Its correllation versus causation. Though minorities are more skewed towards the democratic party, could it also be that a majority of african americans and hispanics are lower income? So it could simply be based on income and not race that people choose political parties. As for the Alabama ad, anyone can find sillyness on both sides about a number of issues and there will always be the far end opportunists/fringe while i'm discussing the majority.
The problem is these "far end fringe" issues poll as important at a level just short of equal to what you consider the issues that are important to the majority. Would you consider 65%-70% of the Republican Party to be "fringe"?
5% of 1,000,000 is 50,000 people...thats a good amount. I didnt know that police would be required to ask people for their papers...could they get fired if they didnt? Funny store. I went to the march in Houston about this law. My girlfriend is mexican and in a latin sorority. One of her sisters was arrested and is now awaiting deportation. Few months from graduating, no criminal record. Its the main reason we were there. The funny part was, one of her others sisters was really hyped about this march. Posters, yelling, etc. She would run to the news cameras (I think she just wanted to get on TV). Anyway, there was this small group of older white people there supporting the march. They had these huge signs displaying their support. One of my girl's sisters ran up to them, shouting at them, "Why do you want us to leave? We can help this country! We can help you when you get older! You shouldn't hate us." Clearly oblivious that they were supporters of immigration reform. Basically, she was racially profiling the white people at a racial profiling protest. Funny. But on topic, while this law can probably be defined as "racist" or will contribute to racial profiling, you at least have to ask yourself what the alternative is. Should we just leave the borders wide open? I'm betting that's what most people who came to this country illegally would like. Should we make immigration stricter and have a stronger border defense system? It would certainly help with the drug cartels, right? The point is, there probably won't be a happy medium because there will always be two sides. Everyone knows that immigrants are a good thing (lower prices for certain goods), and everyone knows immigrants can be a bad thing (no taxes). You can't just go around and have people creating laws without really thinking about them. And you can't ask for change if you don't know what want the outcome of the change to be. To me, this law is pretty dumb. Its like being able to search for drugs on anyone who isnt white because the majority of people in prison aren't white.
People normally just vote with what's on their mind. Since immigration has been an issue as of late, they would have said that. I'm certain terrorisim would have been a number one issue in polls taken on 9/12/2001, while the economy would be a big factor now.
I think securing the borders and immigration reform is a part of the Republican party. Whether its based on the belief of terrorists entering through the border system as a defensive measure, or just the ability for illegal immigrants to walk into the nation, it is a part of many Republicans. I'm not questioning that at all. And as there are some who believe this in order to 'keep the culture American' and that bs, I believe a majority of Republicans don't feel this is the case. But my whole point is that the above is being portrayed by Glynch and others in this thread as simply racism and xenophobia. The statements were made that republicans are just white racists, xenophobes and homophobes. I think that type of silly stereotyping is truly what many here believe and it is sad. I also think many that stand for Republican principals are bashed because of this type of stereotyping and demonizing. Just as most democrats are not communists, most republicans are not racists. Though some on both sides undoubtedly are.
It's a mess here in Arizona. Many of my students and their parents did not come for our annual school carnival out of fear from SB1070. I will be part of the march tomorrow night to the governor's office with many of those kids and parents in mind.
While I agree, on the basis of my personal experience (which, of course, may be skewed) the fraction is probably more significant than you would like to believe, (and actually that same subgroup of white racist xenophobes is larger among self-described liberals than most Democrats would like to believe). Furthermore that sub-group specifically in the Republican Party yells so loudly that they drown out the larger fraction that you speak of. Almost all of the major public figures who self-identify as Republican (I'm thinking of media figures, "pundits", and former civil servants) fit the description of what you think Republicans are not. Is it any wonder, then, if that's what non-Republicans tend to see?
That's not true. Illegal immigrants pay sales taxes and if they have a social security number, even a fake one, they are paying payroll taxes. I don't know if its been proven definatively but its possible that illegal immigrants contribute more to the tax base than they get out since they aren't going to get refunds, get an earned income tax credit, take social security or Medicare.
Republican Mike Huckabee: Huckabee argued illegal immigrants pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits: "They pay fuel taxes. If they're using a fake Social Security number, they're paying Social Security taxes and will never receive any benefit. It would be closer to the truth to say they're subsidizing Joe McCutchen and Jim Holt more than the other way around." http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2005/01/28/News/316347.html In a 2007 interview, Huckabee argued job loss caused by illegal immigration is not a problem, saying, "You know, when people say, 'they're taking our jobs'—I used to hear that as Governor—and I started asking this question, 'can you name me any person, give me their name, who can't get a job plucking a chicken or picking a tomato or tarring a roof that would like to do that work?' ... I never, ever, had a person who could come up with the name of a person who could not get a job because an illegal immigrant had stepped in front of them because it was either a job that person didn't want to do or didn't exist." http://time-blog.com/real_clear_politics/2007/03/the_huckabee_interview.html Just wait until this is brought up in the primaries in 2012.
This is the tea-party agenda - not that of racist, but that of misguided "less" gov't radicals who want to use the police to harrass brown-skinned people instead of protection people from crime. I mean, this is indeed how the Nazi's used police - to root out the Jews. Now the right is going to use the police to root out "illegals". Frankly, I think if the tea partiers want to go after illegals that's fine, throw money at the INS. All they are doing here is pissing off every latino in america and is going to result in crimes against illegals or even citizens increasing as it will be very difficult to get illegals to cooperate with the police (since the police can now deport them). It makes all the citizens of Arizona less safe - not more. It's really stupid since it actually undermines security and forces illegals to simply avoid police at all costs - making them live like criminals. There's so many better solutions - but this one is going to back-fire as I think disenfranchising minorities will only paint Republicans more and more as a white radical old men party led by the likes of Glen Beck and other old angry white men.
Well in defense, times have changed. The economy took a hit and was (or still is) in a recession. Unemployment also is way up. I remember constantly hearing the argument that illegals would gladly take the jobs that most Americans do not want. Now, that's simply not the case with so many Americans looking for any job they can get.
ATTN: THUMBS How in the hell can you be both Tea Party and Latino and have nothing to say about this? Your epidermis is showing.
So what happens if you are hispanic in Arizona and a citizen? If the police ask you for your papers....and you are a citizen you won't have papers? Does this mean that Hispanic Americans will all have to carry proof of citizenship when they are in Arizona or risk being detained?
Not that big of a deal, as long as nobody takes my Lawn Guy. He is freaking awesome. Most reliable person ever, I know that every other Saturday at 9:00am on the dot, he will be at my house. I have family that I couldnt rely on to keep their time like that. If one Saturday he does not show up, I am going to be sad...
Yes. The end of this video has news footage from the first day of an American citizen being arrested, because he was Hispanic. <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/t6AradppFx4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/t6AradppFx4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
It's more than just about whites vs. illegals. 60% of Americans support the Arizona Law. This is a conflict of ideologies between law abiding Americans vs. "Open Border" groups. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/us/04poll.html
