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May 05, 2006
 How
VDARE.COM Helped Convert An Oklahoma State
Representative To The Right Side Of Immigration
Reform
By
Joe Guzzardi
I can say without fear of
contradiction that I have now seen everything in the
immigration reform movement.
And this time, at last, I mean for
the good.
In an extraordinary event, a
Republican Oklahoma State Representative Kevin Calvey
has formally and publicly apologized for being wrong
about introducing a state bill—which became law—to
provide
university tuition to illegal aliens at the same fee
structure as legal residents.
Such an admission is, in my twenty
years of immigration reform coverage, without precedent.
I am happy to say that Calvey’s
conversion began with my March 18, 2003 VDARE.COM column
"Tuition
Breaks For Illegals—Insults For 9/11 Families."
I wrote that one of the state
representatives opposed to the tuition bill, Lance
Cargill, asked
Peter Gadiel, President of
9/11 Families for a Secure America to write a letter
urging its defeat.
In his letter, Gadiel noted that
state and federal inducements for illegal aliens are "An
ocean in which terrorists hide."
But during a floor debate about the
bill, Calvey mocked Gadiel by waving the letter to the
audience (which included
high school students who would
benefit from the tuition breaks) and demanded to
know who in the gallery appeared
likely terrorists.
Gadiel, who lost his
son James in the World Trade Center, wrote an angry
letter to Calvey. Its conclusion: "the
9/11 attacks and the loss of our loved ones do not
matter to you. They mean everything to us."
Now, more than three years later,
Calvey is a Republican candidate for Oklahoma’s Fifth
Congressional District. And in April, Oklahoma resident
and VDARE.COM contributor
Izzy Lyman and her husband
Wid heard Calvey speak out vigorously against
illegal immigration.
According to Lyman, Calvey was
repeatedly grilled after his speech about his tuition
bill for illegals. Calvey replied to the audience that
he "regretted it."
Privately, Wid Lyman suggested to
Calvey that he write an apology to the 9/11 Families.
And he did. Here is it is:
"I
am an Oklahoma state legislator who 3 years ago
introduced a bill to
allow in-state college
tuition for children in the process of
becoming legal residents and citizens. Or so I thought,
from information given to me by
Catholic Charities.
“I have found out since then
that these children are only required to sign an
affidavit saying they WILL seek legal residency at the
earliest possibility (which is misleading, since they
could go back to their home countries TODAY and apply
for legal residency). In addition, upon further
reflection, I think any policy that affects children of
illegal aliens, even one that affects only 200 people
like this tuition bill, should be repealed.
“I have been informed by Izzy
and Wid Lyman that at the time the bill was under
consideration, I made some comments that were offensive
to some members of your group. Joe Guzzardi wrote about
it on VDARE.COM. In particular, I apparently downplayed
the concerns that members of your group have about
national security and
illegal aliens.
“Please accept my apology
that my comments gave anyone the impression that your
concerns are not valid. On the contrary, it is becoming
increasingly clear that the
criminal climate of illegal aliens, even
though most may not be violent, gives cover to very
dangerous terrorists and other violent criminals. Your
concerns are very valid.
“I share those concerns. This
year, I introduced legislation in Oklahoma, House Bill
2613, that would require everyone applying for
public benefits to be ID'ed, and those that
turned out to be illegal aliens to be reported to
federal immigration authorities. In addition, I have
supported legislation to repeal the in-state tuition
provision in Oklahoma.
“I am a patriotic American,
who joined the
Army National Guard
after the start of the
Iraq War, in
order to do my small part to help our nation win this
War on Terror. I would like to commend your group for
standing up for national security. I look forward to
working with you in the future. I hope you will accept
my apology.
Thank you!"
Gadiel,
expressing
"deep, deep
appreciation",
wrote this reply to Calvey:
"To
receive your email gives me a real sense of hope that we
are getting our message across. It tells me a good deal
about your own sense of obligation to the welfare of
your constituents and your country.
There are
many politicians who are on one side or the other
for purely political purposes. I'd be the last one to
say that every person who votes the way we'd like them
to is doing so for the purest of motives.
However, it seems clear that
when you offered your bill three years ago you did so
from sincere conviction rather than for reasons of
political expediency, and that your change of heart
today is likewise because of a sincere belief. That
makes your email even more meaningful to me and sets you
above many other elected officials."
In an interview, I asked Calvey
what factors contributed to his more vigorous stance
against illegal immigration.
Calvey pointed to three things:
-
His discovery that, last
fall,
200 students who took advantage of the in-state
tuition program have not yet applied for legal
residency, as they promised, but instead have merely
signed an affidavit saying they will apply as soon
as they can. Of course, Calvey (a lawyer) knows that
the affidavit is perjury since any of them right now
can go back to their home country and submit
applications from there.
-
His
knowledge that the Oklahoma
Department of Human Services
instructed its employees not to report illegal
aliens when they discovered them while processing
applications for
social services. Calvey introduced H.B. 2613
requiring identification of all applicants and
turning over any illegal aliens to federal
immigration
- News reports that
Al-Queda members routinely cross the Mexican border
and rogue Mexican Army units fire on our Border
Patrol agents. Calvey had looked at immigration as
an economic issue but now sees the aggressiveness of
the Mexican government in its reconquista
efforts.
Calvey’s other immigration
opinions, he told me, include:
- No
amnesty of any type. Aliens must go home and
apply from there but not before paying all back
taxes and a fine for violating immigration law.
- Digital photo identification
for everyone entering America
Speaking from the campaign trail,
Calvey is sure that his immigration views reflect those
of
most Oklahomans.
Calvey’s stance is working its way
into more and more Congressional candidates, incumbents
and challengers, platforms.
This is how it happens…our movement
picks up a head of steam and our momentum keeps
building.
There’s no question about which
side has the upper hand right now…we do…and it feels
awfully good.
Send Calvey an
e-mail to thank him for, as he puts it, "being
man enough to admit when he is wrong."
Joe Guzzardi [email
him], an instructor in English at the Lodi
Adult School, has been writing a weekly newspaper column
since 1988. This column is exclusive to VDARE.COM. |
