Posted by
Catmman on Friday, June 01, 2007 10:31:19 AM
Turnabout is fair play?
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - While President Bush and pro-amnesty members of Congress are pushing an unpopular immigration “reform” bill that would bestow American citizenship on millions of people who have no regard for America’s laws, liberal Democrats across the Washington region are increasingly complaining about overcrowded houses, noise, loitering and general public nuisance — all caused by illegal aliens.
These local liberals are in no mood for “celebrate diversity” chants.
Listening recently to frustrated folks call a local radio talk show to vent about illegal aliens loitering in front of stores and cramming into $400,000 houses in their neighborhoods, I wondered if those same liberals accused pro-enforcement Americans of being “nativists,” “xenophobes” and “racists” for complaining about the same problems.
Now that illegal aliens have migrated to their neighborhoods, such liberals have become pro-enforcement all of a sudden.
A Republican called in to say her Democratic friends labeled her a racist when she’d complain about illegal immigration. She’d tell them something like, “You just wait until it happens to you. Then you’ll be singing a different tune.”
It’s happening to them, and they are singing a different tune. It turns out that liberals in half-a-million-dollar houses don’t like living next door to a single-family house filled to the brim with illegal aliens who park on the front lawn, throw trash everywhere and urinate outside.
Congressional Democrats don’t talk about such discontent among their constituents, but locals are keenly aware that the federal government has abdicated its role as immigration law enforcer. State and local governments are compelled to assume control.
Democrats on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in Virginia may be ousted in November if they don’t deal with the growing problems. Rick Gordon, a homeland security consultant, told The Washington Post that “Enough is enough. These frauds need to go!”
He complained about an illegal alien boarding house in his neighborhood, and Supervisor Penelope Gross told him “The county’s hands were tied.” (Turque, Bill and Brulliard, Karin, “Overflowing Fairfax Homes Split Neighbors,” Washington Post, May 13, p. A1)
Gordon emphasized that his was no “right-wing Nazi community. … Everybody is a liberal Democrat.”
Local governments are forced to try to fix what the federal government will not. Last year, in the town of Herndon, the people removed the mayor and two town council members who voted for a day labor center. The town applied for and obtained permission to begin 287(g) immigration enforcement training, which will give local law enforcement the authority to carry out federal immigration laws.
Citizens in Manassas organized a group called “Help Save Manassas” to raise awareness of the negative effects of overcrowding and loitering.
Leesburg is considering adopting stricter regulations on overcrowding.
The Virginia House of Delegates passed a measure that would block public funds to charities and other organizations that provide services to illegal aliens.
Some black residents in the Brentwood section of Northeast Washington have gone on record to complain about illegal aliens — who litter and urinate — gathering near the Home Depot in their neighborhood.
Perhaps it will take a lot more overcrowding, loitering and public urination for congressional Democrats (and the Republican president) to understand the urgent need to enforce immigration laws currently on the books instead of writing new ones to reward lawbreakers with American citizenship.
Local liberals are learning a valuable and important lesson: Not all “diversity” is worth celebrating.
La Shawn Barber is a member of The Examiner’s Blog Board of Contributors and blogs at www.lashawnbarber.com.