Illegal Immigration: MSM still doesn't get it

After reading this news update , it occurred to me that our mainstream media friends STILL don't get it when it comes to what should be newsworthy regarding this Illegal Immigration crisis.

Consider that story for a minute, which tells us about the driver of the bus that caught fire and took the lives of 23 elderly people during the evacuation from Houston before hurricane Rita. The driver is an illegal alien from Mexico. He has been charged with negligent homicide in the case. Interestingly his employer, Global Limo Inc., has NOT been charged with "Unlawful Employment of Aliens" as described in Title 8 Chapter 12 Subchapter 2 Part 8 section 1324A of the US Code. And, interestingly, the media hasn't mentioned this, nor do they appear interested in this aspect of the story.

Consider this story which tells of the problems caused by illegal day laborers wreaking havoc on places like Home Depot parking lots. Again, the media portrays this as a story about problems and solutions for the illegals. In this particular story, the solution was for the City of Herndon Virginia to APPROVE a (quote from article):

taxpayer-funded day-labor center--a shelter, trailer, and restrooms--on the edge of town where employers could hire workers each morning in an organized manner. As envisioned, the $170,000 center would also provide training and English classes for the mostly Central American workers, many of them probably illegal aliens.

In none of the Home Depot stories do you hear interviews with any of the employers of these illegals, nor do you see/hear any publication of their names. Picking these folks up in the parking lot and hiring them for day labor is, ahem, illegal. Wouldn't it make sense to get the contractor's vehicles in the video, so we can find and charge these people with violating US Code? The media has no problem doing this sort of thing to celebrities, politicians, etc. Why not employers of illegals?

Just last week, Sen. Hutchison from Texas was reported to be introducing legislation to address the immigration issue. [note: you must register with Dallas News to see that one..sorry] but the text of that bill is here . Further, another Texas politician, Congressman McCaul was recently assigned the Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommitte on Investigations and vowed during a radio interview that HE was going to fix immigration with a bill of his own...again, like Sen. Hutchison's, focused on presence at the border. Great! But when are we going to hear about going after the employers?

Time and time again, the media coverage focuses on the illegals themselves. Their plight. What they must endure to get here (emphasis on) ILLEGALLY!. I have not heard one major MSM release about an employer getting charged, jailed, etc. In fact, a recent Austin story about illegal day laborers near a Home Depot here focused on how they were just trying to make an "honest living". I find the irony of that statement too rich for words. Sorry, if they are illegal, it ain't an honest day's work. Period.

I am ALL for people coming here to find a better life. I am fed up with feeding, housing, clothing, and providing medical, dental, and vision care for them while getting nothing in return. Attaining legal status allows for some of their income to go back into the kitty for the Federal, State, and Local coffers...maybe even a little kickback into the Social Security and Medicare funds, hmm?

It is time for our legislators AND media outlets to start looking at the other half of the story; the employers. I'm all for tightening the borders, but while our political heroes spend eternity debating the new legislation, how about we enforce the existing legislation? Why can't we punish the Global Limos of the world, and spread it far and wide over the TV, Newspapers, and Internet?

A dilemma in Conservatism

You'll need to sign up with the Austin American Statesman to read this article, but if you want to take my word for it, there was a vote on May 7 of this year in Austin where 66,000 voters turned out to approve a ban on smoking in bars and restaurants.

Now, on its face, this seems fine...and certainly in keeping with the trend in recent years to PC smokers into the shadows.

Where the Conservatism dilemma rears its ugly head for me is here , where the ban is now being challenged in court 6 months later. It would appear that, since 52% of votes were cast in favor of the ban, no judge should be able to overturn the will of the voters; this is what we true conservatives might describe as judicial activism or legislating from the bench. I abhor this practice from judges; have in fact been a victim of it in my personal life. My problem in this particular case is that only 16 % of registered voters turned out to cast their ballots regarding this ban in the first place(again, taken from the Statesman article above).

We can be sure of one thing as citizens; if we are part of a movement to enact legislation, we are most assuredly going to be there to cast our votes when the ballot is presented to us. What seems to be missing in this smoking ban story, and in the next 2 sets of elections, is whether we are doing an adequate job of bringing everyone who WASN'T involved in the movement out to the polls. A lesson we should hold close to us as the 06 & 08 fights start to unfold is that we better make sure we get everyone to the polls, not just the activists & the blogging faithful.

I smoke. I am banned from doing so because 52 % of 16% of the Austin registered voters has spoken and told me I can't. I don't want this judge to overturn the ban because that would be legislating from the bench (something I am vehemently against), even though I would personally benefit from it. I plan to remember EVERYTHING I am forced to do because of active, vocal minorities come these next 2 elections. I hope ALL of my fellow conservatives do as well.