Economic boycott in Prince William County

This debate over immigration has become so diluted with inuendos and lies, it’s hard to tell who is who anymore. But, here, I’ll try to explain it in terms anyone can understand.

Residents of Prince William County, Virginia, a fairly upscale area in Northern Virginia, has decided that their county government went too far when they built, with tax payer dollars, a “day labor” center in Lorton so they forced the county to begin checking each “day worker” for their immigration status. It only makes sense – why should tax payers fund a gathering point that encourages law breakers to break the laws that protect taxpayers?

Well, the supposedly “legal” Latin population of PWC are staging an economic boycott this week to demonstrate their economic power. Funny, but the Washington Post can only find legal residents to quote;

Rivera, the hotel worker who attended the demonstration at Potomac Mills, said she was also a legal resident but was angry at the proposals aimed at driving out illegal immigrants. She said she decided to participate after hearing about the boycott through her church.

“They don’t want our children in the schools. They don’t want people renting to immigrants. They want to ask for families’ ID cards in parks. This is wrong, and we do not accept it,” she said.

If you’re a legal resident, chica, why are you worried? I have to show my passport and immigration papers when I travel in Central America – so does the rest of the world. I get stopped in malls, parks, the liquor stores and asked for my ID all of the time. If I threw a hissy everytime I was “profiled” (being a pale white guy with a noticable American accent in my Spanish) I’d probably get tossed in some dank cell on an island prison somewhere.

Last month I wrote the same thing in reference to the Pollo Rico bust – legal residents were busted for laudering cash ($7 million, in fact), and the government found illegal immigrants working in the restuarants – so the “legal” Latins were worried they’d get scooped up in some huge raid and get mistakenly shipped back to their jungle villages. The big raid never happened – in fact the Montgomery County police chief came on television and promised he wouldn’t enforce the law. But I didn’t have to wait in line for a haircut that weekend.

Well, of course, since many of the illegal immigrants (re: lawbreakers) are of Central American heritage, suddenly it’s a race issue and not a rule of law issue. The Washington Post writes:

“They used us Hispanics to build this county, and now they are trying to kick us out. It’s not fair,” fumed Padilla, 28, a legal immigrant from El Salvador. On the window of his restaurant, La Laguna, was a large green poster that read, “We Are A Pro-Immigrant Business. Rescind the Prince William County Anti-Immigrant Resolution.”

Who is “they”, chica?

I’m gonna tell you the truth; up until recently, I was one of the Americans willing to look the other way on immigration. It really didn’t affect me or my family directly, so I actually didn’t have a firm opinion on the subject – other than the Border Patrol needed to enforce the laws on the border and stem the tide as best they could.

But that all changed last year when I watched thousands of Latin immigrants marching through the streets of our cities, here in this country with their bellies full and designer clothes on their backs with Mexican flags and upside down American flags. Of course the next times they came out for their rallies, the Mexican flags had disappeared and the American flags were right-side up – but too late. The first action someone takes, right or wrong, is the action that person truly feels strongest about. So even though they love the American dollar, the American lifestyle and the American opportunity, they’d prefer that this country was different – to suit them. OK, fine, be like that. That’s how you converted me into an anti-illegal immigration blogger.

Even the Anglos aren’t getting it, according to the Washington Examiner;

At a pair of family-owned Laundromats in Woodbridge and Dumfries, owner Ginger Trest is touting support for the boycott to show solidarity with the immigrant customers who make up about 50 percent of her clientele.

“We do not agree with the resolution,” Grest said. “We feel it is discrimination directed toward one segment of the population.”

One segment of the population whose very presence here represents a violation of Federal law. How hard is that to understand? I guess it makes Ms. Grest feel “enlightened” to embrace criminals. I guess it eases some of her liberal guilt.

More “legal residents” speak to the Post;

In interviews in Manassas and Woodbridge, several dozen Latinos said they supported the boycott, and some were indignant about the way they feel immigrants have been treated in the county. Only two or three said they did not know about the boycott.

“I am only buying in Hispanic stores this week. I am a resident now, but I am still an immigrant, and it is not good what they are trying to do,” said Abel Santiago, 28, a Mexican restaurant worker who complained that he had been stopped and asked for identification recently. “We feel so much hate and resentment now. But we should have our rights, too.”

Compa, I feel resentment towards you because you’re lying. No one is targeting you because you’re Latin, just like the troops in Iraq aren’t targeting terrorists because they’re Arabs. It just seems that there are alot of Latins who immigrate here illegally – the key word being “illegally”, f’Pete’s sake. Get over it and figure out why you’re here and not back in your own country. Because back home sucks and here it sucks a lot less.

These “Mexicans Without Borders” pinheads have muddied the debate so badly with their charges of racism that I’m not surprised law enforcement is confused. So these racist dorks want us to change the laws in this country to accomodate them – then this country isn’t the same country they wanted to make their lives in, it won’t offer the same opportunities, the same quality of life. And by coming here, they’ve deprived their own country of a pair of working hands, working minds and conditions there get worse – and it becomes even worse, forcing more people to come here.

It makes more sense that latins use their inherent ingenuity and work ethic to make lives for themselves in their own countries and make the lives of their families and neighbors better with their sweat and brains – and end this country’s decline into the third world. That’s why the President has been trying to get these trade deals with Latin countries through a resistant Congress and passed the corrupt trade unions and Big Sugar – to make lives for latins better in their own countries so we aren’t torn apart by small-minded racists in those oddly named “Mexicans Without Borders” and “La Raza”.

Don’t expect a lot of help from wishy-washy Democrat governor Tom Kaine solving the illegal immigrant issue in Virginia. Washington Times’ Natasha Altamirano writes today;

“The governor does not object to localities choosing to enter into localized agreements with [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement],” said Kevin Hall, Mr. Kaine’s spokesman. “He has concerns, however, about asking state troopers to assume primary enforcement of federal immigration responsibilities.”

So he’s found a way to have his cake and eat it, too. He doesn’t have to enforce the laws, but he has no problem with underfunded localities enforcing the laws. Pure politics. How helpful is that to the discussion, Virginia?

Category: Illegal Immigrants, Media, Politics, Society