http://idexer.com/2006/03/25/yesterday- ... tem-2.html

The big story of yesterdays protest rally’s across the country over immigration reform was not the numbers of protesters or immigration reform controversies, but the protesters own remarks over what they believed they were fighting for. The remarks illustrate what many may have already known in their gut: the constant exploitation of minorities via partisan politics and far-fetched Supreme Court rulings has lead to a false illusion of rights and national identity.

It's this illusion that rights advocates today find worthy to exploit to advance whatever cause they may be peddling. In the process, millions of desperate people are being lead by a false sense of entitlement. Our foolish broken system no longer serves no one -- it only serves to serve more foolishness.

The real losers in all this are the common American who must bare witness to the foolishness before them. The political pandering; the cries for ever more rights of those who in reality have no standing to demand from this country.

And one must ask: Where were the protests in Latin America yesterday? Surely such a large group of Latinos who left their home countries for a better life here would organizing rally’s back home for the very goals they came to seek in this country? There is something uneasy about a group of people who rally for changes for themselves in another country but not their very own.

What follows is a collection of remarks by those who were protesting against immigration reform yesterday. We'll let their own words tell the story, no further comments is needed:


"This is only the beginning," said Alfredo Gutierrez, a former state lawmaker.

"I don't care. I want to help my people. The (Sensenbrenner) law is bad for immigrants. It's time for the sleeping giant to wake," said Felix Lopez.

About 200 converged on the steps of the Georgia Capitol, some wrapped in Mexican flags and holding signs reading: "Don't panic, we're Hispanic" and "We have a dream, too."

"All we desire is those rights the American Supreme Court has said is guaranteed to all persons by the constitution. We want the same equal rights as anyone else in this country, for our children to receive a decent public education," said Roberto Gomez.

“Everyone wants to work. All we ask is that they let us continue to work and have a life here. We’re not asking for much,” said Catalina Sailly.

"Without immigrants, this country wouldn't be anything," said freshman Anna Benitez

"I'm here to make sure that the Mexicans get their freedom, their rights," said Montebello High School student Jeannette Garcia, 15, who held up a sign that said "Freedom."

Clutching Mexican flags, thousands in Phoenix chanted, "Si, se puede," a rallying cry of the United Farm Workers union that means "Yes, we can."

Isidro Ortega of Phoenix, who waived a giant Mexican flag, said "They want to make a law that would make it illegal for me to talk to my wife."

"It's about time we exercised some of our civil rights," said John Chavez.

“If we had the opportunity to make ourselves legal, we would have,” Juan said.

"I am a third-generation Mexican-American. I am not an undocumented immigrant, but I strongly support my undocumented immigrant brothers and sisters in their struggle for justice and their equal rights," said Marquez, the leader of Students United for Immigrant Rights.

"On the Statue of Liberty it says, 'Give me your tired, your hungry, your poor yearning for liberty,' and that's why we're here," said Michael Rosen, president of the local union representing teachers at Milwaukee Area Technical College.

"The United States of America was built and established for the freedom of people. We have to be united as one, liberty and justice for all mankind," said Magdalena DeLeon.

"It's a disgrace and racist to make it a crime for anyone to live and work in this country. There never should be any any racist laws to prevent anyone from becoming a hard working American citizen," said Mario.