Thread: Meeting reignites immigration debate

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Meeting reignites immigration debate
Updated: 12/7/2005 7:41:54 AM
By: Lisa Reyes and Mercer Merrill, News 14 Carolina
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Republicans and Democrats faced off at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners.

The three Republican commissioners -- Dan Bishop, Bill James and Jim Puckett -- proposed that the county disallow certain services to illegal immigrants. They also proposed that companies be ineligible for government contracts if they employ illegal immigrants.

The resolution was shot down by the Democratic majority, but it reignited an issue that has been a hot topic lately because of two fatal accidents involving illegal immigrants. Both have been accused of driving drunk.

"It was a little bit foolish to bring it up, because what it does is divide the community," said Dan Ramirez, a former county commissioner and a Hispanic.

Ramirez, who said federal laws are already in place to address illegal immigration, hopes that everyone will try to keep a level head about the issue. But for many people, this has become an emotional issue.

At Tuesday night's meeting, some Hispanics expressed their disapproval by holding up signs that read "shame." They're afraid the Republicans' proposal will foster discrimination.

Rafael Prieto, the editor of a local Hispanic newspaper called Mi Gente, recently wrote that U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick and radio host Keith Larson should apologize for being xenophobic.

Larson "has promoted this stereotype that Hispanics are drunk drivers or Hispanics are gang members or that Hispanics are bad people, basically," Prieto said.

Larson, who has a show on WBT News Talk Radio, responded over the airwaves Wednesday morning.

"The only thing that's xenophobic is people who are taking words or things that I've said and twisting them around in this fashion the way this guy is," Larson said.

Myrick recently proposed the Scott Gardner Act to crack down on illegal immigrants who drive drunk.

After voting down the Republican proposal Tuesday night, the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners prohibited local regulation until further research is done on the illegal immigration issue.

"The only thing that's xenophobic is people who are taking words or things that I've said and twisting them around in this fashion the way this guy is," Larson said.

This xenophobic charge must be their new attack mechanism! They must have learned that new word recently because it seems that that's all we here from the opposition now. They just DON'T GET IT. WHY is it xenophobic to expect people to OBEY OUR LAWS??? And, if the people who have been involved in these drunk driving wrecks and deaths are drunk and they are also Hispanic and they are also ILLEGALS, what do they WANT? Do they think that shouldn't be reported?? In every crime report I read, the person's race is given no matter WHAT it is. Should WE be getting bent out of shape every time a Police report stated that the person was Caucasian? Black? Could we start screaming, "XENOPHOBIA"??? This is just ABSURD. Call a spade a spade. I don't think the news should be slanted to favor ANY particular person or race.