Quotes from a White Supremacist

The Arizona Daily Star has an article published today outlining the latest efforts by Russell “National Alliance” Pearce to force local law enforcement and officials to enact Operation Wetback throughout the state in the form of SB1070.

In the article, a white supremacist posing as a credible source is given the opportunity to spread his bigotry:

Glenn Spencer, president and founder of American Border Patrol, a nonprofit group that aerially monitors the border, favors stricter illegal-immigration policies.

He said he generally was in favor of Pearce’s bill, provided it includes sufficient limits on interagency information-sharing.

“It’s time we have to stretch the envelope” (on immigration enforcement), he said. “It’s time we have to take some firm action.” Loose immigration policies, he said, would be tantamount to “importing poverty” and would “destroy Arizona.”

Here’s a refresher, courtesy of the Southern Poverty Law Center on some of Mr. Spencer’s previous rants:

“Americans, especially white Americans, should get out of California — now, before it is too late to salvage the equity they have in their homes and the value of their businesses.”
— Glenn Spencer, “White Fight or Flight,” American Patrol website, 2003

And the Anti-Defamation League has this to say about him:

Spencer’s rhetoric departed sharply from that of legitimate immigration reform groups; Spencer did not target immigration so much as he targeted Hispanics, particularly those of Mexican origin, regardless of whether they were immigrants or not. Many of his writings and comments were simply thinly veiled diatribes against “Mexicans” (like many anti-Hispanic activists, Spencer rarely differentiated between Mexicans and Americans of Mexican descent). In a 1996 letter to the Los Angles Times, for example, Spencer said that “the Mexican culture is based on deceit.” Spencer denied the letter was racist. “It has nothing to do with race,” he said. “It has to do with culture…there’s no way to pass enough laws to protect yourself from a deceitful culture.”

linkage – .pdf warning

The Star should teach its apprentices the importance of researching who they’re using as quotable sources before allowing them free reign on its pages to escalate the already dangerous situation for Latinos in Arizona.

 

CNN President Stands With Lou Dobbs

It’s not Headline News that Lou Dobbs has a credibility problem as a journalist. He’s long used his show on CNN as a platform to advance conspiracy theories. This particular gem is just one example:

“The invasion of illegal aliens is threatening the health of many Americans,” Mr. Dobbs said on his April 14, 2005, program. From there, he introduced his original report that mentioned leprosy, the flesh-destroying disease — technically known as Hansen’s disease — that has inspired fear for centuries.

According to a woman CNN identified as a medical lawyer named Dr. Madeleine Cosman, leprosy was on the march. As Ms. Romans, the CNN correspondent, relayed: “There were about 900 cases of leprosy for 40 years. There have been 7,000 in the past three years.”

“Incredible,” Mr. Dobbs replied.

Even more incredible is CNN’s President, Jonathan Klein, endorsing Lou Dobbs this week after he jumped head first into the Birther Movement swamp, going so far as to label Rachel Maddow a “tea-bagging queen” today after she called out his insanity:

In response to CNN’s continued support of conspiracy theorists like Dobbs, Media Matters released the following statement:

“It appears that Jon Klein stands alone as Lou Dobbs’ sole defender in the birther battle. Even Bill O’Reilly and Ann Coulter have jumped ship,” said Eric Burns, president of Media Matters. “How long will CNN allow Dobbs to devote airtime to a laughable conspiracy theory that even the most right-wing of media figures think is irresponsible?”

There’s a petition that has gathered over 15,000 signatures calling for CNN to restore some form of credibility over their programs (I know, I know…). It can be found at DobbsConspiracy.com and offers this video roundup of Birthers being given traditional media attention:

As I tweeted yesterday, it’ll be highly ironic if Lou Dobbs’ career gets a signed death certificate as a result of questioning President Obama’s birth certificate. Stay tuned.

Crossposted from Booman Tribune

 

Seattle Times Gives Hate Group A Megaphone

The state legislature in Washington has a proposal before it to expand the opportunity for higher education to undocumented students. Ahead of the national curve, a form of the D.R.E.A.M. Act was advanced in the state a few years ago, qualifying some for in-state tuition. The new plan would extend eligibility to financial aid programs. All good things – we should want to educate as many people in our midst regardless of which piece of earth they happened to be born upon.

In its coverage today of the new proposal, however, The Seattle Times allowed the spokesperson for the hate group FAIR to give a rebuttal.

But those concerned about the impact of illegal immigration in this country say it’s also not fair to ask families struggling to educate their own children to subsidize the education of those whose parents broke the law in bringing them here.

Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, asked: “What about that kid you’ll never hear about, who also worked hard, who has dreams and aspirations … a kid who may not be able to go to college because the money is going to someone here illegally?

“I guess the Legislature and governor can’t find enough ways to spend all the surplus money they have.”

The Seattle Times

The staff writers at The Seattle Times are just one of the many hydra heads that give these extremist groups a megaphone to share their rancid form of nativism. Those of us who follow media coverage of the immigration debate know the names Ira Mehlman and FAIR well, but it should be repeated each and every time their viewpoints are masqueraded as credible that the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated their operations as proponets of hate:

The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is almost certainly the most-quoted immigration restriction organization in America. In just the last few weeks, its leaders have enlightened cable viewers with their views on such topics as “American ‘Intifada’ in Our Future?” “Driving While Illegal,” “Should ALL Illegal Aliens Be Deported?” and “Economic Impact of Migration.” In the past six years, FAIR officials have testified at least 30 times to Congress. Day in and day out, FAIR is taken seriously as a mainstream commentator on the immigration debate.

The founder, chief ideologue and long-time funder of FAIR is a racist. Key staff members have ties to white supremacist groups, some are members, and some have spoken at hate group functions. FAIR has accepted more than $1 million from a racist foundation devoted to studies of race and IQ, and to eugenics – the pseudo-science of breeding a better human race that was utterly discredited by the Nazi euthanasia program. It spreads racist conspiracy theories. Its political ads have caused numerous politicians, Democratic and Republican, to denounce it.

Southern Poverty Law Center

The topic of immigration reform is highly complicated because the status of undocumented workers differs from person-to-person. We, the People, deserve an assessment and plan to move forward that involves grown-ups who are capable of understanding nuance. It would also help that they have a functioning human heart that recognizes the importance of family unity and basic human rights.

Ira Mehlman and FAIR do not meet this criteria. They do not behave as adults in the conversation; rather, they are tantrum throwers that deserve to be sent to their room to think over their unacceptable behavior.

Are you listening, Seattle Times? Stop allowing hate to be broadcast through your pages.

Crossposted from The Sanctuary

 

U.S. Citizens Mischaracterized by AP

Headline: Hospital group troubled by plan to deny birth certificates to illegal immigrants

Reality: The Associated Press is too lazy to make sure their headlines are accurate. There is no plan to deny birth certificates to “illegal immigrants”, there is a plan to deny birth certificates to United States citizens.

And who is the legislative mastermind behind such an effort here in Arizona? No other than the white supremacist group National Alliance-supporter Russell “Operation Wetback” Pearce.

We have reached the point of absurdity.

[UPDATE] The staff at the Tucson Citizen has reworked the headline they wrote to accompany their AP Wire Service article: Hospital group troubled by plan to deny birth certificates to children of illegal immigrants

Better.

[UPDATE the 2nd] Yet another revision, this time giving the word “illegal” a makeover as a noun. This is getting ridiculous! Plan to deny certificates for illegals’ newborns rattles health group

 

Associated Press Does It Again

Apparently the Associated Press delivered their staff new dictionaries recently, updating the entry for the word “illegal” to reclassify it as a noun. Either that, or institutional idiocy continues to rule the day.

[UPDATE] Yahoo News, not the AP, appears to be the culprit. More later on that.

 

The Word "Illegal" is NOT a Noun

The Associated Press needs to work on their headlines.

Clinton says no to licenses for illegals

That word – illegal – is not a noun, it is an adjective. An adjective that should never be used for human beings. And, ironically, the people that use it frequently as a noun agree with that – only they have no desire to remind the general public that there are, in fact, human beings involved when it comes to an issue concerning the illegals.

Hillary. Well, she needs to work on her…..everything. I’m tired of the triangulation, the cowardice in the face of opposition and penchant for warmongering. As a blog friend of mine’s sig line reads:

Clinton ’08: Because Bush really needs a third term.