Nezua blogs about an AP article about the rise of hate groups and anti-immigrant rhetoric:
EXCEPT IT’S NOT much of a “debate” is it? “Debate” is a grand word, one that implies intelligence, reason, insight, equal opportunity to speak and make your points, and an agenda of fairness and truth. I don’t see what is happening out there, the noise coming from the biggest bullhorns as “debate.” I see a lot of hostile agenda, I see fear feeding violence, I see the stupidest meanest most ignorant minds getting the most airplay, and a lot of people terrified, hunted, and suffering.
EXCEPT IT’S NOT much of a “debate” is it? “Debate” is a grand word, one that implies intelligence, reason, insight, equal opportunity to speak and make your points, and an agenda of fairness and truth. I don’t see what is happening out there, the noise coming from the biggest bullhorns as “debate.” I see a lot of hostile agenda, I see fear feeding violence, I see the stupidest meanest most ignorant minds getting the most airplay, and a lot of people terrified, hunted, and suffering.
Mostly true, although there have been some unreasonable people speaking against the presence of illegal aliens as well.
The AP article did at least a couple of paragraphs down point out that one of the “hate” groups was FAIR, a group that has had the temerity to lobby for enforcement of existing laws rather than rewriting them to give criminals citizenship. The SCLC gives one of the lamest defenses of that choice I’ve seen, citing anything they can think of except for the actual positions the group takes and the activities it actually engages in. It pretty much indicts their overall credibility. Too bad the AP couldn’t engage in some actual journalism and check over who else they consider a “hate” group and whether their report was based on any actual facts at all.
Then there’s the whole “anti-immigration” meme, such as how it’s used to introduce this post, making it sound as if people who oppose illegal aliens’ presence in the U.S. also oppose the rights of American citizens who are also immigrants and people who are here legally who are immigrants and people wishing to immigrate to the U.S. legally. Hardly an example of reasoned debate and an agenda of truth.
At one demonstration by SOS, there were some lovely Confederate and Nazi flags waving side by side in the gentle summer breeze as White Supremacists and SOS activists chanted their messages of peace, racial tolerance and understanding.
A lovely snapshot of anti-hateful message and reasonable debate, actually it kind of was, relatively speaking compared to the police who worked another demonstration and went off to SOS to leave postings about soiled toilet paper (aka the Mexican flag) and used tampons and sanitary pads (aka the Latinos who protested of varying legal status).
And although African-Americans are often critical of undocumented immigrants, they give most of the organizations like the Minutemen and the SOS for obvious reasons.
Radfme, who’s SOS?
And although African-Americans are often critical of undocumented immigrants, they give most of the organizations like the Minutemen and the SOS for obvious reasons.
They give what to who?
Sorry about that, they tend to give organizations like the Minutemen and SOS a wide berth for obvious reasons.
SOS=Save Our State.
Hm. If the Wikipedia entry for SOS can be believed I can see where any non-racist would steer clear of SOS. I’m not particularly aware of any racism in the Minuteman organizations, but if you have citations for such I’d be glad to take a look. But opposition to illegal aliens’ presence in this country in and of itself is not racist.