Frustrations voiced again: Immigration critics come together at rally in Palominas

PALOMINAS — Another group has formed out of frustration regarding U.S. immigration policy, and the Palominas Trading Post on Highway 92 provided the arena for its political venting Saturday.

The new group, S.O.S. Borders, is described as a more moderate organization by co-director Kimberly Fletcher. It has a philosophy based on common-sense need for border security, she said. Fletcher’s group organized the rally at which leaders and participants in many already well-known organizations such as the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, American Border Patrol, the new-but-growing Mothers Against Illegal Aliens organization, Eagle Forum and Desert Visions spoke.

Dale Stoner, pastor of the Palominas First Assembly of God Church, said a prayer as the speakers lined up for the podium. Dozens gathered, giving cheers whenever immigration opinions and statements struck their fancy.

The speakers directed many strong words toward U.S. lawmakers, President George W. Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox.

Fletcher, who is from Ohio, kicked the event off with harsh warnings about poor illegal immigration policy. She feels the U.S. Congress is “making it more convenient” for illegal immigrants to stay in the United States, and critiqued the content of President Bush’s recent speech about illegal immigration.

“Where he failed in his speech was not showing both sides of the issue,” Fletcher said.

She used an overflowing bathtub as a metaphor for the illegal immigration problem, wherein one ought to turn off the water before getting a mop.

“We can talk about the second problem when the first problem has been addressed,” Fletcher said. “I want to call on our leaders. Stop confusing the issue.”

Congressional candidate Randy Graf noted none of his competitors for retiring Rep. Jim Kolbe’s seat were apparently present at the rally. The Republican reiterated his criticism of proposed amnesty programs and the need to secure the Southwestern border.

Anyone at the rally who had not visited the Minuteman group’s wall being erected a few miles south of the Palominas Trading Post along the U.S.-Mexico border should take a look, Graf said.

Signs with statements about immigration also were part of the rally. A protest sign near the podium read “Illegal aliens + schools = leprosy! chagas! tuberculosis! hepatitis! AIDS!” Another sign read “Open Borders = the Death of U.S.”

Mesa resident J.T. Ready traveled to Palominas with an opinion and said he considers the big increase in public awareness about the immigration problem to be a victory.

Ready suggested his brothers who’ve served in Afghanistan should’ve been deployed on the home soil, defending the U.S. border.

“Before 9/11, people didn’t understand what the urgency was, but now you can’t turn on the TV or radio when someone isn’t talking about immigration. This is a major, major victory,” Ready said.

Guest speaker Yeh Ling-Ling, a legal immigrant who is the director of the Diversity Alliance for a Sustainable America, discussed potential impacts of poor immigration policy that Americans might not yet have considered.

“Do we have an unlimited amount of energy to support this explosion of population?” she asked.

Ling-Ling argued the current deficit in education quality at U.S. public schools is largely a result of illegal immigration, and she suggested the same for the U.S. healthcare problems.

“As we well know, Mexico has actively encouraged illegal immigration into the United States,” she said.

Ling-Ling suggested the constant, exponential increase of the foreign population in the Southwest might lead to the United States eventually losing the region to secession.

“Mexico is using both legal and illegal immigration to influence our policy and for eventual national expansion,” she said.

National Minuteman Civil Defense Corps Director Al Garza said he is a U.S. citizen despite his ethnic background. And he said he is not prepared to give his country away.

“I’m Italian, Spanish and Mexican and I’m very proud of all three, but I’m equally proud to be an American,” Garza said.

Generations of his family have fought overseas for the United States since World War I. “And I’ll be damned if we’re going to give it away,” he said.

“They are fighting a war, a silent war, but we are on to them. Whatever it takes, we’re going to stop it. Mr. Fox, I got news for you, pal. We’re on to you,” said Garza, a former Marine and Vietnam veteran.

“If you want to do the jobs that Americans won’t do, then do them, but we don’t require 20 million of you,” he said.

Cindy Kolb, president of Desert Vision and the local resident, talked about task of the U.S. Border Patrol, which she said “protects the country with one hand tied behind their back, and their mouth taped. Washington shuts them up.”

“If Mr. Bush was really serious about securing this border, he could do it overnight. All he would have to do is sign an executive order,” he said.

Fletcher, who is also the president of Homemakers for America, called the Mexican president a dictator.

“He’s getting rid of his undesirables, and his giving them a booklet on how to do it,” she said.

Other speakers Saturday morning included MAIA President Michelle Dallacroce and American Border Patrol President Glenn Spencer.

“The Border Patrol is designed to fail. This is the challenge you face,” Spencer said. “This is very subtle.”

Diversity Alliance for a Sustainable America was there I see how interesting. Hmm I wonder who funds them? I wonder if the major backers are also major backers of many of these "immigration REFORM groups".
http://www.ecofuture.org/pop/uss3p.html
Hmm Look who they have been involved with on a past project

USS3P - U.S. Sustainable Population Policy Project
ADVISORY BOARD*
USS3P - U.S. Sustainable Population Policy Project

Albert A. Bartlett, PhD., Professor Emeritus, University of Colorado, Boulder
Herman E. Daly, PhD., Senior Research Scholar, University of Maryland
Lindsey Grant, PhD., Author, Former Deputy Assist. U.S. Secretary of State for Population and Environment.
Paul Hawken, Author, and Founder of The Natural Step, U.S.
Yeh Ling-Ling, Executive Director, Diversity Alliance for a Sustainable America
Ross McCluney, PhD., Principal Research Scientist, Florida Solar Energy Center
Monique Miller, Former Executive Director, Wild Earth
Stephen D. Mumford, PhD., Director, Center for Research on Population and Security
Norman Myers, PhD., Consultant in Environment & Development, Greene College, Oxford University, UK.
Senator Gaylord Nelson, Co-Founder of Earth Day
Peter H. Raven, PhD., Director, Missouri Botanical Garden
Congressman Tom Sawyer, (Ohio)
J. Kenneth Smail, PhD., Professor of Anthropology, Kenyon College, OH
Jefferson W. Tester, PhD., Professor of Chemical Engineering and Director of the Energy Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mathis Wackernagel, PhD., Coordinator of the Centre for Sustainability Studies, Anahuac University of Xalapa, Mexico, and Director of Redefining Progress Indicators Program, San Francisco
Charles Westoff, PhD., Former Executive Director, Commission on Population Growth and America's Future; Professor of Sociology, Princeton University
Edward O. Wilson, PhD., Pellegrino University Professor, Harvard University

*All titles used for identification purposes only -- does not imply endorsement by any organization or entity.

COSPONSORS
STATE, NATIONAL & LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS / Contact Persons

A-1 Builders, Inc. (Bellingham, WA) - Rick Dubrow
Alternatives to Growth Oregon - Andy Kerr
Appalachian Audubon Society (Harrisburg, PA) - Robert L. Schell
Arizona Audubon Council - Janice Miano
Audubon Council of Texas - Carole Wilmoth
Bexar Audubon Society (San Antonio, TX) - Susan Hughes
Boulder County Audubon Society (CO) - Robert Cohen
Californians for Population Stabilization - Danielle Elliott
Carrying Capacity Network - David Durham
Center for Research on Population and Security - Dr. Stephen Mumford
Colorado Population Coalition - John R. Bermingham
Diversity Alliance for a Sustainable America - Yeh Ling-Ling
Entity Mission - Dr. John Swanson
Floridians for a Sustainable Population - Joyce Tarnow
International Services Assistance Fund - Donald Collins
Madison Audubon Society - Rhonda Dix
Minneapolis Audubon Society - Dell Erickson
National Audubon Society, Population & Habitat Campaign - Pat Waak
National Optimum Population Movement (NOPC) - Boyd Wilcox
Negative Population Growth - Christopher Conner
New England Coalition for Sustainable Population - Anne Faulkner
New Hampshire Citizens for Sustainable Population - Lawrence Rupp
Pennsylvania Audubon Council - Marci Mowery
Planned Parenthood of Connecticut, Population & Environment Committee - Fred Meyerson
Population Coalition (Leagues of Women Voters) - Marilyn Hempel
Population Communications - Bob Gillespie
Population Communications International (consulted on project) - Sonny Fox
Population-Environment Balance - Virginia Abernethy
RE Sources for Sustainable Communities (Bellingham, WA) - Carl Weimer
Richardson Environmental Action League (TX) - Ed Curran
Rural Community Initiative (Lindstrom, MN) - Virginia Stark
Sopris Foundation (Aspen, CO) - John McBride
Sustainable Communities Initiative, City of Austin (TX) - Andrew Grigsby
Texas Fund for Energy and Environmental Education (Austin) - Peter Altman
Vermont Population Alliance - Barbara Duncan
Wild Earth - Tom Butler
World of Wanted/Nurtured Children - Joe Bernard
World Population Balance - David Paxson
Zero Population Growth, Greater Boston Chapter - Howie Breinan
Zero Population Growth, Seattle Chapter - Paul Shelton

Hold on there is nothing to see here. Its all about illegal immigration nothing more. Remember. Its only about illegals we are for legal immigration(repeat 20 times) Move along now nothing to see.

I know that many folks here and elsewhere don't endorse all this fringe nonsense and are sincere in their opposition to illegal immigration. But please start noticing who and what is possible other agendaa behind some of these groups.

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