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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Huh?

My blog is not a political blog but I could not help myself. So I hope you don't mind the detour.
President Barack Obama's aunt, Zeituni Onyango, says she's done nothing wrong by illegally living in the United States for years and is therefore deserving of amnesty. "If I come as an immigrant, you have the obligation to make me a citizen," Onyango, 58, told Boston's WBZ news.
In her first interview since Obama was elected president, Onyango described how she came to America in 2000 from her native Kenya, fell ill and was hospitalized. Upon her release, Onyango told WBZ, she was out of money. So rather than return to her homeland, she continued to live in the country in violation of immigration laws.
After stints in a Boston homeless shelter, Onyango was eventually put in public housing and began receiving disability payments. In 2004, an immigration judge ordered her to leave the country, but Onyango remained. However, she noted that her story was less about intentionally flouting federal immigration policy and more about its ineffectiveness. "I didn't take advantage of the system," Onyango said. "The system took advantage of me." Onyango says that she received no help from Obama as her case was reviewed by Judge Leonard Shapiro, who ruled in May that Onyango could remain in the United States.
Anyone but me see anything wrong with these statements? "If I come as an immigrant, you have the obligation to make me a citizen," and "I didn't take advantage of the system," "The system took advantage of me." From some one who was here illegally receiving medical care and disability payments and the kindness of public housing and from a homeless shelter. I guess she has a different definition of being taken advantage of than I do.
At the same time this week Barack Obama spoke at the UN on Human Rights and called the State of Arizona abusers of Human Rights because of the 1070 law. While he asked countries with much tougher and strict immigration laws (who have actually violated Human Rights)to sit on the United Nations panel for Human Rights and to judge us for our so called crimes to humanity of just trying to enforce the same federal law that the federal government refuses to enforce. What about the rights of the people who are legally here? Why do I have to give an increasing amount of my hard earned money so others can come here and take advantage of our kindness and then insult us by saying we took advantage of them? While my state goes bankrupt under the pressure of federally mandated services that we must provide to illegal immigrants, while my state can no longer provide services to the citizens that are here legally? Ask the teachers and state employees who have been laid off in my state how they feel. Ask the people with land along the border in my state that have had their property damaged and stolen by the parade of immigrants crossing their land how they feel. Ask all the people who have had a car accident with an uninsured illegal and are just plain out of luck. Ask the children of the police officers who have been killed by illegal immigrants in our state (80 percent of police officers killed or wounded in our state are by illegal immigrants)how they feel about being called human rights abusers by our own President who refuses to protect us.

The illegal alien population in Arizona makes up half of the state’s total foreign-born population
(945,226), and 8% of the state’s total population.
• Half of all illegal border crossings into the U.S. occur along the Arizona border with Mexico.
• From 1999 to 2008, an average of 1,375 illegal aliens a day were apprehended in the
Arizona border sector. DHS does not know how many illegal aliens successfully entered
Arizona each day during that period.
• Between 1996 and 2009, the illegal alien population in Arizona increased 300%.
Illegal aliens make up 10% of the workforce in Arizona. Many are working under the table for wages that are below minimum wage. Undercutting the ability of a citizen who would have to be paid minimum wage. Unemployment in Arizona in March 2010 was 9.6%.
• Over 10% of children enrolled in public schools (K-12) have parents who are in the U.S. illegally.
• Illegal aliens and their children are 37% of the uninsured population in Arizona, and the cost of uncompensated care for illegal aliens in Arizona is approximately $510 million annually.
• The total education, medical, and incarceration costs in Arizona due to illegal immigration are over $2 billion a year. We as a state have a deficit of more than $3 billion. In 2007, Arizona found that 11% of its prison population was Mexican nationals and 10.5% had ICE detainers. Causing an increased economic burden and overflow to the already struggling judicial system.
• 22% of illegal aliens sentenced in Maricopa County in 2007 were convicted of felonies.
10.6% of those sentenced for either murder or manslaughter were illegal aliens, and illegal aliens were found to be responsible for 16.5% of violent crime in the county, while they are only 8% of the population•
The Government Accountability Office in a 2005 investigation into the criminal records of over 55,000 illegal aliens nationwide revealed:
• An average of 8 arrests and 13 offenses each per individual.
• 45% were arrested for drug or immigration offenses; 15% for property-related
offenses such as burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, or property damage;
12% were for murder, robbery, assault, and sex-related crimes. The rest of the total
included “such other offenses as traffic violations, including driving under the
influence; fraud — including forgery and counterfeiting; weapons violations; and
obstruction of justice.” Phoenix has the second highest kidnapping rate in the world behind Mexico City. People who are willing to break one law (illegal entry of my country)are more likely to be willing to break other laws.
• In 2008, there were 368 kidnapping and 337 home invasions in Arizona, a 61% increase just since 2005. The city of Phoenix formed a police taskforce in 2009 to combat the rising levels of violence, and still recorded over 300 kidnapping that year. The city of Tucson formed a similar taskforce in 2008 as a response to 150 home invasions.
• A Phoenix police spokesman estimated that the number of reported kidnappings
represented only up to a third of the actual cases. Because kidnapping victims are often tortured and threatened with death, many victims are hesitant to go to the police because they are illegal.
• The Border Patrol has found that criminal gangs, such as MS-13, are drawn to Arizona because of the predominance of drug trafficking and human smuggling there.

Hey what about my human rights? They just raised my taxes to deal with this in the middle of tough economic times. Is the government responsible to protect and serve it's people before the people of another country? This is not a race issue. This is not a human rights issue. This is a economic and public safety issue. And is about the rights of the citizens that should not be compromised at the expense of the rights of people who are breaking the law by being here. Who by the way we did not force to come here they do have a choice. If we are such abusers why do they continue to cross the border to take the abuse?
Oh and by the way I have nothing against people who come here legally and live by our laws as I do. I have many friends who are legal immigrants, and they are proud to be citizens or legally working immigrants and most are happy to prove it if asked to and do not feel it is a human rights violation but instead a service that protects their safety, freedoms, and rights.

26 comments:

  1. Qh yeah, we must close the borders and stop treating illegal immigrants as citizens. Our ancesters came her the legal way, and worked hard, not sneaking in, hiding, and then all but demanding "rights" and citizenship. I could go on, but you know the rest.

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  2. Guess you never clued in that nearly all of the music you post is derived from Africans brought to America illegally. This is the last time I visit this site you narrow-minded hypocrite.

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  3. Go burn a Koran. And while you're at it, throw all your useless Grateful Dead tapes on the fire.

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  4. Wow! How do you see it does not fit my world view. Jesus was not about breaking laws. He said give to Cesar what is Cesars. What about this is so offensive to you. Every country in the world has immigration laws and most are much more limiting than the Arizona law. The Arizona Law only mirrors the federal law that is not being enforced. Why would I burn a Quran? Oh and by the way, how ungrateful for all the music I'm sure you have come to get without thanks. sorry you have to put up with my own view that you have the freedom to not read if you like on my own blog. Don't come back what will it hurt me? see any adds? I am kind enough to share for nothing. What sad venomous and bitter people. Could,nt you just logicaly debate your view?

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  5. Oh and as far as Africans being brought to america illegaly. It was not against the law of that time. But it was against the will or choice of the Africans. And that is a sad fact of history that no one can go back and change. But it really has no bearing on a debate of immigrants choosing to enter a country by unlawful means. I guess your anger has clouded your ability to use logic.

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  6. Oh yes one more thing. Offensive language. Why? Name calling. Why? Why can't you just use your superior intellect and make me look bad by showing with facts how wrong I am? Think international organizations should be called on by our president to tell us what laws we should have? Maybe the president should condem the majority of the countries that have much tougher laws first such as Mexico. Instead of having the president of mexico condem us from the white house lawn for an immigration law that is loose compared to Mexican immigration law. Now that is hypocracy!

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  7. By the way. Where is your blog that you pour time into sharing music and photos? You feel entitled to come here and tell me "shut up and play the music". Oh and I will leave that post up it shows the world the hate that there is for Christian beliefs. Nice!

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  8. Amazing and sad that a nature loving, Grateful Dead loving person can be so intolerant. And is this Christianity? Didn't Jesus say something like: whatever you do to others you do to me? Didn't he talk about love and compassion?

    Seems like you - very strange with your musical taste - belong to the special right wing perverted kind of 'Christianity' that is a plague not only to the US but unfortunately also to the rest of the world.

    I think any dead head should be glad to have an intelligent visionary president (The Dead was ardent supporters). But perhaps you look forward to Sarah Palin taking over?

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  9. I'm with you AZ, in NYC, "a sanctuary city" the illegals are put on a pedestal here because they clean the elitists dishes in restaurants and cut their lawns. The elitists claim that listening to music derived from Africans amounts to supporting slavery. Does anyone know what kind of pay illegals work for? The hours? It is a form of slavery that the liberal elite justify for cheap labor and votes.
    You put the time and energy into this blog and have every right to post your opinion here. To enjoy the music you don't have to support breaking the laws of the country, secular society, entitlements, or Socialism.
    Don't want to go on and on, you said it all very well. Keep doing what you do knowing a majority of Americans feel exactly as you do, even though it may be a silent majority.......
    Wave that Flag!
    NYC Ron

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  10. Sir,
    You can state all the "facts" and Bible verses you'd like, but none of that hides the true fact that you are an intolerant individual. I suggest you take a hard look at your morals.
    I pity you.

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  11. Something is happening and you don't know what it is, do you Mr. Jones?

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  12. Hmm, if you're so law abiding, I wonder if you've ever smoked marijuana? God help us all.

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  13. To paraphrase Roger McGuinn...
    "You sure do think different than the records you play."-

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  14. Heeren. I am confused by your view. I'm not right wing at all. I'm not against people coming here. I'm against the way it is being done. Heeren. When was the last time you went to Mexico and did maintenance on an orphanage and feed the poor? well I have. I'm against a president giving over a state to a international body for judgment of our laws. We have our own govenment and judicial system and as the leader of the country he should be a part of that system and not work outside of it. I'm against someone who came here illegaly recieving govenment housing and aid and thinking that they were taken advantage of. Whos taking advantage of who? By the way I'm a registered Democrat. And Sarah Palin is an idiot and not a qualified candidate. John McCaine from my state is a fool to have picked her as a running mate. It showed poor judgment. Have you read SB1070? Or have you just listened to the spin? The law is not what people are being told. It is this simple. It is the same law that is already on the books at a federal level, nothing more. It is certainly not a human rights violation as Barack Obamah in his grandstanding has called it. Both parties are wrong in their political wrangling. The system is broken plain and simple. Anyway Heeren you are welcome to express your view here.

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  15. Wow the venom and bitternes is in the air. When I have I attacked Gay people? When have I attacked Muslims? All I did was to say my faith and I are not the same as muslim faith and being Christian does not equate with terrorists. I believe most musslims are not terrorists and they are being painted in a bad light by a few misguided people. Yes I smoked Marjuana when I was young but don't anymore. Breaking the law was wrong even if the law is misguided and I was wrong for breaking the law. Buying marjuana that comes from drug trafficers who kill is wrong also. Machette I do not hate Mexicans. I dislike the system and how the issue is being handled at the expense of citizens of my state. Again have you really read SB1070 or have you just listened to the spin and political grandstanding? What state do you live in? Easy to talk when your friends are not loosing teaching and govenment jobs due to budget cuts. And the health care and schools of your state are being compromised while they raise taxes to cover the expense of people who abuse the system. Read the above comment. Lets discus facts not emmotion. Amazing how people can be intolerant of my faith yet call me intolerant. Anyway you are welcome to express you view on my site. Thanks for your input.

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  16. Hello AZ,
    What bothered me about the story, was that she accepted no responsibility for her actions. It was all somebody else. Their fault.'You have the obligation...' 'Took advantage of me' Do for yourself, dont wait for others.

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  17. You seem to be a serious man, and perhaps you deserve a more serious critique than I originally offered.

    My apologies.

    Here is where I am coming from. I am a white guy, but my fiancé is first generation Mexican. Her son is medic in Iraq.

    What I hear from all of the Mexican side of the family (who are all American citizens, some of whom don’t even speak Spanish) is how tired they are of being stopped by the police, asked constantly to prove their citizenship, and forced to deal with high-minded gabachos with an axe to grind. They come from Bakersfield CA, originally, where one of them was asked to show her ID by a pizza delivery guy, of all people.

    By a strange coincidence this sudden “awareness” of the immigration issue always seems to come around election time. And, yes, it does seem a little interchangeable. One year, it’s Mexicans, one year it’s Muslims, next year it will be [INSERT YOUR SCAPEGOAT HERE]

    You may not be responsible for the bigots and the demagogues who show up for this issue every election year, but I don’t see how you can get away from them.

    As for the state of the economy? It is a mess for a whole lot of reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with anything you have mentioned in your forum today. But here again, a bad economy brings out the finger pointing. It’s been this way for 230 years, it will probably not stop.

    My respects,
    -Machette

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  18. To NYC Ron. Thanks for your support. I feel at this point legal or illegal we are all in a form of slavery. With taxes reaching 30% of my income and more taxes thrown ontop of that on the spending end. I'm just a slave to a broken system that is not serving people. We are all in the chain gang. To immigrants please come here become a part of our society, work, support yourself, pay for what you use. Compete for jobs within the guidelines the rest of us have to follow. But there is something else going on here. When I was in construction I could not compete with cheap under the table below minimum wage labor unless I became someone who exploited it myself and broke the law. Lets be real. I don't hate the people I just dislike the broken system that is taking advantage of all of us legal or illegal. And I dislike politicians that instead of fixing it use it to grandstand and perpetuate their political wrangling for power (both Republicans and Democrats). And to the comment that Barack Obama is an "intelligent visionary president". Are you paying attention? Neither party is serving the people they serve power to maintain or gain power.

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  19. To Machette. thanks. I think it sucks that people who are doing the right thing get messed with. SB1070 says that the only time a Police can ask for ID is in a normal stop for a justafiable reason (traffic violation etc.) I have to show my ID in that case so why should someone else be offended by it? The law was giving the police the power to enforce a federal law that is already in place at a state level because the federal govenment has failed to take care of a problem. Is it the right way to fix the problem? Probably not. But it is not a form of Human Right abuse that should be turned over to the United Nations for scrutiny by the President of the United States or un-united in this case so he can grandstand during an election year. Racisim is wrong and I'm sorry to here that people are treated that way. Breaking the law is wrong and it's not helping the racisim thing. The things I stated are a part of the economic problem. That is why my state took action to force the federal govenment to relize the economic impact. Our state is forced by the federal govenment to provide services to people who don't pay for them. And the cost is disproportional in our state in regards to the rest of the country. And my taxes go up and my friends loose jobs. As far as being painted a certain way because some who appear to be like you are doing the wrong thing I understand. It happens as a Christian every day to me so I know and feel for your loved ones who are misstreated and lumped into judgment because some people who look like them are doing the wrong thing. It sucks! Machette thanks again for sharing your view in an open way. And my apologies to those who I offended. I was just tired of the political spin on this issue and it being used to perpetuate the same old political divide

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  20. What part of "illegal" Do people not understand?? If you don't want to enter the U.S. the right and legal way, stay home. And if our laws are too strict, then why would you want to come here. Again, do it legal or stay home.
    Keep rolling the tunes. BTW The Dead are not my favorite band but a lot of people enjoy them. But you do have plenty more bands to choose from, and for that my friend, I am "grateful"

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  21. Perhaps you should focus your anger on the American business owners who hire the Illegals to save paying higher wages to us. don't you think that If most Americans knew they could go into Mexico and make 10 times the pay that they earn here they would do it come Hell or high water. P.S. you're blog is great keep it up, Thanks

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  22. I would like to say that reasonable people can disagree about something, but I'm sorry to say that looking at both the comments Arizona Jones has drawn, and the national debate, not everyone cares about reason. Reason takes a back seat to emotionally driven name calling.
    The State of Arizona has taken the initiative in enforcing the law, while the rule of law has been scorned by both our President and the irresponsible public officials who have praised law-defying "sanctuary cities." If some of us want open borders, instead of "inhumane" immigration regulations, then CHANGE THE LAWS through a legal process. You have a Democratic President, Senate, and Congress--if you ever had a chance to dismantle the United States of America through ostensibly legal means this would be it.
    But no, you open-borders proponents would rather brand the governor and citizens of Arizona as a bunch of racists, better yet, Nazis, when they, not you, have what looks increasingly like a "failed state" on their southern border. Okay, by all means, yes, please let the drug lords, corrupt cops, daily beheadings, and overall despair flow over our unregulated southern border, let a few Al Qaeda operatives slip in as well, and as for the tax-paying, law-abiding citizens of Arizona, tough. This is a politically-correct human interest story, and Arizona Jones and his ilk need to be cast as the villains. Even worse, I think he's a Christian.

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  23. I agree that the problem is really Employers who break the law. If there was no work for immigrants they would not come. Thats a whole discussion of it's own. I just couldn't believe that our President went to the United Nations with it. In his speach he accused others of grandstanding on this issue while he did it himself. Did you know people of his administration spoke out against the law before they read it. What does that say about motives

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  24. when you disagree with a liberal your intolerant, racist and ignorant. When you disagree with a conservative your an anti american commie who needs to go back where you came from.
    You just cant win.
    I like your blog. You put up great music. My mother always told me never discuss politics or religion as you will never change a persona mind. i never believed her until recently

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  25. Grifftrain. Now thats funny. This has gotten more response than a rare concert or a great recording. People are on edge over this issue and we are the un-united states it appears. As my blog is Arizona Jones. I was tired of people boycotting my state and calling us nazis that don't even know the law. Are they going to boycot mexico. It's law is tougher. How about the US? It has the same law. While countries like North Korea, Cuba, Iran, and Cameroon are being asked as a part of the United Nations to make a judgment on human rights for my state by my President. Maybe they will come up with some sanctions against us for checking ID at a traffic stop.

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  26. Hi AZ,
    I just wanted to say thanks for a reasoned discussion of what's going on in Arizona with the immigration law. Here in Canada we tend to hear only the racist/anti-immigration spin and not much of the stats you quoted that show what a severe problem it has become for the state and its people. I am pro-immigration but I am also pro-"people following the rule of law." It's a tough line to balance but it must be done so that all have fair access to the system.

    Thanks for the music you share, and thanks for the viewpoints. I may not agree with them all (I am 99% atheist with 1% agnostic to hedge my bets :-) but I respect everyone's right to their religious views and it's always good to hear from a wide variety of sources so that you can hear a variety views and make up your own mind.

    Keep up the good work!

    Cheers,
    Andy (Hrothgar)

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