Thread: Lincoln Nebraska May 6 rally, media coverage

Well, I feel a wee bit better.

One of the Lincoln Nebraska TV stations shared its video with an Omaha Nebraska TV station (the cities are 45 or so miles apart).

The coverage was more than fair.... it was actually slightly skewed to place our rally in a good light!!!!!! That really surprised me since the local media tends to put the invasion in a good light.

Perhaps the people's anger is affecting the media, well, at least the station I was watching.

Additionally, there was a local Democratic party meeting the same day as our rally. The coverage of that immediately preceeded the rally coverage. One of the Democratic congressmen was interviewed and spoke strongly about stopping the invasion. Then it was our turn. The two different stories complemented each other and made our rally appear even more effective!!!!!!!!

It was obvious to me the TV station made an attempt to make our anti-invasion efforts appear patriotic and to be a positive thing!!!!!!

We didn't march..... we recited the Pledge of Allegience, sang the first verse of the National Anthem, then the head organizer spoke in general about the invasion. I spoke about my experiences in California and we then invited folks in the crowd to come up and speak.

Several of us were interviewed by TV and newspaper reporters. We had a decent amount of media present.

It appears to me these rallies can be effective ways to spread the word and support our cause.

Get a handfull of folks to spread the word, post flyers, e-mail everyone you can" the media, politicians, everyone!!!!

With the good media coverage I saw from that one TV station I feel our efforts were effective far beyond the effort it take and the relatively small amount of people that arrived.

Go for it!!!!!! And, do your best to get the media coverage.

Tomorrow will have the newspaper coverage.

Even if any media coverage is negative.... well, think about it. That negative coverage can be as effective as positive coverage!!!!! We know the majority of Americans are against the invasion. Their minds will not be changed by negative media coverage about an anti-invasion rally. In fact...... negative coverage might even be more effective than positive coverage!!!!!! It's possible folks could become angry enough at seeing our efforts lambasted that they may decide to attend the next rally or write that media or a congress critter or complain about the coverage to other people they know.

We CAN'T lose with whatever type of media coverage we get.

Oh..... also, one of the Omaha radio stations I spoke to a week ago to spread the word about the rally time/date/location on-air asked me to call via cell phone. I did and gave a few minutes live coverage of the rally that went out over the air. For around 5 or 6 minutes I gave a running commentary and answered the talk show host's questions.

Folks...... we were just a few folks who spent a few hours each and I'm guessing no more than $200 total for everything. We had plenty of photocopied material telling about many different negatives about the invasion for folks to grab and read later. All that costs but it is a small price to pay to assist in stopping the invasion.

So...... go for it!!!!!!!

Okay, one last thing. There was ONE car that drove by with someone inside holding a Mexican flag out the window. They didn't shout anything and they came by during the closing of the rally when we sanf God Bless America. When we saw the flag our singing volume went MUCH higher!!!!!! I am not kidding..... as our voices roared out the flag was pulled inside and the car continued on, not to return!!!!!!!

So, our rally was a success. I believe it was more effective than any communicating I could have done with a politician.

Grap obb I have sent several emails Nebraska's way in the last 2 weeks

Well Done obbop!!!

THAT's GREAT NEWS that the media is coming around.

Keep up the good work!!

obbop...that is such great news. So proud and encouraged that you had a successful rally with no threats of violence. That's one thing I do worry about is the violent mentality of these people. Many of them would just as soon cut your throat as look at you.

Again, congrats.

Way to go obbop! Yeah, I think we should let the illegals know we have rights, and we'll exercise them. I mean, aren't WE the ones with the rights -- not the illegals!?!?

Originally Posted by obbop

Well, I feel a wee bit better. One of the Lincoln Nebraska TV stations shared its video with an Omaha Nebraska TV station (the cities are 45 or so miles apart).

The coverage was more than fair.... it was actually slightly skewed to place our rally in a good light!!!!!! That really surprised me since the local media tends to put the invasion in a good light.

Nicely done obbop! Could you give a link to both those stations and/reporters so we can email or phone and congratulate them on fair coverage?

sixonline@wowt.com

Rally Protests Illegal Immigration
Immigration Rally
Small group gathers in Lincoln


Approximately 50 people turned out in Lincoln Saturday for a rally protesting illegal immigration.

A group called Nebraskans Fed Up With Illegal Immigration held the rally at Antelope Park. The group said the pledge of allegiance and sang the national anthem.

Rally organizer Stanford Sipple told the group that their concerns are not being taken seriously.

He said, "They have a right to speak out, but they're wrong. Every government has the right to control its border and decide who gets in and who stays out. Our government officials to date have not stepped up. They have to control that."

Margaret Payne of Valparaiso is a German immigrant who came to the U.S. more than 40 years ago. She says she's offended when immigrants wave their old country's flag rather than the American flag. She said if they love their old country so much, they should move back there.

Thousands of people took the streets of Nebraska cities in the past month to call for immigration reform.

__________________________________________________ _____

http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/2757576.html

Link on the page to view a portion of the newscast. The on-line portion is a little smaller than what was shown on TV since the organizer spoke longer on the TV clip. I'm guessing they cut the clip down to save bandwidth. This is the TV station that purposefully put the rally in a good light.

Omaha newspaper coverage:

Rally calls for immigration law enforcement

BY RICK RUGGLES

WORLD-HERALD BUREAU


LINCOLN - Fifty Nebraskans here Saturday decried the presence of millions of undocumented workers in the United States.

In a protest of rallies nationwide in support of giving many undocumented workers legal status, those who attended this rally called for a crackdown on immigrants living illegally in the United States.

The rally at Antelope Park went off without incident.

Although organizer Stanford Sipple cautioned the audience to avoid being baited by "hostile crowds," he said afterward that the only resistance he noticed was someone driving by with a Mexican flag hanging out the car window.

His gathering began with the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of the National Anthem. He asked the members of his audience if they were "fed up" with illegal immigrants.

"Yeah!" came the answer from the audience.

Sipple said they had no desire to denigrate other races, nationalities or immigrants living legally in this country. But he said undocumented workers are taking jobs from Americans and sucking taxpayer funds through their acceptance of welfare and American medical care for the poor.

He urged the audience to study political candidates' positions on immigration and vote accordingly.

In an interview before his speech, he called for more Border Patrol agents, tougher detention of undocumented workers, the use of more sophisticated technology to verify Social Security numbers and more sanctions against employers who hire undocumented workers.

A national movement has gained momentum in an effort to persuade Congress to change immigration laws and give legal status to many of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in this country. Two rallies in Omaha over the past month drew thousands who favored such legislation.

Sipple said Saturday that the other side needs to be heard.

Posted here under fair-use policy on a not-for-profit site to promote citizen discussion about topics of utmost importance to our communities.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=163 ... nd=1982823

Feel free to e-mail the reporter horror stories you know about regarding illegals and young girls. I sent an e-mail telling of the problem and an older news story of an illegal roundup and deportation after repeated harassment of YOUNG girls walking to school.

Note the bold print below. The reporter even phoned the organizer to ask if I was.... YES!!!!! The "R" word..... RACIST!!!!!! In response the organizer mentioned how the Muslim culture invading Europe has been reported as mistreating females. Why can't these folks learn how other cultures ARE different in some ways and that different is not always better? Your assistance in enlightening the reporter would be gretly appreciated. Please be nice.... we need to inform, not harass!!! He may come over to our side!!!!!!

This is the paper in the town where the rally took place.

Anyway....... wouldn't hurt if the reporter learned about the clear and present danger too many illegals pose to young girls. Reporters e-mail:

ahovey@alltel.net

Hope y'all like the pic of my ugly mug. You'll have to figger' out which one of the two is little old me.


http://www.journalstar.com/articles/200 ... 514468.txt


Immigration critics vent their displeasure
By ART HOVEY / Lincoln Journal Star

About 50 people gathered in Lincoln’s Antelope Park Saturday for a rally organized by a fledgling group called Nebraskans Fed Up with Illegal Immigration.

Lincoln resident Stan Sipple, who identified himself earlier in the week as the group’s state coordinator, presided over an hourlong program that began with the Pledge of Allegiance and ended with “God Bless America.”

In between, Sipple and several other speakers spoke out against illegal immigration, lax enforcement of immigration laws, and other factors that have contributed to a recent surge in attention toward an estimated 12 million undocumented workers in the United States.

“What we’re here to do today is to honor the silent majority who don’t want illegal immigration anymore,” Sipple said.

Although the audience seated in front of the park’s band shell was small, enthusiasm ran high. Applause was frequent and a mostly middle-aged group responded on cue when Sipple and others gave them a chance.

“Do you think they’re just doing jobs that we don’t want to do?” Sipple asked at one point.

“No way,” responded his listeners.

Saturday’s rally is the latest Lincoln development in several weeks of heightened political activism on the immigration front.

It has taken shape as Congress debates both tougher and more lenient immigration policies.

April 10 rallies in support of more lenient options attracted thousands of marchers to Lincoln and Omaha.

A candlelight vigil in Lincoln and more marches in Omaha and other cities marked a national observance of “A Day without Immigrants” this past Monday.

Its organizers called on Hispanic workers to skip work for the day and to boycott non-Hispanic stores as a demonstration of economic power.

Highly visible events that included Spanish chants and the waving of the Mexican and other foreign flags obviously did not mesh with the attitudes of those who came to Antelope Park Saturday.

Sought out beforehand, 68-year-old Morris Sullivan of Grand Island said it was time for Americans to stand up for America.

“I would like to see a lot of support by concerned people like myself that we’ve had enough,” Sullivan said. “Let’s make our legislators understand that we want to see some strict laws with teeth in them.”

Justin Dobesh, 28, and wife Jessica, 27, of Omaha made similar points.

“Illegal means illegal,” said Jessica Dobesh, who later took her turn at the microphone. “They’re breaking the law. They shouldn’t be rewarded for that.”

She said her father lives in California, where he’s a witness to what she described as children of illegal immigrants overwhelming the public education system. “It’s just ridiculous down there.”

Justin Dobesh said racial origins were not a factor in his thinking. “This could be Canadians coming down and I’d feel the same way,” he said.

Margrit Payne, 66, of Lincoln carried the flags of her native Germany and of the United States when she came forward to speak during the program. As a U.S. citizen, “I will never, never wave this flag here,” she said of the German flag.

“This is the flag I wave,” she said as she hoisted the red, white and blue.

Scott Kelley of Elkhorn, who identified himself as a Vietnam War veteran and as a former California resident, said he left that state in 1993 after living there for more than 30 years.

“I had to leave California to re-enter the United States,” he said.

Although Sipple also portrayed the park event as “not against any ethnic groups or nationalities,” Kelley at one point referred to “invaders who assault our young girls.”

Sipple said afterwards that he did not see that as a racist remark but rather as a reference to the way women are mistreated by new arrivals from other cultures. “That’s a huge issue in western Europe right now,” he said.

Leaflets circulated during the Lincoln event called attention to another immigration protest outside the Mexican Consulate in Omaha May 20.

Sipple said there were no organizational developments with his group afterwards. “We didn’t really discuss leadership, organization, things like that. Another person took down names to create a mailing list later.”

He called the turnout “a great start.”

Reach Art Hovey at 523-4949 or at ahovey@alltel.net.

For informative purposes, here's the news story from the same reporter writing the report prior to the rally. He just had to get one of the local ethno-centric Hispanic activists included in the story.

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/200 ... ogcomments

Immigration critics set sights on Saturday
BY ART HOVEY / Lincoln Journal Star

A recently formed group called Nebraskans Fed-Up with Illegal Immigration is planning a rally Saturday at Antelope Park.

Lincoln resident and coordinator Stanford Sipple said he is responding to recent Hispanic-organized events here, elsewhere in Nebraska and nationally aimed at accommodating undocumented workers.

“There have been all these thousands of illegal immigrants in this state wanting a free pass into this country,” Sipple said Wednesday.

“I think they’re trying to intimidate public officials into going their way,” he added, “and we want to represent the silent majority that doesn’t want them to get a free pass into the country.”

The Saturday event looms as the latest local development to attempts by Congress to choose between harsher or more lenient treatment of an estimated 12 million workers in the United States illegally.

April 10 rallies in Lincoln, Omaha and other Nebraska cities attracted thousands of Hispanic marchers who favor the more lenient approach and a strategy that might allow many from undocumented ranks to remain in the state.

Organizers of an event Monday, called “A Day without Immigrants,” encouraged workers to show their economic power by skipping work and staying out of non-Hispanic stores.

That led to more Nebraska marches and a candlelight vigil in Lincoln.

Sipple, who said he watched the April 10 march here, thinks the time has come for critics to assert themselves.

“I think they have a right to present their views … but they are wrong. And the majority in this country doesn’t want unrestricted immigration.”

The Saturday plan for offering a counter message is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Those attending will recite the Pledge of Allegiance, sing the national anthem and perhaps hear from people whom Sipple said moved from California to Nebraska to escape the latest wave of immigrants on the West Coast.

Local Hispanic activist Marty Ramirez said later Wednesday he’s not surprised a counter rally is in the works.

There has always been an anti-immigration point of view in the state “and we were very aware that there was going to be a backlash,” Ramirez said.

Woven into it, as far as he’s concerned, is “the concept of race, racism and hatred, that becomes part of the backlash, part of the frenzy, the panic” that Hispanics “are taking over.”

When asked about his motivation, Sipple ruled out any influence from events of three years ago in which he said he was suspended from practicing law by the Nebraska Supreme Court after a dispute with a client over a fee in a worker’s compensation case.

He ruled in, among other things, a visit to a Web site where others who share his views were promoting an organized response. That includes between “a dozen and 20” other people “all across the state” attracted to the same site.

“I was the only one who signed up in Nebraska, at first, as state coordinator. And at least for now we’re taking on the name Nebraskans Fed-Up with Illegal Immigration.”

Why does he feel so strongly about the subject? “Illegal immigration is a national security issue, an economic issue, something that concerns the country.”

He wants Congress to “stop the flood” and to hold accountable any employers who contribute to the problem. “I think we need to have that control and enforcement in place before we decide what to do with the people who are here.”

Ramirez has other thoughts, none of which are likely to result in him trying to witness what happens Saturday.

But he cited plenty of support in Nebraska for an immigrant population, support “that’s going to catch them off guard. Part of me wants to suggest that this will not be as big as they think. But you never know.”

Reach Art Hovey at (402) 523-4949 or ahovey@alltel.net