Stupid Meme

In the past couple of weeks, I've seen an anti-muslim meme posted onto Facebook on at least two occasions. Posted as a jpg., the meme reads, as follows:

How stupid are we?
"We allow our government to flood our nation with Muslims, give them welfare for life (with multiple wives), and then tell us we must not offend them 'or we will go to prison'. Islamic immigration has destroyed every country in Europe, and it will destroy both Canada and the US.
Are we so stupid that we'll stand by and let this happen to our country?"

The first time I came upon this meme, I left a comment on the Facebook page where it appeared. I was highly critical of the meme but it was obvious that I wasn't going to change anyone's mind.

I came across the meme again yesterday, and I was tempted to leave another critical comment, when I was reminded of a quote by one of my favorite writers, Elizabeth von Arnim -

"............the less a person knows, the more certain he is that he is right, and that no weapons yet invented are of any use in a struggle with stupidity."

The person who had posted the meme was obviously a person described in the von Armin quote, and I'd be wasting my time trying to change the mind (such as it is) of that person.

However, I could not leave this unanswered. I could, at least comment on the meme in this blog.

From the content of the meme, there's no way of knowing if the original writer was American or Canadian. The posters I knew are Americans, so I will address it from the standpoint that they believe it applies to the USA.

I'll address the wording in sections.
"We allow our government to flood our nation with Muslims.......". According to the US Constitution, the government cannot exclude immigrants based on their religion. There's freedom of religion in the US and Muslims can't be prevented from immigrating.

"......give them welfare for life......". I know a few Muslims and none are on welfare.

".....(with multiple wives)...". I worked with a Muslim whose family had immigrated from the Middle East. At the time of their immigration, his father had two wives. The US government would only allow him to bring one wife.

".........and then tell us we must not offend them 'or we will go to prison'.......". This is a totally ridiculous notion. No one is in prison in the United States for offending Muslims.

As I said, I don't expect to change anyone's opinion, but I feel better after putting in my 2 cent's worth.

Mark Shea is Such a F***ing Liar

So-called "Catholic writer" Mark Shea hates Donald Trump with a fiery passion. This isn't just a mild dislike, but a blinding hatred which seems to force Mr.Shea into posting lies about the President.

Look, I can understand not wanting Trump to be POTUS. He's hardly my first choice. During the 2016 Presidential race, I frequently compared having to choose between Trump or Clinton to being the equivalent of deciding if you want mustard or mayo on your shit sandwich.

That being said, Shea's hatred of Trump has pushed Shea over the edge. In a recent post, Shea posted the above photo while stating "This is a bus for babies snatched away from their parents at the border by our sadistic border policies." The statement provides a link to Shea's "proof". Clicking on his link takes one to Snopes.com for a fact check, and he uses the link and photo to provide evidence that Trump is a Fascist and a racist.

First of all, the bus is not the product of Donald Trump. According to the Snopes fact check, the photograph "was featured in a 29 April 2016 Geo Group press release describing the purchase of two 'New Specialized Transport Buses' outfitted with convertible child safety seats, intended to be used to carry children ranging from ages 4 to 17 for medical treatment, to court appointments, and on monthly offsite field trips". In other words, the bus is a creation of the Obama administration.

Secondly, according to the link, the babies carried on this particular bus are not "snatched away from their parents at the border". U.S. Immigrations and Custom Enforcement (ICE) maintains a family detention facility for undocumented immigrants called the Karnes County Residential Center in Karnes City, Texas. The Karnes facility houses women with children, and it provides educational services (as well monthly field trips) to the school age children held there.

"Residents are provided education programming, medical care, recreation, visitation facilities, recreation, life skills/chores, study time, group interaction, free time, and access to religious and legal services. All residents of school age are offered educational services through a certified charter school. Each classroom is equipped with state-of-the-art smart-boards which allow children to interactively participate in classroom instruction. Field trips are provided monthly for all children to local parks, libraries, and other community events."

Either Shea did not read the entire article he linked to, or he has poor reading comprehension.

I wanted to leave a comment on Shea's blog to call him out on his lie and his calumny toward the President, but I'm banned from leaving comments on his blog.

My Week in Review

At some point in 2016, I made an unspoken resolution that I would publish at least 366 blog post that year. That would, of course average one post a day and top my previous record from 2008 of 354 for the year. There were times during the year when I fell behind, but I would catch up by writing multiple posts on other days.

Today, March 4 is the 63rd day of 2017, and to maintain the 365 for the year I should have at least 62 posts by now. The count shows 57. I'm 5 posts behind where I'd like to be, but truth be told, even with the 5 posts deficit I'm in better shape for making the goal than I was this time last year.

Reviewing the blog yesterday, I noticed that I had gone a week without posting anything. Part of the reason for the failure to post was because my wife and I needed to travel to Cebu to pick up my I-card from the Philippine immigration office there. Traveling to Cebu from Negros island really takes a toll on me. Although it's only about 165 kilometers (about 102 miles) from Sibulan to Cebu city, it takes 41/2 to 5 hours to get there by bus. It's possible that, if I choose to have my car ferried over I could drive the distance in less time, but I doubt the time saved would be significant and I'd have to drive in Cebu city traffic - something I'd absolutely hate.

We left Sibulan by Ceres bus Tuesday at around 3:30 AM, ferried across to Cebu island, and continued on the bus into the city. We returned to Sibulan at around 5:30 PM. The trip had taken 14 hours with only about 15 minutes of that 14 hours spent at the immigration office. I was in and out with my I-card in no time at all.

Being a resident of Philippines, I have to do an annual report to immigration within the first 60 days of the calendar year. I became a probationary resident in 2015 (permanent now) and I thought I'd need to do the annual report in 2016. Failing to do the report by the deadline will result in a 1200 peso fine. Because my I-card had not been issued by the March 2nd deadline, I was told last year that a 2016 annual report was not required. However, when I went to the local immigration office in Dumaguete Wednesday to file the 2017 report, there was some question as to whether I would be penalized for not doing a report in 2016.

I had to meet with the head official of the Dumaguete immigration office to determine if I'd have to pay for 2016. My understanding was, that since my probationary I-card had not been issued until April of 2016 - well past the March 2nd deadline - I had not been required to file a 2016 annual report. The officer was insistent that, because my probationary visa had been granted in 2015, I had been required to file in 2016 (even without an I-card) and I'd have to pay for the 2016 report, plus late fee, as well as my 2017 report. While I was waiting to make the payment, the officer called a subordinate into his office and told her to call Manila to double-check. The phone call determined that I had been right and the head officer wrong. I was not required to file the 2016 report, so I only need to pay the 310 peso fee for the 2017 annual report.

I paid the 310 php, thanked the officer for following this through, and happily left the office.

Calexit? Chillax.

With the election of Donald Trump as POTUS, some have pushed the idea of Calexit – the idea that California should become an independent state – to the front burner.
Liberals have long been threatening to leave the United States should Trump be elected. Now, they want to take part of the country with them when they go.

There seems to be a bit of confusion on what it is they want to do regarding secession from the Union. Some are advocating that the States of Washington, Oregon and California seceede and join up with Canada. It's unlikely that Canada would go along with that scheme. Others, however are advocating that California go it on its own.

Many of these folks seem to have forgotten - or perhaps, never learned - that the United States government doesn't look kindly on States that vote to leave the nation. Last time I checked, California doesn't have a military force of its own that would be capable of defeating the United States military.

Of course, those wishing to see California secede have their own website - Yes California.org. Just what are the group's arguments for leaving the U.S. - other than throwing a tempter tantrum now that Trump will soon enter the White House?

From the website:

THE CASE FOR INDEPENDENCE IN 9 SIMPLE POINTS

1. PEACE AND SECURITY
The U.S. Government spends more on its military than the next several countries combined. Not only is California forced to subsidize this massive military budget with our taxes, but Californians are sent off to fight in wars that often do more to perpetuate terrorism than to abate it. The only reason terrorists might want to attack us is because we are part of the United States and are guilty by association. Not being a part of that country will make California a less likely target of retaliation by its enemies.
Is California going to be able to match the "massive military budget" should the Federal Govt. decide not to accept Calexit? Being part of the U.S. is not the only reason terrorists might want to attack you. Islamists see American society as decadent, and News Flash: California society isn't less decadent than the rest of the U.S.. They'll still hate you.

So, why should we keep subjecting ourselves to presidents we play no role in electing, to 382 representatives and 98 senators we can’t vote for, and all the government officials and federal judges appointed by those very same people we don’t elect.
No State has complete autonomy. Every State in the Union subjects itself to representatives and Senators they can't vote for. Suck it up.

On top of that, the United States is dragging California into the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement which conflicts with our values.
Trump doesn't like the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement either.

As a U.S. state, our immigration system was largely designed by the 49 other states thirty years ago. This immigration system has since neglected the needs of the California economy and has hurt too many California families. Independence means California will be able to decide what immigration policies make sense for our diverse and unique population, culture, and economy, and that we’ll be able to build an immigration system that is consistent with our values.
A country with even more porous borders? Good luck with that.

NATURAL RESOURCES/THE ENVIRONMENT
An independent California will have an EPA on steroids.

The Affordable Care Act was enacted by the U.S. Government to lower the cost of health care and expand health insurance coverage to the uninsured, yet millions of Californians still lack access to quality health care because they can’t afford it.
So, you wanted Clinton to expand the Affordable Care Act. Maybe that's because......

California has some of the best universities but in various ways, our schools are among the worst in the country. Not only does this deprive our children of the education they deserve, but it also costs taxpayers billions in social services and law enforcement expenses linked to lacking opportunities resulting from poor education.

And you want to continue on your Liberal, Progressive free-fall?

Anti Obama folks wanted to secede after he was elected. Just like that group, you'll see staying in the Union is your best option.

Two Terrifying Halloween Costumes

This morning, a friend on Facebook posted a Halloween costume video and the video immediately reminded me of a costume I wore to a Halloween-slash-birthday party back in 2009. In a post mentioning the costume, I published a photo of me dressed as an illegal alien and my friend Lowell wearing a clown costume.

When we donned those costumes seven years ago, I was aware that my illegal alien costume might be considered by some to be political insensitive, but this was in the day when illegal aliens weren't automatically linked with terrorism by very many folks. Today, not only have terrorists and illegal aliens been linked together in the political realm but now, clown costumes have been banned in some areas as 'symbols of terror'  as well.

When we made the clown with illegal alien photo, we had no idea that the two would be connected by 'terror' in 2016. I wish I could say that we were ahead of our time, but having the two costumes together in on Halloween photo was simply a coincidence........I think.

Besides, aren't Halloween costumes supposed to be terrifying? I thought that was the point.

The Blame Game

For nearly eight years, more than a few folks have tried to place the blame for every imaginable evil on POTUS Obama. No reasonable person, who either knows me personally or has read this blog, could accuse me of being an Obama supporter, but I have to say that he cannot be held responsible for all that's wrong within the United States. Obama could be classified more as a symptom, rather than a cause.

In a recent example, a Wisconsin man was sentenced to three years in prison and three additional years of supervised release for threatening to kill the President - accusing Obama of being a "usurper" to the office.

Now that we are in an election year, the mantle of Evil Personified has been transferred to Donald Trump.

Again, I am not fan of Donald Trump. I could no more vote for him than I could Hillary Clinton. I do not want to see either one elected POTUS. But, just as Obama cannot rightly be blamed for every evil, neither can Trump. As bad as he is, Trump is not the cause of all the problems facing the United States. Like the current POTUS, Trump is more symptom than cause.

This is why I have to call foul on a recent headline on a site called countercurrentnews.com -Trump’s America Is Here: Man Kills 3 People For Not Speaking English.

Another Wisconsin man, Dan J. Popp, is being charged with three counts of first-degree intentional homicide in the deaths of Jesus R. Manso-Perez, 40; Phia Vue, 36; and Mai K. Vue, 32, who were shot and killed on March 6 inside their apartment complex in Milwaukee.

In spite of research into police records having uncovered evidence of mental illness in Popp's history, several groups are urging that he be charge with "hate crimes" with some people claiming that the hate was brought on by Trump's "rhetoric and nationalist remarks".

Last year, when it was discovered that the man accused of the murder of three Muslims in Chapel Hill NC was a fan of Bill Maher and Rachel Maddow, the two Liberal celebrities were not blamed for inciting violence with their rhetoric. It's not even been established that Popp is a Trump fan, yet Trump is already getting the blame for the lunatic's actions.

If convicted in Wisconsin, Popp faces a mandatory life sentence on each count of first-degree intentional homicide...... three counts equals 3 life sentences. If guilty of a "hate crime penalty enhancer", Popp would receive an additional five years imprisonment.

Perhaps Wisconsin will continue to keep Poop's decaying corpse in solitary confinement after he has died in prison.

Is Islamaphobia a Form of Racism? Part Two.

Anyone who has followed this blog knows that I am no supporter of Donald Trump. If you doubt that, click on the category labeled "Trump" and read my posts for yourself.

I'd like to believe that I'm objective; I think that I'm fair in what I write and say. Fairness and objectivity are two reasons why I have to call out a recent opinion piece by Khaled A Beydoun which was published on the Al Jazeera website. Beydoun is another Muslim writer who would have us believe that "Islamaphobia" is a form of racism. Admittedly, Beydoun defines Islamophobia as "the suspicion and fear of Islam and its 1.7 billion adherents", but he seems to be confused on the definition of "racism".

Islam is not a race. Islam is a religion and a belief-system whose believers come from a variety of races and ethnic backgrounds. Not all Muslims are Arab. You could, logically argue that Islamophobia is a form of bigotry, but I'm not at all certain that that description fits Trump.

I would modify Beydoun's definition of the word Islamophobia as "an unreasonable suspicion and fear of Islam". So, we'd have to ask if Trump's fear of Islam is unreasonable?

While calling for a ban (temporary or otherwise) of all Muslim immigration into the United States might be extreme, there are elements in Islam which do pose a threat to Western civilization and picking out which Muslims are extreme, and which are not, is not an easy task.

Beydoun claims that the "word brand Trump" is becoming synonymous with the expansion of racism and the incitement of Islamophobic violence. That may be true among the political Left where the word racism is thrown about carelessly, but I've seen little evidence of Islamophobic violence in the United States.

To my knowledge, no American is calling for the beheading of Muslims.

3 1/2 Time-Outs Tuesday.....the Zombie Edition.

After not participating at all this month, I've returned to LarryD's 3 1/2 Time-Outs Tuesday group. I'm calling this one the Zombie Edition because, not only haven't I done a 3 1/2 T.O.T. since May 29, but I haven't posted anything for nearly two weeks; it's like returning from the dead.

1)
I don't really have any excuse for my having been such a slacker. It's not like I haven't been on the Internet. And it isn't like I haven't had anything I wanted to write about.

Last week I came across a copy of the Dalton Daily Citizen newspaper. The story that caught my attention was about a young couple from Dalton who now find themselves stranded in Mexico.
The young woman, 24 year old Gicela Angelica Carranza had originally entered the United States illegally at age 5 - brought here by her parents. To make a long story short, Carranza has lived in this country nearly all her life; after graduating High School, she earned an associate degree in accounting at the local technical college and eventually married a U.S. citizen, Ramon Gonzalez.

Fearing deportation, the couple went to Mexico at the end of April, hoping to get a visa for Carranza as the spouse of an American citizen. They've been stranded ever since.

The day after I read this article, El Presidente Obama announced that illegals who entered with their parents (prior to age 16) will be permitted to remain in this country, under certain conditions. Had the couple remained in the U.S. everything might have been OK with them, but now that they're in Mexico, I'm not sure how easy it will be for them to return.

I wish them the best - they are in my prayers.

2)
Last December, I read, for the first time, Uncle Tom's Cabin on my Kindle and was highly impressed. After reading the novel, I read a bit about Harriet Beecher Stowe and learned that the publication of her book brought out quite a few literary responses from the pro-slavery folks.

One of the more successful of these books was Aunt Phillis's Cabin; or, Southern Life As It Is by Mary Henderson Eastman. I had downloaded a copy of the book from Project Gutenberg and recently read it.

I knew I was about to read one tremendous load of horse manure (propaganda) but I was surprised at the twisted lengths Eastman went to in order to convince that Christianity did not prohibit the owning of slaves.

Eastman, of course, makes mention of a curse being placed on Noah's son Ham, whereby all his descendants would forever be held in bondage. Eastman goes on to claim that neither Jesus nor his Apostles condemned slavery.

In modern times, the character of Beecher's Uncle Tom, has been looked upon by some as being far too obsequious but, one doesn't truly know the meaning of the word until you see how Eastman portrays slaves in her work.

I don't see how Eastman could actually consider herself a good Christian.

3)
A few days, I came across a recording of Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons singing Boudleaux Bryant's Love Hurts.
I had to listen to several versions of the song, from, of course, the rock band Nazareth, to the Everly Brothers to Roy Orbison....even a version from Rod Stewert and another by Cher.
I haven't been able to get the song out of my head for days.

1/2)
After Simcha Fischer mentioned Kristin Lavransdatter in one of her posts, I purchased the trilogy from Amazon.com. I've only just started reading the first volume.

Note to Janet Napolitano and Barack Obama.

One month after arresting Pakistani-born U.S. citizen Farooque Ahmed for his involvement in an attempt to bomb and kill commuters at Washington-area subway stations, FBI agents arrested Mohamed Osman Mohamud, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia, who is suspected of attempting to detonate a vehicle bomb at an annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland, Oregon.

Let's see.......Muslim jihadists, attempting to commit terrorist acts.

Note to Janet Napolitano and Barack Obama - neither one traveled by air.

America's Newest Citizen.

Cathy's appointment with USCIS for her interview for citizenship was yesterday at 7:15.......AM....other side of Atlanta.....an hour and a half away. In order to be certain we could make it there on time - if traffic turned out to be heavier than expected - we left home at 5 o'clock.

It was too early to drop JP off at school, so he went with us. We arrived at 6:30, as planned, with enough time to get a bite to eat before going inside. There's not too many people at USCIS at 7 in the morning. There wasn't a huge line trying to get inside. We took off our shoes, sent our belongings through the x-ray and we walked through the metal detector and on up to the 2nd floor.

Surprisingly, we didn't have to wait long before someone came for Cathy. JP and I had to stay behind in the waiting area while Cathy was being interviewed; the agent did, however, request to see my driver's license.

The actual interview didn't take long either; maybe about 45 minutes. Cathy passed all the tests on U.S. history and civics as well as the rather simple English test (read this sentence for me......write this sentence).

We had been instructed to bring all sorts of documentation - originals and copies. Birth certificates for me and JP, marriage certificate for me and Cathy. Passports, divorce papers. The only copies that she had to give were the tax returns for three years and a copy to the deed to our house.......proof that we are actually living as husband and wife.

We could have been gone shortly after 8, but for the swearing in ceremony scheduled for 2 o'clock that afternoon. We found ourselves with nearly six hours to kill. It was off to the Buford Hwy farmers market to pick up some things not available in our home town. Did a lot of window shopping near the USCIS building until noon, when we had lunch.

At one o'clock, we went back inside and through security again.

Back on the 2nd floor, it turns out that there where 160 people getting sworn in that afternoon. All the friends and family accompanying the new citizens had to separate ourselves until all those being sworn in were seated inside the ceremony room; we were allowed in to sit in the back just before the ceremony began.

It had been a long day for JP and he went to sleep while we were waiting. I had to carry him inside and hold him on my lap while Cathy and the group were being sworn in. He woke up just before the ceremony ended.

Again, the family and friends had to go out first when the ceremony was over; it was easier for the new citizens to pick up their certificates on the way out. We were allowed to go back inside and take pictures......a few people posed in front of the U.S. flag, though Cathy and another lady choose to pose in front of the Dept. of Homeland Security flag instead.

We finally arrived home at 5 PM....twelve hours after we left that morning. It was a long day, but it was worth it. No more immigration....no more biometrics....no more fees. That is, until Cathy applies for Mama and Papa to immigrate.

Final Post......an Update.

In what was to be my final post for this blog, I related how I believed that this blog had become the victim of "diversity".... that is to say that the rather loose and unfocused nature of this blog had begun to made it difficult for me to decide which subject to write about on any particular day.

I believe the solution to my problem is to "mothball" this blog while starting another which focuses on only one subject. The result of that decision has been the creation of Immigration Reformation. As one can tell from the title, the theme of the blog will, obviously, be immigration - both legal and illegal.

Chances are, I will start yet even another blog in the not-so-distant future in order to deal with other subjects of interest to me. For the time being, I hope those who read and followed Sorry, all the Clever Names are Taken will find my latest entry into the blogosphere as something worth reading - at least occasionally.

Read the Bill, Doofus.

When I first learned that neither Attorney General Eric Holder or Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano had bothered to read the controversial Arizona immigration bill [S.B. 1070] before criticizing the bill, I was neither shocked or surprised. That's the sort of thing I've come to expect from Democrat politicians and their toadies.

Likewise, I can't really say that I was shocked that Republican Congressman Connie Mack would do the same, but I was a bit disheartened. We know that the words "Democrat" and "responsible politician" are polar opposites. I realize, too, that the GOP has it's own share of air-heads as well. I only wish we had another alternative than replacing Democratic nincompoops with Republican ones.

To the best of my knowledge, Connie Mack has not openly admitted that he hasn't read Arizona's S.B. 1070 but, after reading his recent piece in the Washington Post [Why conservatives should oppose Arizona's immigration law], I can't imagine that he has.
Otherwise, how could he possibly maintain, as he does, that "This law clearly challenges citizens' freedoms, and it does so by putting some Americans at risk of losing their freedoms while others stand little or no chance of being affected." ?

Mack goes on to compare Arizona's new immigration law with the government (under Democratic President FDR) placing U.S. citizens of Japanese descent in detention camps during WWII.

He continues, "The Arizona immigration law reminds us of how fear and distrust can lead to bad laws and even more government overreach into the private sector and our private lives."

As pointed out in Kirk Adams' piece (also from the Washington Post) the Arizona bill simply mirrors federal immigration law by making it a state crime to be in this country illegally. Contrary to folks like Holder, Napolitano and Mack, law enforcement cannot simply walk up to a person and say, "Can I see your papers?"

Adam's points out in his article that California has a similar law already in place - California Penal Code Section 834b . Maybe the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco should boycott themselves.

Update:
Thanks to Les Femmes - The Truth for pointing out that the Frog Says, "Read the Bill! Then Secure the Border!"

Laura Bush Loses It.

Former First Lady Laura Bush appears to have lost her @#$%# mind.

The website,irishcentral.com is reporting that Mrs. Bush opposes the new Arizona immigration law because her Irish immigrant ancestors faced discrimination. No doubt immigrants -past and present- have encountered prejudice, but I'm assuming her ancestors entered the country legally. Like far too many people, she confuses legal immigration with illegal entry into the country.

Another example of Mrs.Bush early senility is her support of Elena Kagan as Supreme Court Justice. Does she support Kagan because of Kagan's vast judicial experience? Of course not. Laura Bush wants to see Kagan on the court because she's a woman.

"I think it's great," she said, "I'm really glad that there will be three - if she's confirmed. I like to have women on the Supreme Court."

Qualifications be damned......it's identity politics at it's finest.

Finally, Mrs. Bush told Larry King that she supports legalizing gay marriage as well as keeping abortion legal.

Are there any other surprises in the making? I wouldn't be surprised to hear soon that the former First Lady is a Muslim. Stranger things have happened.

The Priest's Homily.

As I mentioned in last Friday's post, the family drove to the Pittsburgh area to visit some dear friends. I wasn't inclined to post blog entries while there. We returned Tuesday (arriving home VERY early Wednesday) and my first post upon arriving was of a video made during a detour taken during the drive home.

A fun time was had by all.

While there, we attended Mass Sunday at St. Anne's located in the Castle Shannon community. The church is lovely - newer and much larger than our church here. The particular Mass we attended was celebrated, not by the pastor or the parochial vicar, but rather an older priest who fills in on occasion.

Sad to say, this fill-in priest took the opportunity to make a political statement during his homily. He gave us his thoughts on the controversial immigration law recently passed in Arizona. Like many opponents of this law, the priest does not have a complete grasp of the bill in question. Most of his views on the subject seem to be based on misinformation. We've heard his arguments before; he followed the liberal playbook, calling the bill racist and discriminatory because it would allow police officers to stop people at random and demand proof of citizenship. The new Arizona immigration law does not do that.

The law does require Arizona police to ask for immigration documents from a suspect if the person is being questioned regarding a different offense. People cannot be stopped at random and when stopped, the officers must have a "reasonable suspicion" that the suspect is in the country illegally.

In his homily, the priest went on to say that he hoped the bill would not be passed into law and that, surely it would be found to be in violation of the Constitution. The priest was unaware that the bill had already been passed by the Arizona legislature and signed into law by the Governor. That is proof enough for me that this priest is ill prepared to comment on current news events.

In one way, it's encouraging that a priest would take a stand on political issues and ask for those sitting in the pews to take action. However, I wish this priest knew what the heck he was talking about before going on a rant.

More Thoughts on the Arizona Immigration Law.

In his latest op-ed piece in the Washington Post, Eugene Robinson calls Arizona's new immigration law "an act of vengeance" "draconian", and "an abomination -- racist, arbitrary, oppressive, mean-spirited, unjust."

No fan of the, so-called, "Tea Parties", Robinson (sarcastically) questions why these folks aren't up in arms over the new law : "Isn't the whole premise of the Tea Party movement that overreaching government poses a grave threat to individual freedom?" He asks that question because, "Legal immigrants will be required to carry papers proving that they have a right to be in the United States. Those without documentation can be charged with the crime of trespassing and jailed for up to six months."

Robinson is, obviously, unaware that, according to Federal law, "If you are a permanent resident age 18 or older, you are required to have a valid green card in your possession at all times." Don't take my word for it ..... go to the USCIS website and see for yourself. [click here.]

Robinson recognizes that "Washington has failed miserably to address what Arizonans legitimately see as a crisis". He writes, "The influx [of illegal immigrants] imposes an unfair burden on the state, and for years Arizonans have implored federal officials to do something about immigration reform and border control -- to no avail." He doesn't, of course, have a solution.

Robinson sees a problem with a law that treats undocumented immigrants as criminals. Earth to Robinson : undocumented immigrants are criminals.

Does this law make Latino citizens and legal residents vulnerable to arbitrary harassment as Robinson believes?
Is it harassment for a police officer to ask you to show proper ID? As I mentioned in Sunday's post [Thoughts on the Arizona Immigration Law.] my Filipina wife, who is a permanent resident and often mistaken for Hispanic, doesn't think so. Like many legal immigrants, she knows that illegal immigration is a serious problem and she sees no problem with showing her "green card" when asked.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 70% of likely voters in Arizona approve of the legislation, while just 23% oppose it. I suspect a good many voters throughout the country approve as well.

Update:
Nationally, 60% Favor Letting Local Police Stop and Verify Immigration Status

Thoughts on the Arizona Immigration Law.

My wife and I were recently discussing the new immigration law in Arizona.

According to Washington Post article, the legislation makes it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally. It also requires local police officers to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are illegal immigrants. Everyone must have proper identification.

It is already Federal law for resident aliens to have their "green card" with them at all times. There's nothing new in this.....why the controversy?

As many readers of this blog know, my wife is a Philippine citizen. She is a legal resident of this country. She has applied for US citizenship. She is often mistaken for Hispanic - even by Hispanics. Many who see her will start a conversation with her in Spanish which she does not speak. My wife is fluent in three languages, but Spanish is not one of them.

It's very likely that, should she and I be in Arizona, she might be asked for ID. I asked her if that might bother her. Would it upset her to be asked by a police officer to produce her "green card"?

No, she said. She is here legally and it is no problem for her. The only ones, she says, who would be fearful are those who cannot produce the proper identification. It has cost us a great deal of money, up to now, filing for all the legal documents that allowed her to enter the US and stay here legally. It's not right, she says, for others to by-pass these costs by entering the country illegally.

I'd be the first to agree that reforms in US Immigration laws are needed. I, for one, think that it should be easier for immigrants to come here legally. We'd like to bring my wife's family here. Once she becomes a citizen it will be only slightly easier for her to bring her parents here (but not her siblings, sadly). My wife is following the rules; the laws are difficult and the applications are expensive. Is it fair for citizens of countries that border the US to have an advantage simply because they can walk across the border?

Appointment with Immigration.

My wife, Cathy has just recently applied for US citizenship. It was a little over a month ago that we mailed the application along with all the pertinent documentation and, of course, the application fee. Yikes! It's not cheap.

Yesterday, she had an appointment at one of the immigration offices in Atlanta for biometrics. This is the 4th time she been fingerprinted since she arrived almost six years ago. We were at this particular office about three years ago and things have really changed. Three years ago, the place was packed with immigrants and immigration officers. Now, the place was nearly deserted. I was expecting to have an hour long wait for her but the process this time was amazingly fast. We suspect that it's because the fees for green cards and citizenship increased substantially not long ago .....I'm sure most are finding the fees too high.

We're waiting now for a letter from USCIS telling her when her next appointment will be. Unless there is some unforeseeable snag, the next time she goes to immigration it will be her last. She only needs the final interview and test. She's been studying the civics and history booklet provided by the USCIS and I'm confidant that she'll pass the test when the time comes.

Halloween Costume Update.

As I mentioned last week [Halloween Costume] some clever costume maker had come up with an "illegal alien" costume which was soon made "unavailable" because some "immigrants" had objected to it.

Being the politically incorrect person that I am, I felt I had to create my own to wear at a Halloween-slash-birthday party Saturday.
The orange jumpsuit was given to me by my friend Lowell (seen in the photo below wearing the clown costume) and the mask was something I picked up at Kmart....I added the antennae.

My home-made costume was a lot cheaper to make than the $39.99 (plus shipping) it would have cost if it had still been available online.

Halloween Costume.

The latest in Halloween costumes that can no longer be bought is the Illegal Alien costume.
An online store description of the costume gives this information:
Available in One Size Fits Most Adults.
Includes: Mask, Jumpsuit, Card.
Material 65% Polyester, 35% Cotton.
Care Instructions Handwash - Cold Water with mild detergent. Dry Flat. Do not bleach. Do not Iron.
Approximate measurements: Chest 48-49", Waist 48-50".

Cost: $39.99

According to an article on nbclosangeles.com, [Immigrants Not Amused by ''Illegal Alien'' Halloween Costume] the costume (shown here) was available online at target.com,walgreens.com, toysrus.com, amazon.com, meijer.com and buycostumes.com.

After a bit of a row from "immigrants" the costume was removed from all the websites except walgreens and buycostumes. However going to those 2 sites, you'll find the costume is "out of stock".

Too bad.
I guess anyone wanting one now will have to make their own. Getting an "alien" mask should be easy enough......get your own orange jumpsuit and "green card"; and voilà!

Immigration and Naturalization.

Today's topic, boys and girls, is immigration and naturalization.

Immigration is one of those subjects which many Americans believe they know a lot about, when, truth be told, they know absolutely squat. The number of myths, urban legends.....whatever you want to call them....that surround the immigration issue would be enough to cause me to pull my hair out - if I had any.

Let's look at some of those beliefs that I hear most frequently;

The reason all those foreigners own those convenient stores is because the government gives them all interest free business loans....which they don't have to pay back.

I wish this were true. If such interest free - non repayable loans were available, my wife and the dozens of other Filipinas we know would be taking advantage of them.
The reason you see so many immigrants owning certain businesses is because of their strong family and ethnic loyalties. It's an example of folks sticking together and helping out friends and relatives.

They don't pay taxes......the government lets them live here five years without having to pay any taxes. I wish I could do that.

I wish I could too. When my wife received her first paycheck in America, her reaction was the same as everyone else when they first start working ....... "What is FICA?"
The government is not going to miss any opportunity to get someone's hard earned money.

If someone from another country comes here and marries an American, they automatically become U.S. citizens.

That might have been true years ago, but it's certainly not true now. My wife, like all other immigrants has to apply for citizenship and it costs money. Lots of money.
There's the visa process getting her into the country. The government loves paper work and money.
After that, there's the "change of status" application. More money, more paper work.
Two years after the "change of status", there's the green card application. More money, more paper work.
Three years after the green card comes the application for citizenship. More money, more paper work. And a test.

I don't have a problem with immigrants having to learn about the country; most of the questions concern civics and that's something we all need to know. I think that everyone who wants to register to vote should take the same test. Being born here shouldn't exempt you from knowing something about how the government works.

Some of the questions on the test don't concern civics, of course. That would make too much sense for something the government is involved with. I've copied and pasted question number 87 below. I'm not at all sure why it's necessary for anyone to know the answer in order to be a "good citizen".

87. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
[USCIS Officers will be supplied with a list of federally recognized American Indian tribes.]
▪ Cherokee
▪ Navajo
▪ Sioux
▪ Chippewa
▪ Choctaw
▪ Pueblo
▪ Apache
▪ Iroquois
▪ Creek
▪ Blackfeet
▪ Seminole
▪ Cheyenne
▪ Arawak
▪ Shawnee
▪ Mohegan
▪ Huron
▪ Oneida
▪ Lakota
▪ Crow
▪ Teton
▪ Hopi
▪ Inuit