Thread: Is immigration debate fueling hostility against Hispanics?

Hold your nose folks! Looks like the notoriously pro-illegal immigration, Asheville Citizen Times, is trying to prevent a backlash over the Waffle House incident where the Mexicans Opened fire on Americans.

You see, it has to be the Americans fault somehow and a part of a broader abuse of all Hispanics caused by "anti-immigration" websites and bloggers.

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Is immigration debate fueling hostility against Hispanics?

by Clarke Morrison, CMORRISON@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM
published May 16, 2006 12:15 am

ASHEVILLE — Police don’t know whether a confrontation between whites and Hispanics at a West Asheville restaurant over the weekend that culminated in a shot being fired was sparked by the national debate over immigration.

No arrests were made in the 3 a.m. Saturday incident at the Waffle House on Smoky Park Highway, and the investigation is continuing, said Capt. Sarah Benson of the Asheville Police Department.

But some believe the current immigration debate is fueling tensions between Hispanics and others.

The National Council of La Raza issued a statement Friday asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the recent beating and sexual assault of a 16-year-old Hispanic boy near Houston as a possible hate crime, and last week the Southern Poverty Law Center reported that an anti-immigration activist had urged a neo-Nazi group to harass, rob and beat illegal immigrants.

And the Anti-Defamation League issued a report on what it said is a growing number of assaults on legal and illegal immigrants.

“This report reminds us that there is a direct connection between the national policy debate and the atmosphere surrounding the daily lives of immigrants,” said the league’s national director, Abraham Foxman. “The rhetoric we are seeing about Hispanics is downright scary.

“While these sentiments are often relegated to the private chat rooms, blogs and message boards maintained by hate groups, it only takes one individual with hate in his heart to act on these notions. For us, that’s a real concern as the national discussion on immigration continues to gain momentum.”

Edna Campos, organizer of the recent We Are One America immigration-rights rally in Asheville, said the immigration debate is raising tensions here.

“There is an increase in this area of people being polarized,” she said. “Fear mongers are saying, ‘These criminals are taking our jobs. They are terrorists.’ That’s all raising people’s fear. People want to stir things up. They want people to be polarized.”

In Saturday’s incident, a gunshot from a vehicle leaving the Waffle House shattered a window and caused a minor injury following an argument between whites and Hispanics inside, police said.

“The two groups were jawing back and forth with each other over citizenship issues and whatnot,” Lt. Wallace Welch said.

According to a police report, the shooting suspect was seated at a table with another Hispanic man and two white women. Whites at two other tables made comments “in reference to the suspect being Hispanic,” Benson said.

“The suspect stood up to leave, and the victim, who was seated at one of the tables, saw a gun in his waistband,” she said. “He followed the suspect outside the building, and that’s when the suspect shot toward the victim and into the building.”

The shot shattered a large window at the restaurant. The victim’s arm was bleeding when police arrived, but it’s not known if the injury was cause by a bullet fragment or flying glass. The victim declined medical treatment.

The case remains under investigation, Benson said.

Police Chief Bill Hogan said he’s not aware of any increase in criminal activity related to race or ethnic background. Hate crimes in Asheville are very rare, he said.

“What I’ve seen to this point is conflicts are not really based on race as much as what the incident is,” Hogan said. “As we investigate cases, we keep an eye out to determine if the motive for a criminal act is ethnic or race-based.”

Contact Clarke Morrison at 828-232-5849 or via e-mail at cmorriso@ashevill.gannett.com.

Link to the Asheville Citizen Times Discussion Board

http://www.citizen-times.net/cgi-bin/fo ... 1147755681

Article

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs. ... 15054/1010

Alipac,

Yesterday, I went and registered as you requested that someone do. I had to wait for an email confirmation. It came ~1 1/2 to 2 hrs. later. I was at the computer so immediately went to post, and the thread was already blocked. Couldn't reply.

There were a few anti-illegal posts, none were inappropriate...but boy, did they get blasted.

Anyone with half a brain can see the culture of criminality which comes into this country across our southern border. One only has to look at the commander in crime himself, Vinnie the moocher. It is the insolent Mexicans who have created the confrontational style of in-your-face demands for equality, and it is our lib-left media and spineless politicians who enable and support the brazen law breakers, with their hand-wringing, anti-American apologetics. I am sick and tired of all who, through their passive aggressive behavior, contribute to the tearing down of our republic. I have stopped frequenting mexican restaurants, and all others who pander to the riff raff such as Home Depot, Tysons, Hormel, etc. Americans are law abiding people who work within the law to effect political change. Mexicans and other foreign nationals seek only to lie, cheat, steal and tear down America just as they have allowed their own coutries to become heaping piles of manure.
I'm not looking to pick a fight but I will protect my own and my property with all legal means at my disposal. Hostility against hispanics?? only what they bring on themselves. I am hostile against all law breaking interlopers who would destroy our great nation, and am an equal opportunity fighter.

I called the reporter that wrote this and he actually admitted he was wrong for wording it that way. My question to him was this, " Exuse me sir, who were the individuals doing the shooting?" I was the only person that had called him, which shocked me. He said he had received quite a few e-mails. He was very nice. I ask him politely to please be fair in his reporting on this issue, that the one sided approach was not the way to go. One more thing, he was taken back when I informed him it was all over the internet. I guess he thought he was living in a bubble.

I'll call him as well. It is clear that they are trying to diffuse this situation by making it look like the problem is with the Americans and NOT the Mexicans. There is no counter view point to balance this article.

This is the same paper that has refused to print anything about all of the North Carolina citizens killed and maimed by illegals.

I've been on the air in Asheville a lot and I know those mountain folks quite well. I bet the Citizen Times is trying to dampen the backlash because those Mountain folks do not play around and in this case the Mexicans have fired first.

I am using the term Mexican in this post because that is what one of the 911 callers identified them as. I do not know if he knew they were Mexican from their conversation or if he assumed that.

W