by Humphrey Stevenson
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into law what is said to be one of the toughest anti-illegal immigration bills in the nation. She explained why the legislation was so necessary, “There is no higher priority than protecting the citizens of Arizona. We cannot sacrifice our safety to the murderous greed of drug cartels. We cannot stand idly by as drop houses, kidnappings and violence compromise our quality of life. We cannot delay while the destruction happening south of our international border creeps its way north. We in Arizona have been more than patient waiting for Washington to act. But decades of federal inaction and misguided policy have created a dangerous and unacceptable situation.”
Arizona is dealing with a special problem. It is being invaded by criminals. How do I know they’re criminals? They crossed our border illegally. That is a crime. Article 4, Section 4 of our Constitution mandates that our Federal Government is to protect a state from an invasion. What do we expect a state to do when the Federal Government will not live up to its responsibility to secure the boarders? The State of Arizona has taken seriously its responsibility to protect its citizens from cross-border criminals.
President Obama called the legislation “irresponsible” and “misguided.” It is clear that the President plans to use the controversy to introduce his own “immigration reform” legislation by saying, “If we continue to fail to act at a federal level, we will continue to see misguided efforts opening up around the country.”
Obama told a crowd of supporters in Iowa, “Now, suddenly, if you don't have your papers, and you took your kid out to get ice cream, you're going to get harassed.” This is pure demagoguery because he knows (or he should know) that the law does not allow for racial profiling. The police must already be in “legal contact” with the suspect before the “reasonable suspicion” of them being in the country illegally can come into play, meaning that police cannot simply see someone of Hispanic descent and ask to see their documentation. But so what if they could? Federal law already requires that all resident aliens carry their green card at all times.
While we’re on the subject of profiling, anyone who has watched any police dramas knows that profiling is a way many crimes are solved. Experts will examine the facts of a crime and based on those facts construct a profile of a likely perpetrator. It’s used in everyday law enforcement as well; we just don’t think of it as profiling. For example, police are taught that intoxicated people tend to exhibit certain behavior traits when driving. A policeman sees a driver exhibiting these traits and pulls them over on suspicion of drunk driving. That in its basic sense is profiling but I don’t think you or I want the police to stop doing it because it makes us all safer on the road.
Reverend Al Sharpton, never one to let a good race controversy go to waste, said he will dispatch “Freedom Walkers” to Arizona reminiscent of the Freedom Riders of the 1960’s. “Where we will walk down the streets with no ID and submit ourselves to arrest,” Sharpton said. I have a better idea for Reverend Al’s Freedom Walkers. He could take his group into Mexico. Then, in solidarity with the “undocumented workers,” have them sneak across the border into Arizona. He could call them “Freedom Crossers.”
President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon is up in arms over Arizona’s new law. Strange, you would think that the President Calderon would be happy to keep his best workers in Mexico. Or perhaps he knows that those that are pouring over the border into the US are not his best and he’s happy to be rid of them. He knows that many of these illegal immigrants are coming here not to work but to avail themselves of the social welfare of our country or to engage in crime. Maybe you’ve heard the old phrase, “Good neighbors respect property lines.” The same is true on the world stage. Good international neighbors respect borders.
There is no one who is a bigger supporter of immigration than I. Just please come through the front door and sign the guest register; don’t climb in the back window. But we all know where this controversy is leading; amnesty for all those sneak in the back way.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Stamping Out the Brushfires
Humphrey Stevenson
"It does not take a majority to prevail ... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." — Samuel Adams
On April 15, hundreds of tax day Tea Parties took place across the Republic to express concerns about the present government and its direction. These were peaceful, respectful gatherings of Americans availing themselves of the First Amendment rights. Whether they agree or disagree with the message, all Americans should be proud of the way the message was delivered. Alas, the left did not see it that way.
The Reverend Jacques De Graff appeared on the Fox News show “Hannity.” He could not resist denigrating at the TEA Parties by referring to them as the “Teabag” movement. You can say it was just an offhand remark but it seems a man of the cloth could choose his words a bit more carefully. Of course, he is just a petty, frustrated little man facing resistance he does not understand.
HBO funny man Bill Maher called TEA Parties a “perfectly good Klan rally.” I hate to disagree with such a learned man as Bill Maher but I don’t remember any sheets or hoods at the Tea Party with which I was associated. I did see a few crosses but none of them were burning. Perhaps his little joke would have been funny if it had any basis in fact.
I grew up in the Deep South and know something of the history of the KKK. You know all those racist, rednecks in the Klan? They were all Democrats. You don’t find Republicans in the Klan. Republicans opposed slavery and Jim Crow laws and favored civil rights for African Americans. Mr. Maher really should bone up on his history before he runs off at the mouth. But he doesn’t have to take my word for it. He could just ask Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV). I hear he was once an Exalted Cyclops in the Klan.
In a speech at a symposium commemorating the 15th anniversary of the OKC bombing, Bill Clinton suggested that the same concern expressed by the TEA Parties can lead to violent acts like the bombing. His implication seems to be that many TEA Party attendees are Tim McVeigh wannabes with a hair trigger. The former President said that prior to the OKC Bombing “…the fabric of American life had been unraveling” and “…we see some of that today." I’ll concede Mr. Clinton points; he is right on both counts. But who is doing the unraveling? It isn’t the TEA Parties; it’s this present administration. The TEA Parties are about sewing it back together not blowing it up.
President Obama said in a speech at a DNC fund raiser in Miami that he was amused by the people attending the TEA Party rallies. He has increased the deficit to unfathomable levels, nationalized two car companies, student loans and the health care system and this arrogant, two-bit tyrant has the gall to suggest that we should thank him. Obama said he was amused by the TEA Parties. However, he is not amused; he is angry.
The Democrats do not see their electoral success in 2008 as simply winning a few elections. They misread it as total victory; a sea change; a mandate to “fundamentally transform this nation” as Obama said at the time. But the people are saying “No”; they’re pushing back.
This was not in the plan. The Democrats figured that once they took over half the country would be cheering wildly for the apparent government largesse and the other half would quietly accept the situation. They control every branch of government and still the people will not submit. This has left them frustrated and angry.
So they lash out. They denigrate, name call, crack jokes and make inane comparisons between the TEA Parties and domestic terrorists like Tim McVeigh and the KKK. It’s pitiful really because it’s all they can do. For what they absolutely dare not do is argue the specific ideas of the TEA Parties. You see, deep down in places they will not talk about, even these Democrats know the TEA Parties are right. Just don’t hold your breath waiting for them to admit it.
All of these slights and digs and innuendos are just a cover for their real fear. The statist Democrats are trying the stamp out these brushfires of freedom before November and they combine into an inferno of liberty.
"It does not take a majority to prevail ... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." — Samuel Adams
On April 15, hundreds of tax day Tea Parties took place across the Republic to express concerns about the present government and its direction. These were peaceful, respectful gatherings of Americans availing themselves of the First Amendment rights. Whether they agree or disagree with the message, all Americans should be proud of the way the message was delivered. Alas, the left did not see it that way.
The Reverend Jacques De Graff appeared on the Fox News show “Hannity.” He could not resist denigrating at the TEA Parties by referring to them as the “Teabag” movement. You can say it was just an offhand remark but it seems a man of the cloth could choose his words a bit more carefully. Of course, he is just a petty, frustrated little man facing resistance he does not understand.
HBO funny man Bill Maher called TEA Parties a “perfectly good Klan rally.” I hate to disagree with such a learned man as Bill Maher but I don’t remember any sheets or hoods at the Tea Party with which I was associated. I did see a few crosses but none of them were burning. Perhaps his little joke would have been funny if it had any basis in fact.
I grew up in the Deep South and know something of the history of the KKK. You know all those racist, rednecks in the Klan? They were all Democrats. You don’t find Republicans in the Klan. Republicans opposed slavery and Jim Crow laws and favored civil rights for African Americans. Mr. Maher really should bone up on his history before he runs off at the mouth. But he doesn’t have to take my word for it. He could just ask Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV). I hear he was once an Exalted Cyclops in the Klan.
In a speech at a symposium commemorating the 15th anniversary of the OKC bombing, Bill Clinton suggested that the same concern expressed by the TEA Parties can lead to violent acts like the bombing. His implication seems to be that many TEA Party attendees are Tim McVeigh wannabes with a hair trigger. The former President said that prior to the OKC Bombing “…the fabric of American life had been unraveling” and “…we see some of that today." I’ll concede Mr. Clinton points; he is right on both counts. But who is doing the unraveling? It isn’t the TEA Parties; it’s this present administration. The TEA Parties are about sewing it back together not blowing it up.
President Obama said in a speech at a DNC fund raiser in Miami that he was amused by the people attending the TEA Party rallies. He has increased the deficit to unfathomable levels, nationalized two car companies, student loans and the health care system and this arrogant, two-bit tyrant has the gall to suggest that we should thank him. Obama said he was amused by the TEA Parties. However, he is not amused; he is angry.
The Democrats do not see their electoral success in 2008 as simply winning a few elections. They misread it as total victory; a sea change; a mandate to “fundamentally transform this nation” as Obama said at the time. But the people are saying “No”; they’re pushing back.
This was not in the plan. The Democrats figured that once they took over half the country would be cheering wildly for the apparent government largesse and the other half would quietly accept the situation. They control every branch of government and still the people will not submit. This has left them frustrated and angry.
So they lash out. They denigrate, name call, crack jokes and make inane comparisons between the TEA Parties and domestic terrorists like Tim McVeigh and the KKK. It’s pitiful really because it’s all they can do. For what they absolutely dare not do is argue the specific ideas of the TEA Parties. You see, deep down in places they will not talk about, even these Democrats know the TEA Parties are right. Just don’t hold your breath waiting for them to admit it.
All of these slights and digs and innuendos are just a cover for their real fear. The statist Democrats are trying the stamp out these brushfires of freedom before November and they combine into an inferno of liberty.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Opening Day
by Humphrey Stevenson
April 15th is this Thursday and we all know what that means; TEA Parties. At this moment, the defiant ones are pulling our their “Liberty or Death” t-shirts, dusting off their Stars and Stripes and Gadsden flags, making their signs and getting ready for a whole new season telling the Government to get out of our lives. Major League Baseball has Opening Day; the TEA Parties have April 15th.
The fact is that our little movement seems to be gaining momentum. Polls show that more Americans identify with the TEA Parties than with the present administration. Not bad for a bunch of fringe, right-wing nut-cases. If not a cause for celebration, it is certainly a reason to take heart.
However, as the TEA Party movement gains steam, the enemies of the movement will be sharpening their attack as well. The compliant ones are getting ready. The TEA Parties will not come as a surprise as last year. That’s fine, most TEA Partiers are more than willing to debate and defend their position. However, the compliant ones don’t debate, they can’t defend their position. Rather, they mischaracterize, they name call, they go on TV with all manner of wild accusations, none of which they can prove.
The day before the Health Care vote, Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) claimed he was spat upon and called a racial slur by a TEA Party member while walking into the Capitol building. Originally, Cleaver’s office said he reported the incident to police and the man was detained briefly. Later, in an interview with Fox News, Cleaver seemed to back off his earlier statement and said he never reported anything. Video of the incident shows the man cupping his hands around his mouth and speaking loudly to the Congressman in an effort to be heard over the crowd. There, however, is no evidence of spitting and no one other than the Congressman claims to have heard the racial slur.
But, I have a question. If you are a liberal Democrat Congressman, why walk in proximity of a TEA Party anyway? It’s not as though they’re hard to spot; you can see those big, yellow flags a mile away. Also, there is a subway system that runs from the Congressional office buildings to the Capital. So, there was no need for Congressman Cleaver to have been anywhere near the TEA Party. The only reason for the Congressman to do this was to try and provoke the TEA Partiers into actions that would reflect badly on the movement. Thankfully, because of the restraint and law abiding nature of the TEA Partiers, the Congressman’s efforts were for naught, but he made claims to have been wronged anyway. Moral; if you don’t have a good incident; tell a good story.
Then there is the recent incident out in Searchlight, Nevada where Harry Reid supporters threw eggs at the TEA Party Express bus as it passed by.
In any large, grassroots movement there are going to be a few crackpots who either misunderstand the point of the movement or wish to use it for their own nefarious purposes. But I know that the vast majority of TEA Partiers are good, hardworking Americans who are deeply concerned about the direction of our Country.
I believe this was only the first attempts to try and provoke TEA Party members into actions that could be used by a willing media to cast the movement in a bad light. The TEA Partiers have not taken the bait. What will be the next step? Well if they can’t goad the TEA Partiers into action, the enemies of the movement may take actions themselves and try to make it look as if the TEA Parties are responsible.
We may have seen the beginnings of this with the death threats some Congressional members say they received following the Health Care vote. I don’t believe any of these threats have been tied directly to any TEA Parties, but there was the one incident where a “tea party participant” tried to publish the address of a Congressman.
As we go to our TEA Parties, let’s be visible; let’s be vocal; but let’s be respectful. Don’t give our enemies any ammunition to use against us. Lord knows they’re going to make up enough on their own. Don’t be timid either. We are on the right side (no pun intended) and our cause will be born out in the end.
April 15th is this Thursday and we all know what that means; TEA Parties. At this moment, the defiant ones are pulling our their “Liberty or Death” t-shirts, dusting off their Stars and Stripes and Gadsden flags, making their signs and getting ready for a whole new season telling the Government to get out of our lives. Major League Baseball has Opening Day; the TEA Parties have April 15th.
The fact is that our little movement seems to be gaining momentum. Polls show that more Americans identify with the TEA Parties than with the present administration. Not bad for a bunch of fringe, right-wing nut-cases. If not a cause for celebration, it is certainly a reason to take heart.
However, as the TEA Party movement gains steam, the enemies of the movement will be sharpening their attack as well. The compliant ones are getting ready. The TEA Parties will not come as a surprise as last year. That’s fine, most TEA Partiers are more than willing to debate and defend their position. However, the compliant ones don’t debate, they can’t defend their position. Rather, they mischaracterize, they name call, they go on TV with all manner of wild accusations, none of which they can prove.
The day before the Health Care vote, Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) claimed he was spat upon and called a racial slur by a TEA Party member while walking into the Capitol building. Originally, Cleaver’s office said he reported the incident to police and the man was detained briefly. Later, in an interview with Fox News, Cleaver seemed to back off his earlier statement and said he never reported anything. Video of the incident shows the man cupping his hands around his mouth and speaking loudly to the Congressman in an effort to be heard over the crowd. There, however, is no evidence of spitting and no one other than the Congressman claims to have heard the racial slur.
But, I have a question. If you are a liberal Democrat Congressman, why walk in proximity of a TEA Party anyway? It’s not as though they’re hard to spot; you can see those big, yellow flags a mile away. Also, there is a subway system that runs from the Congressional office buildings to the Capital. So, there was no need for Congressman Cleaver to have been anywhere near the TEA Party. The only reason for the Congressman to do this was to try and provoke the TEA Partiers into actions that would reflect badly on the movement. Thankfully, because of the restraint and law abiding nature of the TEA Partiers, the Congressman’s efforts were for naught, but he made claims to have been wronged anyway. Moral; if you don’t have a good incident; tell a good story.
Then there is the recent incident out in Searchlight, Nevada where Harry Reid supporters threw eggs at the TEA Party Express bus as it passed by.
In any large, grassroots movement there are going to be a few crackpots who either misunderstand the point of the movement or wish to use it for their own nefarious purposes. But I know that the vast majority of TEA Partiers are good, hardworking Americans who are deeply concerned about the direction of our Country.
I believe this was only the first attempts to try and provoke TEA Party members into actions that could be used by a willing media to cast the movement in a bad light. The TEA Partiers have not taken the bait. What will be the next step? Well if they can’t goad the TEA Partiers into action, the enemies of the movement may take actions themselves and try to make it look as if the TEA Parties are responsible.
We may have seen the beginnings of this with the death threats some Congressional members say they received following the Health Care vote. I don’t believe any of these threats have been tied directly to any TEA Parties, but there was the one incident where a “tea party participant” tried to publish the address of a Congressman.
As we go to our TEA Parties, let’s be visible; let’s be vocal; but let’s be respectful. Don’t give our enemies any ammunition to use against us. Lord knows they’re going to make up enough on their own. Don’t be timid either. We are on the right side (no pun intended) and our cause will be born out in the end.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
US Census
The Conservative Camel
I just filled out my census form last night; well, sort of. I just filled in the number of people living in my home and sent it back. I’m not telling you to do that. I did it as protest to nosey government. They don’t need to know age or race or whether my home is a house or apartment; none of their business. The Constitution says take an “enumeration”; that is, count the people. It doesn’t say separate by race or age; just count the people.
This idea of asking race or age is to gerrymander Congressional districts so as to get the election outcome the government wants.
But there seemed to be one glaring omission in the questions that our nosey government asked. They didn’t ask if you were a US Citizen. Shouldn’t that be first question? That tells us something about our government’s priorities; don’t you think? They care about your race and age; but couldn’t care less about your citizenship.
I just filled out my census form last night; well, sort of. I just filled in the number of people living in my home and sent it back. I’m not telling you to do that. I did it as protest to nosey government. They don’t need to know age or race or whether my home is a house or apartment; none of their business. The Constitution says take an “enumeration”; that is, count the people. It doesn’t say separate by race or age; just count the people.
This idea of asking race or age is to gerrymander Congressional districts so as to get the election outcome the government wants.
But there seemed to be one glaring omission in the questions that our nosey government asked. They didn’t ask if you were a US Citizen. Shouldn’t that be first question? That tells us something about our government’s priorities; don’t you think? They care about your race and age; but couldn’t care less about your citizenship.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)