Thread: Wait a minute, fellas, before you hit the border(op)

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Thursday, March 31, 2005 - Page updated at 12:00 a.m.

Ruben Navarrette Jr. / Syndicated columnist

Wait a minute, fellas, before you hit the border

SAN DIEGO â€â€

Oh yeah. Ruben Navarrette is a well known left wing bluestater who used to write exclusively for the Dallas Morning News. He transferred only in the last few months and became syndicated. He published his reasons for the transfer but I believe the reason is Texas is red while California is blue.

Originally Posted by Ruben Navarrette

...That's what I don't get about these yahoos. Eager to play cop, they talk a good game about the importance of law and order. But, when law-enforcement officers tell them to back off, they wipe their feet on the directive and press on....

Yahoos!? Play cop!? Ruben never did get it. He doesn't understand our Constitution and that we believe laws should be obeyed. I'd say that makes him the "real" yahoo. And the "real" cops have no right to TELL the Minutemen to back off. Minutemen actions are guaranteed by the Constitution as inalienable rights. And they wouldn't be there if our politicos would have staffed the border with a sufficient number of agents. Naaahhh. The only ones that "wipe their feet" on authority are Ruben and his felonious pals from the south. He has a lot of followers and is a good spinmaster. But he's a dedicated open-border advocate and dangerous because unlike his pals, he's legal (I think) and has a loud voice.
Edited to remove the rude term BM (bluestate moonbat)

Yeah, Ruben, you can twist this and turn this anyway you want this.
But.
Facts don't change. Solid as rock...thick as your head. The MMP is Necessary, is Applauded, is Appreciated. Is LEGAL.

RR

Here's some more to give everyone an idea of who Ruben Navarrette really is. He's just an ordinary com/soc/lib/progressive who wants to put a positive spin on the most dangerous weakness in our great nation. You'll need to register free to read the entire article but this is his flavor.

Originally Posted by Ruben Navarrette

...shouldn't confuse illegal immigrants with terrorists...rebels included...Duncan Hunter...James Sensenbrenner...Dana Rohrbacher...all these Republicans had to offer was more hysteria...Americans equate illegal with dangerous. They need to stop that. When something is illegal, it's wrong, but that doesn't make it dangerous....stop lumping terrorists with illegal immigrants? Terrorists want to do us harm. Most illegal immigrants just want to do our lawns...Undocumented immigrants have a hell of a time getting here, and they're treated like hell once they arrive....News Editorial

Fortunately, our legislators now fear their constituencies enough to take a modicum of action, even if it is insufficient. It's true some of these scofflaws just want a better life (don't we all). But it's also true that our porous border places us all in harms way. We need to make sure the poor judgement reflected by misguided writers such as Navarrette is effectively debunked. And we the people need to hold our legislators' feet to the fire.

Here's a later editorial from open-border advocate Ruben Navarrette regarding Mexico's famous comic book.

Originally Posted by Ruben Navarrette, Dallas Morning News, January 7

Blame Mexico if you must, but immigration problem starts here
Angry readers accuse me of unfailingly defending Mexican immigrants. Some say they're not surprised, as one put it so tactfully, "since your last name is Navarrette." That being the case, I don't suppose these folks will be shocked at my reaction to the news that the Mexican government is distributing to would-be emigrants a comic-book-style pamphlet with tips on how to cross into the United States illegally and avoid detection once they arrive. It occurs to me that Americans love to complain about illegal immigration – as long as they can blame the problem on someone else.

One institution that catches more than its share of blame is the Mexican government. I hear it all the time from readers who insist Mexico should do more to prevent its citizens from entering the United States illegally and that it should institute reforms to provide economic opportunities at home. The blame-Mexico-first crowd is going to go ballistic over the comic book. Dubbed The Guide for the Mexican Migrant, the 32-page booklet uses color drawings and short phrases to explain to Mexicans what they should and shouldn't do to safely cross the border. For instance: If you cross in the desert, make sure you do so during the hours "when the heat is not so intense."

And: "Once in the United States, don't call attention to yourself. Avoid loud parties. Don't become involved in fights." Mexican officials say they are only trying to save lives. Just last year, more than 300 Mexicans died trying to cross illegally. The government says the pamphlet is only an extension of years of similar efforts that have included videos and radio shows. I remember one such effort. In 2001, Mexico hatched a plan to distribute little survival kits to people crossing the border. Containing everything from salt tablets to bandages to snacks, the kits were soon nicknamed by the Mexican press as cajitas feliz ("Happy Meals") and eventually laughed out of existence.

Now that the pamphlet has been published, don't count on much amusement from those Americans who say that Mexico should stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution. These people need to grow up. Mexico takes in about $15 billion a year in remittances from Mexicans living in the United States. The money Mexicans send home is now the country's second-largest source of foreign income behind oil exports (about $16 billion annually). Tourism produces about $10 billion a year. So it is in Mexico's interest to maintain the status quo. Our State Department likes to say Mexico and the United States are working together to stem the tide of illegal immigration. Anyone who believes that is loco.

Not that the status quo doesn't benefit whole segments of the U.S. economy, mind you. The $15 billion headed to Mexico is only part of the story. What I'm waiting for is the study that calculates the amount of money that American employers and companies save each year by paying lower wages to illegal immigrants to do – as President Bush often puts it – "jobs that Americans won't do." Or the study that examines which U.S. businesses – such as restaurants, grocery stores and bars – take in the billions of dollars that Mexican immigrants don't send home but spend here.

Why do you think that every time Congress debates immigration, the members get earfuls from constituents – and contributors – who own and operate hotels, restaurants, farms and construction companies? And yet the cultural right insists that the reason Congress doesn't do more on immigration is because it doesn't want to appear politically incorrect or offend Latino advocacy groups.

That's crazy. Washington isn't so complicated. Just follow the money, which means tracking political contributions. Any power that the advocacy groups have is minuscule compared to the influence wielded by business interests – big business, small business, every-size-in-between business. And the sooner Americans accept that, the better off they'll be.

With an issue as volatile as illegal immigration, it's easy to get worked up over what a foreign government does or doesn't do. But Americans need to worry about their own behavior and understand this much: They aren't in this fix because of Mexican comic books or the Mexican government. They're in it because of their growing reliance on cheap Mexican labor. It's Our Fault
Ruben Navarrette is an editorial columnist for The Dallas Morning News. His e-mail address is rnavarrette@dallasnews.com.

Right, now the comic book is our fault. It's because 300 Mexicans died last year. That's only .03% (three-one-hundredths of one percent) of the swarm that crossed. They're in more danger on Dallas highways. And don't be outraged because it's "only an extension of years of similar efforts that have included videos and radio shows."

I wonder how Mr. Navarrette feels about the Drier legislation. It requires Social Security cards that contain a photo of the cardholder on the card, as well as an encrypted electronic identification strip, unique to that individual. Using the card, employers will be able to access the newly created Employment Eligibility database at the Department of Homeland Security to verify the job applicant's identity and legal status. The bill will also provide a $50,000 penalty as well as a federal penalty of up to 5 years in prison for employers that knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

The last word on Ruben Navarrette is every conservative in North Texas, about 68% and probably a lot more, were happy to see him go. Not that we wish bad things for California, but the zapato fits.

Originally Posted by RoadRunner

Solid as rock...thick as your head.

RR,

I'm "bustin' a gut" on that one! LOL x 1,000!

Mr. Navarrette does make a very good point about following the
money. Business likes cheap labor. The problem for the
average American is that wages are depressed and there
are fewer jobs. It is important for the citizens to write their
elected representatives, newspapers, and support things like the Minuteman project. Talk to friends, relatives and co-workers.
Spread the word. Things are starting to change.

Read "There's nothing cheap about immigrant labor"
By Richard D. Lamm, which is in the News Stories section.

An important read.

Spread the word.

I did send him an e-mail note.
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