Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#0
Posted: 3/25/06 at 2:32pm
Hey everyone- it's probably too late, but I thought I'd try anyway. H.R. 4437 is a law that's passed the house and is being voted on by the Senate on Monday. Please, please call your Senator (especially if (s)he's Republican) and tell them not to vote for it, and to support the Kennedy bill instead. Members of the Judiciary committee are also key.
Why is this bill such a disaster? I can't even begin to name all the ways without turning this post into a term paper, so let me just summarize- first of all, it turns all immigration violations, no matter how minor or technical, into aggravated felonies. You know, like murder and rape. Judicial review and due process for immigrants are completely gutted. Congratulations, you're guilty until proven innocent! Local and state authorities are allowed to enforce immigration regulations, which means that immigrants will be terrified of any contact with authority, even more than they are now. This leaves immigrant communities wide open to exploitation, gangs, and crime.
Oh, and here's the kicker- if you help an illegal immigrant, you're an "alien smuggler". Yeah, if you drive an illegal to a medical clinic you're just as bad as one of those dickwads who drives Mexicans over the border in unventilated trucks. Doctors who refuse to violate their Hippocratic oaths are magically felons. Same goes for charitable organizations, churches, and any good samaritan. Xenophobia has driven Republicans to this- it's better to leave a person to die than to help them, if that person happens to be in the country illegally.
So please don't stand by and let this happen. I've been petitioning Specter against it for a while, and wish I thought of this place earlier. Call, people. It's more effective than e-mail.
Updated On: 3/25/06 at 02:32 PM
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/20/05
re: H.R. 4437 (aka, DIE, IMMIGRANT!)#1
Posted: 3/25/06 at 3:30pm
DIE, IMMIGRANT!
What a great title for an opera!
I can see the death scenes now, staged by cast of a hundred and fifty at the Met...
Gelb, get going on it! Who to commission....????
re: H.R. 4437 (aka, DIE, IMMIGRANT!)#2
Posted: 3/25/06 at 6:44pm
tons of students walked out of Los Angeles HS Thursday to protest this...two other LA high schools went into lock-down.
If this passes.......it's going to get really ugly
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#3
Posted: 3/25/06 at 6:46pm
Are you kidding? That's just the beginning.
I can't believe no one here is talking about this.
30,000 protesters in Milwaukee.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/23/latino.march/index.html
2,000 in Kansas City.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/14182547.htm
500,000 protesters in Los Angeles.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11442705/from/RSS/
20,000 outside the Phoenix, Arizona offices of Senator John Kyl. http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/news/local/032506a1_immigrationmarch2
Over 50,000 in Denver. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4570608,00.html
Another 100,000 in Chicago. http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-march11.html
HR4437 is a big deal, and it's nice to see people aren't taking the abrogation of their rights sitting down anymore. East coast, west coast, red and blue, people are standing against xenophobia and for social justice. I'm loving this.
Updated On: 3/25/06 at 06:46 PM
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/20/05
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#4
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:05pm
I am against illegal immigration.
Everyone has to follow the law.
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#5
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:06pm
Do you have any idea how limited legal immigration is? Besides, this affects legal immigrants, too. You make one mistake on a form and you're permanently screwed.
And what about people seeking asylum? They come in illegaly, but today if they make their cases they can become legal. With these regulations, it'll become technically practically impossible to do so.
Updated On: 3/25/06 at 07:06 PM
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#6
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:10pmI'm against illgeal immigration too it's taking its toll on America; language wise and economically the immigrants (most atleast) buy some one room shack and stuff about 20 of them in there, my sister's apartment is practically a hotel and they take all the water and play their music loudly. That last part was just rambling on my behalf so I don't speak for all illegal immigrants but Congress NEEDS to do something fast!
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#7
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:15pm
Oh my dear ****ing lord. As if the playing of music is an activity limited to illegal immigrants.
So you'd punish a doctor for treating someone who's injured? You'd make me an aggravated felon for helping with asylum applications?
And I'm sure the illegals who no doubt mow your lawn and roof your house love living in a shack. All those Mexicans do.
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#8
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:15pm
Language-wise?
You're KIDDING, right?
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#9
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:17pm
THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE.
It's the McCain-Kennedy bill, which would offer amnesty to those who can pay a $1000 fine, learn English, and work legitimately for 6 years. But of course, it's much more fun to put people into detention centers that were the American standard for **** prisons before Guantanamo came along.
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#10
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:21pmI agree with you that this bill is awful. I'm going to do a little more research and call my (Republican, sigh) Senators to urge them to vote against it.
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/20/05
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#11
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:23pm
We've had too much immigration, illegal and otherwise.
Enough is enough.
Overpopulation and overconsumption of natural resources and the creation of mountains of human-created waste is a terrible problem.
No more!
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#12
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:26pmAnd...those people won't be alive or making waste if they live in their native countries. They'll just disppear, if I'm understanding you correctly.
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#13
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:29pm
No more is right!
Not just with Hispanics but anyone who comes here illegally, and the language thing is really pissing me off my father's friend had to take another year of college just to learn Spanish to become a beautician!! Imagine 10 years from now, everyone is gonna have to be bilingual.
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#14
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:32pm
So the solution is to be militant about it and be overtly cruel to the people who are here?
What about people seeking political asylum? No more immigrants whatsoever? Anyway, living in rural America, I can tell you that overpopulation is honestly *not* a uniform problem across America. And Plum makes a good point about resource consumption.
I'm so surprised by some of the opinions expressed in this thread.
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#15
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:32pm
Imagine 10 years from now, everyone is gonna have to be bilingual.
Oh noes!
Updated On: 3/25/06 at 07:32 PM
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#16
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:33pmI don't think force should be taken or harsh laws all I want is for more control over the borders.
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#17
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:34pm
Then I really suggest you protest this law. Immigration reform is going to happen; it's up to us to decide what form it takes.
Updated On: 3/25/06 at 07:34 PM
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/20/05
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#18
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:36pm
Further, I do not want any more third worlders who clearly are from cultures in which women are deemed subservient to men, being allowed to enter this country.
Women have fought too hard and too long for equal rights here to allow such uneducated and ill-cultured invaders into our society.
Updated On: 3/25/06 at 07:36 PM
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#19
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:38pmYes, because we were founded on a proud tradition of women's rights. Why, we were the first developed nation to allow women's suffrage. And a Christian subset founded in our great nation has some of the most progressive women's rights ideas in the world.
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/20/05
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#20
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:40pm
I do not want to see their horrible behavior toward women on our streets anymore.
You can get rid of all such men from this country and it will be a better place for it.
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#21
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:41pmOnce again, this justifies HR4437 how, exactly?
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#22
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:44pmYou don't want... people to be able to come to this country in the hopes of finding a better life? Even if the first generation of immigrants has beliefs that you don't agree with, they will have children and the generations that follow are likely (I would think) to be more progressive. The women in question would have been oppressed in their country of origin, and will probably be to a much lesser extent here. You don't care about womens' rights for anyone except Americans?
Joined: 12/31/69
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#23
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:46pm
nondeplume (and Burlesque) have you ever uttered the words "This is America. Speak American!" I ask because you are coming off as a real bigot.
...ugly Americans.
Updated On: 3/25/06 at 07:46 PM
Nationwide Pro-Immigrant Protests#24
Posted: 3/25/06 at 7:49pm
magine 10 years from now, everyone is gonna have to be bilingual.
That would truly be awful. We're completely against cultural diversity in this country. No one should make us adapt to people who might be *gasp* DIFFERENT from us.
-cheezedoodle
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