Yesterday afternoon, I went over to Seattle to photograph what one might call the "take an illegal immigrant from work day", since the ostensible purpose of the demonstration was to show how important illegal immigrants are to the economy by having them go on strike for a day. I have many pictures, and some impressions, which I will be sharing with you over the next few weeks.
For today, I'll just give you some basic impressions and two atypical pictures.
Nearly all the demonstrators were Hispanic, though the Seattle march went through the International District, which is mostly Asian (Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese), and began near Seattle's Central area, which has many black residents. From what I could tell from their expressions, the Asian shopkeepers were not pleased by the march. Though few blacks joined the march, it was led by a black man, King County Executive Ron Sims.
Those familiar with Sims' record may be tempted to conclude that any cause he gets in front of is a dubious cause, but that would be unfair to the majority of the demonstrators. But his presence, and the presence of union contingents, and "official" members of the clergy, did show something else: The demonstration had the support of much of the Seattle political establishment. (And was heavily subsidized, in various ways, by Seattle taxpayers. The costs for the additional police alone must have been in the tens of thousands of dollars.) Whether any of these leaders of the Seattle political establishment have actually thought seriously about immigration issues is not apparent, at least to me.
I saw hundreds of American flags, sometimes combined with other country's flags. Of the American flags I saw, only one did not appear to be brand new. If the demonstrators are American patriots, they have come to their patriotism quite recently.
Though American flags predominated, there were other flags, including this one from the Revolutionary Communist Party
The young man waving it did not appear to be Hispanic and was ignored, except by this little Hispanic boy, who ran toward him to join in the fun of flag waving. That incident struck me as more than a little symbolic; those on the far left were trying to seduce Hispanics into joining their anti-American causes — but were not having much success.
Cross posted at Jim Miller on Politics.
(I plan to have more posts on immigration issues, at both Sound Politics and my own site, in the next few weeks. Some will use the pictures of the earlier demonstration that readers were kind enough to send me. I'm not sure just when the posts will be up. I want to put the pictures on a new web host, and have yet to set that up.)
Posted by Jim Miller at May 02, 2006 09:08 AM | Email ThisTo them, it means state's rights and the protest against federal government.
Posted by: swatter on May 2, 2006 11:07 AMIvan
Please review the archives and look for the post Ignoratio Elenchi.
I don't recall Southerners murdering tens of millions of innocents to further a political agenda. By the way, Lincoln was a Republican.
For video of the bezerk driver who tried to plow through marchers, go here.
Posted by: Patrick on May 2, 2006 12:01 PMThanks to swassociates for the Ignoratio Elenchi reminded and to Patrick for the additional pictures.
Posted by: Jim Miller on May 2, 2006 12:25 PMOnce again Ivan, review the post Ignoratio Elenchi.
Your civil war assertion that the South "murdered" people to further a political agenda is nothing more then a canard. They believed, wrongly I might add, that slavery was proper and were willing to do battle to support state rights. Now if you think slavery was unique to Southerners, or white people for that matter, you're dumber then I think. Try again.
Posted by: swassociates on May 2, 2006 01:39 PMWhat is a "canard" about civilians being killed by Confederate soldiers, or by pro-slavery vigilante death squads such as Quantrill's Raiders? Where is the canard? Did it happen or didn't it?
Do you object to the flag of slavers and murderers? Do you? Or do you believe in what it stands for?
Posted by: ivan on May 2, 2006 02:25 PMWhy are liberals so incredibly sympathetic to the most murderous regime (communism) of the last century? Why is there a statue in Fremont paying homage to a key figure of deadly communism? Shouldn't they then feature one of Hitler and the Ku Klux Klan, too? (although let's face it--as evil as those institutions were, they thankfully did not succeed in killing nearly as many people as communism has)
I mean, those rotten slavers actually *did* attack and invade the United states.
Posted by: ivan on May 2, 2006 03:10 PMI won't waste my time any longer attempting to get you to answer the core question relating to the title of this post. I guess avoidance is a Liberal trait embedded in your DNA. I will answer your question you seem to keep pushing even though it has nothing to do with this subject.
The Confederate flag represents the Southern Confederacy and not Slavers and Murders as you say. To take your assertion to the next level I guess you would say that any and all white people living in the South, and related to someone living during the civil war are descendent's of Slavers and Murders. Quite a broad sweeping stereotype, even for a Liberal.
Not everyone living under the Confederate flag had slaves, or believed it was proper, or were they murderers.
So the long answer to your unrelated question is no, I wouldn't be offended.
BTW - Your friend John F Kerry was quoting Thomas Jefferson a few days ago. A quote that Thomas Jefferson never said by the way but that's a whole other story. My point is that Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner. Using your logic I guess that means John F. Kerry supports slavery.
Posted by: swassociates on May 2, 2006 03:26 PMI never said *all* southerners, or *all* white people were slavers. In fact, it's clear that many were not. So you can "guess I would say," or you can make some lame attempt to "take my assertion to the next level," but you would be wrong as usual.
My point has everything to do with this thread. It's very convenient for you lot to criticize the Mexican flags, or some twerpo little radical group's flag.
You p--s and moan about the "Reconquista," but that's all BS and you know it. Latino immigrants are helping *build* this country! But the Confederates, who tried to destroy it, get a free pass, and we hear this crap about "state's rights." Yeah, states rights to enslave other human beings.
But slavery was legal, right, and crossing the border without papers to work and feed your family isn't legal, right? Good luck getting votes with that. Morons. Hopeless loser right-wing morons.
Posted by: ivan on May 2, 2006 03:50 PMLet's consider that those illegal invaders flying Mexican flags are the Confederates trying to change US law and government. It is our duty as a nation, to bring arms and fight to this insurgent force that would dare to raise their countries flag and demand we change our ways. To put it in context, my Yankee ancestry would be damn offended by the Confederate flag, as today, I am damn offended by the Mexican flag being raised in protest on US soil.
Posted by: Jeffro on May 2, 2006 04:03 PMSo they're not demanding that "we" change our ways. These marches are to maintain the status quo legally. Maybe you lot favor HB 4437. Even Bush doesn't.
Posted by: ivan on May 2, 2006 04:39 PMOf course their flag doesn't disturb you. It represents your heroes and their ideals. Such luminaries as Big Bill Haywood, May Arkwright Hutton and other socialists, bombers and murderers in the early western labor movement. These are people who chose to be buried in the Soviet Union (psst. responsible for more than 20 million deaths as near as I can find) and their legacy lives on through the little Marxist "twerps" and today's union leadership.
There's no reason for their flag to bother you. It represents your philosphy.
Posted by: jimg on May 2, 2006 04:44 PMIt's what the people stand for who wave those flags that disturbs me.
And get off that nonsense about "today's union leadership" standing for bombing and murdering. What kind of idiot do you think believes that?
Posted by: ivan on May 2, 2006 05:42 PM(We wouldn't want iban to get in a snit, now would we?)
Posted by: alphabet soup on May 2, 2006 07:56 PMYou are a coward sycophant to liberals.
Kiss my conservative a$$ plick.
Take my comment off so everyone can see it.
Posted by: Amused by liberals on May 2, 2006 08:21 PMIllegal aliens should not be regarded as felons - that would be ridiculous - it would clog up the court system forever and a day. Mind you, the Republicans realized this and wanted to remove that provision from the bill, but the Democraps refused, because they thought they would be able to pin it on the Republicans in the November elections, in another one of their patented lies.
Posted by: KS on May 2, 2006 09:21 PMI’ am sorry to say that you either have been mis-informed or have not received the education needed to understand this topic. I recommend that you read The Genesis of the “Stars and Bars” by Devereaux D. Cannon Jr. Then when you have finished that let me know and I will send you a copy of my Masters Thesis, “Sacred Emblems of Attachment”: American Nationalism, and the Colonization of the West.
Then we can talk!!!
Posted by: Pacific Grove Phlash on May 2, 2006 11:14 PMGreat book and the recommendation is directly on point.
The problem . . . Ivan couldn't possibly care less about the facts.
You will never catch him sitting down to read comprehensive materials of a factual nature about anything.
More importantly and to the point, you will never find in ivan's comments any evidence that he has read anything
of substance on any subject. He's a willing puppet, channeling the least coherent of the party line.
He has absolutely no idea what he is talking about and he honestly prefers it that way.
He constantly talks about sticking it to people and bashing people because he is a frustrated fascist! His degenerate way or the highway.
No, people like ivan don't appreciate your scholarship . . . they just want power.
Thanks
A retired border patrol agent shows some common sense. This letter sent to Tennessee Senator Bill Frist from a retired border patrol agent, and it has more common sense than all the bull being spewed from the Senate, with the exception of a few sensible representatives.
Dear Senator Frist:
There is a huge amount of propaganda and myths circulating about illegal aliens, particularly illegal Mexican, Salvadorian, Guatemalan and Honduran aliens.
#1.
Illegal aliens generally do NOT want U.S. citizenship. Americans are very vain thinking that everybody in the world wants to be a U.S. citizen.
Mexicans, and other nationalities want to remain citizens of their home countries while obtaining the benefits offered by the United States such as employment, medical care, in-state tuition, government subsidized housing, and free education for their offspring. Their main attraction is employment and their loyalty usually remains at home. They want benefits earned and subsidized by middle class Americans. What illegal aliens want are benefits of American residence without paying the price.
#2.
There are no jobs that Americans won't do. Illegal aliens are doing jobs that Americans can't take and still support their families. Illegal aliens take low wage jobs, live dozens in a single residence home, share expenses and send money to their home country. There are no jobs that Americans won't do for a decent wage.
#3.
Every person who illegally entered this nation left a home. They are NOT homeless and they are NOT Americans. Some left jobs in their home countries. They come to send money to their real home as evidenced by the more than $20 billion sent out of the country each year by illegal aliens. These illegal aliens knowingly and willfully entered this nation in violation of the law and, therefore, assumed the risk of detection and deportation. Those who brought their alien children assumed the responsibility and risk on behalf of their children.
#4.
Illegal aliens are NOT critical to the economy. Illegal aliens constitute less than 5% of the workforce. However, they reduce wages and benefits for lawful U.S. residents.
#5.
This is NOT an immigrant nation. There are 280 million native born Americans. While it is true that this nation was settled and founded by immigrants (legal immigrants), it is also true that there is not a nation on this planet that was not settled by immigrants at one time or another.
#6.
The United States is welcoming to legal immigrants. Illegal aliens are not immigrants by definition. The U.S. accepts more lawful immigrants every year than the rest of the world combined.
#7
There is no such thing as the "Hispanic vote". Hispanics are white, brown, black and every shade in between. Hispanics are Republicans, Democrats, Anarchists, Communists, Marxists and Independents. The so-called "Hispanic vote" is a myth. Pandering to illegal aliens to get the Hispanic vote is a dead end.
#8.
Mexico is NOT a friend of the United States. Since 1848 Mexicans have resented the United States. During World War I, Mexico allowed German Spies to operate freely in Mexico to spy on the U.S. During World War II, Mexico allowed the Axis powers to spy on the U.S. from Mexico. During the Cold War, Mexico allowed spies hostile to the U.S. to operate freely. The attack on the Twin Towers in 2001 was cheered and applauded all across Mexico. Today, Mexican school children are taught that the U.S. stole California, Arizona, new Mexico and Texas. If you don't believe it, checkout some Mexican textbooks written for their schoolchildren.
#9.
Although some illegal aliens enter this country for a better life, there are 6 billion people on this planet. At least 1 billion of those live on less than one dollar a day. If wanting a better life is a valid excuse to break the law and sneak into America, then let's allow those one billion to come to America and we'll turn the USA into a Third World nation overnight. Besides, there are 280 million native born Americans who want a better life. I'll bet Bill Gates and Donald Trump want a better life. When will the USA lifeboat be full? Since when is wanting a better life a good reason to break the law and trash another nation?
#10.
There is a labor shortage in this country? This is a lie. There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of American housewives, senior citizens, students, unemployed and underemployed who would gladly take jobs at a decent wage.
#11.
It is racist to want secure borders? What is racist about wanting secure borders and a secure America? What is racist about not wanting people to sneak into America and steal benefits we have set aside for legal aliens, senior citizens, children and other legal residents? What is it about race that entitles people to violate our laws, steal identities, and take the American Dream without paying the price?
For about four decades American politicians have refused to secure our borders and look after the welfare of middle class Americans. These politicians have been of both parties. A huge debt to American society has resulted. This debt will be satisfied and the interest will be high. There has already been riots in the streets by illegal aliens and their supporters. There will be more. You, as a politician, have a choice to offend the illegal aliens who have stolen into this country and demanded the rights afforded to U.S. citizens or to offend those of us who are stakeholders in this country. The interest will be steep either way.
There will be civil unrest. There will be a reckoning. Do you have the courage to do what is right for America? Or, will you bow to the wants and needs of those who don't even have the right to remain here? There will be a reckoning. It will come in November of this year, again in 2008 and yet again in 2010. We will not allow America to be stolen by third world agitators and thieves.
David J. Stoddard
U.S. Border Patrol (RET)
Hereford, Arizona.
WAKE UP AMERICA ,THIS ALREADY LATE...
Posted by: tin on May 5, 2006 12:29 PMI know that there are huge numbers of Americans who would like to do the right thing, but feel stifled by incompetent representation. We are depending on them to be our voices, and they are letting us down.
And then there are the thuggish boobs like iban, who would willing climb into bed with Satan if it furthered the ambitions of his party. Stooges like him are playing with dynamite and don't care that they're damaging their America as well as mine.
Posted by: alphabet soup on May 5, 2006 03:42 PMU know if WA state help Illegals with all benefits, we must be STOP this send ur letter email to patty murray and maria , and governor also they be ARISTOCRACY JUST follow kennedy law.
In LA spend $750 millions dollar a year and in CA $ 10 billions dollar and US spend $70 BILLIONS for illegals.
we must be flood all senator with our voice. we dont want WA just like in CA and after that most latino ruin this country, they dont respect our law, they just want steal money from US taxpayer and send to mexico $ 20 billions a year.
we dont need more mexican living here because most living by walfare, better we support middles class who citizen.
Mexico is US enemy , their goverment just export their scum peoples to this country and export Drug ,Gank ,Guns ,smuggler peoples.
Illegal demanding to US govt and should be they protest to their country , they greedy stupid and arogant !!
Most latino send their kids to public school just for free lunch (day care).
and mexico help terorist also to sneak this country and their peoples already ruin this country also, change our culture, langguage and steal our tax money...we must be stop and support MINUTEMEN.
STOP BENEFITS for illegals , ANCHOR BABIES FROM ILLEGALS PARENT AND SUPPORT 4437.
Posted by: Patty on May 5, 2006 06:48 PMU know if WA state help Illegals with all benefits, we must be STOP this send ur letter email to patty murray and maria , and governor also they be ARISTOCRACY JUST follow kennedy law.
In LA spend $750 millions dollar a year and in CA $ 10 billions dollar and US spend $70 BILLIONS for illegals.
we must be flood all senator with our voice. we dont want WA just like in CA and after that most latino ruin this country, they dont respect our law, they just want steal money from US taxpayer and send to mexico $ 20 billions a year.
we dont need more mexican living here because most living by walfare, better we support middles class who citizen.
Mexico is US enemy , their goverment just export their scum peoples to this country and export Drug ,Gank ,Guns ,smuggler peoples.
Illegal demanding to US govt and should be they protest to their country , they greedy stupid and arogant !!
Most latino send their kids to public school just for free lunch (day care).
and mexico help terorist also to sneak this country and their peoples already ruin this country also, change our culture, langguage and steal our tax money...we must be stop and support MINUTEMEN.
STOP BENEFITS for illegals , ANCHOR BABIES FROM ILLEGALS PARENT AND SUPPORT 4437.
Posted by: Patty on May 5, 2006 06:49 PMBy D.A. King, Marietta Daily Journal, May 3, 2006
http://www.mdjonline.com/articles/2006/05/03/270/10217242.prt
When asked about what have become ominously known as “get tough” solutions to the illegal immigration disaster created by his refusal to secure American borders in the war on terror - the President of the United States is pretending that a border fence is not a solution and recently announced “mass deportations will not work.”
Let’s stop pretending.
Having been to Washington D.C. many times, I make the observation that the fence around the White House seems to be working very well. Anyone, and everyone, who illegally makes it over - or under - that barrier is quickly and correctly removed.
A problem I doubt the President has ever dealt with: Several years ago, I walked into the laundry room of the only home we have ever owned - built in 1984 by Americans who were paid a living American wage - to find that a water hose on the old Maytag had burst. The inch deep level of unwanted water was rising fast. Without hesitation, I turned off the water supply and then began to remove the water a little at a time.
It worked.
By stopping the flow of water, we were then able to clean up the mess.
I would never have pretended that I could have repaired the water hose or returned our humble residence to normal without first stopping the deluge that would have eventually swamped our entire home. I never pretended I could convince my wife that we must learn to live with the obvious problem.
Like turning off the water, the first step in saving our nation must be to stop the flood of illegal aliens.
I mention this because many who profit from the fact that nearly 10 percent of Mexico now lives in the United States pretend that there are only two choices in dealing with the millions of illegal aliens who have been allowed to live, steal wages and choose which of our laws they will obey here.
We are asked to believe that either we round up all of the illegals and get them out of the country by sundown tomorrow, or, that we wave the white flag of surrender, meet their demands and make them American citizens. Having falsely established those two limited choices, the illegal alien lobby then tells us that it is impossible to accomplish the former because it would be too expensive and we don’t possess the means to move millions of people.
The amnesty lobby also hopes that we are not aware that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has produced a study that reports that it will be five years before we will have the technical ability to do a background check and process even 11 million illegal aliens for another amnesty like the one we tried in 1986.
If you believe there are only 11 million illegals here, you may also believe that our old Maytag only leaked one gallon of water when the hose failed.
The current anarchy in our republic did not develop overnight. The threat to our national sovereignty and the fearless demands of “civil rights” from the mob who should be marching in their own nation’s streets has taken more than 30 years to build. Let’s stop pretending that it will be instantly eliminated.
Only when we elect leadership that will first secure our borders, then begin to punish the criminal employers and bankers who, along with the government of Mexico, have been allowed to dictate our national immigration and security policy will we be able to clean up the national mess they have created.
Steady attrition of the illegal alien population by enforcement of existing laws is the solution.
Let’s stop pretending that the president is doing much of anything to stop illegal immigration. Let’s stop pretending that he ever will. Let’s not pretend that another amnesty will work.
Let’s stop pretending that the survival of any political party is more important than that of our children’s republic.
Let’s stop pretending that enforcing American laws and securing American borders is impossible - or somehow un-American.
Posted by: sopu on May 7, 2006 01:14 PMLast week I attended an immigration-overpopulation conference in Washington DC, filled to capacity by many of American's finest minds and leaders.
A brilliant college professor named Victor Hansen Davis talked about his latest book, "Mexifornia," explaining how immigration - both legal and illegal - was destroying the entire state of California. He said it would march across the country until it destroyed all vestiges of The American Dream.
Moments later, former Colorado Governor Richard D Lamm stood up and gave a stunning speech on how to destroy America. This writer sat in the audience spellbound by the eight methods of destruction of the United States.
He said, "If you believe that America is too smug, too self-satisfied, too rich, then let's destroy America. It is not that hard to do. No nation in history has survived the ravages of time. Arnold Toynbee observed that all great civilizations rise and fall and that 'An autopsy of history would show that all great nations commit suicide.'"
"Here is how they do it," Lamm said:
"Turn America into a bilingual or multi-lingual and bicultural country. History shows that no nation can survive the tension, conflict, and antagonism of two or more competing languages and cultures. It is a blessing for an individual to be bilingual; however, it is a curse for a society to be bilingual.
"The historical scholar Seymour Lipset put it this way: 'The histories of bilingual and bicultural societies that do not assimilate are histories of turmoil, tension, and tragedy.' Canada, Belgium, Malyasia, Lebanon [Israel] all face crises of national existence in which minorities press for autonomy, if not independence. Pakistan and Cyprus have divided. Nigeria suppressed an ethnic rebellion. France faces difficulties with Basques, Bretons, and Corsicans [and Muslims]."
Lamm went on: "Invent 'multiculturalism' and encourage immigrants to maintain their culture. I would make it an article of belief that all cultures are equal. That there are no cultural differences. I would make it an article of faith that the Black and Hispanic dropout rates are due to prejudice and discrimination by the majority. Every other explanation is out of bounds.
"We could make the United States an 'Hispanic Quebec' without much effort. The key is to celebrate diversity rather than unity. As Benjamin Schwarz said in the Atlantic Monthly recently: 'The apparent success of our own multiethnic and multicultural experiment might have been achieved not by tolerance but by hegemony. Without the dominance that once dictated ethnocentrically and what it meant to be an American, we are left with only tolerance and pluralism to hold us together.'"
Lamm said, "I would encourage all immigrants to keep their own language and culture. I would replace the melting pot metaphor with the salad bowl metaphor. It is important to ensure that we have various cultural subgroups living in America reinforcing their differences rather than as Americans, emphasizing their similarities."
"Fourth, I would make our fastest growing demographic group the least educated. I would add a second underclass, unassimilated, undereducated, and antagonistic to our population. I would have this second underclass have a 50% dropout rate from high school."
"My fifth point for destroying America would be to get big foundations and business to give these efforts lots of money. I would invest in ethnic identity, and I would establish the cult of 'Victimology.' I would get all minorities to think their lack of success was the fault! of the majority. I would start a grievance industry blaming all minority failure on the majority population."
"My sixth plan for America's downfall would include dual citizenship and promote divided loyalties. I would celebrate diversity over unity. I would stress differences rather than similarities. Diverse people worldwide are mostly engaged in hating each other -- that is, when they are not killing each other."
"A diverse, peaceful, or stable society is against most historical precedent. People undervalue the unity it takes to keep a nation together. Look at the ancient Greeks. The Greeks believed that they belonged to the same race; they possessed a common language and literature; and they worshipped the same gods. All Greece took part in the Olympic games. A common enemy Persia threatened their liberty. Yet all these bonds were not strong enough to over come two factors: local patriotism and geographical conditions that nurtured political divisions. Greece fell. In that historical reality, if we put the emphasis on the 'pluribus' instead of the 'unum,' we can balkanize America as surely as Kosovo."
"Next to last, I would place all subjects off limits ~ make it taboo to talk about anything against the cult of 'diversity.' I would find a word similar to 'heretic' in the 16th century -- that stopped discussion and paralyzed thinking. Words like 'racist' or 'xenophobe' halt discussion and debate."
"Having made America a bilingual/bicultural country, having established multi-culturism, having the large foundations fund the doctrine of 'Victimology,' I would next make it impossible to enforce our immigration laws. I would develop a mantra: That because immigration has been good for America, it must always be good. I would make every individual immigrant sympatric and ignore the cumulative impact of millions of them."
In the last minute of his speech, Governor Lamm wiped his brow. The profound silence allowed me to hear my heart beating. Finally he said, "Lastly, I would censor Victor Hanson Davis's book Mexifornia. His book is dangerous. It exposes the plan to destroy America. If you feel America deserved to be destroyed, don't read that book."
There was no applause. A chilling fear quietly rose like an ominous cloud above every attendee at the conference. Every American in that room knew that everything Lamm enumerated was proceeding methodically, quietly, darkly, yet pervasively across the United States today. Every discussion is being suppressed. Over 100 languages are ripping the foundation of our educational system and national cohesiveness. Barbaric cultures that practice female genital mutilation are growing as we celebrate 'diversity.'
American jobs are vanishing into the Third World as greedy corporations create a Third World in America - take note of California and other states - to date, ten million illegal aliens and growing fast. It reminded me of George Orwell's book "1984." In that story, three slogans are engraved in the Ministry of Truth building: "War is peace," "Freedom is slavery," and "Ignorance is strength."
I sat there as one of the most patriotic Americans I know, Governor Lamm, walked back to his seat. It dawned on everyone at the conference that our nation and the future of this great democracy is deeply in trouble and worsening fast. If we don't get this immigration monster stopped within three years, it will rage like a California wildfire and destroy everything in its path, especially The American Dream.
From mexifornia book
Posted by: EIGHT WAYS TO DESTROY AMERICA on May 7, 2006 01:21 PMYou're right Eight Ways. Reads just like the commie manifesto...(look how well that's turning out)
Posted by: alphabet soup on May 7, 2006 03:13 PM