It's been quite a year for the immigration debate. Here are just a few quotes culled from some of the biggest stories of 2009 that we covered in This Land. Thanks for making it a successful first year for the blog.
Happy New Year!
"It’s pro-family, pro-jobs and pro-security. And the time to pass it into law is right now. " Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D -IL) introducing his 600 page bill on Dec. 15 to reform the nation's immigration laws.
"He's not the devil, but he is certainly a man who is right now not making it easy to understand why he's making the public-policy choices that he is." -- Former CNN host Lou Dobbs talking about President Obama to Fox’s Bill O’Reilly on Nov. 17 after leaving the cable news network.
“In the middle of one of the worst recessions in American history, our N.C. Community College Board decides to help illegal immigrants enroll in college when our state unemployment rate is 11 percent.” - Ron Woodard, director of NC Listen. In a Nov. 30 email regarding voters in a Civitas Institute competition selecting a bill that would allow illegal immigrants to enroll in N.C. community colleges as the year’s worst bill.
"You go to work every day and if you make a mistake, you got a colonoscopy coming from the command staff." -- Senior Cpl. Glenn White of president of the Dallas Police Association, in October after 20 Dallas police officers wrongly gave $204 traffic tickets to some drivers who didn’t speak English.
"He's out having a taco." -- ESPN announcer Bob Griese on Oct. 24 in response to a query from a fellow announcer asking where is Juan Pablo Montoya. Griese received a one-game suspension for the comment.
“It’s all politics.” - Sheriff Joe Arpaio speaking to the press on Oct. 6 after the federal government stripped his office of its authority to patrol for illegal immigrants.
"You lie!" - U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson shouted to President Obama during his address before a joint session of Congress on Sept. 9.
“I can tell you that within our organization there are real racists." Roy Beck of NumbersUSA, which advocates for greater immigration restrictions, in a July 10 meeting with advocates in favor and against immigration reform.
"There are extremes in our coalition who really are for open borders; who really are for emptying the jails. And you know we get tagged with them. They get wrapped around our neck the same way the hate crimes get wrapped around Roy’s neck." -- Douglas Rivlin formerly of the National Immigration Forum in a July 10 meeting with advocates in favor and against immigration reform.
"At the end of the day, if we're going to achieve legalization of a major share of the undocumented, we realize there will have to be some give and take over worker verification. We're not against it necessarily if all of the other pieces of immigration reform fall into place." -- Mike Garcia, president of the Service Employees International Union Local 1877 in Los Angeles.
"I was just trying to save lives. We're not asking permission from the United States to save people's lives. We never have, because we know they'd say no." -- Walt Staton, 27, a volunteer with the humanitarian group No More Deaths who was convicted of littering on federal land because he left jugs of water for illegal immigrants walking through the desert.
"It’s not an ethnic thing. If you look at how people in East Charlotte live. They eat in these restaurants. We're known for the restaurants. The community is supporting the restaurants. We’re trying to market the restaurants. So for the whole community to be labeled as not accepting of Latino people and diversity it is a slap in the face." - Ed Garber, chairman of the Eastside Political Action Committee, who says allegations are off base that the clampdown on the taco trucks operating on Central Avenue is a form of ethnic discrimination.
"The idea was great if we had the money. It was basically an add-on. But if the funding is not there, it's not there." - Sen. Larry Martin, a Pickens County Republican on a planned hotline to accept complaints about illegal immigrants not being set up in South Carolina.
We can't continue with a broken immigration system. It's not good for anybody. It's not good for American workers. It's dangerous for Mexican would- be workers who are trying to cross a dangerous border. It is putting a strain on border communities, who often times have a deal with a host of undocumented workers. And it keeps those undocumented workers in the shadows, which means they can be exploited at the same time as they're depressing U.S. wages. - President Barack Obama in a White House press conference about his first 100 days in office.
HEY! MS.DOUBTFIRE A.K.A. JANET NAPALITANO SAYS WE HAVE SECURITY ON THE BORDER? THIS MISFIT SCREWED UP AZ. TO THE POINT THAT WE HAVE THE WORST DEFICIT IN THE U.S. PER CAPITA. SHE SAID THE "SYSTEM WORKED" WHEN THAT TERRORIST TRIED TO BLOW UP AN AIRLINER, THEN SHE SAID "IT DIDN'T WORK" THE VERY NEXT DAY. SHE DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S COMING OR GOING, AND MS.DOUBTFIRE NOW WANTS TO HELP THAT INCOMPETENT IDIOT IN THE WHITE HOUSE PASS IMMIGRATION REFORM, A.K.A. AMNESTY. AMNESTY DIDN'T WORK IN 1987 AND IT WILL ONLY ENCOURAGE MORE LAWBREAKING TRASH TO SNEAK IN AND WAIT FOR ANOTHER AMNESTY "FREE PASS"! DEPORT THEM ALL!
ReplyDeleteDeport Illegal Immigrants.
ReplyDeletewww.illegalimmigrants.com
ReplyDeleteHow about a quote from the BIBLE:
ReplyDelete"Amen, amen I say to you: He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up another way, the same is a thief and a robber." (John 10:1)
Has an immigration lawyer never met an illegal alien they wouldn't aid and abet???
ReplyDelete-zeezil
AMNESTY means never having immigration enforcement.
ReplyDelete-unknown
One man's terrorist is another man's undocumented worker.
ReplyDelete-unknown
The more we become a nation of illegal immigrants, the deeper we fall into anarchy.
ReplyDelete-Congressman Elton Gallegly, California
AMNESTY sends a clear message that we think our own law is merely a set of suggestions that need not be followed.
ReplyDelete-unknown
"For an American citizen to vote as a German-American, an Irish-American, or an English-American, is to be a traitor to American institutions; and those hyphenated Americans who terrorize American politicians by threats of the foreign vote are engaged in treason to the American Republic."
ReplyDelete- Theodore Roosevelt, 1915.
"Credibility in immigration policy can be summed up in one sentence: Those who should get in, get in; those who should be kept out, are kept out; and those who should not be here will be required to leave." "...for the system to be credible, people actually have to be deported at the end of the process."
ReplyDelete- Congresswoman Barbara Jordan
Testimony to the House Immigration Subcommittee, February 24, 1995
"It is both a right and a responsibility of a democratic society to manage immigration so that it serves the national interest.”
ReplyDelete- Congresswoman Barbara Jordan
"I am concerned for the security of our great nation, not so much because of any threat from without, but because of the insidious forces from within."
ReplyDelete- General Douglas MacArthur
“The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, or preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities.”
ReplyDelete-Teddy Roosevelt
Following the law, abiding by the law and supporting the law is “work” that illegal aliens just won’t do.
ReplyDelete-zeezil
Every unskilled illegal immigrant who enters the United States for work drives up healthcare costs for every American And every illegal immigrant we turn a blind eye toward weakens the rule of law our country is founded on.
ReplyDelete-Congressman Elton Gallegly, California
The ongoing migration of persons to the United States in violation of our laws is a serious national problem detrimental to the interests of the United States.
ReplyDelete-Ronald Reagan
Demanding that our borders be secured and that the law be enforced is the right of all American citizens and doing so does not make any one a racist or bigot.
ReplyDelete- John W. Lillpop
Millions of people are flaunting the fact that they are here illegally and are demanding special treatment.I don't think that flies with John Q. Public.
ReplyDelete-Tom Tancredo
Our Nations immigration laws are disrespected both by those who cross our borders illegally and by the businesses that hire those illegal immigrants.
ReplyDelete-Congressmen Steve Israel, NY
Illegal Immigrants turn the land into vast latrine, leaving behind revolting mounds of personal refuse and enough discarded plastic bags to stock Wal-Mart.
ReplyDelete-Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steels, “Who left the Door Open?” Time magazine, September 20, 2004
How is it that we can militarily overthrow a military government like Iraq, yet we can't militarily keep illegalities (drugs and aliens) from crossing our borders?
ReplyDelete- Chuck Norris
"If the government can't track illegals, then let's outsource the job to UPS or FedEx."
ReplyDelete- Mike Huckabee
We need to quit subsidizing the costs for illegal immigrants' residency in America immediately. How long will we allow them to siphon millions upon millions from honest taxpaying Americans by supporting their health care, welfare, education and criminal expenses?
ReplyDelete- Newt Gingrich
If we are a Nation of laws and a Nation of immigrants, immigration should occur within a legal framework, not through the machinations of illegal schemes and scams that threaten our national security.
ReplyDelete-J. D. Hayworth
“Illegal Aliens are here illegally and neither sympathy nor good intentions can ameliorate that fact.”
ReplyDelete-Governor Jodi Rell, CT
CALLING AN ILLEGAL ALIEN AN "UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT" IS LIKE CALLING A DRUG DEALER AN "UNLICENSED PHARMACIST".
ReplyDelete- Lou Dobbs
Common sense and history tell you that rewarding illegal behavior will only encourage more of it.
ReplyDelete- Ric Keller
The economic impact of illegal immigration on taxpayers is catastrophic.
ReplyDelete- Ric Keller
Amnesty is not the answer as it will only encourage more illegal immigrants to enter.
ReplyDelete-Timothy Murphy
Businesses should no longer be allowed to depress wages by hiring illegal labor and then falsely claim that Americans don't want to do the jobs.
ReplyDelete-Congressman Dana Rohrabacher
How can we protect homeland security unless the government stops the invasion of illegal aliens?
ReplyDelete- Phyllis Schlafly
"This is our culture - fight for it. This is our flag - pick it up.
ReplyDeleteThis is our country - take it back."
- Rep. Tom Tancredo
“We don’t need Amnesty for law breakers; we need secure borders for law abiding citizens,”
ReplyDelete-Carmen Mercer
"These practices (harboring and employing illegal aliens) not only harm law-abiding businesses, they also serve to fuel illegal immigration."
ReplyDelete- Miguel Unzueta, special agent in charge of the ICE office of investigations in San Diego.
We cannot effectively enforce any laws if we ignore other laws, specifically those against illegal entry and the continued presence of illegal aliens in the United States of America.
ReplyDelete-unknown
Illegal immigration is an economic, cultural and security issue. It therefore negatively affects every American citizen in a multitude of areas.
ReplyDelete-unknown
It is a privilege to be an American, not a reward by sneaking in.
ReplyDelete-unknown
Senator John Mc Cain stated that "no American" would pick lettuce, even for fifty dollars per hour! That man made me an independent forever.
ReplyDeleteI want to make a reply to ZEEZIL. I cannot realize your fobia for undocumented people.maybe you were treated for one of them or you are a totaly racist.I know the profile of persons like you got the same characteristics " red necks , bikers -weed smokers and of course drive a chevy only for proud because toyota is better. After this I want to said that people came here because they find jobs somebody like you hire them for less money,no pay overtime,no workers comp, vacations, no nothing but no matter we stil being hard workers.Now can you tell me who is more criminal.
ReplyDeleteCame on zeezil you won, you wrote 36 of 40 comments in this blog It mean that you are the sole person worry about...You got to be more positive and smile!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteReply to 1:21 Zeezil is just another frustrated American who's fed up with elected officials who are willing to sell out to the pro-open border trash. We have immigration laws just like every other country and they should be enforced, like they are in Mexico, Korea,Cuba, etc. Illegals and their supporters nave no respect for this nations laws. DEPORT ALL ILLEGALS! Immigrate legally or get the hell out!
ReplyDeleteJUST LOOK AT CALIFORNIA WITH ITS 30 PLUS BILLION DEFICIT! ARIZONA WITH ITS 3 BILLION DEFICIT! THATS WHAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION COSTS US. THEY WON'T STOP COMING UNTIL THINGS ARE AS BAD HERE AS THEY ARE IN SHITTY MEXICO!
ReplyDeleteIt's simple. Legal immigration built this country. Illeagle immigration will ruin it.
ReplyDeleteI'm all in favor of legalizing illegal immigrants. Here are the terms. They and all of their dependents must return to their country of origin for a thorough background check. After passing, they must pay a $10,000 fine per family member to compensate American taxpayers for all of the benefits and free medical care and schooling that they have received while living illegally in the U.S. After that, they must learn English within two years of returning to the U.S. Those are my terms.
ReplyDeleteThe real racists are the Latinos who believe that America's borders and immigration laws should not apply to Latinos!
ReplyDeleteNotice all the "dirt bag" politicians that will not run for re-election? They got their "red carpet treatment" and now will crawl back in their holes like the rats they are. They shoved their agenda down our throats and know they couldn't run again for any office. Now they want to legalize the illegal miserable trash from every scum hole in the world.Illegals and their "anchor babies" should be marched back to whatever rat hole they crawled out of, after they serve time in jail for "breaking the laws of the land".A POX ON ALL ILLEGALS" AND THE CROOKED POLITICIANS THAT SUCK OFF FOR THEIR POTENTIAL VOTES.
ReplyDeleteReply to Anonymous Jan. 4 at 1:21
ReplyDeleteI do hope it is inattention during your educational endeavors rather than limited intelligence that caused your broken babble.
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ReplyDeleteThere are millions of them here. Illegal immigrants aren't going anywhere. Deportation doesn't work and neither do fences. If this is your solution you're living in a fantasy land. If immigrants can't afford to go through our current immigration process we need to find a different tack for them. Let them in on temporary work visas to work on infrastructure projects or put them in the military. This way we can document them, collect taxes and help them to become productive members of our society.
ReplyDeleteAnd zeezil, unless you're an American Indian, you're an immigrant also.
I am glad that the CO supports the three illegals that kidnapped, raped, and robbed the woman in Hickory a few days ago.
ReplyDeleteFrank, are you going to lead the march to get them out of jail. After all it is America's fault that they did these crimes and should be let out immediately.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeletehey, anon 2:30! What about illegal immigrants from other countries? Comments liek yours show that it is not about immigration for people like you. You're just plain racist.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 11:26
ReplyDeleteYou state "...unless you're an American Indian, you're an immigrant also."
Goodness, never let idealogy get in the way of facts, man. Did American Indians suddenly appear as though springing from the very earth that they resided on when encountering Eourpeans?
Ahhhhhhhhhh, the answer would be an emphatic NO. They had gotten there by migrating from other regions of the world, ultimately from Africa if you go back far enough. The clashes between the various tribes and their search for resources of American Indians also has caused them to move around repeatidly.
Get a grip on cultural history, anonymous. Everyone ultimately has come from somewhere else as you go back in history.
Right immigration policies are just essential to the future development of this country. To stay competitive, we need to have the top immigrants from all over the world. See http://www.us-immigrationvisa.com/immigration/the-united-states-and-immigration
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