Immigration

Defending the 14th Amendment

Written by Carlos Rich

The 14th Amendment is the affirmation that all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction are, in fact, U.S. citizens. Efforts to dismantle are moving us backwards on American democracy.

It would take us back to a time when all other people, besides those of European descent, were not good enough to be first class citizens or worthy of attaining any status in this country.

I’m sure that after ratifying the amendment in 1866, lawmakers did not intend for it to be overturned.  Advocates for changing the landmark bill are afraid of how immigration will affect the demographics, and are desperate to control the racial composition of the… Read more

Cross-Post: Clicktivism is Ruining Leftist Activism

Written by Imagine 2050 Editors

Published on Thursday, August 12, 2010 by the Guardian/UK
Reducing activism to online petitions, this breed of marketeering technocrats damage every political movement they touch.

by Micah White

A battle is raging for the soul of activism. It is a struggle between digital activists, who have adopted the logic of the marketplace, and those organizers who vehemently oppose the marketization of social change. At stake is the possibility of an emancipatory revolution in our lifetimes.

The conflict can be traced back to 1997 when a quirky Berkeley, California-based software company known for its iconic flying toaster screensaver was purchased for $13.8m (£8.8m). The sale financially liberated the founders,

… Read more

Economy

Cross-Post: The 2010 Without Housing Update Has Arrived!

Written by Imagine 2050 Editors

From WRAP’s (Western Regional Advocacy Project) blog:

We’re at a critical juncture for housing policy in this country: millions of Americans are homeless and tens of millions more are on the brink of economic collapse.

The 2010 Update focuses public attention back on the #1 reason for this housing mess: the Federal Government’s divestment in affordable housing programs and deregulation of the housing market. Most importantly, it helps people understand these complex issues and provides a framework for turning this situation around.

Download the update here!

Politics

Civil Rights Groups Slam Dr. Laura for Racist Rant

Written by Jill Garvey

Conservative commentator and radio therapist Dr. Laura has always been a bit of a jerk – often criticizing listeners to her call-in radio program for their moral short-comings rather than providing sound advice. She’s perhaps known best for lashing out at callers and making horribly derogatory statements about the LGBTQ community – gay men in particular. As a result, her ratings took a dive ten years ago and have never recovered. Yet she still commands 10 million listeners to her daily program. That may change.

On Tuesday, Laura Schlessinger, commonly referred to as “Dr. Laura,” used the “n” word on her radio show 11 times while speaking with a caller who identified herself… Read more

Immigration

Harsh Anti-Immigrant Climate Destroys Native Communities

Written by MJ Olahafa

We’ve all heard about SB1070 and the hardships it has brought on the Latino population in Arizona. Little is known however about the effects of this bill on other communities of color, especially the indigenous tribes of Arizona.

They are the descendants of people that occupied the region since before recorded history, before the volcanoes, before civilization as we know it.

Before any European immigrant, the Tohono O’odham tribes were living in the place now called Arizona. A fairly large chunk of tribal ground crosses south of the border into today’s Mexico. And that’s the crime they are now being punished for.

They didn’t ask for borders. Yet one was imposed upon them… Read more

Immigration

Illinois Groups Ask GOP and Tea Party to Say No to Hate

Written by Guest Blogger

By Brian Schultz

No one really knows what’s going on with the Tea Party, but whether or not you buy into its rather complex political message, you have to admit that they’ve drawn a lot of attention.

After the Tax Day demonstrations in April, it’s become clear that the Tea Party can both garner impressive numbers, as well as tap a nationalist sentiment that inches them farther and farther to the right. And though they certainly have a right to hold these views, who they’ve begun to keep in their company should begin to raise protest from both ends of the political spectrum—namely, Chicago’s own Rosanna Pulido, slated to speak at… Read more

Immigration

“I am an American”

Written by Joan Flanagan

When Amanda Standerfer was the Library Director at the Helen Matthes Public Library in Effingham in downstate Illinois she was disturbed by the snarky comments of some library patrons who were offended by kids in the children’s area speaking Spanish.  She got remarks like “Who are they?”  “Why aren’t they speaking English?”  And her favorite: “Why are THOSE kids using OUR library?”  So Amanda won a grant to launch a program in 2007 to help people learn about their own neighbors called “I am an American.”

Effingham is a town of 12,384 people.  In the 2000 census those people were 98% white, 1 % Hispanic, and the remainder a mix of Asian, African-American, Native… Read more

Immigration

Street Theater, a Silent Senator, and Dreams

Written by Glenn Hutchinson

My Democratic senator is silent about immigration–how about yours?

Even though the worst parts of the Arizona SB 1070 law are temporarily blocked, Republican extremists continue to push anti-immigrant legislation.  Last week, more Republicans called for a repeal of the 14th amendment and birthright citizenship.

But what’s even more disturbing is how many Democrats are silent to this crisis.  Take, for example, my home state and Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC).  In June, three young women went on a two week hunger strike near Hagan’s office in Raleigh.  They wanted our senator to support the Dream Act, legislation that would give hope to 1.5 million undocumented young people, many of whom are students.

Culture

The Nativist Epidemic: “Christian” Bigots and their Attacks on Islam

Written by Rev. David L. Ostendorf

It is an appropriate day—this first day of Ramadan—to call out and counter those “Christian” bigots and nativists fueling the rising number of attacks on Islam and on mosques across the nation.  Their actions are despicable, their religiosity abominable.  And the clergy who are stirring up the cauldrons of anti-Muslim hate are themselves to blame for the civic unrest and potential for violence that they seed and sow.

While these despicable attacks on Islam and on mosques stretch from coast to coast, so do counteractions by Christian and Jewish religious leaders and communities who themselves have taken to the streets in large numbers to rightly condemn the bigotry.  National Christian leaders need to… Read more

Politics

Anti-Immigrant Group Accuses Obama Administration of Funding Terrorists

Written by Stephen Piggott

Yesterday morning, the president of Texans for Immigration Reform (TFIR), Louise Whiteford, sent out the organization’s August newsletter along with a special message to its members. In the long-winded message, Whiteford touched on many subjects that the anti-immigrant movement likes to discuss including SB1070 in Arizona.

A more disturbing issue that Whiteford brought up is her opinions on Muslims. First she stated that, “Sharia law and a republic cannot exist together. Every Muslim is by their faith bound to support a theocracy.”

She follows this first claim with another, stating, “Obama is bringing in Hamas refugees. We not only provide funding for Hamas but we then make them refugees.”