Border Patrol Agents Fire Tear Gas Over Border at Mexican Attackers

FOXNews.com - Border Patrol Agents Fire Tear Gas Over Border at Mexican Attackers :
"The Border Patrol says its agents have been attacked nearly 1,000 times during a one-year period."

SC Has a Clue

The State | 12/17/2007 | S.C. bill would enforce English:
"The head of South Carolina’s Senate has a message he wants to send to non-English speaking immigrants looking to use government services here: No hablamos espanol.

"Sen. Glenn McConnell’s proposal, among dozens of bills filed in anticipation of the coming legislative session, would require that all government paperwork and videos use only English."

Proposal to Let Noncitizens Join Md. Police Under Review - washingtonpost.com

Proposal to Let Noncitizens Join Md. Police Under Review - washingtonpost.com:

It never made sense to Montgomery County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger: Immigrants who have green cards can join the U.S. military and fight America's wars but, like other noncitizens, are ineligible to work as police officers in Maryland and most other states.

Since 2004, Manger has championed the concept of lifting the citizenship requirement under certain circumstances. At his urging, the Maryland Police Training Commission, which oversees training and hiring standards for law enforcement agencies across the state, began studying the issue this year. A vote could come next month.

Illegal Immigrants in Md. and Va. Out-Earn U.S. Peers, Study Says - washingtonpost.com

Illegal Immigrants in Md. and Va. Out-Earn U.S. Peers, Study Says - washingtonpost.com:

Illegal immigrants in Maryland and Virginia make more money than illegal immigrants nationwide, but their incomes are substantially lower than those of native residents of those states, and they are much less likely to have health insurance, a report says.

The study, released today by the Center for Immigration Studies, estimates that there are 11.3 million undocumented immigrants in the country. In Maryland, the 268,000 illegal immigrants are 5 percent of the state's population; in Virginia, they account for 3 percent of residents, with 259,000. The study used U.S. Census Bureau data from this year."

Here in MD we just had an insane tax increase, one which included $600M in expenditures to supply health insurance those who have none.

I'll be keeping watch to note whether or not the illegals will be getting any of that. My sense is that they will, MD politics being what it is.

There may be an upside to the Chinese toy debacle

Parents shy away from Chinese toys:
"Instead of a small mountain of toys under the Christmas tree, the Donais family of Windsor is opting for fewer presents, quality time with family and gifts that spur the imagination of their three-year-old daughter. And the shift is largely due to concerns over the safety of Chinese-made toys."

Any time personal interaction is substituted for consumerism, it's a good thing. Let's keep it up.

Immigration Chronicles: Must workers speak English only on the job?

Immigration Chronicles: Must workers speak English only on the job?
"Republicans on Capitol Hill are pushing hard to protect employers who require their workers to speak English, but Democratic leaders have blocked the move despite narrow vote tallies in the GOP's favor."

It seems to me that any employer can make any requirement of the job duties of an employee.

The Feds have got to stop meddling in society. Which means we have to do something to bring our own government in line with the will of the People!

U.S. Inaction Faulted, Immigration Polls Find - washingtonpost.com

U.S. Inaction Faulted, Immigration Polls Find - washingtonpost.com:

In Maryland and Virginia, about seven in 10 people say the federal government has not done enough to deal with illegal immigration and one in five describe it as "a very serious" local problem, according to two newly released Washington Post polls.

In both states, majorities of those surveyed said recent immigrants have changed their communities, but there is wide disagreement about their impact on daily life. Attitudes are much harsher toward undocumented immigrants than toward legal newcomers.

A Positive Twist

Panel Wants Troopers on Immigration Enforcement - washingtonpost.com: "RICHMOND, Nov. 13 -- The Virginia Crime Commission called on the General Assembly on Tuesday to ask Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) to require state troopers to help federal authorities detain and deport illegal immigrants."

ABC News: Fake Badges Lead to Lax O'Hare Security

ABC News: Fake Badges Lead to Lax O'Hare Security: "Authorities arrested more than 20 suspects, all believed to be illegal immigrants, after federal agents found they were allegedly using fake and expired security badges that allowed them widespread access to the airport, including unfettered access to commercial planes."

More Logic Defied Conerning Illegal Aliens

Should the Census Bureau count illegal immigrants?: WASHINGTON - "Texas, Florida and Arizona each stand to gain an extra congressional seat in the next Census count because of their large illegal immigrant populations, according to a recent study. Conversely, states like Ohio, Michigan and Missouri could each lose a seat because they have fewer illegal immigrants."

This is bad, again. It's one more way that Illegals are affecting our political system.

We're a sovereign nation trying to uphold our own laws, in spite of the few within our own ranks who want to see something else happen. The problem is that those few seem to be getting more of what they want than the much larger majority in opposition.

But in this case, the issue is huge because it affects the representation of people in our federal lawmaking body, Congress. Those without polulations of illegals will lose power to those with large populations of illegals. And because it's within the American lawmaking system which has a winner-take-all approach, it's huge. Huger than huge.

There is an unknown here that may dismay those wanting an open border: will that greater representation manifest itself in the relaxation of immigration law support, or will it stiffen the resolve of Congress to enforce the law? Remember, the Minutemen come from these areas, and one assumes that the illegals will not be voting. At least, not yet. So what happens if these areas elect Minutemen to Congress?

The fact remains that this problem is of our own doing. Our own Census Bureau is causing it.

What's wrong with them?

It still seems to me that if they can count illegals, they can send that information over to ICE for a nice, tidy raid. Which moots all arguments that nothing can be done about the 12 million estimated to be here.

Damn, what's wrong with us?

The "I'll Be Damned" Department:

Senate Votes to Stop Spitzer Plan to Give Illegal Immigrants Driver’s Licenses - New York Times: "ALBANY, Oct. 22 — Spurred by overwhelming public opposition to Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s decision to allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, the State Senate yesterday passed legislation that would overturn the policy."

Immigrant Proposal Divides Frederick - washingtonpost.com

Immigrant Proposal Divides Frederick - washingtonpost.com:

"I've been here 20-something years, and I've never seen something like this before," said Oscar Lazo, who also emigrated from El Salvador and runs a Mexican restaurant a few doors down. "It's like we are being chased out."

"We just came here to work hard and improve the economy of this county," Lazo added. "We are not coming here to create problems for the county."

My God, this is BS. Imagine - people down in Mexico wake from a siesta, and think, "Geez, America is in such rough economic shape. They need our help. I think I'll go there and help them."

Stop lying. You want what we've got and you don't care at whose expense it is. If you want to come here, you have to realize that we Americans (of all nationalities and stripes) have the duty to control the manner and amount of human influx into this country. We have the right to control it, and that's what we want to do.

Take the inflammatory comments and shove them back into Mexico.

More Proof Bush is an Idiot

FOXNews.com - Death Penalty Case Puts Bush and Texas at Odds Over Mexican's Fate - Local News |

The case of Jose Ernesto Medellin has become a confusing test of presidential power that the U.S. Supreme Court, which hears the case this week, ultimately will sort out.

The president wants to enforce a decision by the International Court of Justice that found the convictions of Medellin and 50 other Mexican-born prisoners violated their rights to legal help as outlined in the 1963 Vienna Convention.

That is the same court Bush has since said he plans to ignore if it makes similar decisions affecting state criminal laws.

"The president does not agree with the ICJ's interpretation of the Vienna Convention," the administration said in arguments filed with the court. This time, though, the U.S. agreed to abide by the international court's decision because ignoring it would harm American interests abroad, the government said.

Texas argues that neither the international court nor Bush has any say in Medellin's case.

Medellin was born in Mexico, but spent much of his childhood in the United States. He was 18 in June 1993, when he and other members of the Black and Whites gang in Houston encountered two teenage girls on a railroad trestle.The girls were gang-raped and strangled. Their bodies were found four days later.

Medellin was arrested a few days later. He was told he had a right to remain silent and have a lawyer present, but the police did not tell him that he could request assistance from the Mexican consulate.

Medellin gave a written confession. He was convicted of murder in the course of a sexual assault, a capital offense in Texas. A judge sentenced him to death in October 1994.

Holy Smokes! Power to the people!

The Buffalo News: Home: County clerks rebel over licenses: ALBANY — County clerks across New York State revolted Thursday against Gov. Eliot L. Spitzer’s new policy that will let illegal immigrants obtain driver’s licenses, with at least a dozen counties saying they would refuse to implement the controversial program.

Setting up a major legal confrontation, the clerks from 13 counties — including Genesee, Allegany and Monroe — called Spitzer’s policy a threat to the state’s security that was rushed into without the input from legislators, law enforcement and those on the front lines who issue the licenses.

“This is a matter of safety and security for New Yorkers and Americans,” said Saratoga County Clerk Kathleen Marchione, president of the statewide association of clerks, who led the rebellion against Spitzer.

Judge blocks Homeland Security and SSA on illegals

Judge extends block on illegal worker plan | Reuters: "SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A U.S. federal court judge on Monday extended an order preventing the Department of Homeland Security from launching a controversial new program to root out illegal immigrants in the nation's workforce."

What this article describes is a very bizarre action taken to keep illegal aliens in this country. We find the US courts, the AFL-CIO, ACLU, and varied civil liberties and business groups acting in concert, challenging Homeland Security's and the Social Security Administration's plan to identify illegals and stop illegal activity done by them.

Particularly of note, the SSA is trying to get a handle on people using social security numbers whose names do not match those numbers; this is, of course, identity theft, which is a felony, yet this judge has blocked SSA's effort. He is effectively promoting the felonious activity, because apparently he feels that this type of action may be discriminatory. Shit you not, he said this in his decision. So I suppose, now that I think about it from the judge's perspective, that all actions against criminal activity might be deemed "discriminatory," since those actions are leveled only against the lawbreakers and not everyone. I have a headache.

Read the article and see how even when your government tried to protect you, other elements of that same government thwarted those efforts.

My thoughts are that citizens need a recourse to recall lawmakers and judges who will not adhere to our own damned law.

How blacks, liberals (subliminally) view the US?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars? -- baltimoresun.com:

Republican front-runners weren't the only things missing from the presidential debate stage. The American flag was AWOL, too.

The backdrop to the "All-American Presidential Forum," brought to you by Tavis Smiley and PBS, was a map of the United States, superimposed with a checkerboard of multicultural faces.

Rep. Duncan Hunter of California, one of the presidential hopefuls, asked debate organizers to get Old Glory up there, too, according to Chris Cavey, first vice chairman of the state GOP

Cavey was acting as an escort for another candidate, Tom Tancredo of Colorado, and heard Hunter's request over his earpiece about half an hour before the show began.

"Escorts were wired. I heard [in the earpiece], 'Congressman Hunter is requesting a flag on stage,'" Cavey said.

Request denied.

Forum organizers also did not return calls seeking comment.

The buzz among some Republicans was that organizers thought the flag might "offend" some members of the audience.

France's illegal immigrant hunt stirs tensions | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

France's illegal immigrant hunt stirs tensions | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

A worldwide problem for successful nations, France also has a problem with illegals. And they have the same kind of liberal nuts there as here.

¿usted se lavó las manos antes de hacer mi hamburguesa?

ICE Officers Detain 56 Illegal Workers in McDonald's Immigration Sweep: Federal agents have arrested several dozen employees in raids at 11 McDonald's restaurants in northern Nevada as part of an ongoing investigation into illegal immigration.

U.S. sues Illinois for blocking immigration crackdown

U.S. sues Illinois for blocking immigration crackdown -- chicagotribune.com: "The state of Illinois has now made it illegal to comply with federal law," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in an interview. "That's not acceptable as a matter of the Constitution, and it's not acceptable as a matter of our discharging our federal obligation to enforce the immigration laws."

In an unusually personal critique, Chertoff said the Illinois law, the Right to Privacy at Work Act, showcases the hypocrisy of politicians who slam the federal government for not enforcing immigration laws, then make it harder to do so.

"We're beginning to see the schizophrenic nature of the way some politicians are looking at it," Chertoff said. "They're now coming back and saying, 'We want you to enforce the law, but we don't want you to do anything that would actually lead to enforcement.'

Illegal Immigrants Charged In Maryland Terrorism Ring

Illegal Immigrants Charged In Maryland Terrorism Ring

Proving that immigration enforcement is crucial to national security, at least nine of the Middle Easterners recently arrested in Maryland for laundering millions to finance al-Qaida lived in the United States illegally.

A lengthy FBI investigation led to the indictments of dozens of Muslims, many of Pakistani descent, involved in a $5 million money-laundering scheme that financed illegal activities worldwide as well as terrorist organizations.

U.S. Sues Illinois For Defying Immigration Law

Link to article

The Department of Homeland Security announced recently that it would begin fining employers who hire illegal immigrants as well as those who don’t fire workers caught using fake Social Security numbers. Reluctant to abide by the new rules, Illinois passed legislation prohibiting the use of a federal database utilized to verify identities and therefore detect illegal workers.

Signed into law by Governor Rod Blagojevich last month, the measure actually prevents the state’s 750 employers that currently participate in the federal program from continuing to do so. The Illinois law is scheduled to take effect in January 2008 and would clearly protect the state’s large illegal immigrant population which is estimated to be around 500,000.

3 year-old Raped by Illegal Alien

Michelle Malkin » Go ahead and spit, Geraldo:

A 3-year-old girl was found abused and bleeding Thursday night, and officials have arrested her uncle, an illegal alien, for child molestation.

Salvador Luna, 29, who was previously deported, was arrested on suspicion of sexual abuse of a child and was taken to the Victorville sheriff’s station where he underwent a physical examination, said Detective Ryan Collins.

Democrats Try to Revive Immigration Provisions

The Corner on National Review Online:

Immigration Again [Kathryn Jean Lopez]

From Congressional Quarterly:

Democrats Try to Revive Immigration Provisions

Senate Democrats plan to use the defense authorization bill next week to revive a provision from the failed immigration overhaul that would put some children of illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship.

Meanwhile, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is working to bring to the floor another provision from the immigration bill (S 1639) that would create a guest worker program for up to 1.5 million agricultural workers (S 340).

Both efforts are likely to rekindle the kind of heated debate that engulfed the Senate when the immigration overhaul measure was being considered in June.

Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., is expected to offer an amendment to the defense bill (HR 1585) that would attach legislation (S 774) to allow children of illegal immigrants who entered the United States before age 16 and lived here at least five years to gain conditional legal status and eventual citizenship if they attend college or join the military for at least two years.

"Gods and Generals" Director takes on Illegal Immigration

The Daily News Record: Top News:

‘Gods And Generals’ Filmmaker Takes on Illegal Immigration

Posted 2007-09-17

Curt Helps Finance Maxwell’s Forthcoming Documentary

Ron Maxwell’s documentary grew out of his growing awareness of the immigration problem as he traveled back and forth from New York City, where he grew up, to Los Angeles.

He was raised in an ethnic neighborhood in New Jersey in the 1950s that included Italians, Polish and German immigrants.

Assimilation into the culture was important to them, he said. “There was no inkling of separatism. There was no inkling of anti-Americanism,” he said.

But that is not the same feeling, he says, among immigrants today,

“One way or another, either by out right annexation, which could happen in 20 to 30 years from now, or through demographic change, they see it as a re-conquering,” Maxwell said of some Mexican politicians and intellectuals.

Triple Threat

A central part of the problem, Maxwell said, are “post patriotic non-citizens” running large corporations that put financial interests above those of the country.

The corporate leaders are in an alliance with politicians and opinion leaders in the Hispanic community, he said.

“They are taking America to the New World order, which will have no borders,” Maxwell said.

Because of this coalition, politicians are disconnected to the desires of the country’s citizens, Maxwell said.

“They are not elected,” he said, “to be representatives of the billions of people in the world that want to come here.”

Stern Measures

Maxwell favors cracking down on illegal immigration by enforcing current laws.

He favors stiff penalties for large businesses that hire illegal immigrants.

Maxwell supports no amnesty for illegal immigrants. He wants to make sure that those here illegally have no chance of gaining U.S. citizenship.

He also supports building a wall to protect the international borders.

Walls along highways for noise abatements are built but none are constructed for national security, Maxwell pointed out.

“It’s a complete collapse of will,” he said. “It’s worse than that: It’s a betrayal of the American people.”

Citizen Action

As grim a picture Maxwell paints on immigration, the filmmaker believes it is not too late for Americans to do something to curb the tide.

Every election, even those at the local level, are important, he said.

“This is now about reclaiming our sovereignty,” he said. “It’s going to happen at the grassroots.”

If politicians do not listen to voters, Maxwell said an alternative is for people to stop paying taxes.

“The American people are funding their own suicide. If we stop paying taxes, this craziness stops,” he said.

Contact Jeff Mellott at 574-6290 or jmellott@dnronline.com

Immigration, Crime Debates Entwined - washingtonpost.com

Immigration, Crime Debates Entwined - washingtonpost.com: "With a single sentence in a news release, a slaying in Prince William County gained high-profile treatment this week, not because of how the crime was committed, but because of who police say did it: a twice-deported illegal immigrant.

What was not mentioned before -- a suspect's legal status -- is now un-ignorable in a county that is leading the charge against illegal immigration."

Herndon to Shut Down Center for Day Laborers - washingtonpost.com

Herndon to Shut Down Center for Day Laborers - washingtonpost.com:

What happened here is that the courts have decided to overrule the desires of the community.

"The town's plan began to collapse last year when a Reston man, Stephen A. Thomas, ticketed for hiring a laborer in the parking lot of the Elden Street 7-Eleven, challenged the law on First Amendment grounds. A district court found in favor of the town, but Fairfax Circuit Court Judge Leslie Alden ruled for Thomas on Aug. 29.

Alden said the anti-solicitation ordinance fell short not only on First Amendment grounds but also under the equal protection requirements of the 14th Amendment. She said the Herndon center was not sufficient to make up for the ban on job solicitation because the town intended to bar illegal immigrants from the site. Alden said the Supreme Court has ruled that the equal protection provision applies to noncitizens as well."

So I'm saying, "What the hell?" I'm surprised at the Supreme Court; not totally surprised at the district judge; but very surprised at the trumping of citizen/residents desires over that of immigrants "speech." Hell, who can understand them anyway?

We make no sense anymore.

An Immediate Solution!

I was thinking about what to do about the steady influx of people crossing the American borders illegally. The government won't stop them, but when considering the breadth of the news, I think this might be a viable solution:

RESOLUTION
Congress should resolve a new act, whereby 4 things will occur:

1. All individuals in the USA illegally shall be immediately granted provisional citizenship, dependent on their registry with the Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service and Selective Service. This shall include females.
2. The military draft shall be immediately reinstated.
3. Iraq shall be told to make progress or get off the pot. The country shall have a "surge" of approximately 10 million brand-spanking-new troops.
4. Iran shall be issued notice that they will stand down all nuclear activities and all actions concerning Iraq and Afghanistan, lest the aforementioned troops be told to take a right turn at Baghdad.

You see, nearly overnight, we will no longer have illegal aliens. Our military will increase by close to 12 million people. And the middle east will become more peaceful (eventually).

Of course, you may have trouble having your pool cleaned...

Thank God Someone's Doing Something

Agencies Propose Joint Effort to Deport Illegal Immigrants - washingtonpost.com:

"Five law enforcement agencies in and around Prince William County are seeking to join forces to combat illegal immigration with a proposal for federal training in deportation procedures that local officials said would be one of the first of its kind in the nation.

The multi-agency proposal comes as Republican leaders in the state legislature have announced a measure that would require city and county jails to check the immigration status of defendants in criminal cases."

Counties Sift Through Policies on Illegal Immigrants - washingtonpost.com

Counties Sift Through Policies on Illegal Immigrants - washingtonpost.com:

"I keep hearing, 'Legally, you can't do this, you can't do that, someone wants to sue, the ACLU is waiting,' ' Supervisor Stephen J. Snow (R-Dulles) said. 'It's like everyone wants to handcuff you.'

Loudoun and Prince William are among U.S. towns and counties seeking to push illegal immigrants out since Congress failed to enact immigration reform this year."

Almost half of uninsured in America are illegal aliens

Almost half of uninsured in America illegal aliens

Immigration to add 105 million people to U.S.

Immigration Chronicles: Study: Immigration to add 105 million people to U.S.:

"According to the report, issued this morning at a Washington news conference, the U.S. population will rise from 301 million people today to 468 million in 2060 --with immigration accounting for 63 percent of the growth. That would be the equivalent of adding 13 new cities the size of New York to the U.S. population, the study's author, Steven Camarota, estimates.

The report, by the way, can be found at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2007/back707.html"

Federal count of illegal immigrants put at 11.6 million | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Federal count of illegal immigrants put at 11.6 million | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:

"The government report noted that illegal immigration jumped 37 percent from its previous estimate of 8.5 million in 2000. The results also paralleled previously established trends on migrants' nationalities and where they're settling."

Illegal workers face new federal offensive

Search Results | Seattle Times Newspaper:

"In letters to be mailed starting Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will warn employers of some 8 million workers nationwide that they must fire any employee who lacks a valid Social Security number or risk criminal charges and hefty fines.

"Millions of illegal immigrants land jobs by using an assortment of phony documents — including fabricated or stolen Social Security numbers. And with unemployment at record-low levels, this new Homeland Security regulation is creating angst in a range of industries.

"But employers and the government, he said, 'don't really want to enforce the law.'"

Apparently, neither do the labor unions, as the AFL-CIO has formally asked the INS to not send out letters telling employers they are at legal risk if they hire people in the US illegally.

To which we ask the question: whom are the unions representing? Illegals who are non-union members?

Makes no sense. Union members are urged to ask this question, themselves. http://www.aflcio.org/

25 People Facing Federal ID Theft Charges - News - NBC 17

25 People Facing Federal ID Theft Charges - News - NBC 17:

RALEIGH, NC -- Twenty five people arrested in an immigration sting last week had their first appearance in a Raleigh federal courtroom Tuesday.

A total of 25 people, including 14 women and 11 men, remain in federal custody charged with identity theft. “Identity theft, which is what these individuals are charged with, affects Americans of all walks of life,” said U.S. Attorney George Holding.

In this case U.S. attorneys say all the arrests are based on victim’s complaints of identity theft. “One victim that we interviewed was threatened with losing subsidized housing because their income that was being reported by the criminal or the defendant in this case had thrown them over the limit,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney James Candelmo.

Immigration raids Koch Foods Ohio chicken plant | Reuters

Immigration raids Koch Foods Ohio chicken plant | Reuters:

"As of 2:45 p.m. (EDT) more than 180 Koch employees have been identified for further questioning and more than 160 have been administratively arrested for immigration violations,' ICE special agent in charge Brian Moskowitz told a news conference in Cincinnati.

"Moskowitz said employees faced a range of charges including illegal reentry to the United States, identity theft, document fraud, social security fraud and forgery. Koch Foods was being investigated for federal crimes including encouraging, inducing or harboring illegal aliens."

Immigrant Laws Tread Uncharted Legal Path - washingtonpost.com

Immigrant Laws Tread Uncharted Legal Path - washingtonpost.com:

Interesting article on jurisdiction concerning illegals. But back to court we go, for more use of the courts as lawmakers (itself unconstitutional):

"...activists in Prince William have threatened to file a lawsuit over the county's resolution to crack down on illegal immigrants."

Sanctuary Cities

When I first heard of sanctuary cities, places where illegal aliens can move about without fear of discovery or deportation, I was appalled. Imagine that elected officials - people who are American citizens elected by other American citizens to conduct business which includes upholding law and protecting us - were openly flaunting that they were directing police and others under their charge to do the opposite of Federal law. I refer to cases such as Newark, NJ's mayor Cory Booker who said that "under his watch" people in this country illegally would not be sought.

I was outraged on many levels, not the least of which is that this posture is itself a violation of law. However, I've since calmed down and thought about about it and agree with Booker, at least for Newark and the other cities who choose to be sanctuaries for illegal aliens.

My reason? There's an old saying that goes, People get the government they deserve. In this case, the liberal voters in sanctuary cities will get an ever-increasing number of illegal aliens there. It will drain their public services, increase crime, increase disease, take jobs away from the poor, generally lower the standard of living, and likely kill a great number of them. Further, if the illegals congregate in one area, it will be a simpler matter to round them up, rather than scouring the entire countryside for them.

So, in the long run, sanctuary cities may be the answer to the problem of illegal entry to the United States. And the liberals.

The Being of Culture and Society

What is the nature of culture and society in the human landscape? Are "culture" and "society" entities unto themselves, deserving of protections, or are they abstractions simply bandied about in discourse?

Do these protections rate on a level with individual rights, or should the rights of the individual human supersede anything afforded culture and society?

How important are culture and society?

If culture is comprised of individuals with rights, and is defined as the collective manner of a people, do they have the collective right to change and /or defend their own culture as they see fit?

So when does the right of the individual supersede the right of a culture? Does it ever?

As such, I believe culture and society are worthy of protection, if for no other reason than they took so long to develop - and usually for good reason. This is not to say that cultures and societies are not dynamic and will change over time; of course they will, like all living things.

However, the idea that a single individual right always trumps those of culture and society is not just ludicrous, it's harmful.

Just as free speech will not allow someone to yell "Fire" in a crowded theater, so must we, at some point, recognize that some things that are done - either legally, through the judicial system or otherwise - that are just plain harmful to culture and society. One of these is not requiring assimilation.

Take illegal immigration. It's a very sad situation for people to have to uproot themselves with only the clothes on their backs to seek a better life. However, this goes back to the basic question: should the newcomers overtake the rights of those that are in the culture and society which they hope to enter? Should the culture bend to suit the newcomers?

And what about the culture that the illegals will enter, and can't help but alter; don't the existing members of that culture have something to say about how their way of life is made different?

Do we have the discipline to follow our own logic that created the culture that we love in the first place? Or are we so displeased with our society that we feel it should be changed substantially through at-will immigration, and non-assimilation? Should we require fluency in multiple languages, to suit newcomers, and any other potential newcomers?

If culture and society are entities that are recognized and held dear, then don't they deserve protection, too?

Two MD Counties, Two Different Approaches

"'Immigration is a local issue,' said the man, who gave his name only as Ryan. 'Local government needs to respond.'

"Some people jeered and others applauded as the man elaborated. Uncharacteristically, [Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett'] lost his cool.

"'Shut up and listen for a moment!' he cried, silencing the crowd. 'We are not in the business of enforcing immigration issues.'"

Meanwhile:

"Starting immediately, Anne Arundel County will no longer do business with any company which hires illegal immigrants.

"An executive order signed by County Executive John Leopold requires businesses with county contracts to file an affidavit swearing they do not employ people who live in this country illegally.

'The final determinant to me was the number of employers who came to me and said that they would be economically disadvantaged by having other companies being able to undercut them in the amount of wages they paid,' Leopold said."

So which county is acting in the interests of its citizens and economy? And ever so politely...


SOURCE: Liberal Suburbs Don't Avoid Heated Debates On Immigration - washingtonpost.com
SOURCE: wjz.com - A.A. Co.: No To Businesses With Illegal Immigrants:

Where's NAFTA Now That We Really Need It?

Wasn't NAFTA supposed to curb the onslaught of illegal entries to this country? Passed into law in 1993, we're going on 15 years of its effects. But instead of the American companies "offshoring" jobs to Mexico like good little capitalists, corporations went whole hog and actually went offshore - way offshore!

There are always unintended consequences, and I find it interesting that Asia (particularly India and China) is the biggest winner in the debacle known as the North American Free Trade Agreement.

I recall "discussions" with my economics professor about this kind of thing - his view that the most efficient means of creating a good was to manufacture it in the most economical place. I disagreed, believing that a country which does not produce hard goods cannot maintain a skilled labor force, will have little to export, will be dependent on other countries, and in general will be a loser on the global stage.

It is interesting to see how this is playing out; I'm sorry to see that I was probably correct.

Baltimore a Sanctuary City!

I live here and didn't know it. Look here to see if your town is a "sanctuary city" for illegals.

Source: http://www.ojjpac.org/sanctuary.asp

Official's bizarre death has equally odd explanation

Official's bizarre death has equally odd explanation:

"City officials say they believe that their finance director was suffering from brain damage caused by a rare parasite that he picked up while traveling in Mexico a few years ago. The damage impairs a person's social decision-making abilities."

My wife, until recently a nurse at The Johns Hopkins Department of Neurology, saw for herself an MRI of this type of parasitic infestation in a patient being treated at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. Called neurocysticercosis, it is a worm-like parasite capable of passing through the blood-brain barrier and wreaking all sorts of havoc inside the brain of the human host. This is seen often across latin America, including Mexico and other Central American nations.

This affliction was not well known in the US. For example, in 1983, a total of 80 cases were reported in all 4 Hospitals of Los Angeles. Today, across the southwestern US, Neurocysticercosis accounts for 10% of admissions for seizures. It is generally believed to be on the increase due to the increase in alien population in the area.

MEANS OF TRANSMISSION:
The parasite lays eggs inside the human host, which are then passed through the bowel and fecal matter. Poor hand washing, especially by food service workers, can be cited as a major means of transmission. eColi has never been more threatening than it is now.

Now you know why all departments of health require handwashing, and why the US Department of State requires health records for persons entering to work in the USA.

If the government did anything else, the same political groups in favor of illegal immigration would bash the government for negligence.

Let's get on the same page, here.

Sources:
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1176337

Impacts of Illegal Immigration: Diseases

Impacts of Illegal Immigration: Diseases

Leprosy, a scourge of Biblical days, is caused by a bacillus agent and is now know as Hansen's Disease. In the 40 years prior to 2002, there were only 900 total cases of leprosy in the US. In the following three years there have been 9,000 cases and most were illegal aliens.

GREED: Banks help illegal immigrants own their own home - Aug. 8, 2005

"There's complicity already within the government in which they're saying that they're kind of fine with these people here as long as they pay their taxes."

I'd think other minorities - especially blacks - would be madder'n hell about this.

IRS seminars, IDs help illegal immigrants pay US taxes | csmonitor.com

IRS seminars, IDs help illegal immigrants pay US taxes | csmonitor.com

Our taxes are paying for both sides of this.

Cities get at illegal immigrants through cars - USATODAY.com

"We have had a substantial decline in our quality of life, our neighborhoods. We believe there is a direct correlation with illegal immigration,' says Sam Abed, deputy mayor of Escondido, Calif"

U.S. Businesses Worry As Border Tightens, Crackdown On Illegal Immigrants Has Construction Firms And Farms Concerned For Future - CBS News

U.S. Businesses Worry As Border Tightens, Crackdown On Illegal Immigrants Has Construction Firms And Farms Concerned For Future - CBS News