughout the afternoon, protesters heard speakers demand a path toward legalization and denounce HR 4437, which would tighten border enforcement and crack down on employers who hire undocumented workers.
The rally was organized by numerous unions, religious organizations and immigrant rights groups and publicized through Spanish-language media, which encouraged participants to wear white to symbolize peace and bring American flags. The mostly peaceful march stretched over 26 blocks, shutting down streets and tying up traffic around downtown for hours. Police estimated the crowd at 500,000... Participants said the massive mobilization shows that immigrants' voices must be heard and that they are contributing to the country's economy.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
I saw footage of one of the chief types on a PA system, thanking the crowd for being so good, adding that he hopes that the force helped them yesterday as well. It was very sweet, LAPD and illegals getting along great like that.
Sadly, I agree with you.
There are few people with the above attitude. With all the available freebies and government entitlements, fostering an entitlement mentality that is problem enough from citizens born in this country, we are attracting too many immigrants both legal and illegal with the same mentality.
The elimination of welfare and other programs will go a long way to reducing the problem both for born citizens and immigrants.
We must also return to the stricter standards immigrants had to meet to enter this country 50, 60 and 70 and more years ago.
Excellent post cowgirl. The picture says it all. What a pity we can't round up equally large numbers in a counterprotest.
Ask B-1 Bob Dornan how he was "defeated" by Loretta Sanchez. Thousands of voters "living" in vacant lots, etc.
Bingo. THEY VOTE. Thank "motor-voter" for that abomination.
They vote -- and "our" Senators -- and Representatives, and Mayors... everyone down to the local dog-catcher -- and all the way up to the President -- know it.
"Our" government has whored itself out to the illegal invaders -- the "largest growing constituency" in the country -- and they are now contending for their illegal votes.
The rest of us can FOAD -- and, oh, right -- we can wave the flag, shout "Yay, team!" -- and keep sending in MONEY to the party.
America, we hardly knew ye.
¡Hola Amexica!
It doesn't surprise me that ANSWER was involved. If the people that are undecided on the illegal immigration issue could have had a ringside seat at 1st & Los Angeles St. yesterday they might be able to make a decision.
The growing ethnic chauvinism and militancy in the Hispanic community is very alarming. The civil rights agitators and archbishops are encouraging Hispanic youth to feel like they're under siege. Eventually, the angry rhetoric is going to trigger another round of riots against white people.
You're not making any sense. This chicken-egg question is very clear.
Give me one good reason why I should vote for the Republicans (as a party only without considering the candidate) when Bush has been more interested in making Mexico happy than listening to what I want? And give me something beyond the lesser of 2 evils argument - I want something to vote for, not against.
As another poster has in their tagline, the GOP left me, not vice versa.
Why do you suppose the govt. is allowing things to escalate to such alarming heights?
A vote for President Bush was a vote for tax cuts, conservative Supreme Court Justices, and the war on terror to name three.
Please show me one of these press releases (I'm not holding my breath). Then sit back and watch while Baby Bush gives away the country to third worlders and out sources the good jobs abroad. Pat is a patriot despite your silly little diatribe. He would have sent the troops to the Mexican border rather than Iraq. Think about that the next time your grandmother is getting strip searched by "Homeland Security" at the airport while thousands of illegal Mexicans, drug dealers and various assortments of God knows what are merely walking across the "border".
You can probably blame a lot of it on the fact that the media and "our leaders" in the government have worked overtime to foster the idea that "immigrant and "illegal alien" are two terms for the same category of person.
Yes, the reality is that the two classes are entirely different, and to equate them is tantamount to equating "burglar" with "guest". But, the reality is, the language has become perverted -- and not without purpose. There is an agenda at play, and we can see the fruit even here.
So, when you see the posters become irate at someone who "confesses" (he himself used a form of that word) to hiring "immigrants" -- in a context in which the word "immigrant" is, in common usage, "politespeak" for "illegal alien", you see the posters reacting to someone they believe was hiring illegal aliens.
I think there would be a very trivial, miniscule number of people who would actually object to the hiring of bona fide legal immigrants (with the exception of technical workers who have had their careers destroyed by crooked employers, working hand-in-hand with crooked "law" that is twisted -- with government politely looking the other way -- as "legal" type "immigrants" are brought in "temporarily" to take jobs "that Americans won't do." (Namely, jobs that Americans were doing, for good pay, but, the crooked employers brought in folks from places like India, who, highly trained, skilled, and intelligent, would take those jobs for a fraction of the pay that the Americans were being paid. But that's an almost entirely separate issue -- I say "almost", because I consider those workers to be "illegal aliens", since they are here "legally" under fraudulent auspices -- thus, they are here illegally.)
Myself, I am the grandchild of immigrants, on both sides of the family tree, from two separate countries. My grandparents did the Ellis Island route, after saying goodbye to their families forever, travelling "in less than style" across a continent, so that they could book cheap passage on a steamship to come to "the land of opportunity".
And when they got here, they did not have it nearly as easy as the illegal aliens have it today. They worked hard, they lived poorly, they had no "rights organizations", they had genuine ethnic bigotry to contend with... but, they made it. It took two generations for their offspring to become "mainstream", but, that's how "the melting pot" worked.
They came here to become Americans.
They spoke English in their homes. Their children grew up speaking English.
And, if people from those countries were doing now, what Mexicans are doing to this country, I would resent it every bit as much as I resent Mexicans doing it.
And for Mexicans who do play by the rules, instead of "gaming the system", I have every bit as much respect as I do for my own immigrant ancestors.
It's not a "racist" thing at all -- but, I suspect it will be, due to the intense polarization that is taking form. When people from one country, of one ethnic group, are allowed to break every rule in the book -- and then, instead of being taken to task for their criminal behavior, are rewarded... when "our" government bends over forwards to appeal to the illegal invaders... well, it's quite understandable how all sorts of resentments will fester and brew.
I expect that things will get a lot worse. I hesitate to add, "before they get better," because I am not that optimistic as to assume that they will "get better", period.
The new Pat Puke Cannon would never in a million years send either American troops or his pitchfork-carrying supporters to the borders. Pat is now a hard-core pacifist, French-lover, and appeaser. Pat thinks Americans deserve to lose their country because they didn't support Hitler during World War II and are now supporting Israel.
Post of the day!
And those 3 reasons were good at the time and I campaigned and voted for him.
BUT, I scaped the "W" stickers off my car and tore up my "Security Moms 4 Bush" T-shirt the day he called the Minutement vigilantes. Enough is enough. If I didn't live in Southern Ca and didn't feel like I no longer live in the U.S., what you mentioned might be enough. And when I am lucky enough to move out of this cesspool that the illegals have created, it might be enough again. But, not now.
Illegal immigration is my Number One issue because it transgresses just about every other issue. I wouldn't be needing tax cuts if taxes weren't so high to pay for all the illegals' freebies. Illegal immigration affects our health care, education, economy, crime, culture, taxes, and our national security. The next person I vote for will either agree with me on illegal immigration or I won't be voting. I'm going to be a lot more picky now that GW sold me and my country down the river on this issue. He had a chance to make a huge difference and to continue the outstanding job he was doing for conservatives. But, he decided to make a difference in the wrong direction.
Specific examples?
Excellent post, Don Joe.
BTTT
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