Thursday, November 06, 2008

His Dream Came True


“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” –Martin Luther King Jr.

Last spring I sat with some Arab friends discussing Barak Obama and how I felt he was going to be our next president. My friends strongly disagreed with me they felt that the USA would never get past the issue of Obama's race. I felt differently and argued that as nation I felt we were past that. That we were ready for a change granted what had been going on in our country. In the end we would choose what we felt was best for our country.No matter what I said I was shouted down, “Never” they’d shouted, “He will never be president. Americans will never elect a black man president.” I remember telling them that on Nov 4th they’d be eating those words.



I raced from school to watch the election results making it in time to hear the local anchorman declare Obama the winner. My entire neighborhood seemed to burst into a collective cheer. It was like the Yankees winning the series, the ball dropping in Times Square. I choked up when an African-American reporter struggled to keep it together on camera saying that as a child his father had always told him that there would never be a black president and the reporter thanked the country for proving his father wrong. I got goose bumps and felt a lump in my throat. I didn’t know why but I started to cry and as I watched the television screen and I saw I wasn't alone. People were openly weeping all over Times Square and Harlem.

I watched my mother as she wiped a few tears away. When she saw I was looking at her mom smiled and quoted some of Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have A Dream” speech. “Mia, Dr. King’s dream came true.” Before I could respond my phone went crazy. I have a huge assortment of friends all over the world and they wanted to share in my joy and let me know how their countrymen were reacting. My friend in Spain called to tell me people were crying, cheering and chanting USA, USA!in the streets. A friend in France text messaged me with the news that in France people were cheering as well. Imagine that the French were actually cheering something America had done. Be still my foolish heart. A friend from England called, “Baby, it’s crazy out here", and held his phone up so I could hear the cheering going on around him.

None of my local Arab friends called so I text messaged and reminded them of what they’d shouted at me several months ago. I text messaged all of them, “would you like a glass of water ? I wouldn’t want you to choke as you swallow your words. By the way what do they taste like?” Yeah I'm mean like that.

I’ve always been proud to be an American but today I am just a little prouder than usual I’m standing a little taller. Last a dream came true, history was made in a country where brother had fought against brother because of slavery, in a country where simply being black was a good enough reason to be lynched. Last night this nation finally turned its back on the past and decided it was time to move forward. The man chosen to lead the way for us was judged by the content of his character and not the color of his skin. Dr. King would be so proud of us all.

Labels: humble pie, politics, presidential election

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Posted by @ 12:29 AM
2 comment from:  Anonymous,  Anonymous,

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

I Feel Like a Kid on Christmas Eve

I’m gonna miss George Bush, not his politics that’s for sure but definitely his speeches and the perpetual befuddled expression that always seemed to be on his face.

I always had the impression that he had a bong hidden somewhere in the Whitehouse and did the wake and bake thing every morning before going in to work. Look it’s the only explanation that I can come up with anything else is just too scary to contemplate.

I glanced out my window at 6 am this morning and saw the lines to get into the local polling place snaked out for a couple of blocks. I haven’t seen lines like that since the last Harry Potter book was released. People are turning out in record numbers. By this time tomorrow my country will have a new president elect and I for one am excited. I’m not just saying that, I know I’m going to have a hard time concentrating in school today my mind is going to be on the election. I figure either way it’s a win-win situation. If Mc Cain wins I’ll get to spend the next four years playing the maverick drinking game and looking forward to Tina Fey’s appearances on SNL as Sarah Palin. If Obama wins I’ll be witnessing history in the making and my country headed in a new and much needed direction.

Hand to God I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight. Ever since last night I've had this song on my mind from West Side Story it mirrors my current mood perfectly. I've been singing the damn song since last night.

Something's Coming

Labels: politics, presidential election

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Posted by @ 8:14 AM
1 comment from:  Just Jane,

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Mia For President in '08

My fellow Americans I don’t know about you but I am damn tired of the way our country is being run, therefore I am throwing my sneakers into the presidential arena. I say it’s time for change never mind that I am young, never mind that I am still a student living at home, never mind that I have absolutely no political clout or experience. It is because of these exact reasons that I would make the perfect president. Allow me to explain…

The fact that I am young and inexperienced works in my favor because c’mon let’s face facts the older generation had their chance and all they’ve done is run our country into the ground. What that tells me that when it comes to running this country experience means shit. Unlike the current candidates I am a true maverick. I owe no political favors to no one therefore I can’t be brought or rented.

As a struggling student living at home I know how tight money is and how to budget. No spending a million bucks for a simple Phillips head screw driver here buddy. I shop at Cosco. I know a deal when I see one.

My platform:

No wars…ever:

Unless we are threatened on our own turf I don’t want to hear it. You want democracy in your country then you fight for it don’t be calling me for help. I’ve got my own peeps to take care of.

Critics:

You know who you are. You talk le smack about us yet at the slightest hint of trouble want us to back you up or want to know what we're going to do about said trouble. If we get involved we are called bullies intent on ruling the world. If we ignore it then we are cowards who don't give a crap. We just can't win. My solution to this is as follows next time you talk smack about my country rest assured I’m rolling up in your capital with my vice-president Jackie sans her daily caffeine fix , trust me you don't know what terror is unless you've faced Jackie without her daily java. We will storm your capital posse in tow, cameras running, and beat the snot out of your leader and their cabinet. You want to talk crap then we’re going to handle this the thug way. And once I am done on beating on your ass it will be posted on youtube as a warning to anyone who is tempted to mess with us.

Religion:

I'm all for it. I believe in a higher power she may differ from yours but I still believe. I will not impose my own religious views on the country. Go on live your life by your own code but do not expect me to make it into law or force it down the throats of other Americans. That means I am pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, pro-equal rights, sex education, and birth control.

Drugs:

Marijuana will be legalized, taxed, and available anywhere cigarettes are sold. The taxes generated can save the social security system. ‘cause you know damn well there are a lot of heads that smoke out there (raises hand). Yes I admit to inhaling, giggling and the munchies.

In conclusion BBQ at the White House every weekend, B.Y.O.B !

I’m Mia and this message has been approved by Mia:Shaken,Not Stirred For President in ’08 Because I Can’t Do Anyworse.

Labels: politics, president

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Posted by @ 12:18 PM
3 comment from:  Anonymous,  Anonymous,  Mia,

Friday, July 25, 2008

“Please Don’t Vote For A Democrat" WTF people WTF?!

I’m mad as hell in fact I am so mad I’m spitting steel nails…pattoo…pattoo… pick those up and save them for later you never know when FEMA is going to mess up and we’ll have to build us an ark or something to save our asses next time a national disaster strikes

When it comes to my politics I tend to be on the liberal side I defend the first amendment no matter how idiotic or twisted the point of view may be because in the end I’m defending my freedom of speech as well and that includes the right to ridicule the idiotic and twisted.


However nothing not even the two cups of coffee I had early this morning prepared me for this… some self-proclaimed patriotic man of God you know the sad thing is it’s always the jerks of the world that claim to be down with the G-O-D has paid for an anti-democrat billboard in Florida.The fact that it’s an anti-democrat message doesn’t bother me. Come on this is an election year after all and there’s been more crap flung around by both major parties than what those crazy chimps fling around at the Bronx zoo. What really irks me is that Mike Meehan the businessman that paid for the billboard is using 9.11 as a backdrop for his message. The billboard shows an American flag with a photo of the burning twin towers superimposed over it and the message reads “Please Don’t Vote For A Democrat" WTF people WTF?!

The company that owns the billboard,Beech Outdoor Advertising,sees the situation as a first amendment issue and for that reason didn’t censor the ad. The company said that the billboard will stay up until after the presidential election in November. Ultimately they are right it is an issue of free speech. However I do take issue with Mike Meehan because there was no need to make 9.11 the focal point of his message. Where is his sense of decency? Holy monkey! Man if you don’t want democrats in the white house feel free to campaign against them but don’t use the attack on my city as a basis for your message’s implication.

Hello Mike Meehan let’s take a walk down memory lane shall we? The attack on 9.11 happened under a right wing president, a right wing majority both in the senate and the house and to date has gone unpunished. To add insult to injury the same right wing government shut down the CIA unit dedicated to catching Bin Laden back in 2005. The Bush administration claims they have been unable to find him. I doubt they’ve been looking very hard seriously people how hard are it to find a 6ft 5 Arab? Well okay his actual height is subject to debate. People who actually know him insist he’s only 6ft tall.The fact that he surrounds himself with smaller Yemeni bodyguards makes him look taller than he actually is. Still I’ve been hanging around Arabs all my life and have yet to meet one 6ft or over so spotting Bin Laden in a crowd should be a no brainer. I’m pretty sure my short ass teetering on a pair of stiletto heels while drunk out of my mind would have found the behemoth already. Come on he’s got jacked up kidneys he can only go so far.But I digress this post is not about the so called hunt for Bin Laden this is about using 9.11 to further the republican cause and Mike Meehan's “career”.Oh yeah Mike is a musician with his own website that is advertised on the billboard he’s paying for.

If I could I would bitch slap him senseless on behalf of friends who lost family, of lost friends, and of my own lost family members. I’d bitch slap him silly and do a Lord of The Dance jig while doing it too. I’d bitch slap him because the pain of it all still lingers in my heart and this insensitive jack ass has the nerve to trivialize it with his billboard. Shame on you Mike Meehan I hope your little republican gets caught in your zipper next time you get dressed.

Labels: 9.11, florida billboard, Mike Meehan, news items, politics, WTF

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Posted by @ 1:23 PM
4 comment from:  Goggles Piasano Ritardo,  Goggles Piasano Ritardo,  Anonymous,  Mia,

Monday, April 14, 2008

Tank for Prez!

A couple of friends and I were discussing the up coming presidential elections. After giving it much thought I decided that I want a ‘hood thug for president, a gangsta’ I’d want one just like my uncle Tank one with a heart and a sense of justice.

One whose physical presence inspires fear for self-preservation, but whose kind spirit, gentle smile inspires loyalty and respect. Tank is a man born out of his time centuries ago he would have been a Knight, a warrior. As a teen neighborhood people nicknamed him “Tank” a name that totally suits him; he is built like one, strong like one, and will mow your ass down like one.

This is the type of person I want as my president. One who shuns Hail to the Chief as his theme music preferring Warrior because that’s song describes him to a “T”. He eschews designer suits and fancy hair cuts even though he can afford it because he’s a man of the people; of all the people and not just a chosen few. He dresses like the working class people back in the ‘hood because he’s never forgotten his roots and doesn't want to, he's proud of them roots.

He’s a man of few words, soft spoken and book smart and street educated. No one would ever expect that underneath the bad boy exterior lays the soul of a poet, a sensitive man. He lives by his own code, one of honor. His word is his bond and he expects the same from everyone else. He isn’t afraid to speak his mind and stands by what he says. He doesn’t believe in half-truths because that’s not how he was raised. If he has something to say about you he will approach you and only you with it. No one needs to know your business or his.

Talking crap about my country, calling my president names shades of Hugo Chavez? Expect a visit from President Tank. He’ll roll up deep with his posse on the steps of your capital and call you out. His posse won’t interfere unless yours does; he handles his dirty work solo and expects you to do the same. He’ll look at you from head to toe with his narrow eyes giving you one of his dimpled smiles offering you the chance to explain yourself and apologize. If you can’t or refuse you will get catch the only beat down, one that will ensure that you will think twice before taking his name or the name of his country into your mouth again.

We owe you money? Expect that debt to be taken care of promptly President Tank hates owing money or favors to anyone. He likes to keep the books balanced. You owe us money? Well unless you’re a third world nation because he doesn’t take money from the poor, he’s going to expect to be paid back in full with the interest as promised. He doesn’t stress what he calls Honda Civic money however Hummer money is something else. Don’t make him have out there and get the money. It didn’t go down too well for the last guy that tried that crap.

If you’re in charge of looking out for his peeps he will expect you to think of them before you think of yourself, to line their pockets first before you line your own. Before he heads out into the world to help strangers he will look out for his own first, not to say he won’t look out for strangers he’ll just want to make sure his peeps are taken care of first. He knows what it is to struggle to put food on the table, afford health care and education and he doesn’t want them to struggle the way he had to.

You’ve got beef with us? He’ll sit down and talk it out with you person to person try to make things right. A few blunts will be passed around and by the end of the meeting peace will reign supreme. You a hard head and won’t listen to anything but force? He’s down for it but he will lead the way, he’ll get his hands dirty. He won’t be sending his people off to do something he wouldn’t do himself, side by side he’d fight with them. He’s man enough to admit when he’s made a mistake and take care of it. "There’s no shame in making a mistake" he says,"the shame is in not being able to admit to it and take the burden of your errors unto yourself."

Tank for prez I say!

Labels: politics, president

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Posted by @ 4:21 PM
2 comment from:  Mia,  Mia,

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Mitt Romney: Man of The People

Please tell me why oh why is it that when politicians go into ethnic ‘hoods they attempt to channel their inner ghettoness? Case in point Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Out of all days Romney picked Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to channel his inner home boy. Romney was at a parade paying tribute to the civil rights leader when he decided to seize a photo op. He jumped out of his Mitt Mobile and into a crowd of African-American spectators and as he posed for pictures said, “Who let the dogs out? Who who.” (insert sound of car screeching to a halt here) WTF?!!! Oh hell no. Oh. Hell. To. The. Mother Hubbing. No! And it wasn’t even a good song! Damn that made me even madder! I’m saying if he wanted to channel his inner ghettoness the least he could’ve done was spit some of Tupac’s Keep Your Head up, instead of a lame ass song from a one hit wonder group.

Okay esta bien I will concede it was funny as hell to watch but it was also awkward. What’s worse you could hear the awkwardness in his voice, feel his discomfort. His body language was a give away. He was lucky someone didn’t verbally bitch slap him back to the heart of Mormon country. Lord knows if I was there I would’ve done it. You figure the man feeling as awkward as he did would’ve hopped back into his Mitt Mobile and kept it moving but no not him. He had a point to prove he is Mitt Romney man of the people. Several minutes later Romney was greeting some more people when he spotted a baby wearing a gold chain. He walked over to the kid raised his hands and said,“Hey buddy! How’s it going? What’s happening? You got some bling bling here!” WTF?! Oh Romney stop it you’re killing me man c’mon dude you know I’ve got a weak heart I’m going to die either of embarrassment for you or of laughter. Yes he said ”bling bling” in an apparent attempt to be down with the peeps from the hood. Look I’m not saying it’s racist but come on man you can’t tell me when he’s out stumping in suburban America he’s using those phrases. Can you picture him approaching a dressed to the nines Mrs. Amanda Money Bags IV in a red state and giving her a high five while proclaiming, “Hey there home girl that’s a lot of bling bling you got there!”? Let’s ponder that shall we? Hmmm. Oh hell no he wouldn’t.

Personally I want to know who the hell told Romney that raising his hands and perpetuating a cultural stereotype was a good political strategy? WTF was this man thinking? What next is he going to court the Latino vote by serenading us with music specific to our culture? You now Mariachi music for our Mexican brethren , Salsa for the Boricuas, Cumbia for South Americans, Merengue for The Dominicans, Punta music for the Central Americans?

You know what really burnt my piragua? What really disappointed me? The fact that he didn’t break out and start crunk dancing or at least do the running man after he made the “Who Let the dogs out remark.” Ahhh well a female can dream after all the primaries aren’t over yet.There's still hope.

Here’s a clip of the man in action courtesy of youtube.

Labels: Mitt Romney, politics

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Posted by @ 3:53 PM
6 comment from:  Mia,  Anonymous,  Goggles Piasano Ritardo,  Mia,  DannieS72,  Mia,

Friday, May 12, 2006

Peeps like you, me and Mrs. Shapiro from down the hall

It is my opinion that Bush The Younger is either possessed by or channeling the spirit of the world’s ugliest cross dresser J. Edgar Hoover. It’s the only plausible explanation that I can come up with for his new found love of spying on Americans. His latest spying venture involves data mining our phone records. Our beloved government is secretly collecting the phone records of peeps like you, me and Mrs. Shapiro from down the hall. The government is building a data base with all of this information looking for any patterns that might suggest terrorism. AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth began turning over records of tens of millions of their customers' phone calls to the National Security Agency right after the WTC attacks. These are the same people that have been listening in on our phone convos as well.

When I first heard about this story I looked out my window thinking that I had time traveled back into communist Russia. My eyes swept the skyline looking for the tell tale landmarks … aha there was the statue of liberty (Hola chica!)… there’s the empty spot where the towers once stood….wait, wait ohhh yeah there it is the Empire State Building! Nope I was still in the good ol’ USA circa 2006. It’s hard to see what has become of this country under the leadership of Bush The Younger. Everything this man does is under the guise of stopping terrorism. “George did you eat the last piece of cake? Yes Laura I did it was part of my war on terrorism. We have information Osama is hiding in the basement of the Duncan Hines Cake plant!” Eventually he’s going to have to stop hiding behind that bull snot war on terrorism excuse.

Many of my friends have said,” Well maybe 911 wouldn’t have happened if the government had been monitoring phone calls.” WTF?! What are you some white right wing Christian conservative from the red states?! Mira cante pendeja despierta! See now you know I’m really irked because I just got bilingual on y’all. Bush is getting away with all of this crap because of the public’s obsessive fear which thank you very much has been fed filet mignon from the table of fear by el presidente and the media on a daily basis. Color alerts for terror… red, orange, magenta wtf man who thought of this crap Rainbow Brite?!

The truth is a painful one but oh so true…the war on terrorism that Bush is fighting can never be won, as long as there is a nut case out there with an ax to grind and people willing to listen to him no one is really safe in any part of the world. If terrorism were something that could be defeated wouldn’t Israel be as safe and secure as a ham sandwich in a synagogue? The truth is if we continue to lose our privacy and be all passive about in because it is being done the name of security then we have already lost the war on terrorism.

Labels: politics

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Posted by @ 9:43 AM
1 comment from:  Mica,

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Bush and his inner voice

It’s no secret I actually like Bush The Younger he never fails to crack me up. As a leader he sucks but you can’t front the man is a funny albeit most of the time it is unintentional. I also look forward to his impersonator Steve Bridges whenever he’s on Jay Leno. So this video of them together at the correspondent’s dinner is like heaven for me. Bridges is supposed to be Bush The Younger’s inner voice lord knows it’s not his conscience.


I haven’t stopped laughing ever since I saw it.

Labels: george bush, impressions, politics, steve bridges

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Posted by @ 1:40 PM
0 comment from:

Stephen Colbert goes to Washington…

Oh man I've always loved Stephen Colbert but after his performance at the White House Correspondents Dinner I think I may want to carry his babies... he basically said what the majority of Americans are thinking. Except he got to say in front of Bush, and the media. Two thumbs up!


Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Labels: bush, politics, stephen colbert, washington

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Posted by @ 11:47 AM
7 comment from:  Aisha,  Aisha,  Aisha,  Aisha,  Aisha,  Mia,  Aisha,

Monday, May 01, 2006

Bronx Botany supports a day without Immigrants

Flor Blanca 3 

We were asked to wear white in support of illegal immigrants today. Today is being called "A Day Without Immigrants" immigrants nationwide are being urged to boycott work, school, and shopping as part of a nationwide protest of legislation passed in the House that would make being an illegal immigrant a felony. The boycott has been planned for awhile. It seems that someone leaked word of it to the botany out in The Bronx. I had never noticed so many white flowers in my 'hood before. It seems nature was supporting the boycott as well...

Labels: flowers, IMMIGRATION, politics

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Posted by @ 3:35 PM
2 comment from:  Laila K,  Mia,

Friday, April 07, 2006

Bush needs adult sized diapers...

Today Howard Dean had this to say in response to Scooter Libby’s statement that Bush himself authorized leak on Iraq , “the president ‘can no longer be trusted,’ WTF?!! Excuse me psst Howard but what planet have you been living on? When the heck could he ever be trusted? Even as a child his momma had to put a padlock on the cookie jar. Now it turns out that Bush may need adult sized diapers to control his leaking.

This administration has given me many WTF moments but today not only did they make me say WTF?!! But I’m pretty sure I ripped out some of my hair as I ran down the street shoeless when I heard this story. Ordinarily nothing should come as a surprise to me in terms of this administration. We’ve had it all including that whole Broke Back Cheney scenario in which he shot his lover“ friend” (wink wink) and as he pointed the loaded weapon to his friend’s (wink, wink again) chest and yelled “ I JUST CAN'T QUIT YOU!" (bang, bang nobody puts baby in a corner bee-otch)

I heard on the evening news that Bush The Younger and Vice President Dick “Annie Get Yo’ Gun” Cheney authorized Cheney's top aide to launch a counterattack of leaks against administration critics on Iraq by feeding intelligence information to reporters, according to court papers citing the aide's testimony in the CIA leak case. Good lord they think we’re back in the 50’s. Remember people way back in 2003 Bush stated that anyone found to be leaking sensitive information would be fired. Yeah, yeah sure. It turns out Bush The Younger is not as stupid as he looks or as he plays. WTF?!! Now he’s really scaring me because it turns out the idiot is cunning. OMG a cunning bastard with ADHD we are in some serious trouble here.
In a court filing, Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald stopped short of accusing Cheney of authorizing his chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby , to leak the CIA identity of Valerie Plame. The prosecutor, detailing the evidence he has gathered, raised the possibility that the vice president was trying to use Plame's CIA employment to discredit her husband, administration critic Joseph Wilson. Cheney, according to an indictment against Libby, knew that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA as early as June 12, 2003, more than a month before that fact turned up in a column by Robert Novak.
Fitzgerald quoted Libby as saying he was authorized to tell New York Times reporter Judith Miller that Iraq was "vigorously trying to procure" uranium. Fitzgerald said Libby told him it "was the only time he recalled in his government experience when he disclosed a document to a reporter that was effectively declassified by virtue of the president's authorization that it be disclosed.” and in a move demonstrating that he has more cohones than brain and is an arrogant bastard Dick “Quick Draw Mc Graw” Cheney says he has the power to declassify government secrets, raising the possibility that he authorized his former chief of staff to pass along sensitive prewar data on Iraq to reporters.
WTF?!!! Did I miss the day when someone yelled it was okay for elected officials to wipe their asses with the constitution? Oh wait what am I saying Bush not only wipes his butt with it but he wipes his dogs butt with it as well. I can’t even think straight anymore I just want to head over to Washington and fish slap the hell out of these two bozos. Who’s with me? I got connections; I can rent us a charter bus for cost.

Labels: politics

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Posted by @ 1:33 AM
6 comment from:  Just Jane,  sadiq,  Mia,  sadiq,  Emory Mayne,  Mia,

Monday, April 03, 2006

La raza unida jamas sera vencida

About seventy five percent of undocumented immigrants are Latinos … mi hermanos antes los ojos de dios, from all over the world. They speak in my mother tongue. If I listen carefully I can tell where they are from by their accents. They hail from countries I’ve only read about in books, but still they are my brothers and sisters. They come from countries portrayed on television as paradise on earth beckoning to tourists...from countries devastated by poverty, by natural disasters… they lived hand to mouth or afraid of their government they risk it all to come here.

I see them on street corners all over New York City waiting to be picked for jobs.They begin their wait before the sun has had a chance to awaken the sky. Some never make it home losing their lives on dangerous jobs...some never get paid after working those jobs. They suffer in silence afraid to complain. I look into their eyes and see the eyes of my ancestors. Their bodies are exhausted from hard work, souls battered by demeaning conditions. Pero siempre, always their heads held high. They are a proud people. I see them on the crowded subways and streets selling their wares … they chauffer me around the city in their gypsy cabs and dollar vans…in the restaurants I frequent they wash the dishes, bus the tables, prep and serve the food. They clean the offices, take care of the children, and are the backbone of agriculture. Odds are good that the oranges used to make your morning orange juice was picked by illegals. That boneless chicken in your fast food chain sandwich was de-boned by an illegal at a poultry factory. The profit margin of many a businessman depends on the sweat of the undocumented. To say that they do the work that Americans refuse to do is wrong because it is a lie, that’s an insult to the American work ethic. What is true is that illegals work for less and are often exploited by employers because of their illegal status.


In their eyes I see mis antepasados the ones who left all that was familiar to come into a new land where they were not always welcomed but they took it all just for the chance at a better life for their children and their grandchildren…immigrants past and present reaching for the American dream…no hay diferencia..there is no difference between the illegals and my ancestors… they are among the bravest people that have walked this earth los llevos clavados en mi alma…I owe them so much…

After taking a couple of semesters of law my Immigration Law professor convinced me to do some volunteer work at a legal clinic he runs. It was there that my interest in the undocumented began, fanned by my father’s own work with the undocumented. I often stop to talk to them as I make my way across my city handing them the business cards of the place I volunteer in. A place where they can get free legal advice, and help with their immigration papers… promising I will be there to help them fill out their paperwork. If they don’t have jobs I give them my father’s business card he will help find them jobs in places where they will be treated fairly. For the young ones I offer assistance in getting them into school getting them what they need for them to be better able to pursue their dreams.

Their faces light up when I tell them I am a student, that I was born here..that my great-grandparents were immigrants too. To them I a Latina pursuing a higher education am the embodiment of their dream, this is what they want for their children for themselves. They Always they ask , “que estas estudiando mija?” what are you studying? The older ones offer me advice stay in school make your people proud, you are our future. “Gracias”, I say…”Que dios te bendiga mija”…may God bless you my child…they reply.

Over the past few weeks as this issue has been debated heatedly among the politicos I’ve heard the hard work of my Mexican brothers and sisters being denigrated comparing them to terrorists, calling them criminals. There are few communities in the U.S. that work harder at lower pay and in worse conditions than the Mexican community. Case in point they’ve been immortalized in ghetto slang “working like a Mexican” to any urban kid means working harder than hard , it means busting your ass at whatever task your endeavoring. They put up with all of this crap hoping for a better future for their kids. Latinos stick together, we are a proud people when one us is attacked we all rise in defense it does not matter to us if they are Mexican, Honduran, Puerto Rican, or Colombian somos todos latinos undios por sangre…we are all Latinos united in blood…


"La raza unida jamas sera vencida," "The united (Hispanic) race will never be defeated."...

These photos are from a demonstration held on Saturday in NYC.

Labels: politics

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Posted by @ 3:04 PM
1 comment from:  sadiq,

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Give me your tired, your poor, etc. PS: Just send me a few at a time

Here are some facts for you…There are currently 11 million illegal aliens in the USA, according to estimates by academic and government agencies, although some analysts claim that the actual number is closer to 20 million.

Illegal immigration has accelerated under Bush The Younger thanks in part to his 2003 dissolution and subsequent absorption of INS into the Homeland Security Dept. alongside FEMA. Until Bush’s genius idea INS had been part of the Justice Department. After September 11th, the Bush Administration complained that the INS was insufficiently focused on deporting and expelling illegal immigrants, WTF?!! and requested that it be transferred to Homeland Security. Then in 2003 the Border Patrol which had been part of INS was also sucked into Homeland Security independent of INS.


You’re following this right? Hold on because now it’s going to get ridiculous. After all of the major overhaul was approved by Congress Homeland Security was supposed to have hired 10,000 additional Border Patrol Agents beginning with 2000 right off the bat, but our beloved leader per usual ignored that law mandating the hiring of the new agents and instead of budgeting money for the 2000 agents in the 2006 federal budget Bush The Younger provided the money for only 210 new agents… WTF!? It’s gotta be the new math. Both houses of Congress worked together twice in 2005 to bypass the White House, and hire 1,500 new Border Patrol agents......500 shy of that required by law, but surpassing the 210 planned by President Bush.


Now let’s get into the realm of opinions: The Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, which is primarily Republican (like I didn’t see that one coming) and many Americans believe that illegal immigration should be stopped, and that legal immigration should be slowed. Wtf?!! Do these people even remember the words to “The New Colossus,” the poem that’s on the plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty?
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
Did I miss something where in there does it say PS: Just send me a few at a time. ?

The caucus believes that there is a clear link between open borders, unregulated or lightly regulated borders and the potential for terrorism. No wonder we haven’t caught Osama yet, the boy’s been chilling over in one the border towns! Bush should’ve looked there first. Just how many terrorists have we caught making a run for the border? Does anyone have a number for me? I couldn’t find any. But okay for the sake of security let’s do a better job there. How about we hire the friggin ‘exact number of Border agents needed? That’s a start.


The one thing I remember learning in history class as a child was that every single immigrant group that has come into this country has been blamed for unemployment and undermining the state of the economy. This from a country that was built on the backs of immigrants, because let’s face it unless you’re a member of an American Indian Nation your ass is an immigrant. Even the Mexicans were here first. Remember prior to the Mexican War in 1840’s that whole area where our government wants to build a wall up on belonged to them.


Millions of US citizens believe that undocumented workers take jobs from unemployed and underemployed US citizens. They believe that it’s an economic fact that low wages paid to illegal immigrants serve to keep wage levels depressed for all American workers. They also believe that the presence of illegal immigrants causes paralyzing burdens on public health services, school systems and law enforcement, thereby causing US citizens delayed or loss of access to quality, taxpayer-funded services. Yeah okay that’s the real reason Johnny can’t read because Miguel and some of his boys snuck over. Yeah and families go bankrupt paying off medical bills because Amadou and Seamus over stayed their visas and crime rates go up because it’s a known fact that all illegals are criminals, here in America we import our crime.


Now let’s go over some realities this may not be pretty but fluck it I’m game if you are…The reality of the situation is that illegal immigration into the United States is a highly profitable proposition for both employers and the US government. However before we get into that let’s throw some stats around… About 75% of undocumented immigrants are Latinos and 50% are Mexican. Oh yeah by the way just because they speak Spanish doesn’t make all illegals Mexicans. I’m gonna address the Mexican thing because that’s what people seem to be focusing on and it’s what I’m familiar with…

1)Why are so many Mexicans making a run for the border ?
The answer is simple wide spread poverty and hunger. According to the World Bank, 53% of Mexico' population of 104 million residents live in poverty, which is defined as living on less than $2 a day. Come on man you can’t even get a cup of coffee at Starbucks for that in this country. Now try living on that out there.

Close to 24% of Mexico's population live in extreme poverty, which is worse than just plain old poverty. Extreme poverty means they live on less than $1 a day. The bottom 40% of Mexican households share less than 11% of the country's wealth. Millions live in extreme poverty, and children have to work on the streets in order to help provide food for their families and I assure you they are not doing this after school. Unemployment in Mexico is realistically estimated near 40%, and there are no government unemployment benefits. There are also virtually no welfare benefits to provide the basics for poverty-stricken, often-starving women, children and families. Tell me honestly if this was the reality of your daily life wouldn’t you risk your life and run for the border? Fluck it I say if they can survive running into the US through the desert and its hostile conditions then they deserve a job.


2)Why such poverty?
Mexico wasn’t always so poverty stricken, it all began in 1983 when the devaluation of the Mexican peso set off a chain of events. The devaluation of the peso encouraged US factory owners and corporations to set up shop in Mexico, enabling them to make higher profits by taking advantage of the cheaper labor costs. They also took advantage of the fact that they could get away with poor working conditions and few required benefits. The maquiladoras as they were called all sprung up along the Mexican side of the US-Mexico border. As a result of this thousands of poor Mexican workers and their families moved to northernmost Mexico to labor in the maquiladoras.

The “prosperity” was short lived because after ten years those same US corporations closed the maquiladoras, and again relocated factories, this time to Asia, which proffered even cheaper labor costs, no benefits and often horrible working conditions acceptable to their governments. The Mexican workers were then left with nada; they received no benefits or severance. And proving that when it rains it pours the crap really hit the fan in 1994 when Mexico’s banking and telecommunications industries were privatized. This move threw millions more into the poverty stew that was going on. To complicate economic matters more along with the rising unemployment rate there were increased consumer prices, and wages and benefits were being cut.

Oh yeah but lest you think there was a downside Mexico's massive privatizations also created a new privileged class of home-grown millionaires and billionaires. As of 2002, Mexico ranked fourth in the world in billionaires, behind the US, Japan and Germany. So you see there’s always a silver lining.


Now that we’ve covered that let’s move on to my statement that illegal immigration is a profitable thing for this government…here’s another little FAQ..

1) You’re tripping girl how can you say that illegal immigration is profitable to the US. How can you talk such nonsense?
Easily, I’ve got the NY Times as back up. According to a New York Times article “... illegal immigrant workers in the United States are now providing the system with a subsidy of as much as $7 billion a year....Moreover, the money paid by illegal immigrants and their employers is factored into all the Social Security Administration's projections. For illegal immigrants, Social Security numbers are simply a tool needed to work on this side of the border. Retirement does not enter the picture; because they are here illegally they will never collect Social Security benefits.” The fact is that illegals are paying into the system but never getting any of the money back. This helps The Social Security Administration stay solvent ( shhh perhaps another day this post is not about SS reform )


3)Are you telling me that the US government knows this and looks the other way?
Ya damn skippy they do… in 2005 Wal-Mart a company with $285 billion in sales, got fined a pitiful $11 million slap on the wrist for hiring illegals and in 2004 NO penalties were imposed by the federal government against any employer in for hiring undocumented workers. But then again remember the Wal-Mart case was highly publicized so the public was expecting something to be done.

4) Yeah but these illegals work with forged documents. The government must not know about the fake social security numbers and social security cards you know forgers are so talented these days…
(Mia raises eyebrow) Yeah okay…wrap your head around this… According to The New York Times , "Starting in the late 1980s, the social Security Administration received a flood of W-2 earnings reports with incorrect---sometimes simply fictitious---Social Security numbers. It stashed them in what it calls the 'earnings suspense file' in the hope that someday it would figure out whom they belonged to.
The file has been mushrooming ever since: $189 billion worth of wages ended up recorded in the suspense file over the 1990s, two and a half times the amount of the 1980s. In the current decade, the file is growing, on average, by more than $50 billion a year, generating $6 billion to $7 billion in Social Security tax revenue and about $1.5 billion in Medicare taxes. ...the mismatched W-2's fit like a glove on illegal immigrants' known geographic distribution and the patchwork of jobs they typically hold. An audit found that more than half of the 100 employers filing the most earnings reports with false social Security numbers from 1997 through 2001 came from just three states: California, Texas and Illinois."

This information shows that the Feds know which companies are employing illegal immigrant and odds are the feds most likely know who they are.


5) Wait a second why would the US government look the other way when this is costing American workers jobs?
Well it’s all about politics and votes. I read this once in The Christian Science Monitor ,”...experts blame the twin pressures of ethnic advocacy and business interests"

6) WTF does that mean?
Well even though an illegal immigrant doesn’t vote odds are he has friends and family that do. So basically "ethnic advocacy" means buying favor...and votes....within the illegal immigrant community. The politicians have to woo us we’ve surpassed African-Americans as the largest ethnic community in the United States. Haven’t you noticed the increase of politicians making commercials in Spanish? Many believe that the Bush Administration's lack of immigration enforcement in 2004 was directly connected to the Republican Party's goal to court the Latino vote, and convince Latinos to join Republican ranks. Hmmm ya think? It’s been shown that Mexicans born in Mexico tend to vote republican and are move conservative than American born Mexicans. Now for the “business interests” which we know is code for “profit”. A business tends to profit when labor costs are lowered. When thousands of businesses have higher profits, then the US business community becomes stronger and CEO’s do the happy happy joy joy dance but that’s another post. This strength is perceived as success by the voting public and translates into more votes for the politicians.

7) Yeah but what about the strain to education, healthcare, and law enforcement?
Maybe if the companies and The Social Security Administration who have been made richer by the illegals actually reimbursed the local and state authorities for the costs of these services associated with the illegals there wouldn’t be such a strain. What am I saying? This would mean giving up some profits instead it’s easier to make illegals the villains in all of this. Heaven forbid we should take a second look at the government and corporations that are benefiting.

Now let’s talk about HR 4437 – The Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. The supporters of this bill says it beefs up border protection. Uhuh yeah that’s the only reason I’m sure that the illegals running in from Mexico got nada to do with it. After all it is an election year and per schedule it’s time to wail on the illegals. Why else would the politicos talk about building the The Great Wall of Mexico and encouraging mass deportation? Why else would these puto elected officials encourage the harrassment of 12 million or more people ? Illinois Congressman and Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert decided last fall to make the “illegal immigration" issue the Republican Party's new emotionally charged wedge issue. Remember it was homophobia and anti gay marriage sentiment that got them in 2004.

Provisions of HR 4437 unlawful presence in the US would be considered a felony, with undocumented immigrants facing a year in jail this in turn would permanently bar a person from becoming a citizen. This law makes the 11 million undocumented workers "aggravated criminal felons" and turns anyone who tries to help them people like priests, social workers, doctors and everyday people like my father into criminals for "aiding and abetting" the undocumented.


In 2005, Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and John McCain (R-AZ) introduced an immigration reform bill that allows for illegal immigrants who clear criminal background checks to apply for temporary work permits. After 6 years, they could apply for permanent residence status, and after 11 years, for full US citizenship after meeting certain other requirements. I’m down with that. There are those within the Republican Party that are against this they feel it is rewarding the illegals. Bullshit. I agree with gonzo yeller Howard Dean, "…you've lived here for a significant period of time---whether you're undocumented or documented---and you have contributed to your community, you have never been arrested or gone to jail...you've paid your taxes and worked hard, that you ought to have a path to earn legalization of citizenship." That was beautifully worded Howard and gracias for not yelling afterwards.


Okay let us press on here (damn this is a long post) In late February 2006, Senator Arlen Specter, a moderate Republican and chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee, presented a to overhaul US immigration laws. The Specter proposal calls for a guest-worker program that would temporarily legalize millions of undocumented workers now living in the US. Bush supports this program. Excuse me but that can lead to I dunno something called indentured servitude. In other words come pick our crops, toil in our fields, do our dirty work and then get the fuck out, go back home. Not to mention it rings of creating a permanent underclass of immigrants. Hello did we not learn anything from the Muslim youth rioting in France last summer? Oh yeah I forgot here’s the kicker in a twist of irony or maybe it was intentionally the 11 million illegals that are here now would be excluded from this program. WTF?!

Senator Specter is also advocating for his own brand of amnesty, his plan plays as follows the road to citizenship would take 11 years and would require a clean record, a steady job, payment of a $2,000 fine and back taxes, and knowledge of English and civics. I’m assuming that the illegals who’ve been paying taxes and contributing to social security would receive credit for what they have paid into the system already. Verdad? Sounds fair to me that would right thing to do but I can’t say I’ve heard anything to that effect.


I love what the governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich and Chigaco Mayor Richard M. Daleey had to say about this last week: “Whether their names are Gutierrez or Lozano, Lipinski or Blagojevich; it doesn't matter, this is a country built by immigrants.” ( Gov. Rod Blagojevich)

“This is a fight that includes every American. Those who are here undocumented, we're not going to make criminals out of them. That is not what America has ever stood for and will not stand for.” (Mayor Richard M. Daley)

Labels: IMMIGRATION, politics

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The 411 on HR4437...

HR 4437, The Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. This bill has been getting a lot of press lately. This post is for those who may not know much about the bill but want to get a feel for it…


If passed HR 4437 could signal some of the most sweepingly dramatic changes in immigration law since the infamous Illegal Immigration Reform and Individual Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996 and could actually surpass that law in gutting judicial review and eroding due process.

Nothing in the bill provides a comprehensive and realistic plan for our immigration system to enhance border security, support economic growth and provide a legal means to lawful permanent residency for the millions of hardworking undocumented immigrants and their families in the United States. Nearly 500 organizations, including a wide variety of civic, religious and business groups are opposing this legislation. Below is a summary of just a sampling of the areas of greatest concern to the ILRC. See also www.ilrc.org/criminal.php for more information about drastic possible changes regarding immigration consequences of criminal convictions that would result if HR 4437 were passed.

* HR 4437 criminalizes organizations and individuals assisting undocumented immigrants
HR 4437 greatly expands the definition of “alien smuggling” to include assisting a person to remain or attempt to remain in the United States when the “offender” knows the person is in the United States unlawfully – thereby treating social services organizations, refugee agencies, churches, legal services and others the same as smuggling organizations and imposing criminal penalties for providing such assistance. Even family members and charitable workers could face federal prison time for assisting undocumented immigrants.

* HR 4437 criminalizes undocumented immigration status
Under current law, presence in the United States without valid status is a civil violation, not a criminal act. HR 4437 would create a new federal crime of “unlawful presence” and would define immigration violations so broadly as to effectively include every violation, however minor, technical or unintentional, as a federal crime. In addition to permanently barring the entire undocumented population – including 1.6 million children – from the United States, this would also lead to the tragic separation of families as undocumented members of mixed-status families would never be able to secure lawful immigration status in the United States.

* HR 4437 grants state and local law enforcement agencies “inherent authority” to enforce immigration laws
HR 4437 would grant law enforcement agencies the authority to investigate, identify, apprehend, arrest, detain and transfer to Federal custody immigrants they find in the United States. When police act as immigration enforcement agents, it undermines their ability to keep communities safe because immigrants and their family members will be scared to report crimes, fires, and suspicious activity out of fear of exposing themselves, families or neighbors to police. Inevitably, crimes will be left unsolved and the safety of entire communities will be compromised.

* HR 4437 furthers the erosion of due process
Our immigration laws provide that some individuals in removal proceedings can be granted voluntary departure – essentially leaving the United States on their own, with their own money – at the conclusion of the immigration hearing process. This is an important alternative to receiving a removal order because it allows an immigrant to reenter the United States lawfully in the future, despite having been in removal proceedings in the past. It is only granted to individuals with good moral character at the discretion of an immigration judge. Under HR 4377, noncitizens would be required to waive all rights to any further motion, appeals or petition for review related to removal or protection from removal in order to be granted voluntary departure, essentially barring them from a list with their family in the United States . Currently, various circuit courts have ruled that immigration officials may be prohibited from simply removing an individual from the United States without a hearing, based on the reinstatement of a prior removal order. HR 4437 purges this appellate court precedent. As a result, if passed, HR 4437 would strip the rights of immigrants with prior removal orders to any sort of hearing before being removed again. HR 4437 would also eliminate the ability of any person who wishes to enter the United States on a nonimmigrant visa (such as a tourist visa, a student visa, etc.) to have a hearing before an immigration judge in the event that he or she is later charged with an immigration violation. This is because HR 4437 would prohibit the issuance of a nonimmigrant visa unless the applicant first waives his or her right to any review or appeal of an immigration officer’s decision.

* HR 4437 expands the costly detention of immigrants
HR 4437 would require the Department of Homeland Security to detain all noncitizens apprehended along the border until they are removed from the United Statues – thus filling up already overcrowded and tremendously costly facilities as detainees wait for final decisions on their cases. To address the overcrowding issue, HR 4437 authorizes an increase in DHS detention capacity by contracting with state and local jails – thus further criminalizing immigrants by placing them in criminal facilities.

* HR 4437 guts the federal courts’ authority to review immigration matters
HR 4437 would prevent courts from reviewing any application for naturalization denied because of a discretionary determination of ineligibility based upon “any relevant information or evidence.” This gives the immigration agency practically unfettered authority to deny naturalization applications with no judicial review. HR 4437 also completely eliminates judicial review where noncitizens visas are revoked and is a specific attempt to remove courts’ ability to review consular decisions. For the few remaining immigration cases that could be reviewed by an appellate court, HR 4437 implements an unprecedented system whereby no appellate court review is available unless a single judge certifies that the petitioner has “made a substantial showing that the petition for review is likely to be granted.” The decision of the single judge to deny certification for review would be not be open to appeal or review of any kind.

* HR 4437 turns many minor crimes into aggravated felonies, which carry the worst possible immigration consequences
Because aggravated felonies are supposed to be reserved for the worst and most violent of crimes such as murder and rape, they carry the most serious immigration consequences. HR 4437 would make makes minor offenses aggravated felonies, with same concomitant consequences. As a result, misdemeanor drunk driving offenses, mere presence in the United States without documentation, assisting an undocumented immigrant to reside in the United States, and minor accessory roles in the criminal conduct of others would all qualify as aggravated felonies. Most of these changes would be retroactive, meaning that someone who committed an offense 20 years ago that was not a deportable offense then could be charged with an aggravated felony now. By making these offenses aggravated felonies, HR 4437 seeks to treat those who commit nonviolent, negligent acts or omissions the same as those who have acted with criminal intent to injure. Regardless of whether it is a major or minor crime, the mere characterization as an aggravated felony will trigger the same immigration consequences – mandatory deportation, mandatory detention, disqualification for almost all immigration benefits, permanent banishment from the United States without hope of lawful return, and the inability to present any equities to immigration judges regardless of how long the immigrant has been in the United States and how many ties he or she has here. Those at risk include permanent residents who have lived here lawfully for decades. In addition, because the noncitizen population in the United States is so large and many American families include both immigrants and citizens, these deportations will break up U.S. citizen families without any possibility of reunification.

* HR 4437 expands the consequences of an aggravated felony and other offenses
Despite the current drastic consequences of an aggravated felony, HR 4437 seeks to add more. It would bar an immigrant from establishing good moral character required to become a U.S. citizen if they have an aggravated felony conviction in the past – even if they could prove that at the time the offense occurred it was not characterized as an aggravated felony, and they presently have excellent moral character. Under HR 4437, aggravated felonies would also bar admission to the United States and bar the ability to re-immigrate to the United States via an immediate relative as defense to removal. There would be no waiver available. It would further bar an asylum seeker who has an aggravated felony conviction from ever becoming a permanent resident. These provisions will eliminate the little available relief and benefits for immigrants with aggravated felony convictions who demonstrate rehabilitation and strong family, social and economic ties.

* HR 4437 eliminates key safeguards concerning evidence used to prove that an immigrant is deportable for an aggravated felony
Since 1990, the United States Supreme Court has established guidelines, called the “modified categorical analysis,” for how a court can characterize a prior conviction. While this may sound technical, the categorical analysis is a vital safeguard that protects immigrants from wrongful deportation. It ensures that immigration judges consider only the most reliable information and documents from a prior conviction – and not from facts that were not established at the original criminal trial – to identify the offense for which the person was actually convicted. HR 4437 seeks to eliminate these guidelines for those accused of being aggravated felons in immigration proceedings. This means that immigrants could be deported for a conviction of an offense that is not actually an aggravated felony, simply because the offense is listed in the same state criminal statute that also includes an aggravated felony. Eliminating the categorical analysis is a radical violation of basic fairness that seeks to overturn years of established judicial precedent.

* HR 4437 reverses the burden of proof
Historically, the burden has been on the government to prove deportation, because the hardship of deportation is so great. Analogous to the criminal “innocent until proven guilty” standard, the longstanding rule has provided that the government may not simply arrest a long-time permanent resident, allege that she is deportable, and force her to prove that she is not. HR 4437 reverses this burden of proof for those charged with aggravated felonies. This would be an extreme blow to deeply-rooted and longstanding notions of fairness. The result in practice is that once the government decides to charge the person, the low-income, unrepresented, detained immigrant will be required to obtain the public records and to produce the extremely complex legal arguments required to disprove the government’s assertion. If the person cannot meet this nearly impossible burden, he or she will face mandatory detention, deportation, and permanent exclusion and separation from family and friends in the United States.

* HR 4437 makes an immigrant associated with any street gang deportable and ineligible for any immigration benefits
Under HR 4437, immigrants who have never committed any crimes whatsoever and who have obeyed all of our laws can be deported, denied admission and the ability to obtain lawful status, subjected to mandatory detention, and denied all forms of protection such as asylum and temporary protected status, simply because the Attorney General has determined that they are associated with a designated street gang. The Attorney General, through a secret process that provides no notice or opportunity to be heard to the immigrant, can designate any formal or informal group of three or more persons who have committed two or more enumerated gang crimes a “criminal street gang.” As a result of this designation, many immigrants who never committed or supported a single criminal act may be punished severely for exercising their right to association – they may be deported to a country where they face interrogation, torture, detention and even death.

* HR 4437 undermines state court decisions regarding the reversal or vacation of convictions in immigration proceedings
HR 4437 would allow immigration authorities to ignore certain reversals and vacations of criminal convictions by state courts, such as the failure to advise the immigrant of the immigration consequences of the guilty plea. This provision will seriously undermine the concept of “full faith and credit” due to state courts. This is particularly so, in states like California, where the state Supreme Court and other lowers courts have ruled that the failure to advise and defend of the immigration consequences and giving affirmative misadvice as to the immigration consequences constitute ineffective assistance of counsel, meriting vacation of the conviction.

* HR 4437 imposes mandatory minimum sentences for many offenses
HR 4437 adds dozens of new mandatory minimum penalties to current law. It imposes the same sentences upon persons who aid or assist certain immigrants to enter the United States as the immigrants themselves would receive. The bill would also impose one to 10 year mandatory minimum penalties for those who reenter the United States after deportation. These mandatory minimum sentences punish arbitrarily and strip judges from the discretion to make the punishment fit the crime, while also increasing the cost of incarceration to American taxpayers.

Labels: HR4437, IMMIGRATION, politics

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Tuesday, March 14, 2006

The Noid That Would Be King

I read an interesting article about Tom Monaghan the founder of Domino’s Pizza recognized in 1999 by The Daily Catholic as one of the top 100 Holy Rollers of the 20th century. I guess him and the other 99 on the list had bigger rosaries than all the other 20th century Catholics. Monaghan is building a new city in Florida named Ave Maria with the full support of Florida Governor Jeb Bush. The ground breaking ceremony was on February 17, 2006.

Monaghan “The Noid that would be King” is a Roman Catholic and wants to run Ave Maria in accordance to strict Catholic principles. This means meatless Fridays, no skirts above the knees, and dance partners must have 12 inches of air space in between them at all times.

At any given moment citizens of Ave Maria can be stopped at random by menopausal penguins armed with wooden rulers and if the citizen has not memorized the 10 commandments may God in heaven have mercy! The citizen will then recieve a good ol' fashioned ruler smack down on their hands and be carted off to the town jail where said citizen will have to stand on one leg by their cot until they are able to recite the commandments back to front. Oh yeah and let’s not forget the obligatory confession in which said citizen sits in a dark closet like booth confessing sins to a man who probably still has altar boy on his breath. Yeah boy I know about this stuff I’m the offspring a St. Paul’s and Holy Name alumni buddy.

Monaghan’s minion partner in this is Paul Marinelli of the Barron Collier Company. The company intends to rule with an iron fist control all of Ave Maria’s (damn why can’t I get Luciano Pavarotti out of my mind now?) commercial real estate. Cable companies will not be allowed to carry x-rated channels. Se jodio no Playboy channel for the citizens of Ave Maria. I wonder if King Noid is gonna ban certain shows on HBO, Cinemax, etc. because of graphic content? Stores are banned from selling porno because you know it’s a known fact that Catholics don’t do the porn thing or whack off. It gives them hairy palms and the tooth fairy really does exist. What you doubt me? ! When have I ever lied to you?! Think about it when was the last time you saw a Roman Catholic with hairy palms? Uh huh. Point made, now go pull a kid’s tooth out and place it under your pillow then send me the cash I’ve got Grad School to finance. Also on the “no can sell” list are condoms, and other methods of birth control. I wonder if Viagra is going be available? Money bet it is. Does anyone know the church’s standing on drug assisted stiffies?


When I heard about the town called Ave Maria and it’s proposed rules I thought to myself surely this morality policing of a town will catch on. I can see it now all over the USA religious themed towns springing up every where. The Jews can build Talmudville and ban the sale of chicken cordon bleu because it violates the kosher food laws. The Muslims erect Adhanland and immediately ban Babe, Charlotte’s Web, Porky Pig, and Piglet from the air waves. In Jehovah Landia all Hallmark Card stores and Party City stores would be banned because those witnesses don’t celebrate jack crap. They store all of their energy up for Sunday’s that’s when they get up extra early to knock on door handing out Watch Tower and Awake! magazines. The Mormons, never mind they already have one. Buddhism City would ban all stores because it is known that the desire for worldly possessions leads to attachment which leads to suffering.

For now the ACLU is keeping a close eye on Ave Maria. According to an interview he gave The Noid Monaghan believes in what he is doing and that’s great. “I believe all of history is just one big battle between good and evil. I don’t want to be on the sidelines.” The only thing that I don’t get is why whenever you disagree with any religion's moral policies they automatically label you as evil?

Labels: politics

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Monday, March 13, 2006

The Twilight Zone

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of politics in America. It is an area which we call the WTF?!! Zone.

WTF?!!! In North Carolina Vernon Robinson a former Winston-Salem City Councilman running running for congress in North Carolina’s 13th District. Not a big deal right? No not really except when you see the man’s campaign commercial. At first I thought this commercial was a parody. No way Jose it’s the real deal. In the commercial a homage to the classic TV series Rod Serling’s “The Twilight Zone” this Johnson attacks illegal aliens, homosexuals, blacks, pro choice, all in the name of “traditional American values”. WTF?!!! Robinson said, “My candidacy provides the taxpayers of the 13th District with the best opportunity to elect a Congressman who will represent their views in Washington. God help us if the majority of people in his district do share his views.

For your viewing pleasure…

Labels: politics

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Sunday, January 15, 2006

Pat Robertson puckers up..

Pat Robertson has finally seen the light about those stupid comments he recently made about Israeli Prime minister Sharon’s stroke being a punishment from God for giving up the Gaza strip to the Palestinians. He issued a formal apology to Sharon and Israel. In a letter marked for hand delivery to Sharon's son Omri, Robertson called the Israeli prime minister a "kind, gracious and gentle man" who was "carrying an almost insurmountable burden of making decisions for his nation." Ohhh can’t you see him puckering his lips to kiss butt as he wrote the letter? My tingly Mia senses tell me that there’s some major ass kissing going on…
"My concern for the future safety of your nation led me to make remarks which I can now view in retrospect as inappropriate and insensitive in light of a national grief experienced because of your father's illness," the letter said. I ask your forgiveness and the forgiveness of the people of Israel," Robertson wrote. Yup, mega major ass kissing going on.

I wish I could say that it was deep reflection that caused Roberston to change his mind but it wasn’t. His change of heart was inspired by the love for the almighty greenback. Robertson was supposed to be part of a group building the Christian Heritage Center in the northern Galilee region. The center which I guess is supposed to be some sort of Jesusland of course would have made Robertson a lot of mullah. I wonder though would they’ve had people dressed in apostle costumes greeting the guests like Disneyland? Maybe they would have had a roller coaster in the form of Noah’s Ark. Concessions selling fried fish…seminars on how to make water into wine… sorry my imagination got the best of me. After watching Robertson stick his foot in his mouth and suck the lint balls off of his socks in an attempt to make it all right, Israeli officials decided to kick him off the project… an eye for an eye my butt, nothing says vengeance better than a kick in the ol’ wallet.

Despite the apology, its doubtful Robertson is going to be allowed to a part of the project. The chances of them changing their minds are about as equal of me being able to eat a shrimp without having to go to an emergency room. None. It’s kind of ironic that a man who built his fortune on television ministries is not going to be allowed to be part of a project that is going to include television studios and satellite links for live broadcasts from the Holy Land.

Labels: politics

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Posted by @ 9:37 PM
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Friday, December 30, 2005

My Favorite Bushisms of 2005

I was reading some “Bushisms” (Bush quotes) online… the man is always good for a laugh. Remember this is the man that first uttered the words “ misunderestimate” and “embetter” Here are some of my personal favorites:

-- "See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda," Bush said in explaining his communications strategy last May.

-- "This notion that the United States is getting ready to attack Iran is simply ridiculous. And having said that, all options are on the table," Bush said in Brussels last February.

-- "In terms of timetables, as quickly as possible - whatever that means," the president said of his timeframe for passing Social Security legislation in March.
-- "Those who enter the country illegally violate the law," Bush said in describing illegal immigrants in Tucson, Arizona, last month.

Labels: bushisms, george bush, politics

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Posted by @ 12:44 PM
4 comment from:  Just Jane,  Mia,  Aisha,  Mia,

Friday, November 25, 2005

Maidens of Virtue....

I was minding my own business at home waiting for the coffee to finish brewing when there was a knock on my door. I opened the door thinking it was going to be a Jehova’s witness. They are always good for a laugh this early in the morning. I do however find that the local Mormons and Born again Christians have no sense of humor at 8 am. They never seem to appreciate my "Jesus is my homeboy" t-shirt. I guess it's something about the savior flashing hand signals they can't get into.

I opened the door and there before me stood an older woman, who was way too enthusiastic considering it was 8 am and freezing outside. Her face was ghastly white contrasted with 2 “slapped in the face” red circles on her cheeks, her permed salt and pepper was all askew from the wind. At first I wasn’t too sure if she was there to convert me or drink my blood, it was too early in the morning to tell. Turns out she was going door to door in my neighborhood collecting souls for the local Mormon Church. As she was introducing herself to me one of the books she was carrying caught my eye. Judging by the title and cover of the book it looked to have been published in an era when women still wore corsets and walked several feet behind their men. The name of the book was,"Raising Maidens of Virtue: A Study of Feminine Loveliness for Mothers and Daughters" by Stacy Mc Donald.

The lady saw me looking at the cover of her book just as my baby sister walked by yawning, scratching her butt in her power puff pajamas. Seeing us girls made the maternal side of her kick in. She figured that me being a maiden and my sister being in her pre-maiden stage it would be a good thing to talk to my mom about the book and the church. My mom wasn’t available so she had no choice but to talk to me if she wanted her message heard. She opened her book and tried to get me interested in it for my own good. She told me that the book was not from the Victorian era but instead from the current and that “It’s for mothers to use in training daughters who are approaching womanhood to think biblically.” WTF?! Training? As in fetch, roll over, play dead, ?...Oh man, one of those books, I thought. I’ll say this for her the woman was persistent she would’ve made Dracula proud , or whoever it is the Mormons answer to… who is it anyway is it the Osmonds?

She tried her hardest to get me to come to some gathering at the Mormon Church… her selling point was that a lot of Latinos are converting to Mormonism (is that a word?) … I give her my fakest smile ,”Oh yeah I can tell, by the large amount of Latino recruiters you guys are flooding my neighborhood with.” (lies…lies…and more lies)"Back off Mia be nice to the lady it’s too early for your sarcasm. Invite her in for some coffee or something. Hopefully Kane won't try to hump her leg.”, I thought to myself. I guess she sensed that I was one of those unchaste and impure women the book was rallying against (damn I need to use a better deodorant) and decided against coming in. The conversation quicky ended. I wished her a good day and closed the door.

As I was checking my email, sipping on my coffee my thoughts turned to the book. I went googled it and lo’ and behold I found it! I read a synopsis on the book and didn’t know whether to be laugh or to continue my state of amazement over what I found…. From theAmazon reader site:

“More than a fill-in-the-blank Bible study, "Raising Maidens of Virtue: A Study of Feminine Loveliness for Mothers and Daughters" is an engaging tool for mothers to use in training daughters who are approaching womanhood to think biblically. Through stories, allegories, illustrations, and memory-making projects, "Raising Maidens of Virtue" covers topics such as guarding the tongue, idleness, sibling relationships, honoring parents, contentment, modesty, purity, cleanliness, and feminine biblical beauty. Godly women are not born, but raised. Stacy McDonald has in this work equipped parents to be about the business of raising up rubies, or rather, that which is more precious still, our daughters.

WTF?!! if I’m gonna be compared to a jewel I want it to be diamonds , I mean aren’t diamonds more precious than rubies?! Or is that their way of making sure we don’t have too high an opinion of ourselves? “Yes my dear for you are as precious as a ruby to me.” “But sir aren’t diamonds more precious?” “Yes they are my dear, but you’re not that special only Our Savior the Lord Jeeeeezus is as precious as diamonds…now go back in the kitchen and get the men folk some coffee the 700 club is on.” Hmmm.

The chapters in the book have titles such as

Fresh Milk, Powdered and Perfumed

: Please tell me this is on skin care.

Knight in Shining Armor

: I’m guessing this is a Disney Cinderella inspired chapter.

Daddy's Fair Maiden

: I’m not even going to into how creepy that sounds. WTF? Did Jessica Simpson’s dad write this?

Taming the Tainted Tongue

:. I think this chapter may have been written with the likes of females like me in mind.

The site also had some reviews of the book…
She is a faithful guide, for she is a godly example.
~ Dr. R. C. Sproul, Jr., Pastor, Director of the Highlands Study Center, and most importantly, home schooling father of six

In the face of our culture’s shameless enticement of young women to view their identity and worth only in terms of their sexuality, Stacy McDonald passionately challenges mothers and daughters together to return to a pure and gracious femininity for the God who made us uniquely for His glory.
~Tracy Klicka, wife of Sr. Counsel for HSLDA, Chris Klicka somehow I get the feeling this dudes wife would love it if we went back to the days when women “knew their place”

We need young women who cherish their purity and desire to honor their parents through chaste behavior, speech, and dress. We need girls of character who cultivate their minds and emotions to reflect God’s design with joy, intelligence, and delight.
~ From the Foreword by Jennie Chancey

WTF?? Okay I understand everyone has their own views when it comes to raising their kids… but why does this book scare me so? Is it the thought that these Jesus freaks want to take us back to the day when women were kept barefoot and pregnant, subservient to men? Is it the fact that they support intelligent design over evolution? Is it the fact that they give out chastity rings and abhor the teaching of sexual education, and birth control? Or is it the fact that these male dominated religions got Bush elected into office and if they had it their way a woman’s right to choose would be banned sending woman back to the days when abortions were done with wire hangers? Take your pick anyone of the above reasons is justification enough is you ask me.

I have nothing against religion; in the right hands and with proper frame of mind it is a beautiful thing and it comforts and helps people deal with everything going on around them. My problem is when religion forgets its’ place and tries to sneak its’ way into schools, and government. When it tries to superimpose itself against the will of others. When it preaches descrimination against people who are different or when it tries to tell people how they should live, think or raise their children.My problem is when zealots take over and try to force feed it to you, they take something as beautiful as spiritual faith and turn it into the church of the poisioned mind. Somehow I don't think this is what Jesus,and the rest of the funky fresh Prophets had in mind when they preached the word of God so many centuries ago.

Labels: politics, religion, women

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Posted by @ 5:57 PM
1 comment from:  Mia,

Friday, November 11, 2005

Let's NOT play the race card today...

I think that the reason our country doesn’t have the drama that France has been going through is because minorities in this country don’t take crap from anyone. We’re united; we make the most of our rights. We protest, we petition and we elect officials that voice our concerns and fight for our causes. How ever I find that in these hypersensitive times people try to play the race card when there is no need to go there.

A column in our local paper claimed that a racial divide is evident in the military. They supported their claim with the Pentagon’s own personnel records. The records track military recruitment by state, county, zip code and racial and ethnic group, even by high school. The Marines weren't included because they did not provide sufficient data to track recruits' place of residence.

The national figures show that kids from low-income areas are far more likely to end up in the military. However I think that before blanket statements about the military’s racial composition are made it should be noted that 60 percent of enlisted personnel are white. Blacks make up about 22 percent and the number of Hispanic personnel as has increased 30 percent to 118,000 from 90,600. The military has become the most successfully integrated institution in American society. Whites, Hispanics and Blacks tend to seek out communications, intelligence, and the medical corps and other specialties in equal numbers. Blacks are 2 ½ times more likely to fill support or administrative roles while Hispanics and whites are 50% more likely to serve in the infantry, gun crews or their naval equivalent. These were the figures they gave for New York City for 2005, in my opinion these figures are flawed because they do not include all of the neighborhoods and boroughs of New York.

Neighborhood	Main racial & economic composition	# Enlisted
Manhattan: Upper East Side	White richest 'hood in city	3
Manhattan: Upper WestSide	Diverse Middle class - upper class	12 (9 Blk/Hisp/Asian & 3 White)
Manhattan: East Harlem	Hispanic & Black poor/middle/working class	45
South Bronx	Hispanic & Black poor/working class	116
Queens: Elmhurst & Corona	Immigrants poor/middle/working class	73
Brooklyn: Canarsie	White, Hispanic & lack working class	6 Hsp & Blk 0 white
Queens: Howard Beach, & Little Neck	White middle class	7
Queens: St. Albans & South Ozone Park	Largely Black working class/middle class	51

According to area politicians these numbers are the most convincing proof yet that the war without a compulsory draft has become a ghastly dividing line between rich and poor and black, Latino and white. WTF?! There is no need to play the race card today c’mon man! No one is kidnapping my brothers and sisters off the streets of NY and making them enlist! I am not in favor of the draft, not in favor of the war for that matter but as a New York Latina I understand the appeal of the military to my brothers and sisters. It’s a way out and a way to pay for college, a way to study careers they wouldn’t be able to afford out in the civilian world. There are some that would disagree with me. “Economics is not enough to explain those huge disparities”, Rep. Jose Serrano (D-South Bronx) and state Sen. David Paterson (D-Harlem) both said. I beg to differ; I almost joined up myself when I graduated HS before 9/11. The recruiters paint you this lovely picture…money for college… travel … perks up the ying yang. You sign up because you think you are going to have a better life than the one you’re leaving behind. Kids don’t think that they are going to die in a war. That crap happens to other people not to you. The recruiters sell you a dream to get you to sign up. For a lot of kid this is a way out. Some make it their career.

Rangel, Paterson and Serrano charge that military recruiters have turned uncommonly aggressive at targeting black and Hispanic high school youth. "They're coming into the high schools of the South Bronx nearly every week," Serrano said, and "they're demanding contact information for students." WTF?! This has been going on forever and NOW is when Serrano wants to address it? I smell an election coming up.

I don’t know what’s going on in the South Bronx I don’t live there. I’m over in the North-East Bronx and yeah I have noticed recruiters parked in the HS across the street like men on discount lap dance night at a strip club,but then again I go into white ‘hoods and see the same thing. Recruiters salivating, lined up looking at high school kids like pedophiles walking by school playgrounds during recess. If these representatives want to convince me that it’s a racial thing then show me the number of recruiters being sent out into neighborhood high schools. I want to see how many are being sent into predominantly minority schools and compare that to how many are being sent to predominantly white high schools.

“If only our government worked as hard getting blacks and Hispanics into college as it does sending them to Iraq”, Serrano said. WTF?! This dude is tripping! If only this dude fought as hard and held press conferences when the state was raising our college tuition!! The reality is that here in New York; I find that the high schools especially in minority neighborhoods bend over backwards helping kids to get into colleges. I went to a HS with a 50 percent drop out rate, it’s considered one of the worst high schools in New York, Adlai E. Stevenson in the Bronx… go ahead look it up I’ll wait. Hello Latina college student from the ‘hood about to get her Bachelors ova’ here! We have programs up the wazoo! It’s on the kids to take the opportunity and run with it. If a kid doesn’t go to college and prefers to join the service that’s on his ass, he has his reasons. Between financial aid and grants there is no excuse to at least get a 2 yr degree, beyond that you’re going to have to go in debt if not covered by financial aid.

Almost all of the peeps who graduated with me are in college today. The rest joined the military. The kids that I have known that have signed up for the army have done it for different reasons. Some weren’t too keen on going to college and their parents gave them an ultimatum either college,a full time job or the service. When they saw the job market for someone with no college they decided to go into the service. Some didn’t know what they wanted to do with their lives, others just wanted to get the fluck out and figure it along the way. Others came from dysfunctional families or foster homes and used the military as an escape. I wanted to go because I didn’t want my parents to go into debt to finance my education. It would have been different if I had wanted to be a secretary, but no I wanted to be a shrink and let me tell you it’s not cheap! The way it was presented to me it was a win- win situation. I could build a future for myself, travel and serve my country at the same time. Whoot ! Whoot!

"The heaviest burden of war is being carried by less fortunate Americans," Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Harlem), a Korean War veteran, said at a news conference. I think that this has always been the case when it comes to war. This is nothing new. Rangel and other local Democratic leaders blasted a "racially insulting" campaign by the Pentagon to deliberately target poor and minority youth to counter falling enlistment numbers. "It's just not fair that the people that we ask to fight our wars are people who join the military because of economic conditions, because they have fewer options," said Rangel, who in the past has called for reinstating the draft. Racially insulting? If the draft was going on and we found that more minorities were being drafted than whites then we can throw the race card in, but these kids are signing up of their own accord for whatever reasons they might be. Are local “minority rich” high schools being targeted? I don’t think so … I think high schools period are being targeted. They are after the kids, it might be that they are more successful in getting minority kids to sign up but the end result is the same …the military needs fresh blood and it’s not like we’re seeing a rash of adults running to enlist into the services so what left? The kids, and it doesn’t matter what ‘hood they are coming from. The fact is today’s military has become a powerful magnet for Hispanics and Blacks, women in particular who now out number white women in the Army.

Did they join up because they were brain washed by recruiters who chose to aggressively court them over their white counter parts? Na, I don’t think so. I think that when it comes to recruiting the military is an equal opportunity recruiter they don’t care what color the body is just as long as it’s willing to sign up. Instead of holding press conferences and throwing in a deck of race cards these officials should actually take the time to go into the schools and ask the kids why are they signing up and if it’s solely about economics do something to help them. Oh wait if they do that they can’t play the race card whenever an election is about to come up.

Labels: military service, minorities, politics, students

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Posted by @ 10:15 AM
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