Thread: Costume controversy,imm. rights,free speech -WITH POLL

'Illegal alien' costume controversy splits between immigrant rights, free speech
By Shandra Martinez
October 21, 2009, 11:27AM

WALKER -- A controversial illegal alien costume is scaring people this Halloween, but not for the reasons you might think.

Roberto Jara is glad to hear Meijer, along with several national retailers, pulled the costume, which has sparked criticism across the country.

"It's in poor taste," said the executive director of Latin Americans United for Progress, a Holland-based organization that provides assistance to immigrants, among other services.

The get-up features the mask of a space alien with a green card and an orange jumpsuit with "illegal alien" printed across the front.

It's "distasteful, mean-spirited and ignorant of social stigmas and current debate on immigration reform," says Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, whose organization led the effort to pressure the Minneapolis-based Target and other retailers to drop the costume.

But like all hot-button immigration issues, the other side is weighing in as well.

William Green, president of the Raleigh, N.C.-based Americans for Legal Immigration political action committee, called the pressure on retailers to drop the costume an attack on free speech.

"The only people getting upset are the hyper-sensitive, over-politically correct, pro-amnesty, illegal alien-supporting nuts," Gheen told CNN. "You can't attack people's freedom in this country."

That was the reaction of more than a dozen people who commented online on an Mlive.com story about Meijer dropping the costume from its Web site.


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Would you buy an 'illegal alien' Halloween costume?

No, it's offensive.13%
Yes, people are too politically correct.86%

Created on Oct 20, 2009 Total Votes: 825




http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/ ... alien.html

The illegal alien costume seems to be race neutral to me. I find it quite interesting that only the Latinos are offended.... could that be they are only reacting to their guilty feelings of being in this country illegally?

Would you buy an 'illegal alien' Halloween costume?

No, it's offensive.
13%

Yes, people are too politically correct.
86%

Created on Oct 20, 2009 Total Votes: 902

Personally I couldn't care less about the costume, probably never would have even taken a second look at it. But now that I know it riles LaRaza, Maldef et al. I'd buy one.

Would you buy an 'illegal alien' Halloween costume?
No, it's offensive.
13%
Yes, people are too politically correct.
86%
Total Votes: 909

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Would you buy an 'illegal alien' Halloween costume?
No, it's offensive.
13%
**Yes, people are too politically correct.
86%
Created on Oct 20, 2009 Total Votes: 996