Thread: National response to show supportive

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National response to show supportive
Tuesday, 21 November 2006
By SAM GALSKI

Hazleton Mayor Louis Barletta’s appearance on “60 Minutes” sparked an immigration debate among a national audience. Hazleton’s Illegal Immigration Relief Act was the subject of dozens of commentaries posted on the CBS News “60 Minutes” Web page that contains a link to 37 pages of comments as of Monday that generally supported the ordinance.
The IIRA has also been the topic of more than a dozen letters to the editor sent to the Standard-Speaker Monday, with 11 of 15 letters written in support of the ordinance as well as Barletta’s stance on illegal immigration.

Rene Bruce, from Medford, Ore., said her community is experiencing many of the same problems mentioned by Barletta Sunday and declared her support for the mayor and ordinance.

“We have experienced many of the same problems in our community with the influx of illegal immigrants,” she wrote. “We would like to convey our support for Mayor Barletta and his willingness to support his community by doing what’s right while flying in the face of political pandering by our Congress and the ACLU.”

“The Honorable Louis Barletta … hit the nail on the head (Sunday) when he suggested to the ‘60 Minutes’ correspondent Mr. Steve Croft, that distance away from the border is not a deterrent to the illegal immigrant who doesn’t speak English and who doesn’t have legal papers,” wrote Eduardo R. Estrada, of Edinburg, Texas.

“We hear news reports about violent crime against persons, property crime, drowning victims, illegal drug busts and human smuggling occurring along the river banks all too often.”

Barletta’s concerns for the financial drain that illegals have put on the local medical system were echoed by other letter-writers who addressed similar concerns for towns such as Grants Pass, Ore.

Don Wood, of Gautier, Miss., said he realizes “good people in Mexico need jobs,” but insisted that they should seek employment legally in the U.S.
Wood also said that he was pleased to see a small community such as Hazleton step up and “do the work that the Federal Government is too lazy and not smart enough to do.”

But not everyone agreed.

Beltsville resident Robert Waterman said that he felt “discouraged” after watching the program, asking if the entire community is as ignorant as it was portrayed on the show.

“If your citizens are half as unwelcoming as it appears, I can only be thankful to not live anywhere near you,” Waterman wrote.

Henry Lynch, Sacramento, Calif, said he’ll be in the area next summer – but has no plans on visiting the community or supporting it after watching the program.

“I do not support your community’s position and will not support it with money,” Lynch wrote. “While I anticipate being in your area this next summer, I will not spend time or money in Hazleton.”

Dozens of comments with reaction to Sunday’s broadcast were posted on the CBS News Web site, with most supportive of Barletta and the IIRA.
“I don’t understand why the ACLU going against the city of Hazleton,” a viewer who posted a comment under a user name of ‘ksredhead.’
“What is unconstitutional about this law??? Since when does our constitution protect ILLEGAL ALIENS!! If you want a true idea how this immigration of illegal aliens is affecting our society – ask any trooper or law enforcement officer. They can tell you the amount of crime committed by these people. And this is not a slam against any group of people … The KEY word here is ILLEGAL.”

Others, however, called the mayor a hypocrite when posting comments on the Web site.

“Does he have any idea where HE came from?” a comment posted by ‘jonischurr’ read.

“The only difference between when his family came to America and now is that the phrase ‘illegal immigrants’ had not yet been ‘coined.’ I am APPALLED!! At some of this man’s ideals!! This so-called ‘Mayor’ has a lot to learn about life outside of his little town!!”

Great find, ISMITH

Way to go America!!! Support the man who had the courage to fly in the face of the PC, braindead Congress.

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