Immigration

Trolls on Auto-Pilot

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By Tom Prezelski

Re-blogged from Rum, Romanism and Rebellion

Online comment sections are generally regarded as a miasma of ignorance, malice, and outright lies
which makes one wonder why so many publications think it necessary to
have them. They may have started as a noble experiment, but the forums
quickly degenerated into a platform for socially inept malcontents whose
rantings are too poorly sourced or too badly articulated to meet
editorial standards. In some cases, publications like the Arizona Daily Star have made too-little-too-late
moves to rein in the excesses, but editors generally seem reluctant to
take responsibility for providing a respectable platform for hate speech
and personal attacks.

The Tucson Weekly actually does a pretty respectable job of
policing its online comment section (In the interests of full
disclosure, it should be mentioned that I am a paid occasional contributor to the Weekly).
In some cases the editorial staff takes the time to respond to the
posts, particularly when the comments become personal. The exchanges
between editor Dan Gibson and a local cosplayer who calls himself “Colt Cassidy,” for example, are sometimes interesting.

A recent article by Linda Ray generated an interesting post from the cryptically named “Ronsonit” which illustrates another problem with online comments:

Governor Brewer Proves My Point

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By Tom Prezelski

Re-blogged from Rum, Romanism and Rebellion

Yesterday, I wrote here about how the Martin Luther King Jr. of the
public imagination has been reduced into a cuddly Care Bear to make him
palatable to the picket fence crowd, enabling movement conservatives
claim his legacy by forgetting nearly everything he stood for. In fairness, I was not the only one who did so, Salon’s Joan Walsh said more or less the same thing, in a beautiful case of great minds thinking alike.

It was only later that day that I read that Governor Jan Brewer had issued a call for Arizonans to ring bells in honor of the 50th anniversary of The March on Washington.

Old timers may remember that this is the same Jan Brewer who, as a
State Senator, supported the  notorious Governor Evan Mecham and voted against the MLK holiday twice.

It’s All Fun And Games Until One Of Your Deputies Gets His Eye Put Out

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By Tom Prezelski

Re-Blogged from Rum, Romanism and Rebellion

Folks who claim that our modern border militiamen are part of a proud Arizona tradition would do well to read what Captain John G. Bourke,
an officer who accompanied General George R. Crook during the pursuit
of Geronimo, had to say about their 19th century antecedents. Bourke
characterized them as "rum-poisoned bummers" and "senseless cowards who
sought to kill a few peaceable Indians and gain a little cheap
notoriety." The captain went on to describe how their gun-happy
amateurishness did nothing but make a bad situation on the frontier even
worse.

The latest manifestation of the worst of the wild west
spirit comes, of course, from Maricopa County, where a member of one
such band of self-styled "militia minutemen" is in serious trouble for having pointed a rifle at a uniformed Sheriff's deputy in the desert near Gila Bend.

Sens. McCain and Flake to participate in ‘A Conversation on Immigration’

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake will participate in "A Converstation on Immigration" hosted by The Arizona Republic, News 12 and USA Today on Tuesday, August 27, at the Mesa Arts Center’s Piper Theater from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The event live-streams at azcentral.com
on Aug. 27 and will be taped for later broadcast on Channel 12. Special event: A conversation on immigration, border security:

On Tuesday, come to azcentral.com for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes
look at immigration, border security and its impact on Arizona.

"A Converstation on Immigration" with Republican Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake will
include segments on jobs, border security, the shadow culture of
immigration and its effect on the Arizona economy.

This special live event is sponsored by The Arizona Republic, 12 News, azcentral.com and USA Today.

Coverage begins at 9 a.m.; the town hall starts at 10 a.m.

To participate in or follow the discussion live on Twitter, use the hashtag #azbordertalk and visit live.azcentral.com.

McCainFlake

Valdez: ‘Let’s roll House Speaker John Boehner’

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona Republic's Linda Valdez joins the discharge petition movement today. Roll Boehner for immigration reform:

It’s called the discharge petition.

Under House rules, you need a majority
of the 435 members to bring a measure directly to the floor. With 200
Democrats currently in the chamber, only a few Republicans are needed.

* * *

President Obama says he’s “absolutely
certain” the Senate’s comprehensive immigration reform bill would pass
the House if it came to the floor. Arizona Democratic Rep. Ann
Kirkpatrick told The Arizona Republic editorial board this week, “It would pass.”

So let’s roll Republican House Speaker John Boehner.

If Kirkpatrick and president are wrong, and the Senate bill fails, we can start over in two years.

This might not be a complete disaster.

For one thing, the GOP will get the
blame, and — as GOP Sen. Marco Rubio suggested — Obama can extend
deferred deportation to the parents of the Dreamers. This will help
Democrats in 2014 and anoint Hillary Clinton in 2016.