Posted on 05/02/2002 12:27:56 PM PDT by 4America
LOS ANGELES - More than 5,000 people marched downtown to call for amnesty for illegal immigrants and freedom for foreign detainees.
May Day marchers held signs that read "Legalization Now" and chanted while marching to a steady drum beat. They held a sit-in in front of Gov. Gray Davis (news - web sites)' Los Angeles office before holding a candlelight vigil outside the downtown Federal Building.
Police Department officers stood at every corner, some in riot gear, and a police helicopter hovered overhead, but there were no reports of problems.
"This is the international day of workers, and we want to call attention to workers' rights," said Ricardo Moreno, spokesman for the Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights. His group and the other 80 organizations that sponsored the May Day rally want U.S. President George W. Bush (news - web sites) to grant amnesty to all illegal workers.
"Most of these people are hard-working. They work in restaurants, clean houses and at car washes, and deserve to be treated fairly," Moreno said.
The groups also want the state to issue driver's licenses and identification cards to undocumented workers.
Davis, state Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, law enforcement representatives and immigrant rights advocates have been trying to craft a bill that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses.
The demonstration in Los Angeles was one of several May Day events in cities around the world.
"This march will serve as a testimony that immigrants not only work hard, but they can also unite and demand their rights as taxpayers," said Myron Payes, of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.
Demonstrators protested the detention of hundreds of Arab and Muslim immigrants since the Sept. 11 attacks. They also denounced other forms of "immigrant bashing," such as impending rules that will force thousands of noncitizens to leave their jobs as airport security workers.
I went to a couple of rallies sponsored by Glenn Spencer's "American Patrol" organization, and actually got to make phyisical contact with a few agressors. They didn't expect to get hit, that much was certain. I've also assisted the border patrol in apprehending illegales on more than a few occasions, both in the city and in the mountain regions in east San Diego county.
One of my best friends happens to be Mexican-born (Culiacan), and he and his family are purposefully ambivalent about the whole situation. In reality, they don't like it, because they became citizens the correct and legal way, and work for a living. They see very clearly that rewarding negative behavior is a loser for everyone. Yet they too have bought the BS about the southwest really still belonging to Mexico -- it's all they ever heard south of the border. Very similar to the effects of the "right to be here" propaganda that the Palestinians have been fed over scores of years. But that's a subject for another thread!
The problem is that too many Mexicans come here illegally, sponge off of us "rico gabachos", do not assimilate into our culture but instead balkanize themselves into their seperate enclaves, and bring the whole sh!t-eating third-world with them. I feel sorry for them, but their situation is not my fault, and I refuse to condone their recalcitrance in adapting to American culture and values. If I moved to Mazatlan, I sure as hell wouldn't expect them to cater to me. My ancestors here in North America were immigrants, too, but we left the disasters behind and proudly became Americans, plain and simple.
The southeast part of the United States is experiencing a slow and silent invasion by illegal mexican immigrants as well.
I spent about a year in Asheville NC and was literally stunned at the numbers of illegal mexicans that are living and working there. From what I am told the influx gets more numerous on a daily basis. I currently live in North Florida and the same thing is starting to occur here.
I think we need to start attacking this from a regional perspective. IOW organize at the local and regional levels, load our guns (figuratively speaking) and aim our tactics at the local and regional politicians and interested media, while at the same time striking at the national and federal levels.
Just some thoughts
/jasper
Why don't we just give them our cars and homes and sign over our paychecks to them, cuz that would be more fair!!!
Oh goody! We each get to come up with our own wish list and then send it to Governor Davis. Hmmm, what should I wish for?
The Illegel Immigrants are catered to by the same Blowhards who value their vote as a group and will heap upon them all the benefits paid for by the Real Taxpayer.
The morons who "RUN" the govt . have as much feeling for the Taxpayers as Cardinal Law does for the Parishioners who pay his Salary.
If we get rid of the Illegals then the people who Exploit them and Exploit our Laws will have to pay higher wages or go out of business.
I Live on Cape Cod and in the summer Our "poor businesses" mainly Hotels and restaurants hire people from far off Islands. It might cut into their profits though!
If they paid a descent salary for the work there would be people locally who would do the work.
It will never be enough, until you and I are brought down to their level. That's what the "redistribution of wealth" is all about!
I encourage any of you to join in the discussion on the thread, through a link, that I provided above. The Neo-Con insanity is definitely pervasive.
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