LatinaLista — If ever there was any doubt that undocumented immigrants would be the scapegoats of the 2008 presidential elections, there isn’t anymore.
The writing on the wall is clear for what is the scapegoat issue of the 2008 presidential election.
(Source: 5cense.com)
The proverbial “writing on the wall” has appeared, and it leaves no question that someone campaigning for votes or readers will resort to using the one term guaranteed these days to turn passive audiences into self-righteous patriots.
The first example of this theory is in a column by Cal Thomas titled “To ID, or Not to ID?”
The premise of the column argues a valid point regarding whether or not voters will be required to show proof of identification. He points out that the Supreme Court, in one of their first cases of the new year, will be deciding whether or not voters should show ID.
The columnist, known for being Conservative, cites a Washington Post frontpage story that reported how Appellate judges named by Republicans tend to favor the requirement while Appellate judges named by Democratic judges don’t.
In a subtle build-up towards his real premise for the column, Thomas talks about all the other things in society now where ID is required. He has a point.
But his point becomes null and void when in the middle of his column he interjects the new scapegoats of this election.
The Post interviewed Richard L. Hasen, an election-law expert at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. It summarized his position on the controversy this way: “Hasen does not believe that the (lower court) decisions reflect a desire to aid one political party over another, but rather a philosophical divide on the question of whether protecting the integrity of the voting process from fraud is of equal or greater value than making sure as many eligible voters as possible take part in the process.”
Come again? If potential voters are illegal aliens (or convicted felons, or do not live where they claim) without proper IDs, how can they possibly be “eligible” to vote? How is a voter registrar to determine whether someone is, in fact, eligible without some form of legitimate identification?
Before the above paragraph, there was no mention of undocumented immigrants, and why are “convicted felons” in parenthesis? Aren’t they just as likely, if not more so, to vote illegally?
And who says undocumented immigrants do knowingly vote?
A GOOGLE search on the topic reveals that the vast majority of stories of undocumented immigrants voting are perpetrated by organizations, web sites and blogs dedicated to slandering the truth about undocumented immigrants.
The few times reported that undocumented immigrants have voted were reported to have been done innocently and unknowingly because they thought they were compelled by law to vote.
Yet, Thomas makes no mention of that.
Being the former reporter that he is, he should be well-schooled in getting his facts right before submitting them along as fact with his opinion. At the least, his editors at Tribune Media should have known.
As a matter of record, we’ve seen in states like Georgia and Oklahoma that have instituted changes in showing ID to fulfill routine obligations like getting a driver’s license or applying for welfare benefits, disenfranchises fully, legal citizens because of the measures.
Though the actions were intended to root out undocumented immigrants, state government officials have gone on record saying that undocumented immigrants trying to take advantage of the system to apply for any of these things was a non-issue because they don’t. They’re too afraid of being caught.
But that fact would ruin the whole strategy that the undocumented are out to invade and bring down American society.
As that old saying goes, “History is written by the victors” — any way they want.
Another example appearing in the press that illustrates this theory is what the Los Angeles Times attributes to Republican Presidential candidate Fred Thompson:
“You are so, so right,” Thompson responded. English should be the national language, he told the retiree, and immigrants bear some of the blame for the home-loan crisis. “A lot of them couldn’t communicate with the people they were getting the mortgage from,” he said.
There are some things too stupid to waste thoughtful analysis and commentary on. This is one such example.
Suffice it to say that Thompson should return to acting in Law & Order because when it comes to the real world, instead of breaking a leg (as is the customary saying for wishing good luck to an actor before a performance), he’s just putting his foot in his mouth.
Comment(23)
Frank
So there is no validity in Fred Thompson’s remarks? Come on now, let’s be honest here.
Getting back to voting, it is such a vital way of ensuring the direction of this country’s future every voter should have to present legitimate I.D. at the voting booth.
Another thing that is wrong and should be corrected is that illegal aliens are counted in the mix with citizens in determing how many Representatives a given area will be alloted. This is just plain wrong. Government should only be representing U.S. citizens and an area saturated with illegal aliens are getting more than their fair share of representation and that does affect policy in that area and can affect the outcome of our national elections.
Horace
First of all, let’s look at the definition of a scapegoat: “When used as a metaphor, a scapegoat is someone selected to bear blame for a calamity. Scapegoating is the act of holding a person, group of people, or thing responsible for a multitude of problems.”
Although illegal immigration is an issue during this election, it is not a case of scapegoating, anymore than debating the war is scapegoating.
None of the candidates has unfairly blamed illegal aliens for an increase in crime, or increases in health care, for example, even though it is. For example, it is true that illegal alien criminals from Mexico do contribute to crime in this country, and that illegal aliens from Mexico are abusing our health care system by obtaining it free. The facts are that those who cannot afford to pay for their health care leave the bills for those who do, and that there are many places in the southwest and other clusters of illegal aliens, where emergency rooms are primary health care providers. It is a fact that Mexican and criminals from other Central America enter our country as illegal immigrants and are causing havoc. However, in general, the candidates are simply arguing the need to control the borders and deport illegal aliens because they’ve entered the country illicitly. That is not scapegoating but merely stating facts. The Republicans believe that the public agrees with the laws as they stand, and that illegal aliens should remove themself from this country. This is not demonizing, nor is it scapegoating.
Out of control illegal immigration (a fact) is a case of the failure of our government to enforce our laws, period. Illegal aliens have violated our laws and are thus fair game for political debate. You like to call that scapegoating, Marisa, but that’s only because you don’t have any other argument to support your case that making illegal immigration a political issue is wrong. All shortcomings of our government are fair gaime for candidates for debate. If your candidates believe that giving amnesty to illegal aliens is the right thing to do, then have Billary, et al, express that as their positions on the campaign trail. It will prove once and for all whether the Amercian people are on your side in this issue. Whining that this issue shouldn’t be subject to scrutiny is asking that it be swept under the rug, which obviously won’t happen, and it’s rather naive of you to think that it could happen. Debate is the democratic way, while asking Americans to stick their heads in the sand isn’t.
Evelyn
Racists have a knack for putting their foot in their mouths.
They think they can print gibberish (their views) as fact, and everyone is as gullible as they to believe this gibberish.
I would rather print the truth than to resort to regurtating the same lies over, and over, and over, and over, we are sssooooo accustomed to seeing here, over, and over.
Hummmmm……maby they think this repetition will make their lies true……nah, they couldn’t possibly be that dumb, could they?
Bernard Hucht
I have plenty of Hispanic friends that hate illegal immigration!
In fact many of them are Minutemen!
Stop trying to dictate to the American people regarding this hot button issue when they are highly affected by crime entering our borders illegally.
Publius
They’re too afraid of being caught? They weren’t too afraid of being caught when they crossed the border illegally and bought their fraudulent Social Security card or posed as U.S. citizens, or marched openly for rights that they weren’t entitled to. The threat of prosecution for the felony of identity theft and the penalty of imprisonment hasn’t been a sufficient deterrent for illegal aliens, has it? Please don’t try to snow us, Marisa.
I find it highly probable that La Raza and other desperate Hispanic advocacy groups will encourage illegal immigrants to vote.
The defense of the citizen’s right to vote is in jeopardy and there is no rational reason why voter ID cards shouldn’t be protected against counterfeiting by requiring a photo on a forgery resistant ID card. Voter fraud has been around since the beginning of our nation, long before the massive invasion of illegal aliens. We require photo IDs for driver’s licenses. Government agencies require photo IDs to enter their installations. One has to question the ulterior motives of those illegal alien advocates who object vociferously to such requirements.
I have no doubts that the Supreme Court, in recognizing the need to preserve the sanctity of the citizen’s right to vote, and the ever present potential for fraud, will side with the reasonableness of state laws. The Supreme Court will not likely interfere in state law which does not conflict with the Constitution.
Frank
Evelyn, yes racists do have a habit of putting their feet in their mouths and spreading lies, which is evidenced by your favorite forum that you hang out in. It is a lie to call most Americans who are opposed to illegal immigration, racists, xenophobes, etc.
When is your little group going to finally admit that the truth isn’t gibberish? We have heard you and yours lies spouted over and over again, so don’t play innocent here.
Your little group says that those of White European ancestry should go back to Europe and that we are the illegal ones. Ring a bell, Evelyn?
Evelyn
It seems the racists are just waiting around in line to prove my point, about regurgitating the same lies.
Before they didn’t want to be associated with any racist groups. Now they flaunt it (minuteKLAN).
They are embolden because you, Raza, allow them. This is your forum, but you say nothing.
I am disappointed by your inaction. The lies they spread about the immigrants and Hispanics can be seen as fact because your silence allows this.
yave begnet
National IDs are the mark of the beast! Next up, bar codes will be stamped on our foreheads like we’re boxes of macaroni at the grocery store. It’s all part of the government’s insidious plan to catalogue our every movement and spy on us in our sleep.
Oh wait, that’s so 1994 … I see conservative paranoia has progressed from fearing the black helicopters to commandeering them to strafe border-crossers in the Southwest. Democratic opposition to national IDs is all part of the librulz’ insidious plan to prevent the government from cataloguing our every movement and spying on us in our sleep. If you’ve done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear from Big Brother Bush!
Frank
Evelyn, I am still waiting for you to post the lies that the majority of law abiding Americans have stated about illegal immigration. Why do you use the terms “immigrants” and “Hispanics”? This is about illegal immigration, not them. Speaking of lies….. the MM and the KKK are two different organizations with two different goals. One is racist, the other isn’t.
yave, is your driver’s license the mark of the beast too? How about your SS number? These things along with a national I.D. card are in place to protect you, not harm you. Have you been watching too many science fiction movies lately? Big Brother indeed, lol.
Peter
The conservatives cry ‘Illegal Immigrants!’ OK, Fine.
Instead of pointing out that taking actions against non-citizens is silly and stupid (do you care if Myanmar enacts anti-immigration laws? I don’t) you instead attack them.
Silly, and off-point.
This is a situation created by two groups; the immigrants themselves and the Blanquitos who hire them. So far as the immigrants are concerned, I have to give them a pass: I would do the same if I were in their situation. Plus, can I say that all 64 of my great-great-great-great grandparents followed all the relevant laws in order to get here in the mid 19th century? I can’t. Since I’m here typing this, all I can say for certain is that they did what they thought they had to do in order to get here.
The businesses that hire so-called illegals are scofflaws, tax cheats, and insurance frauds. They’re the ones who should be persued and attacked, not some stuffed shirt on a news program who is exploiting his/her 15 seconds of fame.
Frank
Peter, I have to disagree with you here. There is a three-fold blame in this illegal immigration mess, the employers, our government and the illegals themselves. The illegals do not and should not get a pass in this.
Horace
Hello, poco loco Yave. Haven’t heard from you since you left in a huff after calling our troops in Iraq murderers. As I recall, it went something like this, “at least I didn’t go to Iraq and kill innocent civilians”, after I suggested that you’ve never sacrificed for our country.
Alas, poor Evelyn, you’re apparently the victim of our failed educational system in that you have never been indoctrinated with the concept of the 1st Amendment of the Constitution, the one referencing free speech. We see it time and again with the immigration issue, where anyone who disagrees with amnesty is abusively declared a racist whose arguments aren’t worthy of a hearing. I suggest, Evelyn, it is you who are out of line, but nevertheless, I would defend to the bitter end your right to express your vitriolic opinions.
Evelyn
Don’t hold your breath Frank!
Gosh i’m getting tired of this. Ive explained it to you several times and you choose to ignore it.
I am also anti-illegal immigrant. This means, I DON’T SUPPORT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. I have pointed that out to you many times, and you choose to ignore it.
I don’t go out and make up lies about immigrants, or frequent racists websites , or belong to a racist group, or support the views of racists groups like the minuteKLAN, who go out to shoot Mexicans. I don’t demonize Immigrants especially Hispanics, because I don’t approve of Illegal Immigration. YOU DO!
It would be like me not approving of domestic violance, and than blaming only ‘all white women who are victims’ of domestic violance for it’s existence.
Than demonize them by calling them disease carriers, burdens to society, criminals, cannibals, and say they are to blame for the war in Iraq??????
Evelyn
Twisting the facts of what I do, (which is call you racist and bigot) for your use of lies to demonize Hispanic immigrants, gives you even less credibility.
Your desperation is showing, by calling the truth “my vitriolic opinions”, especially coming from someone who chooses to ignore all truth and violate the Constitution by not seeking equality and justice for all, Horace.
Frank
You are flat out lying, Evelyn. I do not frequent racist groups nor am I a member of any racist group. I don’t consider the MM, racists but even so I am not one of them. I do not make up lies about immigrants or illegal aliens. You can’t just throw out accusations like that and not provide proof of it!!!!!
You do support and sympathize with the illegal aliens in this country. Otherwise why are we even arguing this issue?
Show proof where I have demonized Hispanics, legal or otherwise? Why do you continually accuse me of things but never offer proof of it? I have asked you this over and over. Why can’t you provide that proof? You know why, don’t you? Because THERE ISN’T ANY!
It is possible that “some” illegal aliens are desease carriers. They come here without health checks. I have not and would not say that they are ALL desease carriers. So why do you continue to lie?
The Congressional Budget commitee says they take more out of our society in taxes and other things above and beyond what they pay in taxes or contribute. Don’t shoot the messenger!!
“Some” illegals are guilty of other crimes besides just crossing our border illegally. “Some” do steal I.D.’s and SS numbers. “Some” do commit other crimes too. The clue here, Evelyn of which you choose to ignore is the word “some.
Cannibalism? That’s the first I have ever heard that bizarre reference to illegal aliens or anyone else for that matter in this country. You never heard that one from me!
Blaming them for the war in Iraq? Now that’s really bizarre! I haven’t a clue what you are talking about and I wouldn’t blame illegal aliens for the war because they aren’t to blame. The Iraq War has nothing to do with them.
What is wrong with you? Why do you continually lie and make false accusations of me in here?
EYES OF TEXAS
When you have no credible facts to present, the only recoarse is to demean those that do not fall to her feet by supporting her delusional views of the issues. Back a rat into a corner and it can get pretty offensive.
Evelyn
Frank
You may not consider the MinuteKLAN racists, but facts prove otherwise. That is why I brand them as spawn of KKK. Some of their members are also members of the largest Neo-Nazi group in America.
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/news/item.jsp?aid=13
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is it possible that “some” white men your age are disease carriers Frank? After all not every white man has health insurance. Lets not ignore that fact, after all I would never say they are all disease carriers.
The Congressional Budget Office doesnt do studies on
anything, but the Council of Economic Advisers compiles information from various studies, (Which you have ignored when I gave you the link) and reports their findings directly to the president. This report finds that Immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, (note the small print at the bottom of the page) are a net gain to the economy. The Immigration policy center, reports the findings of many of these studies by different orgs. and universities, if not all posted at their website.
Council of Economic Advisers to the president link.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/cea_immigration_062007.pdf
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Some” white men your age are guilty of other crimes, besides just drunk driving, “some,” do steal IDs and SS numbers. “Some” do commit other crimes too. The clue here Frank of which you choose to ignore (if you complain about this) is the word “some”.
Read the rest of my post about cannibals, and the Iraq war, than maby you will understand how preposterous your posts are, when you spread all kinds of lies about the immigrants and Hispanics.
What is wrong with you Frank? Why do you continually lie and make accusations, like the one about Immigrants especially Hispanics where you state “the congressional budget committee says they take out more of our society in taxes and other things above and beyond what they pay in taxes or contribute.”
The Insinuations about immigrants especially Hispanics being disease carriers and criminals, is insulting. Anyone can be a disease carrier or criminal.
The insinuation about “some” immigrants being criminals, coming from you, a native of this country, was hilarious. According to all the credible studies done on immigrants undocumented or otherwise, show that men like you have a higher rate of criminality than immigrants, undocumented or otherwise. LOL!
Frank
Evelyn, we can do nothing about Americans that have deseases except hope they will get medical care for them. Some illegals are bringing in deseases that haven’t even been in this country for some time now such as TB. The point is that there would be less desease carriers in this country without illegal aliens coming in without health checks You can’t keep comparing citizens to illegals. We are stuck with our citizens regardless of their character or their health problems. But we shouldn’t be stuck with illegal aliens and their character or health problems.
“MY” posts mentioned no cannibalism nor the Iraq war when discussing illegal aliens. So what do you mean by “my” posts?
Again, I haven’t spread any lies about illegals. I believe “MY SOURCES” and I also have shown where you aren’t using common sense on some of these things. If you want to call someone a liar then why don’t you call “MY SOURCES” liars instead of me?
There are no facts proving the “majority” of the MM are racists. None, Nada. It isn’t really relevant anyway because the majority of Americans opposed to illegal immigration are not members of the MM. We are merely law abiding citizens.
Your last remark is just plain ridiculous! Men like me? LOL! You do like to project don’t you?
It doesn’t matter anyway, “men like me” are citizens of this country. If we have done wrong we will and should pay for it in a court of law. But we do belong in this country regardless, the illegals do not!
Liquidmicro
Oh, Evelyn, from your own report http://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/cea_immigration_062007.pdf
it first lumps all ‘immigrants’ together, legal and illegal, then goes on to state, “The surplus is
larger for high-skilled immigrants (meaning ‘LEGAL IMMIGRANTS) ($198,000) and slightly NEGATIVE for those with less than a
high school degree (ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS)(-$13,000).
The long-term fiscal approach imparts four main lessons: 1) although subject to uncertainty, it
appears that immigration has a slightly positive long-run fiscal impact (due to the higher earnings of legal immigrants); 2) skilled immigrants
have a more positive impact than others; 3) the positive fiscal impact tends to accrue at the
federal level, but net costs tend to be concentrated at the state and local level; and 4) the overall fiscal effect of immigration is not large relative to the volume of total tax revenues – immigration is unlikely to cure or cause significant fiscal imbalances.”
Your own report states there is a negative impact to the economy from ‘Illegal Immigrants’, and that the ‘highly skilled’ make up the difference, thus “the overall fiscal effect of immigration is not large relative to the volume of total tax revenues – immigration is unlikely to cure or cause significant fiscal imbalances.”
Liquidmicro
Obviously you didn’t comprehend your Council of Economic Advisers report.
Obviously if you are arguing for legal immigration, this report would mean something, however we are arguing against “ILLEGAL” immigration, which your report admits within its own wording, that low-skilled, low earning immigrants are a negative (-$13,000.00) and not a positive to the economy.
Liquidmicro
Your SPLC article does not state that the Alliance Members were members of the Minutemen, they were there by their own reason,present for the rally. Now, they are free members of the public to do as they wish, participate in what they choose to, but they are not, nor were they MEMBERS of the Minutemen. Your accusation of, “You may not consider the MinuteKLAN racists, but facts prove otherwise. That is why I brand them as spawn of KKK. Some of their members are also members of the largest Neo-Nazi group in America.” is nothing more than LIES by you and your lack of comprehending an article. Please educate yourself before you profuse “LIES” towards everybody that differs with your opinion. Please present actual FACTS in the future, so that you aren’t made to look the “FOOL”.
Horace
Go back and read your studies, Evelyn. They refer to immigrants, those that used our immigration system to enter the country. If taken as a seperate group, illegal aliens would no doubt commit crimes at a higher rate than those people who are defined by our laws as immigrants. As I’ve stated, true immigrants are vetted by the use of background checks, and criminals are excluded from entry. Illegal aliens do not submit themselves to scrutiny. Furthermore, it’s a documented fact that MS-13 gang members and fugitives from Mexican justice, murderers, rapists, child molesters and drug dealers also cross. In order for a study to include illegal immigrants, the author of the study would have to know how many illegal aliens are actually in this country to establish a crime rate. And, as we all know, this is not known with any precision, so the crime rate of illegal aliens remains an open question.
I know, I know, you’ll just say this is all lies and that you’ll call me a racist, but since I don’t value your opinion, your vitriol fails to hurt me.
Liquidmicro
I guess Evelyn has her foot in her mouth.
Comments are closed.