Your Excellency,
Yesterday you came to our country to meet with our President. At the end of your meeting, you deliberately involved yourself in the politics of our county without invitation, and discussed some things of which you were obviously not informed. I do not blame you for this, for unfortunately neither our President, his Attorney General, nor his Director of Homeland Security have bothered to read the Arizona law, so why should I expect you to have done so.
Let me try to generally inform you of some basics of the law of which you are obviously ignorant:
1. No one can be stopped and asked for identification based solely on their appearance. The law mandates that Law Enforcement Personnel must have prior "legal contact" with persons before requesting that they prove citizenship. Unlike the laws in Mexico, that means the Police Officer must have probable cause to stop and detain the person before he can ask for any type of verification of citizenship.
2. The United States Immigration laws mandate that resident aliens carry their federal identification cards "green cards" with them at all times and present them upon request by any law enforcement agency. It is a federal misdemeanor to fail to have or produce a "green card" upon request. The Arizona law is supportive of the federal law in that it also makes it a misdemeanor in Arizona to be without a valid residence card.
3. If the person detained provides a valid state or federally issued identification, they will not be further asked to provide verification or detained. Only if the person cannot provide valid identification will they be further detained and their legal status checked with Immigration.
Basically sir, no one in the United States legally has anything to fear from Arizona's new law, as they have nothing to fear from the current law of the United States. It is only those who break the law by being in the United States illegally who have anything to fear.
In your remarks yesterday after meeting with the President, you stated that you wanted to create a "safer border, a border that will unite us instead of dividing us."
Although horribly oxymoronic, it appeared to be a valid sentiment on your part. So, let us discuss then our common border.
For almost a thousand years, there has been a proverb that is repeated in many languages in many lands. It says simply that "Good fences make good neighbors".
From the Mexican border every year, comes tons of marijuana, cocaine and other drugs into the United States. Drug Cartels operating on both sides of the border are kidnapping and murdering innocent people in order to maintain the fear that they use to control their "trade routes". Inter-cartel murders are uncountable. This violence is spilling across the border.
As a Texan, I always enjoyed "crossing the border" on day trips into Juarez, Acuna, Nuevo Laredo and Matamoras. While I was in San Diego, California it was always fun to travel into Tijuana for the bull fights, dog races and good food.
Today, I would not cross the border for fear of the corrupt police and drug gangs.
I can drive along the road that follows the Rio Grande and see United States Border Patrol and Immigration Agents every few miles. I look across the river and see nothing, except perhaps the occasional person waiting to wade across the river.
Excellency, you say you want a safer border. You say you want a border that unites us. The solution lies with you.
You must create a society where people don't have to leave in order to escape grinding poverty. You must protect your own people by putting troops on the border to stop the drug violence and chase out the drug gangs from your cities. You must work with the United States in stopping illegal immigrants from crossing the border into the United States.
If you want Mexico to be a good neighbor of the United States, you must maintain your side of the fence. Condemning us for the mote in our eye while ignoring the plank sticking out of yours accomplishes nothing.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Happy Constitution of 1824 Day!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Happy Cinco de..... What? Part 2
Don't know if you have heard about this yet, but several students at a California High School yesterday were instructed to remove patriotic articles of clothing and turn their United States flag t-shirts inside out. The Vice Principal called the articles "incendiary" and other students called them "disrespectful".
Hello?! What country do we live in? Not only are we being forced to recognize another country's holiday, but our children are being punished for wearing the flag of THIS country? All because somebody might be offended on the "official" MEXICAN holiday.
How can the flag of MY country be considered incendiary? In MY country? Did they take the flag down off the flag pole at Live Oak High School for the day? Did they remove the United States flag from all the classrooms. I don't ask about the Pledge of Allegiance because I KNOW that the Pledge has long been banned from California classrooms.
Where does it end? Do we sacrifice our national identity, WHO WE ARE AS A COUNTRY, to make sure that don't offend people who are still more tied to their country of ancestry than they are to their country of residence?
When I was growing up, I was taught that the United States was a melting pot into which each culture was amalgamated into the whole, creating a richer AMERICAN culture. Like adding carbon to iron, the incoming cultures made the AMERICAN culture stronger.
Today we are told that we are a stew, each culture maintaining it's own distinct "flavor" while adding to the richness to the stew. Unfortunately, a culture that refuses to "cook down" into the stew is like a turd in a punch bowl. No matter how much "flavor" it brings, it's still a turd.
If immigration patterns continue as they have our country will soon be "Balkanized" or "Quebec'd": A Hispanic, mostly Mexican, southwest; an Asian Pacific Northwest, a Cuban/Caribbean Florida, and so on.
Where will we be as a nation when that happens?
One of our nation's mottos is "E Pluribus, Unum" meaning "Out of many, One." How long before we will say "E Pluribus, Nullos". "Out of many, NONE"
If you are as outraged about this as I am, please feel free to contact the Principal, Mr. Nick Boden at Nick.Boden@mhu.k12.ca.us
Hello?! What country do we live in? Not only are we being forced to recognize another country's holiday, but our children are being punished for wearing the flag of THIS country? All because somebody might be offended on the "official" MEXICAN holiday.
How can the flag of MY country be considered incendiary? In MY country? Did they take the flag down off the flag pole at Live Oak High School for the day? Did they remove the United States flag from all the classrooms. I don't ask about the Pledge of Allegiance because I KNOW that the Pledge has long been banned from California classrooms.
Where does it end? Do we sacrifice our national identity, WHO WE ARE AS A COUNTRY, to make sure that don't offend people who are still more tied to their country of ancestry than they are to their country of residence?
When I was growing up, I was taught that the United States was a melting pot into which each culture was amalgamated into the whole, creating a richer AMERICAN culture. Like adding carbon to iron, the incoming cultures made the AMERICAN culture stronger.
Today we are told that we are a stew, each culture maintaining it's own distinct "flavor" while adding to the richness to the stew. Unfortunately, a culture that refuses to "cook down" into the stew is like a turd in a punch bowl. No matter how much "flavor" it brings, it's still a turd.
If immigration patterns continue as they have our country will soon be "Balkanized" or "Quebec'd": A Hispanic, mostly Mexican, southwest; an Asian Pacific Northwest, a Cuban/Caribbean Florida, and so on.
Where will we be as a nation when that happens?
One of our nation's mottos is "E Pluribus, Unum" meaning "Out of many, One." How long before we will say "E Pluribus, Nullos". "Out of many, NONE"
If you are as outraged about this as I am, please feel free to contact the Principal, Mr. Nick Boden at Nick.Boden@mhu.k12.ca.us
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Happy Cinco de..... What?
I am a Texan. I wanted to get that out of the way before I started just in case someone had any questions. There is no argument that we Texans are a breed of our own, and do things pretty much the way we want to, no matter what anybody else thinks.
Which leads me to wonder... Why do we celebrate a MEXICAN holiday in Texas?
Commonly known as "Cinco de Mayo", it is a celebration of the Battle of Puebla, fought in 1861, in which Mexican forces under the command of Ignacio Zaragoza defeated French forces under Charles de Lorencez.
It should be noted that the French initially landed with an international force that included British and Spanish troops. The force was sent because the Mexican government, being in one of it's perpetual fiscal crises, and having had ANOTHER change in government, had defaulted on loans made by the major European powers. After cutting a deal, the British and Spanish withdrew, but negotiations with the French dragged on.
On May 5th, the French foolishly tried to attack the city of Puebla. The French were defeated and eventually had to leave Mexico blah, blah, blah.
It is a day that Mexicans can be proud of.
But it still begs my question. Why do we celebrate a MEXICAN holiday in Texas?
My more "urbane" friends and family would tell me, I'm sure, that Mexican heritage is an integral part of Texas heritage and culture. That accepting and respecting the culture of Mexican descended Texans is vital to a healthy modern Texas. To those well meaning folks I say: Steer Manure!
I come from a mixed heritage. Though mostly English and Scottish stock, I am a fine example of what used to be known as the American "melting pot". I do not celebrate Guy Fawkes Day, Trafalgar Day, Empire Day or commemorate the execution of William Wallace and the restoration of the Scottish throne with Robert the Bruce. Neither do I demand or promote their celebration in Texas, though English and Scottish descended persons played major roles in the development of Texas. Names like Austin, Burnet, Cameron, Milam and McMullen come to mind.
One should remember that the province of Coahuila y Tejas was an undeveloped backwater of Commanche and Kiowa nomads under less than effective control of the government in Mexico City. It was not until the Empresarios began to bring settlers to Tejas, that the wilderness began to succomb to "civilization".
Further, Texas won it's independence from Mexico in 1836, 25 years BEFORE the Battle of Puebla. Texas had no ties to Mexico at the time. In fact, even the dullest of student would know that by May 1861, Texas had seceded from the United States and joined the Confederate States of America, not rejoined Mexico.
So,. to the Mexican citizens, at home and abroad, I wish a happy commemoration of the Battle of Puebla. As I said, it is a point of national pride.
To the citizens of Texas I say, if you want to celebrate something, celebrate March 2nd or April 21st. These dates have more relevance to Texas than May 5th. If you claim to be a Texan and don't know what those dates are, pick an Interstate highway. I'll show you the way out.
Which leads me to wonder... Why do we celebrate a MEXICAN holiday in Texas?
Commonly known as "Cinco de Mayo", it is a celebration of the Battle of Puebla, fought in 1861, in which Mexican forces under the command of Ignacio Zaragoza defeated French forces under Charles de Lorencez.
It should be noted that the French initially landed with an international force that included British and Spanish troops. The force was sent because the Mexican government, being in one of it's perpetual fiscal crises, and having had ANOTHER change in government, had defaulted on loans made by the major European powers. After cutting a deal, the British and Spanish withdrew, but negotiations with the French dragged on.
On May 5th, the French foolishly tried to attack the city of Puebla. The French were defeated and eventually had to leave Mexico blah, blah, blah.
It is a day that Mexicans can be proud of.
But it still begs my question. Why do we celebrate a MEXICAN holiday in Texas?
My more "urbane" friends and family would tell me, I'm sure, that Mexican heritage is an integral part of Texas heritage and culture. That accepting and respecting the culture of Mexican descended Texans is vital to a healthy modern Texas. To those well meaning folks I say: Steer Manure!
I come from a mixed heritage. Though mostly English and Scottish stock, I am a fine example of what used to be known as the American "melting pot". I do not celebrate Guy Fawkes Day, Trafalgar Day, Empire Day or commemorate the execution of William Wallace and the restoration of the Scottish throne with Robert the Bruce. Neither do I demand or promote their celebration in Texas, though English and Scottish descended persons played major roles in the development of Texas. Names like Austin, Burnet, Cameron, Milam and McMullen come to mind.
One should remember that the province of Coahuila y Tejas was an undeveloped backwater of Commanche and Kiowa nomads under less than effective control of the government in Mexico City. It was not until the Empresarios began to bring settlers to Tejas, that the wilderness began to succomb to "civilization".
Further, Texas won it's independence from Mexico in 1836, 25 years BEFORE the Battle of Puebla. Texas had no ties to Mexico at the time. In fact, even the dullest of student would know that by May 1861, Texas had seceded from the United States and joined the Confederate States of America, not rejoined Mexico.
So,. to the Mexican citizens, at home and abroad, I wish a happy commemoration of the Battle of Puebla. As I said, it is a point of national pride.
To the citizens of Texas I say, if you want to celebrate something, celebrate March 2nd or April 21st. These dates have more relevance to Texas than May 5th. If you claim to be a Texan and don't know what those dates are, pick an Interstate highway. I'll show you the way out.
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