by David Safier
The Recall Russell Pearce group, Citizens for a Better Arizona, is nearing the date to turn in its signatures. That's scheduled for Tuesday. To put the event in historical perspective, it will be the first time a legislator has been recalled in Arizona's nearly 100 year history, and it will be the first recall of a state Senate President in the history of the country. It's not a done deal, of course, until the signatures are counted, but I'm convinced, anything near an honest count will result in a recall.
Good times. (Man, it's nice to be able to say that once in awhile!)
But Mesa also has another distinction. It is the first city in Arizona considering adoption of the Utah Compact, a sane, caring statement about immigrants which was endorsed by Utah liberals and conservatives — mayors, the state attorney general, former governors and a former U.S. senator as well as Salt Lake City's Roman Catholic Diocese and the Chamber of Commerce — and was given a "statement of support by the Mormon Church. (Here's my post on the Compact, and a lengthier piece in Latino Perspectives about the Arizona movement to bring the Compact here.)
A group calling itself East Valley Patriots for American Values has spearheaded the campaign to get Mesa to give its official support to the Compact (and yes, Pearce and his cronies HATE the group's name. They think they own the trademark on terms like Patriots and American Values). And now the Human Relations Advisory Board has chimed in as well.
The Human Relations Advisory Board last week voted to recommend that the Valley's second-largest city apply the document's principles to address what the compact calls "the complex challenges associated with a broken national immigration system."
The City Council isn't unanimous one way or another. But however this turns out, it's another sign that Pearce may not be the favorite son in his home town.
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I’ll accept the advice, Thane, though I can’t guarantee I’ll follow it. I’m probably more careful than most bloggers — even good ones — in my use of language, but people reading bloggers are aware they’re reading commentaries which are heavy on opinion. And though I was generalizing, I have seen many instances of the right wing believing “traitors” on the left shouldn’t be using the language of “patriots.”
That is a great point.
Hate (ESPECIALLY in capital letters) is a very strong word. Perhaps you feel you have made a case as well for “and his cronies” but before you presume to characterize what other people think and feel it would be best to be as precise as possible and specific as possible so as to avoid tarring the innocent with your broad brush.
Of course you don’t have to but I am making the suggestion as another person who does not support the witch hunt known as SB 1070.
Thane, tell me if this is close enough to Pearce “hating” this group for using terms like Patriot and American Values, from the AZ Republic, http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2010/12/07/20101207russell-pearce-mesa-group-opposition-arizona-immigration1207.html#ixzz1NxgBS8l2
He [Pearce] said the group’s name is deceiving. “It kind of reminds me of Students for a Democratic Society,” Pearce said, referring to a 1960s radical group that he said was a front for communism.
“These folks would destroy the republic,” he said.
Clearly he’s pissed about these people using words that he brandishes on his website and in his speeches.
You presume a lot when you accuse other people and groups as hating something. If they do it shouldn’t be hard to find a link. Short of a source you should stop presuming what other people hate.
I have no objection to any particular person or group choosing to call themselves patriots. Your characterization of others says plenty about your own insecurity about the term.
But Mesa also has another distinction. It is the first city in Arizona considering adoption of the Utah Compact, a sane, caring statement about immigrants which was endorsed by Utah liberals
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We could settle this whole issue if we could educate these folks. They are not immigrants.. they are illegal aliens. The issues are outlined right here.
Cost of amnesty for illegal aliens… 2.6 trillion.
http://www.heritage.org/research/immigration/wm1490.cfm
Cost of deporting… $94 billion.
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/09/13/estimate-for-deporting-illegal-immigrants-94-billion/
http://one-simple-idea.com/BorderSecurity.htm
http://www.usillegalaliens.com/
Ask for… CRIMINAL ALIEN STATISTICS
http://www.gao.gov/search?q=immigration&Submit=Search
We cannot afford them, and even if we could, this nations infrastructure couldn’t handle it.
http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/
Soo.. leave all the name callers behinds. Those are the .real. haters. Read the facts and plan for the future: detain and deport while you are getting your crime statistics under control.