Immigrants Travel to Washington to Rally for Broadened Rights

The New York Times ^ | September 27, 2003 | STEVEN GREENHOUSE

[One_American]

As the bus sped through the New Mexico desert and into West Texas, Federico González talked of his dream, an odd dream for an immigrant from Colombia. He wants to be an F.B.I. agent.

Back home, he was studying to be a police investigator, but he dropped out of college because he was too poor to pay all the expenses.

Eager to support his girlfriend and infant son, he moved to Arizona and took a job as a roofer, attracted to the relatively high pay by immigrant standards — $9.50 an hour. But the work was grueling, 10-hour days in 100-degree heat. And he soon learned that there could be a price for protesting harsh conditions.

Just like that? He just moved to Arizona from Colombia like you or I move from Chicago to Cleveland.

"They tell me this is the country of freedom," said Mr. González, a passenger in the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride, a caravan of buses heading to Washington from 10 cities nationwide to campaign for immigrants' rights. "You're supposed to have the right to speak. But immigrants don't have the right to speak out on the job because they get fired."

I would start by deporting this guy. It seems he has quickly established the badge of being a poor victim that the race baiters wear so well. You came into our country illegally, ahead of thousands of others who are waiting and abiding by the system and now you are complaining? Kick this guys ass back to Colombia now.

[raybbr]

...an odd dream for an immigrant from Colombia. He wants to be an F.B.I. agent.

In this day and age this scum would probably pass the background check.

[Let's Roll]

I was wondering what the next big issue on FR would be once the CA recall is over.

I think we just found one.

[raybbr]

Who's that driving the bus?

[TalBlack]

Our politicians better get a handle on who their real special interests are before the legal Americans (both natives and immigrants) boil over regarding this issue.

With all due respect, Jeff, Two buildings in NY were reduced to rubble and thousands killed just two years ago and NO ONE IN CHARGE PAID ANY PRICE WHATSOEVER despite the fact that an attack was predictrable and predicted and the style of attack was warned by an FBI agent.

Not only will nothing be done about these invading hordes but al Queda (sp) will successfully attack us AGAIN. That's pretty much what happens when no one is actually held responsible for anything.

[sarcasm]

[SpinyNorman]

Put "illegal" in front of every reference to immigrants in this article, and it will at least have a semblance of the truth.

I have been watching the NYTimes for a few weeks (ttey give them out free at UMASS in order to indoctrinate the students. I need firestarters for my woodstove....), and they are determined to make every story about "immigrants" and not their true status of ILLEGAL immigrants.

Just another reason you cannot trust the NYTimes anymore.

[MissouriForBush]

I admire Tancredo because he is one of the FEW politicians who speaks with integrity on the issue of illegal aliens.

Does anyone know of any similar politicians who are taking the same principled, common-sense stand?

[dagnabbit]

Good one.

[Lucy Lake]

Pinging.

Check out the list at # 8. Staggering.

[Jerez2]

Have kids. Have lots of kids.
That is their 'secret' weapon.
That is how the Muslims are taking over Europe.
And that is the STATED way the "Hispanics" are taking over the USA. (See MEChA, Atzlan.)

[Right_in_Virginia]

Eager to support his girlfriend and infant son, he moved to Arizona and took a job as a roofer...

Did he move here legally? The article is a bit shaded on this point.

[StatesEnemy]

It's too late to save this froggies life. This country will be like Brazil by 2050.

Yup... and I'll be thankfully dead.

[resistmuch]

I agree completely. If the $87 billion we're spending to rebuild an ungrateful foreign country was spent securing our borders, we'd be a hell of a lot safer from terrorism than we'll every be from attacking Iraq.

[sarcasm]

Check out the list at # 8. Staggering.

A who's who of the radical left.

[johnb838]

Does anyone know of any similar politicians who are taking the same principled, common-sense stand? br?Well, there IS Tom McClintock in California, but... he can't win. Illegal immigration is like if I had a swimming pool in my backyard and people climb over the fence and swi when I'm sleeping or not at home. Sometimes they pee in the pool, wreck the furniture, and steal everything that isn't nailed down. Sometimes they just swim and don't do anything else. But either way they're trespassers.

[sarcasm]

Did he move here legally? The article is a bit shaded on this point

Moved is NYT newspeak for border crasher.

[paul51]

I guess it's too late to organize a mass hijack of those buses and point them south

[dalebert]

I will say it again. Illegals are not immigrants.

[jocko12]

WHERE THE INS WHEN YOU NEED THEM.