Crowd cheers as Tancredo blasts illegal -- and legal -- immigration

STLToday.com ^ | 09/22/2007 | Jo Mannies

[Man50D]

frontenac — Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., asserted Friday that his anti-immigration message, which brought a crowd here to its feet, is also dragging down his Republican bid for the White House.

Why? "Money," or rather, lack of it, replied Tancredo, as he mingled with the audience of activists with Eagle Forum, a social conservative group holding a national meeting this weekend at the Frontenac Hilton.

The major presidential fundraisers, regardless of party, "are taking money from executives with corporations that have a very big stake in this,'' Tancredo said. They oppose his candidacy, he said, because big business favors "massive importation of very cheap labor." But the Republican base does not, he added.

Tancredo drew supportive cheers during his speech when he declared, "Cheap labor is cheap only to the employer. It costs the rest of us a fortune."

Tancredo blamed illegal immigrants for rising crime — "90 percent of the murder warrants in LA are for illegal immigrants" — as well as the rising cost of health care and the economic decline in the housing market.

Tancredo contends that illegal, and legal, immigrants are harming the nation because many of the newcomers "refuse to assimilate."

Even many legal immigrants fail to learn English or embrace American culture, choosing instead to keep their old customs and religion, he said. "The American melting pot is broken."

He asserted that such practices are destroying the cultural ties that long bound Americans together. The crowd roared in agreement when Tancredo shouted, "I'm tired of pressing '1' for English, and '2' for Spanish!"

He also linked illegal immigration to the nation's fight against terrorism and Islamic extremists. Tancredo asserted that some Iraqis were paying $50,000 to be smuggled across U.S. borders.

[ovrtaxt]

Tancredo drew supportive cheers during his speech when he declared, "Cheap labor is cheap only to the employer. It costs the rest of us a fortune."

Go Tank!

[raybbr]

Even many legal immigrants fail to learn English or embrace American culture, choosing instead to keep their old customs and religion, he said. "The American melting pot is broken."

It's become a 'chili pot' now.

[johnthebaptistmoore]

Maybe they should just change it so people can either press “1” for Spanish or press “2” for English instead. How’s that for “change”?

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Many legal immigrants aren't assimilating.

"choosing instead to keep their old customs and religion"

Religion is not a part of American assimilation. Jews, Deists, and other non-Christians have been fully assimilated Americans since the Declaration of Independence was signed.

He has a point about customs, though, but it isn't reserved only for this current, largely Latino and Asian crop of immigrants.

How many St. Patrick's Day Parades, Oktoberfests, Halloweens, Scottish cultural things, etc. are there?

Those aren't American. They aren't even native to the continent, and while St. Patrick's Day is technically religious, for the hugely most part it is treated very much as being secular.

If you oppose things such as Cinco de Mayo and Chinese New Year, you ought to be fair and oppose the aforementioned customs/days, too.

And those things should be opposed--at least in their pure forms.

Personally of the opinion that the major exception is cuisine. Foreigners are free to bring their native cuisines, which over time will be assimilated, modified, and become part of the American cuisine (stuffed crust pizza and macaroni and cheese). Also, not opposed to cherry-picking parts of foreign cultures, but especially native Amerindian cultures to help make American culture more independent as less an extension of the United Kingdom and Europe.

Already this is being done in more than food areas. Many genres of American music have African parentage.

---

^{(Does there need to be a note that the above is an opinion?).}

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Also, not opposed to cherry-picking parts of foreign cultures, but especially native Amerindian cultures to help make American culture more independent and more American and less an extension of British and European civilization.

[ARE SOLE]

Maybe they should just change it so people can either press “1” for Spanish or press “2” for English instead. How’s that for “change”?

You have no idea of how right you are. Here in LA. when you call certain city numbers the Mayor of the Mexicans Tony Villar will greet you in spanish first, he permits you to select the English option after the spanish is given out first.

Also when he gives his daily press conferences like at the opening of a new bus stop (no kidding) he routinely asks for "spanish cameras" when asked uncomfortable questions.

Regards

[TLI]

Even many legal immigrants fail to learn English or embrace American culture, choosing instead to keep their old customs and religion, he said. "The American melting pot is broken."

Bringing to light one of the side effects of the flood of illegal aliens violating our border and it's degradation of the overall expectations by American Citizens for real immigrants to become citizens is NOT "blasting legal immigration."

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Are those city numbers the phone numbers for Spanish users?

[ARE SOLE]

Are those city numbers the phone numbers for Spanish users?

Negative, everyone must wade through this crap if they want to conduct business with the city. Regards

[indcons]

Bump...good post, JMP.

[Carbonado]

This is sure to get the guilty Liberals/Patricians and self-serving chamber of commerce types all in a tizzy.

Anyone or anything that attempts to “put American citizens first” will be immediately and savagely attacked by the MSM and many pols as “nativist” and worse.

I do admit it, I am a NATIVIST - My first allegiance is to my country and my fellow citizens and I WILL MAKE NO APOLOGIES FOR IT NOR DO I HAVE THE SLIGHTEST TWINGE OF GUILT ABOUT IT.

I do not feel obligated to give my country away or be enslaved by my government in their attempts to:

1) Minister to their latest “victim group du jour” so they can feel like important saviors and heroes or

2)Be enslaved by my government to pay for the social costs of the cheap labor the business and patrician class feels entitled to

[Maceman]

It's become a 'chili pot' now.

Actually, in Progressive-speak, the "melting pot" has been replaced by the PC "salad bowl."

[raybbr]

Actually, in Progressive-speak, the "melting pot" has been replaced by the PC "salad bowl."

Unfortunately that presupposes some form of diversity. In today's world "immigrant" diversity is gone.

[ProCivitas]

If one had to choose one issue as the prism through which one assesses our public policy problems, Tancredo has identified the right one and is one of its most able advocates.

I'd be interested in his website's evaluation of each of the other candidates.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Why? "Money," or rather, lack of it, replied Tancredo, as he mingled with the audience of activists with Eagle Forum, a social conservative group holding a national meeting this weekend at the Frontenac Hilton.

Maybe if you focused on other issues Tancredo instead of immigration non-stop, you'd get donations.

[William Terrell]

If you're faced with loosing your shoes, that would reduce the importance of which shoe polish to use, whether to resole with leather or rubber, which socks match and which laces to use, wouldn't it?

[jnsun]

Think of this:

Virtually every government, government contractor, and corporation, job opening, through the affirmative action laws, gives hiring preference to minorities and women, including hispanics. Thus amnesty for illegal immigrants automatically means illegal Mexican immigrants will be given job preference over every honest American taxpaying citizen (regardless of race) ad infinitum.

Furthermore in a few years all agricultural workers, i.e. millions and millions of Mexican immigrants, will be diagnosed with health problems from pesticide contact. I see it every day. It will be a lawyer thing backed by epidemiological data (and it does have a valid basis). By which they will all need the government care and remuneration.

Illegal Immigration is by far the most important current national issue with almost ineffable ramifications. Iraq is now serving as a diversion.

And I voted for George Bush (but I had no choice).

And there are those who think there is no conspiracy.

It can be called an Oligarchy, but we are dealing with the Bicameral World. The CFR are elitist scum.

[AuntB]

How many St. Patrick's Day Parades, Oktoberfests, Halloweens, Scottish cultural things, etc. are there? Those aren't American. If you oppose things such as Cinco de Mayo and Chinese New Year, you ought to be fair and oppose the aforementioned customs/days, too.

I have no problem with immigrant/ethnic parades, cultures, food, etc. I can't imagine a week without Mexican food. But the only group telling me THEY have rights that I don't, that I MUST speak their language while they refuse ours, and I should GO BACK TO EUROPE, and THIS IS THEIR COUNTRY, is MEXICO and their MEXICAN citizens who more than likely came ILLEGALLY.

[Travis McGee]

At least Tancredo understands that we're being invaded.