Posted on 05/01/2006 5:14:28 AM PDT by randita
Gearing Up, and Girding for, Protests
Around the U.S., cities brace for marches. In L.A., a huge crowd is expected along Wilshire.
By Rong-Gong Lin II and Arin Gencer Times Staff Writers
May 1, 2006
As organizers and police made final preparations Sunday for immigration protests and possible boycotts around the nation today, residents and business owners in the path of marches in Los Angeles were bracing with a mix of excitement, anxiety and even some anger.
Los Angeles police expect the largest of the demonstrations to occur this afternoon on Wilshire Boulevard. Authorities are preparing for hundreds of thousands to march down one of L.A.'s most storied streets, following a route between MacArthur Park and the Miracle Mile that's a microcosm of the city's ethnic and economic diversity.
Many businesses along Wilshire plan to close for most of the day — some so that workers can join the protests, others in hopes of avoiding potential problems. Parents were figuring out how to pick up their children from school, while some residents — such as Ted Moreta of Hancock Park — were getting out of town altogether.
Moreta, who lives on a tree-lined street near La Brea Avenue, was planning to spend Sunday night with family in Orange County to avoid the expected gridlock on his commute to his job at a scuba diving training company in Rancho Santa Margarita.
Despite the inconvenience, the 42-year-old said he supports the demonstrators. "It goes to show what America is all about."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Rimshot, please!
Wet backs.
"It goes to show what America is all about."
They have that WRONG America is about LEGAL IMMIGRANTS who RESPECT America and all it stands for!!!
ahem...Mojados...in Spanish please...
During the morning shift, it is one of the most well-run fast food restaurants I have ever seen. I understand that many illegal immigrants from Latin America do great work, but so do many other people. And the people who start off with the advantage of speaking English as their first language may even have an easier time getting your order right the first time. If we enforced the laws against hiring illegals, we would certainly see some rise and wages at the lower end, and this might raise prices and cut into the profits of businesspeople. It might also eliminate the need for any minimum wage law, since the wages would automatically rise some.
The big danger of enforcing the law is the spectre of inflation. Inflation dictates the growth in government entitlements and social security based on the CPI. Lenders don't like getting repaid with money that is worth much less than the money they loaned, and cannot raise the interest rate to account for this once the 30 mortgage (or other long-term loan) has been made. High interest rates tend to slow the economy. I could go on, but I think inflation is the main reason our government has made a decision on immigration that has nothing to do with what the vast majority of people want.
The protests were not immediately successful, but they proved effective down the line, as eight-hour work days eventually did become the norm. Labor leaders, socialists, and anarchists around the world took the American strikes and their fallout as a rallying point, choosing May Day as a day for demonstrations, parades, and speeches. It was a major state holiday in the Soviet Union and other communist countries.
Labor Day is still celebrated on May 1 in countries around the world, and it is still often a day for protests and rallies. In recent years, these have often been targeted against globalization.
In 1958, President Eisenhower designated May 1 as both Law Day and Loyalty Day. Each of these were specifically aimed at replacing the communist holiday with a religious or patriotic one.
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mayday.html
"mix of excitement, anxiety and even some anger."
Makes it sound like no one would guess anger. Seems like anger ought to be no. 1 on the list.
If I were in charge, my preparations would include a few FAEs.
Anger...? How bout Sadness? this is a complete invasion and we will never be the same......... the rules are being bent beyond repair...... and I would not be surprised if I see this nation experience some sort of balkanization in the coming decades.....
The only thing that is holding the Union together at this point is the fear of losing your social security and medicare benefits. But both of those programs are going to go bankrupt anyway, and when they do, there will be nothing holding the Union together.
My sentiments exactly, Rocker. I hate to sound negative but we are seeing the break up of the US. I am sure of it. I am so sad about all of this.
As for the illegals, SCREW THEM!
There was a flag burning, Mexican flags this time.
http://www.staggeron.org/homeland.html#Mexican_flags_burning
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