that was a depressing thing to read first thing this morning

[schmerica]

What the fuck is wrong with you, Oregonians? Ugh.

(Link is to the featured article in the Opinion section of the Oregonian today, about illegal immigration and how up in arms people are about it. Includes interviews/"listening sessions" with people around the area and some racist gems.)

Here are some highlights of the interviews, if you don't want to click:

How would he tell someone is an "illegal"? McAdams responded: "The language. I guess someone speaking Spanish would make me suspicious."

/

Immigrants should conform to the American way and recognize themselves as Americans first. It's not about race, and he's not a racist, Weippert said. He's "pro-American."

"We welcome people," he said. "Become American. The country you came from, turn your back on it. Speak English. We don't want Mexico here. But they don't want to do that. They want to exploit this country rather than embrace it."

It makes him mad when people speak Spanish in public, he said. "They should conform. It's a matter of international respect. If I come to your home, I conform to your rules."

/

After 9/11, he discovered some of the Middle Eastern terrorists were illegal and later wrote a book, "Fed up with illegal immigration: a fiction nonfiction political thriller." (It was never published.)

/

"We can't deport 12 million people," he said. "Well, we can, but I don't want that. It's mean. I want people to leave on their own. If they can't get a job or benefits, they will leave."

/

"Soon, my granddaughter will be in elementary school. ESL costs a lot, it's a failed program, and we're throwing millions at it," he said. "If she's in these classes, they're going to dumb down the class and my granddaughter is not going to get the quality education she deserves."

Children of illegal immigrants, even if born here, should leave the country with their parents, he said, because "children always suffer the consequences of their parents' decisions. If a guy robs a bank, will they haul him away? Of course. They won't mind that he has kids. I don't believe I should be paying for the education of the kids of someone who broke our laws."

/

Vandermolen, who runs a horse-breeding farm, says many employers hire illegal workers, who displace Americans. Her sister, who lived in Los Angeles, couldn't get a job as a receptionist because she didn't speak Spanish, Vandermolen said.

/

The U.S. should have a moratorium on all immigration until the problem is fixed, she added, and then should reduce the number of legally admitted immigrants nationwide to about 300,000 per year.

There is a cultural difference between the European immigrants of the past and the illegal immigrants of today, Vandermolen said, because "Europeans worked hard to be American, to learn English." Today, she said, the motivation to assimilate is missing.

"Latinos, they're the biggest group, but also the Muslims. These cultures," she said, "are interested in assimilating us."

/

Bendl is most concerned with Muslim immigrants, she said, because "there are terrorist training camps all over the U.S., and if the Islamic people had their way, they would have all women wear the burqa," the veil.

/

Does she believe all illegal immigrants are terrorists?

"There are sleeper people," she said, "ready to activate."

/

As to the 12 million illegal immigrants already here, "Issue a proclamation that they need to leave and take their turn," she said. And if they have U.S. citizen children? "If the family is to be deported, they can have the choice and leave the kids here to have them adopted out," she said. "There's plenty of American parents who want children."

Comments

[kerrypolka.livejournal.com]

It's all because we couldn't make the marionberry the official state berry. >:(

EDIT The U.S. should have a moratorium on all immigration until the problem is fixed, she added

AHAHAHAHA WHAT

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

That is the same chick who was complaining that her sister couldn't be a receptionist in LA because she didn't speak Spanish! And she thinks Latinos & Muslims are the Borg.

Did you read the old Jewish lady who was herself an immigrant? Oh my GOD Roz.

[kerrypolka.livejournal.com]

NO I HAVEN'T I am still on "the Muslims" who want to assimilate us.

WAIT OKAY. "We have people who would want to change our ways of life," she said. "Just like 9/11 terrorists."

...It's like Rudy Giuliani Syndrome is contagious.

also

[kerrypolka.livejournal.com]

"There are sleeper people," she said, "ready to activate."

LOL TERROR NARCOLEPTICS

Re: also

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

I would read a book/watch a movie about a group of coma patients who were really sleeper agents. I'm just saying.

Re: also

[violin-road.livejournal.com]

Holy shit so would I make this happen

[just-katarin.livejournal.com]

I think the vast majority of people don't realize who is behind all of these "immigration reform" movements. The cut and dry FACTS are that White Supremacist groups are the ones who've taken over the dialogue on immigration and immigration reform. We don't talk about immigrants who are here illegally, we say "illegal immigrants". YOU AS A PERSON CANNOT BE ILLEGAL. The way the entire discussion is framed "limited resources", "illegals only here for a free ride", "they have it better than you" is RACISM and nothing BUT racism.

I get so heated on this issue because I hear this all the time and I am aware that in many areas with large Latino populations there is this assumption that ALL of us are illegally here or that we should "go back to Mexico" (I have actualfax heard people say that to my dad and think there was nothing wrong with it). Motherfuckers, YOU GO BACK TO EUROPE. We were here WAY before you people showed up so GTFO and leave us ALONE.

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

It's really totally sickening. I read through those interviews and it's just like ... I knew people think like that, but they're willing to come out and SAY it and think it's totally okay. Plus in the article itself where the reporter's like "we got a hundred angry emails when we published this article about a poor woman who happened to be Latina." Just ... what the actual fuck, katarin?

Not to mention the whole English First thing is just ignorance.

[just-katarin.livejournal.com]

I want to stomp people with their English First bullshit. KILL YOURSELVES, we don't have an official language and we SHOULD NOT HAVE AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE.

And yeah, she was Latina but that's no guarantee that she was illegal. HERE'S A PROTIP FOR WHITE FOLKS, BROWN SKIN DOESN'T IMMEDIATELY EQUATE LEGAL STATUS.

I was talking to ladysorka about the changing face of America and how that will effect Conservatives and the Republican party and she brought up that in less than fifteen years, white people won't be the statistical majority in America anymore and how she doesn't understand why Conservatives don't change their incredibly racist policies and rhetoric to fit the changing demographics, at least. It was the first time I'd ever heard a white person talk about the changing demographics in America without fear in their voice.

Because it never made sense to me to fear a shift in population. SO WHAT if white people aren't the statistical majority anymore? I have never understood this FEAR that white folks have of not being the majority anymore. They're always telling me nothing is more difficult or that I'm not worse off for being a minority. On the contrary, I'm so often told how LUCKY I am and all the opportunities I have that they, as white people don't.

Shouldn't they be happy? Or do they know, deep down that it's bullshit they're spouting?

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

Well, it's okay for YOU GUYS because when you're the minority the kindly whites are the majority and we would never do anything to take advantage of that! Whereas if minorities turn into pluralities, they will ruin our way of life forever. Duh.

[kerrypolka.livejournal.com]

Motherfuckers, YOU GO BACK TO EUROPE

THIS

I MEAN, SERIOUSLY

IT IS SO FUCKING HYPOCRITICAL FOR WHITE AMERICANS TO BE GRUMPING ABOUT IMMIGRATION AND NOBODY SEEMS TO NOTICE THIS AT ALL

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

But Roz! It was totally legal when we made all those treaties with the Native Americans about how, no, really, that's your land, we won't touch, we're just gonna stay over here, we promise, no really and then FUCKED THEM OVER ROYALLY.

Oh wait.

[kerrypolka.livejournal.com]

It was legal because it was white people doing it, dur.

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

I don't know why but somehow acting like there was a respect for the law before fucking them over makes me angrier than if they had just stolen all the land in the first place.

[just-katarin.livejournal.com]

SERIOUSLY! Your people have not been here THAT LONG. Unless you are a Native American, in which case you can certainly also say "gtfo", though it's more problematic because Mexicans tend to be indigenous/Spanish mix. But WHATEVER. This whole bullshit talk about how terrible immigrants are is just that, BULLSHIT.

YOU CAME INTO OUR COUNTRY AND MADE IT YOURS, DON'T BITCH ABOUT ME BEING HERE!

[valmontheights.livejournal.com]

"There are sleeper people," she said, "ready to activate."

Yeah, we moslems sleep a lot. I snooze throughout Ramadan days to make the fasting go by quicker. As they say, "in Ramadan, even sleep is a form of prayer".

[mylenn.livejournal.com]

"If the family is to be deported, they can have the choice and leave the kids here to have them adopted out," she said. "There's plenty of American parents who want children."

WHAT?!?!? I just DON'T EVEN KNOW some days.

[just-katarin.livejournal.com]

I once had a student who's mother was deported. He was an American citizen and so he was staying here with his 24 yr old brother and 16 yr old sister. LET ME TELL YOU HOW GREAT HE WAS IN SCHOOL WHILE ALL OF THIS WAS GOING ON! Except I can't, cause that would be a lie. He did terribly because he didn't give a fuck about what 5 x 5 was, his fucking MOTHER had been deported.

[fox1013.livejournal.com]

DDDD:

Why is people?

[elucidate-this.livejournal.com]

[strobelighted.livejournal.com]

Ughhhh, this makes me want to PUNCH PEOPLE IN THE FACE.

[feelingcold.livejournal.com]

I've heard people bitch about illegal immigration and then get confused as to why I can just move to their country, from Canada, without dual citizenship. It is about race. "We don't want Mexico here" is a racist statement.

People should at least attempt to understand something before they get angry about it.

"Latinos, they're the biggest group, but also the Muslims. These cultures," she said, "are interested in assimilating us."

WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT?

[myounghistory.livejournal.com]

Well hey, at least now I know that Utah doesn't have a monopoly on all racist idiots! Even if we did pass a law that empowers all police officers to act as border agents :/

[magdalyna.livejournal.com]

People are so dumb sometimes it hurts.