Thread: Congressman Mo Brooks won't back off "anything short of

Congressman Mo Brooks won't back off "anything short of shooting them" illegal immigrant threat
Published: Tuesday, July 19, 2011, 6:00 AM Updated: Tuesday, July 19, 2011, 6:31 AM
By Lee Roop, The Huntsville Times

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Hispanics nationally are stepping up their criticism, but U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks won't apologize for saying he would "do anything short of shooting them" to keep illegal immigrants out of America.

"I'm not going to back off because these folks want to resort to name-calling," Brooks said Monday. Brooks spoke after a week in which he was criticized by the head of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and two groups of Hispanic Republicans.

U.S. Rep. Charles Gonzalez, D-Tex., urged Brooks' Republican colleagues last Wednesday to repudiate his comments. Those comments include Brooks comparing illegal immigrants to house-breakers as he defended Alabama's tough new immigration law.


U. S. Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville, speaks at a Town Hall meeting at Monrovia Community Center in June. His comments there have raised the ire of Hispanic groups across the country. With Brooks is Madison County Commissioner Dale Strong. (The Huntsville Times/Bob Gathany Photographer)

At a town meeting in June, Brooks said he supports any measure "short of shooting them" that would force illegal immigrants back to their home countries.

"Rhetoric referencing acts of violence has no place in the discussion for realistic solutions to our country's immigration problems," Gonzalez said. "Words have consequences, and Congressman Brooks chose irresponsible words that reflect a hateful, dehumanizing undercurrent in the discussion on immigration."

The Republican group "Somos Republicans!" said on its website that Brooks "should apologize for his remarks, stop bashing immigrants, and instead work with his colleagues on a complete overhaul of our broken immigration system."

Another group, Arizona Hispanic Republicans, said Brooks "is no Christian Compassionate."

Brooks dismissed his critics as supporters of complete amnesty for illegals and said their comments are "traditional politics."

"I was speaking in hyperbole in order to emphasize a point," Brooks said of his "anything short of shooting them" remark.

He noted that the next sentence in his oft-quoted comment was, "Anything that is lawful, it needs to be done because illegal aliens need to quit taking jobs from American citizens."

"Anything that is lawful," Brooks emphasized Monday.

Brooks brushed aside questions about whether his remarks are a distraction in the immigration debate or cast Alabama in a negative light.

"They don't like Alabama or Alabama's immigration law," he said of his critics.

Brooks said his stand is popular across the country. He's been on media outlets in various places, he said, and was told last week by a Texas politician that he could easily win office in Houston.

Brooks and controversy are becoming linked. His Wikipedia page now has a "controversies" section. It details the "anything short of shooting them" controversy and the April flap that followed him calling some House members "socialists" on the House floor. Brooks withdrew that remark from the record after being criticized.

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2011/07/con ... t_bac.html

GOOD for him!
I's about time someone stood up to these racist bullies and shysters who think people of their own ethnicity shouldn't have to obey our laws. They have NO respect for this country or their constituents. For shame!

We need more people like Brooks!!!!!

Go Mo Brooks! We support you! Don't back down.

W

WOW! I said in a previous post I was afraid he had sunk his career, but he would have my vote (if he were my Rep.).But now he has my utmost respect for sticking to his guns!!! WTG, Mo Brooks!

He is my Rep, and I am glad of it.

He had my vote and support in his campaign.

Added to Homepage with amended title due to limit of title line:
http://www.alipac.us/article-6426--0-0.html

I support that remark! He said only lawful actions, so what's the beef? Oh yeah, they want amnesty and Mo wants the rule of law which demands illegal aliens be returned to their home country.

Good for you, Mo!

Tampering with the truth harms justice. The truth is, illegal aliens are criminals and should be treated as such. Call them what they are! Illegal. Handle them like they are criminals. Don't play games, get real and deal with them like the criminals they are. Don't coddle criminals! Illegals should feel unwelcome and unwanted, to the point that they leave!!!! If they don't voluntary leave, force them with incarceration and deportation.

Dixie

Why can't we have more like him??

Hopefully he won't be retracting his statement after him and his family's lives get threatened by the tan klan.