Saturday Forum

05/08/09 - A California Educator Says She Earns Her Money Catering To Immigrant Students and Parents

A Reader Says On Racial Quotas, Jack Kemp Was A Liberal; etc.

From: David B. (e-mail him)

Re: Peter Brimelow's Column: In Memoriam---Jack Kemp. His Moment Came And Went. What About America's?

I recall first watching Jack Kemp play quarterback for the San Diego Chargers in 1960 when I was 10.  Kemp threw a hard pass without the touch or accuracy of the best quarterbacks of his era.

The television announcers called him "Jackie Kemp" then. Later in the decade, he became "Jack Kemp." Maybe Kemp thought the latter name had more gravitas.

Ironically, Kemp took the same position on racial quotas as wealthy white liberals. Kemp did get a few endorsements from black football players who disliked high taxes, O.J. Simpson being the most prominent.

O.J. endorsed Kemp even though he had complained that Jack threw too many passes the year they played together in 1969.

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An Oregon Reader Is Frustrated That Portland Is Forcing Political Correctness On Her Hispanic-Free Community

From: Y. L. Pea (e-mail her)

I am very frustrated.  I moved from Salinas, California to Portland to get away from illegal immigration and all its pitfalls.

But recently, I have testified at a local city council meeting against renaming three major Portland area streets in honor of Cesar Chavez. 

What's so odd is that the Hispanic population in Portland is only about 5 percent. And, unlike in California, Chavez is not really a local hero.

The League of United Latin American Citizens, better known simply as LULAC, drives the task force behind this curious project.

Even though the council sent out post cards to businesses and residents on all three streets requesting opinions and they all came back with an overwhelming majority opposed, the streets may be renamed anyway because of the influence of the so-called "Historian Committee" 

They are:

• Dena Marshall, JD of Marshall Mediation: Member of the
  Oregon Hispanic Bar Association, Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber of
  Commerce, a past member of Congreso de Latinos Unidos and an interpreter at the Oregon Law Center Indigenous Farm Worker's Health Project. [email Marshall here]

• Gilbert Carrasco:  Professor of civil rights and immigration law who also worked in the National Center for Immigrants' Rights and as the national director of Immigration Services for the U.S. Catholic Conference.  He has written many books and professional papers on immigrant "rights". [email Carrasco here.]

Here is yet another example where the people's voice is silenced so political correctness can prevail.

Joe Guzzardi comments: For an appalling look at the extent to which Portland has gone politically correct, read my summary of the fray between a VDARE.COM reader and Oregonian reporter Betsy Hammond [email her] who tried to have him fired for expressing his critical views of her story titled In a Changing World, Portland Remains Overwhelmingly White

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A Washington D.C. Lawyer Clarifies Definition Of "Immigrant"

From: William Chip (e-mail him)

Re: Joe Guzzardi's Column: Thin-Skinned Illegal Alien Apologists Can't Stand The Truth

Guzzardi is right on the money in challenging those who try to shut down debate about illegal immigration by ruling out essential vocabulary ("illegal alien" or even "alien") as "dehumanizing" and essential facts (about crime, poverty, etc) as "hateful." 

However, since our side of the debate does not get the same free pass from truth and accuracy as our politically correct adversaries, I am forced to quibble with his definition of "immigrant" as "a person who enters the U.S. with a valid visa."

"Immigrant" is defined by 8 USC 1101(a)(15) to include "every alien" other than an alien included in a long list of statutory categories of "non-immigrant" alien. 

If an alien does not fall within one of the statutory "non-immigrant" categories, he is an "immigrant" without regard to whether his presence in the US is lawful. 

For that reason we can have both "legal immigrants" and "illegal immigrants". 

Most illegal aliens would not fall within any of the statutory "non-immigrant" categories, the main exception being aliens who are working illegally in the US for a temporary period without intending to give up their foreign residence. 

Those illegal migrant workers would be considered "non-immigrants" under section 1101(a)(15)(B) and are more accurately described as "illegal non-immigrants", a term that no one actually uses.  All other aliens who are unlawfully present in the US are properly described as "illegal immigrants". 

Although it is anybody's guess whether a particular alien intends eventually to return to his native land, the government ordinarily presumes that an alien intends to take up permanent US residence unless he expressly asserts the opposite. 

Thus, for the overwhelming majority of illegal aliens, "illegal immigrant" is legally appropriate.

Chip has worked in immigration law for many years.

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A Kansas Reader Says Senator Chuck Schumer Is "Dismissive" Toward Suffering Americans

From: Claude Christy: (e-mail him)

Re: Joe Guzzardi's Column: Schumer Subcommittee Holds Rigged Amnesty Hearing. Joe Still Not Alarmed.  

I watched the entire Senate Subcommittee hearing and was disgusted at Senator Chuck Schumer's smarmy and dismissive attitude toward Americans' suffering during this terrible economy. (See it on the C-Span archive here.)

Schumer openly mused about presenting amnesty in a way that would deceive voters. He asked witnesses what they thought was the toughest aspect of selling amnesty to Americans and former INS director Doris Meissner replied: "rewarding lawbreaking."

Schumer obviously had read some La Raza polls promoting amnesty and clearly meant to utilize them. His only concern was which would be the most effective strategy to ram through amnesty without any concern for how it would damage America.

Of course, Schumer was incredibly rude to our ally and my neighbor, Professor Kris Kobach.

Christy lives in Lawrence and teaches high school physical education.

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A Missouri Reader Says She Hurts When She Thinks Of Lost America

From: Eugenia Desautels (e-mail her)

Schumer and his like-minded immigration advocates constantly talk about the pain of separation a few aliens families may feel when a parent or loved one is deported.

But I hurt too when I think of the America that immigration has separated me from.

I would like to tell Schumer that my family has been unjustly separated from the country they love. Illegal aliens and their kids have taken over all of the available and affordable housing causing severe economic hardship for many.

Our seniors, mentally and physically disable and veterans have to stand in lines behind illegal aliens for social services that include HUD and Section 8 housing. 

Because of crimes committed by illegal aliens, people are hesitant to go out after dark.

But what does Schumer know---or care---about small town America?

Desautels is a librarian.

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