Thread: Texas tourists arrive to back SB 1070

'Buycott' seeks to counter boycott over Arizona law

Texas tourists arrive to back SB 1070

Rhonda Bodfield Arizona Daily Star
Saturday, July 3, 2010 12:00 am

Roughly 60 people, wearing flip-flops and toting water bottles and generating applause from a small group of onlookers, piled out of a coach bus in front of TownePlace Suites in the middle of the afternoon heat Friday.

"Thanks for coming and welcome to Arizona," said state Republican Rep. Vic Williams, shaking hands with the Texas tourists who have become the latest symbol in the fight over Arizona's immigration battle.

Saying they're countering the Arizona boycott by groups who say the state's controversial new immigration law will lead to racial profiling, the bus riders - plus a reported 60 others in a caravan meeting them in Tombstone - came armed with dollars to spend. Several wore T-shirts with "God Bless Arizona" on the front and "Texas supports you," on the back.

Tucsonan David DeNardo, a 63-year-old retired machinist, was on hand to greet the newcomers after seeing a mention of the "buycott" in the newspaper. As he waited for the tour group to arrive, DeNardo said he was disappointed in the turnout - largely just a handful of politicians, a few media outlets and the local Chamber of Commerce. "I had hoped there would be more Arizonans here to thank them," DeNardo said. "When people do good things, they ought to be told."

Arizona's new immigration law is set to take effect July 29. The law requires police to question those they have stopped for other reasons about their immigration status if there is "reasonable cause" to believe they are in this country illegally.

DeNardo said he didn't think SB 1070 was such a big deal - he has to show identification to rent a room at the hotel, for example. "The state had to do something because the federal government won't do anything," he said.

That was a common refrain among the travelers.

Ron Richardson, 60, came to the state in 2006 to support the Minuteman border watch movement. "I just feel that Arizona has a right to do this," said Richardson, a retired airlines worker who maintains illegal entrants "disrespect the U.S. by not coming here legally."

He brought with him a T-shirt he had specially made for Gov. Jan Brewer, reflecting a fence and the words, "If we build it, they won't come."

Nick Morris, a 15-year-old entering his junior year, had some brief notoriety in May when he was suspended from his Texas high school for taking down a Mexican flag at a Cinco de Mayo celebration and throwing it in the trash. Morris, who contradicted school officials by saying he was offended that the flag was higher than his home state's flag, landed on conservative firebrand Sean Hannity's show.

"I'm here to support Arizona and what they're doing," said Morris. Asked why immigration has him so concerned, he said he's worried about the impacts of the drug trade.

Inside, hotel desk clerk Lynette Gabriel pointed to a stack of 40 electronic room keys when asked about the group's impact. She was worried when she heard about potential boycotts earlier in the year, noting summer is already a slow season for the tourism industry here.

"Tourism is what keeps a hotel busy. If people don't come to visit, then they don't stay in hotels, and then people start losing their jobs," Gabriel said.

Craig Winfree, a 41-year-old Houston resident and Republican precinct committeeman, said he showed up because he wanted to support Arizona, but also wanted to get some political leverage in his home state as well. "1070 is what this is all about. I want (Gov. ) Rick Perry to realize how much support there is out there for similar laws."

State Rep. Williams shaved a day off a family trip to Southern California so he could be there to welcome the visitors. He said he had hoped to see other politicians on hand, even those who don't agree with the law he backed.

"We can agree to disagree about 1070 and its merits, but we should still be all on the same page about promoting Arizona," he said.

Jennifer Allen, the executive director of the Border Action Network, said the Houston event shouldn't buck up supporters: "One hundred people showing up seems pretty paltry in the bigger scheme, compared to the outpouring of support in opposition of the bill."

She said volunteers are gearing up "to ensure the Latino vote is active and engaged this election season and that there are consequences for politicians who disregarded the concern of the Latino community."

Allen said what the Houston arrivals overlook "is that there's actually a lot of agreement around the fact that our current immigration system is broken, but this law is simply not a solution in any way, shape or form. It makes community policing more difficult, it erodes trust from community members and it makes our state and our communities less safe for everyone."

Contact reporter Rhonda Bodfield at 573-4243 or rbodfield@azstarnet.com

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/border/ ... 5df56.html

AWESOME!

i could be wrong, but this might be the one that Houston Radio talk show host Michael Berry was organizing.

Either way, its nice to see my fellow texans going to arizona to support the rule of law

"is that there's actually a lot of agreement around the fact that our current immigration system is broken, but this law is simply not a solution in any way, shape or form. It makes community policing more difficult, it erodes trust from community members and it makes our state and our communities less safe for everyone."

The problem is not that the law is BROKEN, the problem is that the LAWS are NOT Enforced! Secure our National Borders and Enforce our Immigration Laws and there would not be a need for new Laws. Comprehensive Immigration Reform and a Path to Citizenship are code for BLANKET AMNESTY!

The "communities" would be much safer if there was not a requirement to defend United States CITIZENS from the crimes of the ILLEGALS.

Our FAMILIES are at the mercy of ILLEGALS and their Anchors being murdered, raped, infected with disease, or robbed. We can see the results of the ILLEGAL invasion in our courts every day! But NOT to worry the Chamber of Commerce will get their cheap labor increasing their privatized PROFITS while socializing the benefits for their ILLEGALS on the back of U. S. Citizens, thanks to our past and current Presidents, the Congressional Leadership(?), and local elected and appointed officials!

Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-5423--0-0.html

Originally Posted by jamesw62

i could be wrong, but this might be the one that Houston Radio talk show host Michael Berry was organizing.

Either way, its nice to see my fellow texans going to arizona to support the rule of law

It sure would be nice it Michael Berry and our fellow Texans would organize a trip to Austin to protest this mess of a sanctuary State we live in.

Jennifer Allen is a PINHEAD, I am to the point of sick of hearing about the latino vote, piss on the latino vote. What this idiot does not understand is in these large poll numbers are a lot of latinos DUH. I am so sick of hearing who ever goes against the wish of the all mighty latino will get theres. Stand up AMERICANS and put the damn latino in its place

DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS