August 12, 2006
Saturday Forum
A Hispanic Reader
Reminds Joe Guzzardi About Fairness In Journalism; etc.
From:
Miguel Diaz
Re: Joe Guzzardi’s
Column:
Enough Already About The Mexican-American War
I found Guzzardi’s column interesting and was surprised
to read that his
English as a Second Language students are fixated on
the Mexican-American War.
The Mexicans I’ve met over the last two decades,
regardless of their educational achievements, never
bring it up.
However, Mexican-American
Chicano Studies professors have written books on the
war and the “stolen land” theme that Guzzardi
refers to. His student Gustava may have studied
these texts.
Also, I think that Guzzardi argues compellingly enough
so that he doesn’t have to make nasty remarks like:
"And Mexicans are
living a better life in a progressive country instead of
a
Third World slum where so many are still drying
laundry on adobe bricks."
True as it may be, I think Guzzardi could have found a
better way to comment on
Mexican poverty. Furthermore, his observation was
irrelevant to the rest of his original thesis.
Please don't misunderstand me. I am by no means an
advocate of censorship. All I'm saying is Guzzardi’s
writing would be more compelling if he didn't make such
unnecessary remarks.
Instead Guzzardi should ask himself (as we all should):
“Does ridiculing the poor make us better people?”
Joe
Guzzardi comments: As I told Diaz in an e-mail
reply, he is 100 percent correct. That so many Mexicans
are mired in poverty is not their fault. I’m sure they
would love to own washers and dryers. And we at
VDARE.COM would be happy too if they had modern
conveniences. Our quarrel is not with Mexicans (except
the criminal element that comes here to ply its trade)
but with the corrupt Mexican government whose idea of
helping its citizens is to encourage them to immigrate
illegally to the U.S.
[PermaLink] [Top]
[Letters Home]
A Rhode Island Reader
Thinks Carlos Mencia Is Laughing At Us
From: Steven
Bannister [e-mail
him]
Re: Bryanna Bevans Column:
Carlos Mencia Can’t Even Spell PC And Neither Can
VDARE.COM…Thank God!!
It's
true that the Hispanic comedian Carlos Mencia might seem
non-pc
and
be occasionally funny but...he’s joking about things
that are seriously damaging to us.
I've heard him make jokes about drive-bys, gang-bangers
and beaners. But somewhere out there, a
little kid who was shot by these gang-bangers while
sitting on his front porch or a woman that's been
raped by an illegal beaner doesn't find it quite so
funny.
Mencia’s humor has the ultimately PC objective of
getting his audience to laugh and say "Hey, guess
what, those illegal immigrants aren't so bad after all.
I saw this Hispanic guy on TV and he really made me
laugh!"
By using his racially tinged humor to weaken our
sense of
outrage, lower our defenses and make the people who
do take immigration seriously to appear uptight and out
of step with the times, Mencia is supremely PC.
Comedy has its place. But it's not a substitute for
anger. If we are only allowed to laugh at the
destruction of our country and not scream at it and
resist it, then we are doomed to
die a slow death.
Mencia knows this and he's doing his part to chip
away at our stubborn
defense—one little laugh at a time.
Bannister is a sales and
marketing consultant who lives in the Providence area.
[PermaLink] [Top]
[Letters Home]
A Pennsylvania Reader
Congratulates Hazelton Mayor Lou Barletta
From:
Doctor Joseph Leonardi [e-mail
him]
I
applaud
Hazelton Mayor Lou Barletta for his vigorous
opposition to illegal immigration. Recently, Mayor
Barletta stepped up to the plate again, ensuring that
Hazleton’s police department will have additional
training to properly enforce the city’s new ordinance as
certified immigration enforcement agents.
Since a section of Hazelton’s new ordinance requires the
city to conduct its business in English only,
critics of Mayor Barletta have tried to degrade his
character by using insulting and inflammatory language.
The English only provision provides a side benefit to
legal immigrants these same critics have failed to
mention.
At
a town meeting in Hazleton, Luzerne County Commissioner
Greg Skrepenak
said English classes would be offered to non-English
speakers. This would include our hard working,
deserving legal immigrant community.
I
have always been concerned about people who enter this
country then choose
not to learn English. My father, when he was 30,
immigrated to America from
Italy.
In
time, he learned his new country’s language and
eventually earned his
U.S. citizenship.
The fact that government documents were not translated
into Dad’s native Italian did not
hamper his ability to earn a living, raise a family,
develop his own business and exercise his right to vote.
Violation of our borders is a genuine concern. It is a
problem that has not been adequately addressed at any
government level. Consequently, mayors like Barletta are
forced to protect their citizens from
criminal violations that compromise U.S.
sovereignty.
For this reason, since announcing my candidacy as a
Republican for the U.S. House in August 2005, I am
extremely outspoken on strengthening both the northern
and southern
border. The problems created by illegal immigration
demand re-enforced border security. I pledge that I am,
and will remain, wholeheartedly committed to this cause.
I
am a strong believer in
legal immigration into the United States. Obviously,
had it not been for legal immigration I would not be in
the position I am in now—running for the office of U.S.
Representative to represent all citizens in the
Pennsylvania 11th district.
Leonardi is a U.S. Navy Veteran. Pennsylvania’s 11th
District includes Hazelton.
[PermaLink] [Top]
[Letters Home]
An Oregon Reader Says
Beware the Spanish-Surname Box On College Applications
From:
David
Hamilton
[e-mail him]
A
Spanish-surname box to check (or not) on every college
application?
Dear me, this must present certain difficulties. I can't
imagine how the university admissions administrators
decide which is a
legitimate Hispanic surname and which is not.
How about:
