Thread: Mahony: Immigrants Should Not To Participate in May 1 Worker

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?secti ... id=4089921

LOS ANGELES, April 17, 2006 - Cardinal Roger Mahony, lately an outspoken advocate for immigrant rights, today urged immigrants not to participate in a worker and student boycott being organized for May 1.

"People of good will, desirous of enacting fair and just immigration legislation, can differ on which strategies will help bring about the immigration reform needed," he said in a statement released today.

"Personally, I believe that we can make May 1st a `win-win' day here in Southern California: go to work, go to school, and then join thousands of us at a major rally afterwards," he said.

He said efforts to help enact immigration reforms should be channeled into positive ways to influence Congress, and noted that in the Catholic religion, May 1 is the feast-day of St. Joseph the Worker, the patron of working people.

"I would recommend that our Catholic parishes, schools, and other entities devote time on May 1st to help our employees and students appreciate the dignity of work, the value of education, and the important role immigrants play here in the Southland," he said. "Other employers and schools may wish to consider some similar positive alternatives."

He suggested that employers and schools set aside an hour or so during the day to discuss immigration reform, and that they encourage students and workers to write letters to lawmakers expressing their views on immigration reform.

He also suggested the informal sessions conclude with a prayer, and that refreshments be shared, "especially foods from the various ethnic groups ..."

Rather than boycotting work or school, he said that after work, students and employees should attend a rally from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the La Brea Tar Pits, where a coalition of religious, labor, civic, community and student organizations will gather to promote just and humane immigration reform at a "Day of the Worker celebration."

He said parents should discuss immigration reform with their children, but "persuade your students to go to school on May 1st, and to remain there throughout the school day."

He said parents should attend the Day of the Worker celebration with their children, encouraging them to "participate in a peaceful and meaningful gathering."

Addressing students directly, he said they should "see May 1st as a special day for sharing your own cultural heritage," but that boycotting school "will not bring about just and humane immigration reform -- sometimes, boycotts could even work against positive reform."

Nativo Lopez helped organize the mass rally last month that drew an estimated 500,000 immigration supporters to downtown Los Angeles. He also helped students stage walkouts from classes and is involved in organizing the May 1 boycott.

Tonight he said he was unaware that Mahony had come out against what he called "The Great American Boycott," but that he wasn't surprised.

"I didn't know about it but I expected it," he said, noting that Mahony also opposed a boycott organized in 2003 when a bill to allow illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses was vetoed.

"We can respect his opinion, and I'm sure he can respect ours," Lopez said. "But we're going to pursue our strategy of the Great American Boycott, outside the comfort zone of those in political power."

He said boycott organizers and Mahony differ on goals as well as strategy, noting that they want immediate legalization for undocumented immigrants and no sanctions for employers who hire undocumented workers, while Mahony supports a compromise bill by Sens. Edward Kennedy and John McCain that would "send (undocumented immigrants) to purgatory."

Lopez said the response to calls for a boycott has been "nothing short of incredible," and that on May 1 in the Southland, he expects a "mega march" with people not going to work or school and companies shutting down for the day.

Following the one-day boycott, immigrant activists plan to start an immigrant voter education and registration campaign called "100 Percent Registration, 100 Percent Voting," he said.

He added that depending on what happens in Congress, "it's not a foregone conclusion that (May 1) will be the only boycott."

I say we email the Pope and tell him this guy is messing in America's immigration laws!

Originally Posted by moosetracks

I say we email the Pope and tell him this guy is messing in America's immigration laws!

Well to date. I personally have sent by records. 211 letters to the POPE. I have all the confedence in the word. That that number will reach a 1000 before summer.

Word must be getting back to the illegal backers that Americans are sick and tired of seeing the invasion marching down Main Street USA.

He said boycott organizers and Mahony differ on goals as well as strategy, noting that they want immediate legalization for undocumented immigrants and no sanctions for employers who hire undocumented workers, while Mahony supports a compromise bill by Sens. Edward Kennedy and John McCain that would "send (undocumented immigrants) to purgatory."

This escalating sense of entitlement, as alarming as it may be, is NOT going to play well with Americans...at all. IMHO, they are making their own rope in this respect.

Following the one-day boycott, immigrant activists plan to start an immigrant voter education and registration campaign called "100 Percent Registration, 100 Percent Voting," he said.

OK..now this DOES scare me! Our voting system, like our borders, is broken. The reality is that ANYONE can vote, legal or not, in this country. More information is required of someone licensing a pet dog than that of someone registering to vote.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Agree^^^^^^^^^^^

I thought this May 1 boycott thing at first was just sort of amusing, but it's getting out of hand again:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... n0415.html

From:

Mexican unions, political and community groups, newspaper columnists and even some Mexican government offices have joined the call for a parallel boycott of U.S. businesses in Mexico.

For some, it's a way to express anti-U.S. sentiment, while others see it as part of a cross-border, Mexican-power lobby.

Marxism, indeed.