Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

'Hate Groups, Nativists, and Vigilantes': Lou Dobbs & pro-amnesty crowd’s campaign of vilification
Center for Immigration studies ^ | Nov. 2009 | Mark Krikorian

Posted on 11/24/2009 10:08:49 AM PST by AuntB

It’s not clear why Lou Dobbs resigned from CNN Wednesday. Fox said he’s not headed there, and from his comments it sounds to me like he’s going to run for office in New Jersey (though Bob Menendez’s seat, the next Senate opening, isn’t up until 2012).

Be that as it may, it’s likely that part of the reason was the vilification campaign against Dobbs by pro-amnesty groups, part of a broader jihad against any public expression of skepticism about amnesty and open borders.

After the June 2007 collapse of the Bush-McCain-Kennedy amnesty push in the Senate, a demoralized Frank Sharry, one of the top left-wing amnesty advocates, summed up the lesson he’d learned: “We thought we were in a policy debate . . . And in fact we were in a cultural war.”

Later that year, the open-borders crowd decided to change tactics based on this insight. The public, in their estimation, was open to legalizing the illegal population and further increasing immigration, in exchange for promises of future enforcement, but was being duped by evil-mongers stirring up atavistic fears. So, presaging Obama’s jihads against Limbaugh and Fox News, they shifted from arguing how wonderful amnesty would be to viciously attacking the malefactors who were publicly arguing for attrition of the illegal population through enforcement.

In December 2007, as part of that strategy, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) was assigned to designate the oldest restrictionist organization, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), a “hate group.” The National Council of La Raza’s contribution was to start a campaign entitled We Can Stop the Hate, decrying the mainstream opposition to amnesty as a “surge of hate and violence” caused by “code words of hate” peddled by “hate groups, nativists, and vigilantes.” And a new hard-left group, America’s Voice, was founded as a war room for the pro-amnesty faction; among other things, they hosted an online election for the “Top Anti-Immigrant Wolf” (and included me among the nominees, though I haven’t been informed if I’ve won).

But the Emmanuel Goldstein of this drive to demonize amnesty opponents is Lou Dobbs. The Drop Dobbs campaign is sponsored by La Raza, the SPLC, Media Matters, LULAC (the League of United Latin American Citizens), et al. In October they arranged a series of protests by open-borders groups in cities around the country demanding Dobbs’s head. At the New York protest, a pastor from Spanish Harlem told the left-wing New America Media, “Lou Dobbs is a terrorist. He is encouraging the American people to hate Latinos. It is not only a human-rights abuse, but it is a form of terrorism against us.”

The day after the protests, frequent Dobbs critic Geraldo Rivera (who, unlike Dobbs, is not married to a Hispanic woman) said in a speech that the opponents of amnesty have been “reckless beyond imagining” and that Dobbs in particular “is almost singlehandedly responsible for creating, for being the architect of the young-Latino-as-scapegoat for everything that ails this country.”

Along these same lines is Basta Dobbs, whose founder describes its target as “The Most Dangerous Man for Latinos in America.” So We Might See, a “national interfaith coalition for media justice,” joined with the National Hispanic Media Coalition to fight Dobbs’s “anti-immigrant hate speech,” not because it’s factually incorrect but because it’s a form of “media violence.” And the SPLC’s Mark Potok and others claim (here, for instance) that Dobbs is directly responsible for an increase in “hate crimes” against Hispanics (the rate of such crimes actually went down, as FAIR points out in its debunking of the SPLC’s smears — but facts aren’t the point here).

It’s important to note that this campaign goes beyond mere name-calling. This isn’t Obama as the Joker or Dick Cheney as the Prince of Darkness, Van Jones calling Republicans a**holes or Rep. Joe Wilson’s “You lie!” Those are all simply part of a boisterous, if indecorous, politics.

The pro-amnesty crowd’s demonization efforts, on the other hand, are clear incitements to violence. They can’t claim that Lou Dobbs is a “terrorist” and that FAIR is responsible for people being killed in “hate crimes” and then be surprised when one of their followers acts in perceived self-defense.

Lou Dobbs last month described a shooting at his home, which came after weeks of threatening phone calls. He prematurely suggested (and I prematurely echoed his suggestion) that this was a result of the hate campaign directed against him. That may well turn out to be the case, but police said it could have been a stray hunter’s bullet (though at the time it wasn’t rifle season for deer, only squirrels and other small game). Nonetheless, given what happened to Pim Fortuyn after a similar vilification campaign, Dobbs is wise to have a bodyguard.

Of course, there are voices inciting violence on the pro-enforcement side too. But they’re kooks on the fringe, and going after them is pointless precisely because they’re so irrelevant. The mainstream figures, the targets of the amnesty crowd’s vilification, have always gone out of their way to avoid this sort of thing. Dobbs’s wife is Mexican-American, and he’s not even a restrictionist, just an “illegal/bad, legal/good” kind of guy. For over a quarter-century FAIR has been leery of organizing local chapters because of the stray hater who might be attracted along with the normal concerned citizens. For more than a decade Numbers USA, a restrictionist group, has had a button on its home page titled “‘No’ to Immigrant Bashing.” And the whole thesis of my book is that the difference in immigration today is not that today’s immigrants are somehow inferior to those of a century ago, but that we have changed and outgrown immigration.

But if I might put myself in their heads for a moment, this kind of caution is irrelevant to the organizers of the hate campaign against amnesty opponents. And it’s not because La Raza and the rest are cynically trying to taint pro-enforcement voices. On the contrary, they sincerely believe that support for any kind of immigration enforcement or limit on immigration is, by definition, hateful and an incitement to violence. Despite occasional pious acknowledgments that a nation has a right to control its borders, open-borders groups (on both the left and right) oppose all existing immigration-control measures and any prospective ones. This is because they reject the moral legitimacy of immigration controls, borders, sovereignty, and nationhood itself. Thus, unyielding opposition to amnesty and illegal immigration — however measured the tone, however sober the argument — is necessarily the equivalent of an act of violence in their eyes. And so they perceive their vilification campaign simply as a matter of self-defense, a response to our provocation.

When, despite Dobbs’s departure from CNN, the push for amnesty fails next year, as it inevitably will, it will be interesting to see how they deal with yet another defeat. They can hardly escalate their rhetoric further.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: amnesty; hispandering; immigration; loudobbs
Article was also an op ed National Review Online, November 13, 2009

" On the contrary, they (Squatter support squad) sincerely believe that support for any kind of immigration enforcement or limit on immigration is, by definition, hateful and an incitement to violence. Despite occasional pious acknowledgments that a nation has a right to control its borders, open-borders groups (on both the left and right) oppose all existing immigration-control measures and any prospective ones. This is because they reject the moral legitimacy of immigration controls, borders, sovereignty, and nationhood itself."

1 posted on 11/24/2009 10:08:49 AM PST by AuntB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: AuntB

12 STEPS TO RENEW AMERICA


AMERICA AT THE CROSSROADS OF HISTORY


AWAKEN, O AMERICA, YOUR LIBERTY IS CALLING (Inspiring Video)

2 posted on 11/24/2009 10:12:50 AM PST by Jeff Head (Freedom is not free...never has been, never will be. (www.dragonsfuryseries.com))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SwinneySwitch; rabscuttle385; bcsco; Liz; Clintonfatigued; JohnHuang2; blackie; Jeff Head; ...

Another great article from the CIS group (FOLLOW THE $$$):

Money That Encourages International Migration — a Typology
By David North
CIS Blog, November 20, 2009
http://cis.org/north/followthemoney

Excerpt: Although one would not know it by reading immigration policy debates, money paid to middlemen, mostly Americans, plays a major role in the whole process.

If one seeks to manage, or at least nudge, events in immigration it is useful to visualize the financial transactions involving the non-migratory actors in the field, the people and institutions that shape migration but do not migrate themselves......
In short, it is both appropriate and useful to stress the profits for the bosses, the facilitators – and the crooks – that always come with open borders policies.


3 posted on 11/24/2009 10:14:55 AM PST by AuntB (If Al Qaeda grew drugs & burned our forests instead of armed Mexican Cartels would anyone notice?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AuntB

Leftists are afraid of people who disagree with them.


4 posted on 11/24/2009 10:16:39 AM PST by popdonnelly (Yes, we disagree - no, we won't shut up - no, we won't quit.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AuntB

Can they explain why Mexico treats those who cross their southern border from Guatemala into Mexico with such disdain and why the border crossers are deported so quickly?


5 posted on 11/24/2009 10:18:40 AM PST by 17th Miss Regt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Head

If we’re all that, they let’s be clear who THEY are:

Racismist, Zero-Tolerant non-thinkers, Illegal Immigrant-Enablers, Street Thug/ACORN/SEIU supporting, Spreadin-the-Wealth liberal hypocrites.


6 posted on 11/24/2009 10:20:40 AM PST by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: 17th Miss Regt

Because Mexicans are hypocrites.


7 posted on 11/24/2009 10:22:16 AM PST by SatinDoll (NO Foreign Nationals as our President!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Head

B T T T


8 posted on 11/24/2009 10:22:25 AM PST by stephenjohnbanker (Support our troops, and vote out the RINO's!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: 17th Miss Regt

“Can they explain why Mexico treats those who cross their southern border from Guatemala into Mexico with such disdain and why the border crossers are deported so quickly?”

Hypocrisy.


9 posted on 11/24/2009 10:29:04 AM PST by stephenjohnbanker (Support our troops, and vote out the RINO's!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: AuntB
This is because they reject the moral legitimacy of immigration controls, borders, sovereignty, and nationhood itself

Except for Mexico, the Sacred Nation whose borders extend wherever they say they do.

What is happening now is an ordinary intimidation game, preparatory to a takeover. The shock troops are the gangs; Nortenos, Surenos are nothing more then political hate groups organized to terrorize the intended victim groups (Americans) into submission: the end goal being more political power for their patrons, the Mexican thug elite. Their political overseers are the alphabet soup gangs: NCLR (La Raza), MEChA, MALDEF, etc.

They are united in their political goal: coerce the Americans into handing over their wealth, under threat of violence or prosecution for "hate". If one method doesn't work, they will try the other.

They even have their own Comm networks: the Spanish radio and TV networks, which are meaningless to the Gringos - who, even if they spoke Spanish, wouldn't understand the messages - colloquial and cultural.

In their culture they understand exactly what is going on. In ours, the soon to be ruled sheep understand nothing.

Isn't it charming that our alien Governor here in California just appointed one of them as Lt. Governor?

The plan proceeds apace. Gotta hand it to them, they understood how to game the system, and the prize is California, and next the entire Southwest. And more importantly, the wealth and power that their age old enemy - us - have accumulated.

10 posted on 11/24/2009 10:29:38 AM PST by Regulator (Welcome to Zimbabwe! Now hand over your property....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AuntB

Speaking generally and not referring to any specific person here, if even just 5% of the people who comment on articles like this would go out into the wider internet and find popular sites that lie about this issue, they could have a great impact. That’s something I spend way too much time doing, and I wish others would join in for once.

For example, see this outdated page linking to sites discussing Dobbs:

http://www.memeorandum.com/091111/p126#a091111p126

That’s from a couple weeks ago, but if you look at some of the linked pages you’ll no doubt find bloggers lying about Dobbs or this issue. If people here had gone to those sites and pointed out to the readers of those blogs (in comments) that the bloggers were lying or misleading, that would have an impact. Those who push lies rely on those bloggers to amplify them, and they won’t be able to do that if they know that others are going to come along and show their readers how they’re lying.


11 posted on 11/24/2009 10:30:26 AM PST by lonewacko_dot_com
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AuntB
Someone needs to explain the equation to them:

It's not racist or any other "ist" to want to defend, protect, and preserve your country.

12 posted on 11/24/2009 10:36:32 AM PST by OpeEdMunkey (Eat right...exercise...die anyway)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AuntB

You can’t go wrong by following the money!!


13 posted on 11/24/2009 10:37:02 AM PST by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: lonewacko_dot_com

“Speaking generally and not referring to any specific person here, if even just 5% of the people who comment on articles like this would go out into the wider internet and find popular sites that lie about this issue, they could have a great impact. That’s something I spend way too much time doing, and I wish others would join in for once.”

Agreed, lonewacko! It’s one of my passtimes...:<)


14 posted on 11/24/2009 11:49:23 AM PST by AuntB (If Al Qaeda grew drugs & burned our forests instead of armed Mexican Cartels would anyone notice?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: blackie

“You can’t go wrong by following the money!!”

Exactly!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2393613/posts
Money That Encourages International Migration — a Typology


15 posted on 11/24/2009 12:06:10 PM PST by AuntB (If Al Qaeda grew drugs & burned our forests instead of armed Mexican Cartels would anyone notice?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: popdonnelly; AuntB

It hasn’t just been Leftists doing the name calling. The amnesty crowd willing to vilify those of us who want border control has included Dubya, Karl Rove, Spencer Abraham, Dick Armey, Jack Kemp, Bill Bennett, Grover Norquist, Chris Cannon, among others.


16 posted on 11/24/2009 1:38:11 PM PST by Pelham ("Badges?!! We don' need no stinkin' badges!!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Regulator

Well said.


17 posted on 11/24/2009 1:39:45 PM PST by Pelham ("Badges?!! We don' need no stinkin' badges!!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: OpeEdMunkey

They don’t need that explained to them, they know the truth. They aren’t interested in what’s true, they are interested in winning by any means necessary.


18 posted on 11/24/2009 1:41:33 PM PST by Pelham ("Badges?!! We don' need no stinkin' badges!!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: AuntB
Let's give California to Mexico and call it good.

That gives us a good road system from all the other states (like Texas, Arizona, etc.) for the deportation busses to follow.


Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

19 posted on 11/24/2009 2:05:02 PM PST by The Comedian (Evil can only succeed if good men don't point at it and laugh.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AuntB

That link makes lotsa sense!


20 posted on 11/24/2009 3:04:17 PM PST by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson