April 29, 2006
Laura Wides-Munoz of the AP
offers "Raid Rumors Fuel Fear Among Immigrants". The article isn't just heavily slanted in favor of illegal immigration. It goes even further and has the subtext that enforcing our immigration laws is not just cruel, but even similar to Nazism.
Thousands of illegal immigrants stayed home this week amid rumors of immigration roundups that federal officials say were unfounded, leaving some industries scrambling for workers.
Len Mills, executive vice president of Associated General Contractors of South Florida, estimated at least 50 percent of workers on construction jobs in the region had not shown up for work.
"This is costing millions of dollars a day, and I don't know who is going to pay for it," he said.
If Mills' members hired only legal workers and/or paid all the costs associated with their workers, then that wouldn't be an issue. Of course, what's actually happening is that Mills' members who are employing illegal labor are getting cheap labor and sticking everyone else with the bill.
Then, Godwin's Law is invoked:
"Everybody's edgy," said Chris Ruske, owner of a southern New Jersey nursery. "There's an awful lot of rhetoric, and you wonder what's true. You wonder if the immigration Gestapo are coming to get you."
Isn't it extraordinarily inflammatory to compare the ICE to the Gestapo? Should the AP print such quotes without providing any sort of commentary or analysis? Should we assume that the AP is trying to poison the debate with comparisons between United States government agencies and the Nazis? (Ruske is also a
columnist for a small paper.)
The AP then provides the opinions of a serious of questionable groups and individuals, without providing and information on their backgrounds:
The National Immigration Law Center called on organizations nationwide to sign a petition urging ICE to assure the public it won't make any immigration arrests during the protests.
And:
"It is the ugliest of rumors because it has intimidated people who are already afraid. They are living in the shadows of society, wondering who is going to knock on the door," said the Rev. Allan Ramirez, pastor of the Brookville Dutch Reform Church in Long Island, N.Y.
When Suffolk County (NY) executive Steven Levy tried to close down houses with dozens of illegal aliens,
Ramirez refered to it as
"ethnic cleansing." And, as the link in the quote shows, Mexican consul Arturo Sarukhan refers to him as a "friend" and they appear to have at least met on that issue.
And:
Elias Bermudez, an activist and talk show host for a Spanish-language radio station in Phoenix, said many believe they are being punished for participating in recent protests in favor of legalizing the status of many illegal immigrants.
Bermudez tried to start a boycott by illegal aliens last year.
And, the article closes with the thoughts of the
American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Note also that according to
the Society of Professional Journalists,
"Make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent." The AP's headline writers have ignored that countless times, including the current case.
Posted to Immigration at April 29, 2006 03:22 PM
Comments
its really only about political propaganda for mexico city, and in the end not one of the little mexicans and others will get one thing out of this rallymarch, but the rich of the third world will make billions on the backs of the third world cheap labor guys, sad world, but what's the point?, in the end, say 20 years from now when this non government is being run by mexican rich pigs, we and the cheap labor guys will see a real gestapo run by the mexico city drug dealers, and lets face facts that is what its all really about, money\power of life and death over others and total control over the little people.
Posted by: Fred Dawes at April 29, 2006 06:19 PM
A bunch of us were sitting around the table eating lunch this afternoon when Miriam got a call from someone. They said that la pinche migra had raided a fish market downtown and was checking the documents of everyone (employees and customers). They also said that the radio was reporting other raids in other areas.
It most likely isn't true the way it was described, but it scared the heck out of some people.
Posted by: Dave at April 29, 2006 06:22 PM
If I was an illegal alien in the United States, or some type of anti-American traitor, all the rumors of an immigration crackdown would scare the shit out of me too. But since I am not a traitor or an illegal alien criminal, I don't have anything to worry about. The fact that some people are worried about illegal alien crackdowns is proof positive that they are knowingly engaged in criminal fucking activity. Wouldn't you think?
Posted by: boofugg at April 29, 2006 07:34 PM
Yeah, what a country! Walking down the street without the right papers in your pocket is "criminal activity".
Posted by: Dave at April 30, 2006 04:31 AM
boofugg ask where is bin laden? most in washington hate the ideals of duty and the ideals of freedom.
lets face facts most inside governemnt are in fact traitors who sold out years ago to mexico and the third world ideals of total enslavement for race reasons of total dismantling of what is "left of the USA". Ask who is Bin Laden really working for? ask why is bush helping mexico city to take us down as a nation, ask why is bush helping Red China? as why is the non government helping the terrorists win this war? see the real traitors all are in the state and federal governments.
Posted by: Fred Dawes at April 30, 2006 08:40 AM
"A bunch of us were sitting around the table eating lunch this afternoon when Miriam got a call from someone. They said that la pinche migra had raided a fish market downtown and was checking the documents of everyone (employees and customers). They also said that the radio was reporting other raids in other areas.
It most likely isn't true the way it was described, but it scared the heck out of some people."-DAVE
Low grade humor from a lying pieza de mierda.
Posted by: perroazul del norte at April 30, 2006 09:05 PM
I didn't lie, pendejito. I happened just as I described it. Even some news media reported concern among some in the immigrant population. I say that it probably isn't true the way it was described because the call came from the same person who a few years ago told us that the INS was stopping cars on the interstate and checking people for documents.
Posted by: Dave at May 1, 2006 04:16 PM
Dave says...."I didn't lie pendejito. It happened just as I described it. Even some news media reported concern among some in the immigrant population"...No, no, Dave. That ain't right. There was no concern in the immigrant population. But there was probably a shitload of concern in the ILLEGAL immigrant population. Ya see what I mean? Everybody keeps forgetting to say the word ILLEGAL. They forget to say it on purpose because they know that the minute they do say that ugly word, it will blow their argument out of the water.
Posted by: boofugg at May 2, 2006 09:31 AM
Many legal immigrants and citizens have friends and family members that are illegal aliens so many are concerned. Everyone at my table was either a citizen or legal immigrant, but every last one of us is concerned about the fate of people we know.
Posted by: Dave at May 2, 2006 03:59 PM
