That was a comment on a lively column about Wednesday's Mexico vs. Iceland exhibition soccer game. It was one of nearly 200 comments that started as a conversation about the upcoming World Cup and soccer’s lacking popularity in the United States.The discussion turned quickly into an angry debate on illegal immigration with vicious personal attacks and name calling from opposing sides.
Sports columnist Scott Fowler wrote a great story about the “strange and wonderful” night in Charlotte when a corner of Uptown seemed more like Mexico City than the Queen City. The southern tip of downtown was awash in green. Tailgaters, some wearing sombreros or Mayan headdresses, chomped on corn tortillas filled with carnitas and danced to live drummers amidst a crowd of 63,000.
But the back-and-forth comments following Fowler’s column made the game out to sound like a violent rally on immigration reform instead of a friendly event that many Charlotte residents joined to get a taste of international sport and culture.
Immigration is no doubt a problem in this country that needs to be fixed. There are deep emotions on each side. Did the city seek and benefit economically from the game? Yes. Were many of the fans in the stands in the country illegally? Without a doubt.
The government has been wrestling with immigration a long time. And in today’s political climate, no letup appears likely.
The game was not a rally for one way or the other. There were no signs (that I saw) on either side of the debate. Most people who went to the game or joined in the festivities outside were there likely because they enjoyed soccer or wanted a taste of one of the biggest international events in downtown Charlotte.
Thank goodness for sport, which has always been one of our great escapes from the problems of the day.
Just two people were arrested, including a crazy dude who jumped out onto the field at the start of the second half.
(Here is a video of his shenanigans. I agree with the bloggers who say the Panthers should sign up the security guard who tackled the guy.)
Photos: Sombreros, face paint, and the persistent echo of "Mex-i-co!" chants echoed throughout the stadium parking lot. LAURA-CHASE MCGEHEE - lcmcgehee@charlotteobserver.com
Mexico's fans yell support for their team Wednesday evening at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. JEFF SINER - jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Mexico's fans yell support for their team Wednesday evening at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. JEFF SINER - jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
You have been writing this blog long enough to know that the article was about the Mexican team and any mention of someone that may be of Mexican heritage drives certain people in Charlotte absolutely nuts. I didn't read the comments for that reason, but I can imagine that President Obama and the new health care insurance legislation took some hits as well.
ReplyDeleteThe folks of Charlotte can only take so much and to have schools struggle and teachers cut to accommodate illegals, jobs lost to illegals, seeing our citizen brothers and sisters have to go to without social services due to illegals, and the lack of social unity with illegals not assimilating to our customs and language, yea there is stress and anger. And until we enforce the laws, it will only get worse. Americans have been tolerant and now they are reclaiming their country. Its not a racial thing, its an American thing.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, there are people in this town that will make a big deal about a large group of people who don't look or talk like themselves getting together unified in a positive event. They don't appreciate that a great international event has taken place in our city, one that was widely popular. while I wasn't able to take part in the festivities personally, I think it shows how open our city has become to diverse forms of entertainment and events, and brought us one big step closer to being a major player in the global village. Cynics need not cry, Speed Street is a couple months away.
ReplyDeleteI remember when the Mexican national team played the U.S. national team in a similar game in Los Angeles. It was 2001 and I was living in LA at the time. When the Mexican team beat the Americans, the extremely pro-American, Mexican fans started yelling: "Bin Laden!" "Bin Laden!" I don't know why they did that, but you cannot convince me that Mexican immigrants, especially illegals, want to be Americans. Unlike previous generations of Americans, they just want to be Mexicans living in America, not true Americans. We need to send them packing.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt cltindependent. And I agree with you. Immigration is one of those issues, such as health care and abortion that seems to take over even when they're not the focus.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately there are a lot of mean people in Charlotte and you wouldn't know it to look at them, but put them behind the mask of a computer avatar and their true colors come out. I was interested in seeing Iceland win, as my step mom is from there, but I didn't dare send her the link because of the nastiness that always seems to ensue from even the most inocuous of reporting. I wonder when I am driving home from work how many of them are the meanie drivers around me.
ReplyDeleteSpped Street? Boy, if you want to see some scum, then that's the first place to start.
ReplyDeleteI just love it how they let anonymous comments flow in, and then act surprised when they don't meet the Observer fine standards telling us how to live our lives.
ReplyDeleteIt didnt take but 1/2 hour for the name calling to start...scum?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the 'scum' are just hardworking folks who only want to participate in their sport...just like the Mexicans from this weekend. But obviously calling Mexicans 'scum' would be racist, but hey, its OK to call Americans that.
March 26, 2010 3:56 PM
ReplyDeleteBlogger Franco Ordonez said...
No doubt cltindependent. And I agree with you. Immigration is one of those issues, such as health care and abortion that seems to take over even when they're not the focus.
March 26, 2010 3:59 PM
Yes if only people would just look at the hand the magician wants you to, the whole show would be so much better for the magician.
Hey Franco, most people don't mind Mexicans immigrating to this country. They just want it done legally so that the infrastructure and social programs are not overwhelmed. That's not hateful, or mean. To the Mexican people who immigrate legally; Welcome brothers and sisters!
ReplyDeleteI don't see where you get the idea that the Observer is trying to tell you how to live your life. But you make a very good point about the anonymous comments. It's a tough battle. We want to encourage discussion, but often the mutual respect goes into the drain. We've been considering turning off anonymous comments for this blog in hopes of encouraging more thoughtful and respectful discussion.
ReplyDeleteBecause there are some illegals, the entire Mexican population is wrongly stereotyped as being illegal.
ReplyDeleteGee, why would this type article bring up the illegal issue???? Maybe the fact MEXICO was one of the teams and I'm going to bet made up the mass majority of the fans. Last i checked we don't have that many illegals from Iceland...
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Marc. What you wrote is not hateful or mean. I hope more people follow your example. It is possible to discuss this issue respectfully. But as you can already see in at least one comment above, calling another human being "scum" is not.
ReplyDeleteand there are criminals in the stands every sunday during panther games...so what's your point
ReplyDeleteThe illegals play soccer, they should go home, They are the reason that the job market is so bad, social services overrun with them, an American citizen can't get any free health care, but the spics can.
ReplyDeleteI just totally despise them, as do the majority of American citizens that are legal!
Anonymous comments are the most honest.
ReplyDeleteGo ahead and stop them and live in your fantasy world where everyone loves criminals.
The Mexican team would not have come here if not for the illegal immigrant crowds they would attract.
It's just an in-your-face reminder of how pathetically we enforce our borders and how emboldened the criminals have become in our society.
It's the tried and true internet law that anonymity + public form = jackasses.
ReplyDeleteYou see it several times a day on different articles on the Observers website.
Did everyone know that there were more Mexicans at that soccer game than there were in the whole state of California when California belonged to Mexico?
ReplyDeleteBest estimate is that less than 10,000 Mexicans lived in California when it belonged to Mexico.
And we've been pretty damned niced to them compared to the way they treat illegal immigrants from south of THEIR border.
How about a report on that, Franco?
Show us what the Mexicans are really like when the shoe is on the other foot.
All you need to put in a story is "MEXICO" and the bigots come out. They want to blame illegal immigrants for everything. Budget shortfalls are the main thing. They go to the root of the every single problem plaguing this city. And its the immigrants faults. I guess building a trolley to nowhere, where a single mile cost $40million had nothing to do with it. Or Building an Arena after we voted no it. Giving tax breaks to companies who only relocate people but do not provide a multiplier into the economy (Electrolux( Not to mention all the political corruption that has rampant the last ten years. The people Charlotte cannot enjoy anything of cultural value in peace.
ReplyDeleteI know plenty of legal immigrants in the US.
ReplyDeleteI'm married to one.
Many legal immigrants (except for those who benefit from being illegal immigrant pimps) don't really like the fact that illegals are here, either.
So it's NOT an immigrant issue.
It IS a legal issue.
Sadly in todays climate any discussion that features something Mexican is going to turn into a political debate. I must confess I am somewhat on the fence, i have no problem with immigrants legal or illegal if immigration is indeed what one is striving to do. It seems that one of the major stumbling block is the fact that the Hispanic illegal community doesn't seem to want to become "Americans". If that's the case then I urge them to go home. Any who wish to become citizens, welcome brothers & sisters. My grandparents immigrated here in the early 1900's and I'm 3rd generation. All the comments about jobs and schools and etc are some much crap, no illegal immigrant is taking a job from you that you would want anyway. Possibly the biggest problem comes from another minority who sees them as a threat. The same way the Irish saw the Itallians, and the Itallains saw the Polish, and so on, history is doomed to repeat itself because we refuse to learn from our past mistakes. I don't particularly like soccer but I'm glad they came here and had a great time. Maybe more events like this would help bridge the hate filled gap.
ReplyDeleteThey should of had INS at the games checking people for green cards. They could of gotten at least 40,000 of them at the game. Come here legally and we have to problems!!!
ReplyDeleteLet us again remind everyone that "Mexican" or "Hispanic" is not a race. It is a nationality or lingual group, respectively.
ReplyDeleteDon't talk race regarding Latinos, since they themselves hate each other based on their socio-economic groups based on their lineages traceable to white Spaniards, black slaves or indigenous "Indians". This explains why Puerto Ricans loathe Mexicans, Mexicans mock Guatemalans, etc. Even Colombians are arrogant since they "preserve" Castillean dialects of Spanish.
Chuck, you are foolish. How do you know what job I would want? I can assure you that I have many friends and relatives that would welcome any job that offers a paycheck, regardless of how lowly you think it may be. How dare you assume what kind of job I would want??!!
ReplyDeleteOh mdney...where to even start?
ReplyDeleteTo all the "they should get in line" folks: please know that Mexicans are not allowed to apply for immigration through the lottery process that most others are. There is no line for them to stand in. Their choice is come here illegally, marry an American, be sponsored by a relative wealthy enough to demonstrate ability to support you, or be rich enough to get a post-grad degree and possess a skill that will get you sponsored by a high-salary employer. So let's at least be honest about their choices: they have none.
Undocumented immigrants contribute billions each year to Social Security that they'll never be able to draw on. They fill the jobs that otherwise go unfilled. I doubt they steal *your* jobs; many are working the thankless, disgusting jobs you don't want. They wouldn't come here if there wasn't a market.
Many in Charlotte are Christian, so let me add this: I don't know what church some of you go to, but my Jesus taught compassion and cautioned against judging others. Most Mexicans are good, hard-working people who come here to escape utter poverty. They hold on to their heritage because they're too busy trying to survive to learn English, but believe me - they want to. We are the wealthiest nation in the world, and we share one of the longest borders with a third-world country. My Jesus would be disappointed in us for being so callous to their condition.
As a Native American Indian, please allow me to say; If you're white, you're here illegally. So whites calling anyone "illegal" is pretty idiotic. Pot, meet kettle.
ReplyDeleteWhy do native Americans, from South of the border speak Spanish, instead of their native tongue?
ReplyDeleteMaybe the real reason people are mad is because the Europeans were the first "immigrants" to come here and destroy an existing culture. Funny that Europeans and Africans are even on this continent arguing about native American land...Sad.
They should of had INS at the games checking people for green cards. They could of gotten at least 40,000 of them at the game."
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty dumb. What makes you think most are here illegally? By the same token, Social Services should set up outside a NASCAR race and check to see if any of the kids are victims of incest. They'd have to take away 80,000 kids I'd bet.
Damn. Franco is pizzed !!!!
ReplyDeleteYes that was stupid as hell under normal circumstances. What does politics have to do with a friggin soocer game?
Nothing !!!!!!!!!!
Yea what the hell is so bad about a little fun and games ????????
Mexico is always in the Olympics right?????????
Would these idiots bitch and whine if the Olympics ever came here?????? Yes rite
Do they bitch about Mexicans at any summer Olympics games??????????
What ever happened to bull fights from Mexico anyway that used to on tv?
Shut the hell up !!!!!!!!!
They can plat soccer here !
Just for once I would love to read Franco acknowledging
ReplyDeleteillegal immigration,
is well against the law.
The explain why it should be forgiven.
A simple clean fast honest answer would suffice. Heck an acknowledgment would suffice.
Franco did not mention the guy that tried to start a fire in the stands.
ReplyDeleteThe people on this board complainging about a large group of latinos enjoying a very popular and successful evening in our city are the saem ones who were complaining about the CIAA tournament where there happened to be a large group of African Americans haveing a good time. Charlotte is not an insular southern town run by white protestants anymore, and that just annoys some people around here. Get with the program folks, the old south way of doing things died long long ago. Globalism is the future and Charlotte is smart enough to be on the forefront of it.
ReplyDelete"Globalism" killed this country....
ReplyDeleteOur manufacturing base will never recover. Made in China, made in Mexico, made in Honduras, call centers in Bangladesh......you get the idea.
What happened to "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
ReplyDeleteThe wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" At some point all of our ancestors migrated here from another country. Quit complaining that they are stealing your jobs, as a person who is usually the only white person in my industry I can honestly say that these immigrants are good for our country. They are also work harder than most of us who are native to this country. Maybe they are stealing "our jobs" because they are willing to work harder than those who believe everything should be handed to them. I hope you choke on your silver spoons.
Yo 5:52, perhaps if you planned for life beyond the mill, you'd be able to find better, and higher paying, work. Globalism is one of the best things that ever happened to this community. It upped the education levels in this area, not to mention more economic and cultural opportunities. I'm sure there are some hills in Kentucky that are still isolated and lily white that haven't changed. Perhaps you should look there if you can't stand it here anymore. Anyway, to my brothers from south of the border, welcome to Charlotte1 I hope you had a great time at the game if you went.
ReplyDeleteanonymous 6:03, are you serious?
ReplyDeleteThere is a big difference between those who chose Ellis island, the Nobel legal way, and those who choose to cross over in the dark of night, why do they do that ? Tell us the truth if you know it so well.
immigrants... fine....illegal aliens...not so good.
Exactly which laws did white break when they came here "illegally"? Was it the law where you don't kill native americans and take their land? Since the native americans had been doing that amongst themselves for centuries why blame the superior white people for eradicating an inferior culture. The destruction of the weak by the strong has been going on since the beginning of recorded time. If the native americans hadn't been so backwards and helpless maybe they would have done a better job defending "their" land.
ReplyDeleteIf the Europeans were so "superior" why did they leave to come here? Seems to be a common thread with Europeans like like Hitler....
ReplyDeleteIf the US does not want to end up like the Palestinians and Israeli's they should see the melting pot for what it is, more people, more perspectives and more opportunities for peaceful co-existence...If you think any one race has an advantage you are mistaken, all races have ebbed and flowed with their accomplishments and their capacity to be barbaric....
Wouldt you know here comes some dumbazz CIAA idiot now trying to put the south down as usual prob from some delapidated 3rd world city up north carpetagging here and talking his trash GO TO HELL!!! That means go back where you came from, HELL !!!
ReplyDeleteThis is about a soccer match not the goddam CIAA you idiot !!!Kepp your race out it !!! You dont have dog in this fight.
This is still a SOUTHERN CITY and always will be !!!! Go back home !!!! Ge out of here and the south !!! We dont want you espec when you jack your mouth off like that !!!
The Mexican soccer match was OK !! You are NOT !!! Get lost.
You are in the SOUTH !!! The best place in America by far !! punk!!
please don't close anymore schools, or put any more lead in paint or gasoline.
ReplyDeleteI was born in Charlotte in 1983. My parents migrated here from Mexico via California. Yes, illegally. They received their legal status in 1985. My older sisters now have children that are 2nd generation Americans. All of us were A students, all of us attended college. I myself attended UNC-Chapel Hill (Viva Tar Heels!). I was a straight A student in HS so before you retort that I was accepted because of my ethnic background to fill some quota, you may as well bite your tongue buddy.
ReplyDeleteMy entire family speaks English and Spanish (albeit some more broken than others) and we all love both our American and Mexican heritages and cultures. My point being: assimiliation takes time. It's not 100%, it's not seamless and it's never going to be perfect in everyone's point of view. It also doesn't mean that I have to forgo my pride in knowing where I came from and who my ancestors were. I can love being both and I do love being both.
I've seen my city go through a lot of changes from the time we were pretty much the only Latinos around for miles, let alone Mexicans to today. I loved my city then and I love my city now. I'm proud to be American, Mexican and Charlottean.
We can go on and on about immigration, social status, welfare, the economy, health reform and everything else in between, however, absolutely nothing that is said can change the fact that Wednesday night was one of the MOST AMAZING times I have EVER had in MY HOMETOWN. I enjoyed myself from the time I started at 11am until the time I made it home at 3am (Always use a designated driver! :). To all of you who are making the nasty comments: Thank you for not coming to the game and raining in on my parade!
6:42
ReplyDeleteutterly fantastic.
I am not for amnesty, however, I am a big fan of the Mexican team. The story should be separate from the politics, I agree.
ReplyDeleteAnon 6:03: "There is a big difference between those who chose Ellis island, the Nobel legal way, and those who choose to cross over in the dark of night, why do they do that?"
ReplyDeleteBecause our gov. and current immigration system is broken. At Ellis island, all they had to do was sign a card and not be contagious. If Ellis is how it should be done, I'm fine with going back to that. If all those who came through Ellis had been forced to meet today's standards, approx. half of US citizens today would now be the descendants of "illegals."
Immigrants are being failed by a broken system that makes them "illegal."
Native American? You mean the Europeans?
ReplyDeleteThe real native Americans are the Europeans such as the white Latinos and white Anglicans.
The red mongoloid pagan savage race who were already here were NOT Americans. They were from Asia who has crossed the Bering Strait Land Bridge to get here. They were here before the white man but there were not Americans.
America was named for Amerigo Vespuccia a white Latino Italian explorer in 1512 who was the first to discern that the west was not India but a new hemispehere.
Get your facts straight. Europeans conquered this place so it became theirs. Winner takes all. Thats the way it works.
"Immigrants are being failed by a broken system that makes them "illegal."
ReplyDeleteOH BOY...YOU OWE ME A GLASS OF WATER AND A NEW KEYBOARD.
Jeezz I suppose drunk drivers, the Madoffs of the world and pedophiles are being failed by a broken system that does not allow them to do what ever they want too?
No illegal aliens are "illegal" because they choose to work here illegally, live here illegally, yada yada ...tell me they ALL pay taxes? or do they not pay taxes because it would lead to them being caught and deported, of course they don't pay taxes...thus the problem...MS 13? most all illegal.... the argument based on fact and logic goes on.
they have a choice.
If you want to make a difference support the use of Ellis island and the proper channels ...you can press one for English for that
Why don't all these illegals get together and go back to the land they love and make their own country work.
ReplyDeleteFight for what you want. Americans did and look where we are today.
Stand up for your country if it means that much to you.
The only illegal immigrants that don't pay taxes as far as I know are the ones that are being paid (or shall I dare say underpaid?) under the table in cash by their employers who chose to take advantage of the situation. Don't pay taxes for fear of being caught and deported? HA! HA! You must think very highly of the IRS.
ReplyDeleteMost do pay taxes utilizing a TIN. The same TIN they use to purchase cars, homes, utilize bank accounts, etc, etc. In fact, I say the real reason the TIN was even created was for that very reason: so that EVERYONE can pay taxes! Legal or not. You don't really think Uncle Sam would miss out on tapping that resource for $$$???
Please don't be so naive. That immigrants-are-using-all-of-our-social-resources stint was just some crap a politician decided to feed us ignorant mortals to win an election and you're just one more to jump onto that bandwagon! Aww poor Americans are starving because all the illegals are talking our food stamps! Please! We're the fattest country in the world! Give me a break, the only thing that is suffering here is your ability to eavesdrop on the conversation to the folks beside you speaking Spanish. I don't hear you complaining when you get your lawn cut or your house cleaned at half the price!
The game became a political debate thanks to our AMERICAN elected legislature and governor(s) who seemed to think that illegals belong in OUR (We were BORN and have LEGAL citizenship) country.
ReplyDeleteBTW, did any of the illegal sympathizers from the legislature to the governor attend the game?
This blog shows how volatile the issue of possible amnesty can be. And since approximately 53% of Latino illegals are Mexicans, there is outrage at Mexicans, as well as everyone else in this country illegally. And for every Latino woman that speaks no English, she is pregnant and has a few hanging onto the shopping cart. She pays with WIC and food stamps, while hubby is sending remittances to the home country. (Anchor babies guarantee our tax dollars go to support them.)
ReplyDeleteAnd when have foreign illegals decided that This Land is also their land, with no respect for our laws? Teddy Roosevelt warned us years ago that if we were not careful, we would lose this country to squabbling nationalities. We have gotten to that point!
So let me understand the logic of this side stepped debate.
ReplyDelete........crossing the border rewards anyone with instant citizenship?
Well I think it is clear to the people who are doing the hiring (are they Mexican?), when it comes to making money or being patriotic and hiring an American, it's all dollars and cents...Don't hate the laborer, hate the man writing the checks knowing full well what he/she is doing. That's what Americans love right? Free enterprise, capitalism, market economy, buy low/sell high?
ReplyDeleteGet Real.
ReplyDeleteThis is not about racism (at least on the part of legal citizens) this is an issue of law. People that come into our country without following legal procedure are breaking the laws of our country, period. And as such by law they and their so-called anchor babies should be deported and not given any rights and benefits awarded to legal citizens.
It makes me laugh when illegals and/or their advocates bring up the race issue, because it's a clear indicator that they can't intelligently debate the real issue.
What have they done to earn amnesty? What makes them better than other groups of people that respect our country and have gone through the legal channels to become citizens? What can the illegals do to enhance the quality of life for the American people that other people legally waiting in line can't do? In this time of severe economic depression in our country, why should the American people welcome them here?
They can't answer those questions in a convincing way because illegals know that they have no legal and/or moral right to be in OUR country.
No they can't fall back on the ole race card, it all boils down to our immigration laws that need to be enforced.
What about your brothers doing the hiring? Need labor, call a Mexican, need your computer fixed call India, the American has priced himself out of his own market.
ReplyDeleteI have been turned down for many jobs because I am not BI-LINGUAL! I am multi-lingual, but none of the languages are Spanish! I am so tired of being bumped to mollycoddle a population that refuses to assimilate while claiming they are a race and should not be discriminated against.
ReplyDeleteI mow my own lawn and clean my own house. When I need to hire someone for specialized work, I make it absolutely clear that if they send me a crew of non-English speakers, they will be thrown off the property and the contract will be cancelled.
I do so wish that the illegals will take what they have learned in this country back home and reshape their societies. No thought of that or learning English. No thought of becoming an American citizen. This country is just the cash cow, and means nothing more to illegal aliens.
It's easy for cats to attack other cats, its the dogs they have trouble with....
ReplyDeleteIf you were serious about the immigration issue, here is the answer:
Stop hiring! No jobs, no money, no immigration problem...
Back in the day, you could not pick your own crops, so you "recruited" Africans, then you could not build your railroads, so you "recruited" the Chinese, now you are so lazy, you can't do any manual labor so you are recruiting Mexicans..
"We've been considering turning off anonymous comments for this blog in hopes of encouraging more thoughtful and respectful discussion."
ReplyDeleteMary Newsom did that on her blog and now it's a barren wasteland -- obviously her idea of "thoughtful and respectful discussion" meant "only people who agree with me are allowed to comment -- all other comments will be censored".
If you can't take the heat generated by anonymous comments, I suggest you hang up your blog and just write a column.
As to the comment about "give me your huddled masses": We needed 'em when we still had a frontier. Now we've got 300 million people in this country, more than enough. The time for unrestricted entry into this country is OVER.
While everyone keeps harping on the "Mexicans" getting paid under the table, let's not forget all our legal neighbors, fellow church goers and friends running their small businesses and not paying taxes. On one hand I can count a printer, a roofer, a floor refinisher, a painter and a landscaper - all flying under the radar!
ReplyDeleteAs soon as Americans are willing to work for the equivalent wage in Mexico or China, the problem goes away....
ReplyDeleteAny volunteers? Step up to take a pay cut!
Race is the distraction, economics is the real issue.
To Anon 8:47 PM: Hi Cedar.
ReplyDeleteBeing mad at Mexicans for being here is like a wife being mad at the prostitute for having sex with her husband..Who is a regular PAYING customer.
ReplyDeleteFor all of those that despise the "illegals"... Who does your lawn care? Who cleans your house? Who does your room additions or fix your house? Who takes care of your children? For cheap? It is is undoubtedly the illegals you love to complain about. Just think what you would have to pay for a house or lawn care if you had to pay a decent wage with benefits.... The "illegals" I know are the kindest and most gracious people I know. It would do you good to stop generalizing about people you do not know. If anyone has ever ventured outside this country, you would see the pockets of the world who live in dire poverty. You would see the lengths to which people will go to to provide for their family. Stop painting these people as criminals and please stop the racial epithets. I am white and the PROUD mother of a Hispanic girl, who incidentally is here legally. I LOVE that my family is multi-cultural and it saddens me to see people use such hurtful words like "spic". All this from a soccer GAME.....
ReplyDeleteGo to NumbersUSA.com and other sites like HumanEvents.com, and NewsMax.com, noinvaders.com, and type in your address bar for organizations against illegal immigration for ideas on how to back up your ideas on stopping illegals. These illegals, all take American jobs, ask us to pay for their welfare, medical care, and education. California is broke because of them. A lot of them are also beholden to the Mexican drug cartels, which smuggle illegal drugs across the border to destroy millions of American lives. A lot of these illegals if not most have come here through these cartels, who want favors in return: harboring some of their criminal pals, being go-for messengers for drugs, etc. Some of them are beholden to the cartels because the cartels are holding friends or relatives hostage in Mexico. A lot of the cartels' drugs come from Red China, the world's largest exporter of ILLEGAL drugs in the world according to the IC&E (the Immigration, Customs, & Enforcement Division of Homeland Security). The Whirlpool plant in Evanston, Illinois is closing and letting go 1,100 American workers. Why? The plant is moving to Mexico, even though Whirlpool received stimulus money and made a good profit over the past year. Get together with all groups, unions, and people who are opposed to illegal immigration. Show your power at the polls come this Nov. '10 and vote out liberals like Kay Hagan, who didn't oppose illegals and any other official stupid enough to be soft on illegals. The illegals are saying, "I'm an illegal, so now I have a right to take your job, get free medical care, free education, and free welfare if I want it." Such damn Saddam gall!
ReplyDeletewho's doing the hiring?
ReplyDeleteTo Anon 8:56 PM: Wrong.
ReplyDeleteFranco, the 'strong emotions' that you describe are a result of more than 20 years of Americans watching their beloved country be invaded... after the LAST amnesty program was passed by Reagan. Estimates are that there are between 15 and 20 million illegal aliens in this country. To law-abiding citizens, that's 15 to 20 million criminals. These are people who have intentionally broken our laws by crossing our borders, intentionally abuse social programs intended for the American poor, intentionally abuse our public education system AND insist on education in Spanish rather than English. The gall of these people has pushed American hospitality to it's maximum... and some Americans are starting to push back. I have no problem with Hispanics who have gotten here by moving through our immigration system. The ones who are here illegally WILL be sent back... whether they walk back across the border themselves or escorted by American law enforcement.
ReplyDeleteThe problem for Americans, though, is that WE need to start holding our fellow citizens accountable. The politicians who cut funding to ICE, effectively prohibiting them from doing ther jobs. The politicians who turn a blind eye to the rights of American citizens in favor of increasing their Hispanic voting base. The employers who break our laws and hire illegal labor. The citizens who hire small businesses to cut their lawns, repair their homes, etc... and turn a blind eye when undocumented workers show up to do the work. This MUST stop... and only WE can begin to put a stop to it.
The solutions to this problem have been inadequate in this administration, while previous administrations (both Dem and Repub) have basically ignored the open borders. Wink, wink, nod, nod.
ReplyDeleteBut after 9/11, this can no longer be status quo that anyone who wants to come into this country will be free to go about their lives. Just watch Obama push for amnesty, when we really have no idea to whom we are granting that amnesty. And it seems the majority of illegals will not go through the trials of learning English or care if they become citizens. Their lives are much more comfy at taxpayer expense, while they pay sales taxes.
Stories you won't find in the Observer are that Charlotte is home to Hamas, Hezbollah, prostitution and drug rings.
It has come to the point where I feel like I need to count the skyscrapers before I get uptown.
Rather than whining about how cruel Americans are to illegals, we should be screaming that something be done to protect our sovreignty starting with our borders and putting a stop to the employers of illegals. After all, we need to make sure that we protect all the illegals under our care, and American citizens need to take care of themselves.
Citizens need to wake up, as life is not normal in the terms of America.
The debate is much more important than whether Mexico or Iceland wins a fleeting soccer match, a championship until next year, when it could be wiped away. The discussion here is about what we would like to see this country be for children and grandchildren. At this moment I am very worried.
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ReplyDeleteTo the people who think the europeans coming over and wiping away the 'inferior culture' of the native americans, the next Sherman is Yankees from the north and the latinos from the south that are coming in to wipe away the 'inferior southern culture' that stands now. Once we have finished colonizing the carolinas, we will do the same to alabama, mississippi and the mountains for the bettermant of our country as a whole. Sounds like a fair trade to me. We wil then host a soccer game right in the middle of your so-called sacred ground.
ReplyDeleteAmazing. Someone pointed out that Mexicans are barred from applying for unsponsored visas. And yet several people kept screaming in the comments that they don't hate Mexicans, they just want them to come here legally. MEXICANS ARE NOT ALLOWED BY LAW TO APPLY FOR THOSE WORK VISAS. Let that be the end of the "come here legally debate. WHAT NOW?
ReplyDeleteMay I suggest that the problem is that immigration limits are artificially low, and that they should be raised so they'll be able to come here legally?
Oh, and to those of you who say BS to undocumenteds paying their taxes - it's the truth. They know they're more likely to be deported by the IRS than ICE. Since you're obviously not Latino, I think I would know more about this than you.
Lastly - I'm Mexican and my English is better than some of you native-borns', who are sooooo pissed about Latinos not speaking English. What's your excuse for not speaking it?
who's doing the hiring?
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ReplyDeletewho's doing the hiring?
ReplyDeleteGOOD PEOPLE OF N.C. JUST SAY NO! CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR THE OBSERVER.WE JUST ABOUT PUT THE PHOENIX PAPER OUT OF BUSINESS. THEY HAD TO DUMP A LARGE NUMBER OF WANNABE JOURNALISTS. WITH NO SUBSCRIBERS THE PAPER CHOKES. LETS FACE IT, THIS "RAG" IS AS UN-AMERICAN AS THE ILLEGALS IT SUPPORTS. YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY GOOD MONEY FOR BAD NEWS! THE COWARDS AT THE OBSERVER WILL TAKE THIS OFF PRONTO!
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ReplyDeleteNo mames...
ReplyDeleteFRANCO! What you really mean is "if they don't agree with this rag" just knock them off, and hand pick the ones you like. Thats very "Mexican of you". Your a credit to your race.
ReplyDeleteWho's doing the hiring?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately everything has a political spin to it. In some countries, as with politics it can even be turned completely around into a racially motivated discussion - its quite wrong actually. Andre
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