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Deep south reclaims bigotry title
Miguel Perez
Just when we thought no other state could beat Arizona as the champion of hatred, xenophobia and immigrant-bashing legislation, the Deep South reclaimed its title as the all-time champion of discrimination.
Imagine how the bigots in Georgia and Alabama must have felt when they saw bigots in Arizona grabbing all the headlines. They had to do something to prove they still can discriminate better than anyone.
And they have! The best example is the bill just signed into law by Republican Gov. Robert Bentley of Alabama. It is a compilation of the most Draconian measures that have been introduced in states and municipalities across the country, including provisions that already have been found to be unconstitutional in federal court and are headed for the Supreme Court under appeal.
Its proponents and supporters boast about the fact that when the law takes effect Sept. 1, Alabama will have the nation’s toughest immigration law. The word “compassion” is not in their vocabulary. They speak as if they are reclaiming their rightful place in the history of U.S. bigotry and
discrimination.
“I campaigned for the toughest immigration laws, and I’m proud of the Legislature for working tirelessly to create the strongest immigration bill in the country,” Bentley said after signing the legislation last week.
In the courts and on the streets, it looks as if a new civil rights movement will be needed in the Deep South.
Someday — in the near future, let’s hope — we will remember Bentley and this period of history with the same shame we feel about former Alabama Gov. George Wallace for his fighting to keep African-Americans out of the University of Alabama in 1963.
The new Alabama law:
—Will allow police to detain anyone they suspect of being in the country illegally, opening the gates to widespread racial profiling against all immigrants, a provision of the Arizona law that has been blocked by the courts (though Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has vowed to appeal it in the Supreme Court).
—Will make it a crime for American citizens to knowingly transport or shelter anyone who is in the country illegally, forcing many Americans to choose between breaking the law and their loyalty to their undocumented friends and relatives. If you give shelter to an undocumented relative, for example, all in your household will have to live under Gestapo-like fear.
—Will impose penalties on businesses that knowingly employ undocumented immigrants, potentially hurting the state’s economy by leaving their own farms without sufficient workers.
—Will require businesses to use the federal E-Verify database to confirm the immigration status of new employees, opening the way for discrimination against legal workers.
—Will require schools to verify whether students are in the country illegally, turning educators into immigration agents.
It won’t prohibit undocumented children from attending schools, which would be clearly unconstitutional. But lumped together with a laundry list of Machiavellian measures, it surely is meant to scare and intimidate undocumented parents from sending their children to school.
—Will make it a crime for landlords to rent to undocumented immigrants knowingly. Surely, the Alabama law reaches new lows in mean-spirited legislation, beating that of not only Arizona but also neighboring Georgia, where, under a law passed last month and scheduled to take effect July 1, police also will be empowered to engage in racial profiling by checking immigration status and arresting suspected undocumented immigrants. Georgia’s law also will penalize Americans who transport or harbor undocumented immigrants and businesses that employ them.
Though some 30 states have considered new laws targeting illegal immigration, most of these measures have failed when they have come up for a vote. But not in the Deep South, where Republican lawmakers are reclaiming the region’s infamous legacy of bigotry.
These measures surely are unconstitutional in many ways. Yet their proponents insist on spending millions in appealing them all the way to the Supreme Court, where they believe the highly politicized conservative majority will side with them, as it did recently on another immigration measure allowing Arizona to crack down on employers who hire undocumented workers.
Proponents of these laws claim they have made sure they are constitutionally sound, but the American Civil Liberties Union, the Southern Poverty Law Center and several other groups are getting ready to challenge the Georgia and Alabama laws with the same righteous indignation with which they have been fighting Arizona. Other groups are organizing protest marches and economic boycotts against the two states.
With the re-emergence of institutionalized bigotry in the Deep South, a new civil rights movement also is beginning to emerge. And as African-Americans prevailed in the 1960s, today’s immigrants also will overcome this new wave of racism in America.
When the Georgia and Alabama agricultural, landscaping and restaurant industries start hurting, when their crops begin to rot, when their yards grow weeds and when there is no one to wash restaurant dishes, immigrants shall overcome.
When other businesses that depend on immigrant workers start complaining that they can’t get Americans to fill their toughest jobs, when taxpayers realize that their politicians are wasting millions on futile litigation that is discriminatory and unconstitutional, when enough American citizens protest against racial profiling and discrimination, that’s when the Deep South’s legacy of bigotry will be sent back into the pages of history.
To find out more about Miguel Perez and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
Just when we thought no other state could beat Arizona as the champion of hatred, xenophobia and immigrant-bashing legislation, the Deep South reclaimed its title as the all-time champion of discrimination.
Imagine how the bigots in Georgia and Alabama must have felt when they saw bigots in Arizona grabbing all the headlines. They had to do something to prove they still can discriminate better than anyone.
And they have! The best example is the bill just signed into law by Republican Gov. Robert Bentley of Alabama. It is a compilation of the most Draconian measures that have been introduced in states and municipalities across the country, including provisions that already have been found to be unconstitutional in federal court and are headed for the Supreme Court under appeal.
Its proponents and supporters boast about the fact that when the law takes effect Sept. 1, Alabama will have the nation’s toughest immigration law. The word “compassion” is not in their vocabulary. They speak as if they are reclaiming their rightful place in the history of U.S. bigotry and
discrimination.
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In the courts and on the streets, it looks as if a new civil rights movement will be needed in the Deep South.
Someday — in the near future, let’s hope — we will remember Bentley and this period of history with the same shame we feel about former Alabama Gov. George Wallace for his fighting to keep African-Americans out of the University of Alabama in 1963.
The new Alabama law:
—Will allow police to detain anyone they suspect of being in the country illegally, opening the gates to widespread racial profiling against all immigrants, a provision of the Arizona law that has been blocked by the courts (though Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has vowed to appeal it in the Supreme Court).
—Will make it a crime for American citizens to knowingly transport or shelter anyone who is in the country illegally, forcing many Americans to choose between breaking the law and their loyalty to their undocumented friends and relatives. If you give shelter to an undocumented relative, for example, all in your household will have to live under Gestapo-like fear.
—Will impose penalties on businesses that knowingly employ undocumented immigrants, potentially hurting the state’s economy by leaving their own farms without sufficient workers.
—Will require businesses to use the federal E-Verify database to confirm the immigration status of new employees, opening the way for discrimination against legal workers.
—Will require schools to verify whether students are in the country illegally, turning educators into immigration agents.
It won’t prohibit undocumented children from attending schools, which would be clearly unconstitutional. But lumped together with a laundry list of Machiavellian measures, it surely is meant to scare and intimidate undocumented parents from sending their children to school.
—Will make it a crime for landlords to rent to undocumented immigrants knowingly. Surely, the Alabama law reaches new lows in mean-spirited legislation, beating that of not only Arizona but also neighboring Georgia, where, under a law passed last month and scheduled to take effect July 1, police also will be empowered to engage in racial profiling by checking immigration status and arresting suspected undocumented immigrants. Georgia’s law also will penalize Americans who transport or harbor undocumented immigrants and businesses that employ them.
Though some 30 states have considered new laws targeting illegal immigration, most of these measures have failed when they have come up for a vote. But not in the Deep South, where Republican lawmakers are reclaiming the region’s infamous legacy of bigotry.
These measures surely are unconstitutional in many ways. Yet their proponents insist on spending millions in appealing them all the way to the Supreme Court, where they believe the highly politicized conservative majority will side with them, as it did recently on another immigration measure allowing Arizona to crack down on employers who hire undocumented workers.
Proponents of these laws claim they have made sure they are constitutionally sound, but the American Civil Liberties Union, the Southern Poverty Law Center and several other groups are getting ready to challenge the Georgia and Alabama laws with the same righteous indignation with which they have been fighting Arizona. Other groups are organizing protest marches and economic boycotts against the two states.
With the re-emergence of institutionalized bigotry in the Deep South, a new civil rights movement also is beginning to emerge. And as African-Americans prevailed in the 1960s, today’s immigrants also will overcome this new wave of racism in America.
When the Georgia and Alabama agricultural, landscaping and restaurant industries start hurting, when their crops begin to rot, when their yards grow weeds and when there is no one to wash restaurant dishes, immigrants shall overcome.
When other businesses that depend on immigrant workers start complaining that they can’t get Americans to fill their toughest jobs, when taxpayers realize that their politicians are wasting millions on futile litigation that is discriminatory and unconstitutional, when enough American citizens protest against racial profiling and discrimination, that’s when the Deep South’s legacy of bigotry will be sent back into the pages of history.
To find out more about Miguel Perez and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of paragoulddailypress.com.
Richard Keefe wrote on Jun 20, 2011 10:18 AM:
" "When the Georgia and Alabama agricultural, landscaping and restaurant industries start hurting, when their crops begin to rot, when their yards grow weeds and when there is no one to wash restaurant dishes, immigrants shall overcome."
Too funny. Just exactly how does Mr. Perez imagine these jobs were done BEFORE illegal immigrants arrived by the millions?
The SPLC, LULAC, La Raza, the immigration lawyer lobby all rake in millions off America's illegal immigration problems.
http://wp.me/pCLYZ-7m
Mr. Perez makes his living addressing Spanish speaking audiences. Obviously, he has a financial stake in the proceedings as well. The larger his audience base, the more money he stands to make.
Mr. Perez, the SPLC and the alphabet soup "non-profits" would sound a lot more believable if they weren't making money off the issue. "
Too funny. Just exactly how does Mr. Perez imagine these jobs were done BEFORE illegal immigrants arrived by the millions?
The SPLC, LULAC, La Raza, the immigration lawyer lobby all rake in millions off America's illegal immigration problems.
http://wp.me/pCLYZ-7m
Mr. Perez makes his living addressing Spanish speaking audiences. Obviously, he has a financial stake in the proceedings as well. The larger his audience base, the more money he stands to make.
Mr. Perez, the SPLC and the alphabet soup "non-profits" would sound a lot more believable if they weren't making money off the issue. "
Brittanicus wrote on Jun 23, 2011 11:04 PM:
" The ACLU American Civil liberties Union or better known as the American Communist lawyers Union, as it was founded by a Communist, is coming out its hole again. Perhaps someday it will be recognized as Anti-American and the likes of J. Edgar Hoovers phantasm, will dig them out of their pits and throw these illicit so-called Lawyers to the wolves. They redoubtably get their money bounty to torture States and cities from lobbyists, as well as silent handouts from the US Government, like a giant praying mantis, always looking for blood. First this entity joined up with the Liberal-democratic leaders to harass Arizona, but not satisfied with this purgatory, they are now threatening Georgia, Alabama. The ACLU either intentionally are indifferent to the poverty in this country, that has built up even more from the decades of at least a trillion dollars, stolen from Americans to support the illegal immigrant invaders.
\Every day there is even more bloodshed by drunken foreign drivers causing mayhem on the highways? The crime statistics are not going down, from these people who have scorned the law and now we have the good old ACLU, the religious activists led by the Vatican, the US Chamber of Commerce, as a driving force, that American sovereignty or the US Constitution has no meaning anymore. THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION LED BY THE LEFTIST HOLDER, NAPOLITANO IS ALL OPEN BORDER LEADERS. We have already seen the impact of Sanctuary States and cities, making American taxpayers to dig even deeper into their pockets, to subsidize this occupation by nationals. The Crime, the welfare and public services for illegal aliens are beginning to bleed from the edges as more States find the fiscal deficits rising. While draining state treasuries, the further crippling of our economy is furtively completed, by the rising exportation of 40 billion dollars goes to foreign countries, from illegal alien wage packets. Indirectly its—YOUR—money they are spending.
This is revenue not being spent in the United States. California the Liberal fortress is struggling, along with Nevada and New York with rogue governors who are going to soak the taxpayers even more, to pacify the 20 million or more foreign nationals. But there is a limit to compassion, as many US citizens and legal households are folding under this continuous bombardment of Federal, State saying give me more dollars. A new survey conducted by Gallup finds that a plurality of Americans favors reducing overall immigration levels. The poll released earlier today reveals that 43% of Americans thing overall immigration should be reduced while only 18% think overall immigration levels should be raised. Thirty-five percent of Americans feel that immigration levels should remain the same. The TEA PARTY is rising to "The Peoples" call, to halt this monetary torment for good.
The midterm election proved that the people are mad and sick of supporting illegal aliens who are flocking to this nation. The TEA PARTY is rising at a phenomenal rate, with thousands signing up at the national and local websites. We have seen the inability for the Obama's mob, to slide through executive orders not to deport certain groups of people. We keep sending troops abroad, but the protection of America's people; specifically in Border States that remain unprotected. The TEA PARTY will exceed any previous administration in stopping the self-destruction of America’s society. The 1986 Simpson/ Mazzoli will be enforced and will impose the mandated E-Verify, Secure Communities to the letter of the law. Much harsher sanctions against incorrigible business that hire cheap labor will be severely punished the border with military interdiction along with the border agents.
All presidential hopefuls who fall below a B+ plus rating by NumbersUSA, will be ignored and fall out of favor along with the elected carrion that run the cities and communities nationwide. Already D. Huntsman has been designated by NumbersUSA as a bad contender. The Tea Party is an open book of all races, which came to this country through the front gates. ARE AMERICANS PREPARED TO HAVE THEIR SLIPPING WAGES, BEING COMMANDEERED FOR YEARS TO COME, PAYING FOR PEOPLE WHO BROKE OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS?
The 1986 Amnesty turned into an absolute travesty of our laws, with paramount fraud and millions not processed correctly. On Wednesday U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Harry Reid, D-Nev., Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., John Kerry, D-Mass., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., reintroduced a comprehensive immigration reform bill. The bill includes measures to strengthen border security, enhance worksite enforcement of immigration laws, and requirements that the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants present in the U.S. register with the government, pay taxes, learn English, pay a fine, pass a background check, and wait in line for permanent residence.
As far as I’m concerned, this will end up another big payout slapped on taxpayers. Heritage Foundation has already stated that taxpayers are looking at another mind boggling bill of $2.6 Trillion dollars. If you don’t believe it, then go and view the statistics in black and white at the heritage website. If you feel that another 20 million plus newcomers is alright on the US treasury accounting sheet, then will have even higher taxes slipping from our grasp. All its going to accomplish is millions more foreigners encouraged by our open border politicians, to keep funneling in a growing overpopulated America millions more annually, that the politicians fail to tell us about? "
\Every day there is even more bloodshed by drunken foreign drivers causing mayhem on the highways? The crime statistics are not going down, from these people who have scorned the law and now we have the good old ACLU, the religious activists led by the Vatican, the US Chamber of Commerce, as a driving force, that American sovereignty or the US Constitution has no meaning anymore. THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION LED BY THE LEFTIST HOLDER, NAPOLITANO IS ALL OPEN BORDER LEADERS. We have already seen the impact of Sanctuary States and cities, making American taxpayers to dig even deeper into their pockets, to subsidize this occupation by nationals. The Crime, the welfare and public services for illegal aliens are beginning to bleed from the edges as more States find the fiscal deficits rising. While draining state treasuries, the further crippling of our economy is furtively completed, by the rising exportation of 40 billion dollars goes to foreign countries, from illegal alien wage packets. Indirectly its—YOUR—money they are spending.
This is revenue not being spent in the United States. California the Liberal fortress is struggling, along with Nevada and New York with rogue governors who are going to soak the taxpayers even more, to pacify the 20 million or more foreign nationals. But there is a limit to compassion, as many US citizens and legal households are folding under this continuous bombardment of Federal, State saying give me more dollars. A new survey conducted by Gallup finds that a plurality of Americans favors reducing overall immigration levels. The poll released earlier today reveals that 43% of Americans thing overall immigration should be reduced while only 18% think overall immigration levels should be raised. Thirty-five percent of Americans feel that immigration levels should remain the same. The TEA PARTY is rising to "The Peoples" call, to halt this monetary torment for good.
The midterm election proved that the people are mad and sick of supporting illegal aliens who are flocking to this nation. The TEA PARTY is rising at a phenomenal rate, with thousands signing up at the national and local websites. We have seen the inability for the Obama's mob, to slide through executive orders not to deport certain groups of people. We keep sending troops abroad, but the protection of America's people; specifically in Border States that remain unprotected. The TEA PARTY will exceed any previous administration in stopping the self-destruction of America’s society. The 1986 Simpson/ Mazzoli will be enforced and will impose the mandated E-Verify, Secure Communities to the letter of the law. Much harsher sanctions against incorrigible business that hire cheap labor will be severely punished the border with military interdiction along with the border agents.
All presidential hopefuls who fall below a B+ plus rating by NumbersUSA, will be ignored and fall out of favor along with the elected carrion that run the cities and communities nationwide. Already D. Huntsman has been designated by NumbersUSA as a bad contender. The Tea Party is an open book of all races, which came to this country through the front gates. ARE AMERICANS PREPARED TO HAVE THEIR SLIPPING WAGES, BEING COMMANDEERED FOR YEARS TO COME, PAYING FOR PEOPLE WHO BROKE OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS?
The 1986 Amnesty turned into an absolute travesty of our laws, with paramount fraud and millions not processed correctly. On Wednesday U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Harry Reid, D-Nev., Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., John Kerry, D-Mass., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., reintroduced a comprehensive immigration reform bill. The bill includes measures to strengthen border security, enhance worksite enforcement of immigration laws, and requirements that the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants present in the U.S. register with the government, pay taxes, learn English, pay a fine, pass a background check, and wait in line for permanent residence.
As far as I’m concerned, this will end up another big payout slapped on taxpayers. Heritage Foundation has already stated that taxpayers are looking at another mind boggling bill of $2.6 Trillion dollars. If you don’t believe it, then go and view the statistics in black and white at the heritage website. If you feel that another 20 million plus newcomers is alright on the US treasury accounting sheet, then will have even higher taxes slipping from our grasp. All its going to accomplish is millions more foreigners encouraged by our open border politicians, to keep funneling in a growing overpopulated America millions more annually, that the politicians fail to tell us about? "
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D. Porter wrote on Jun 19, 2011 1:35 PM: