Jim Oberweis is Toast? I Beg to Differ.

I just came across this post at Illinoize, cross-posted from the blogger's own DJWinfo.

My comments, as always, are in RED.

I attended the Illinois Coalition for Immigrants and Refugee Rights convention today at Navy Pier. SO DID I...I BLOGGED IMMIGRATION JUSTICE CONVENTION HELD IN CHICAGO, JUSTICE FOR IMMIGRANTS VS. JUSTICE FOR CITIZENS, MAKING HEROES OF ROSA AND JORGE, THE MISPLACED BLAME OF ILLEGAL STUDENTS, AND DOES JIM OBERWEIS HAVE HORNS?

This is a well-organized, well-funded, very diverse and very savvy organization. NO ARGUMENT HERE. THEY GATHERED IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR SUPPORTERS TO SHOW THEIR UNITY...FOR REWARDING PEOPLE WHO BREAK THE LAW TO COME, STAY, LIVE, AND WORK HERE. POLITICIANS LIKE SCHAKOWSKY, GUTIERREZ, AND BLAGOJEVICH ARE, INDEED, SAVVY TO FIGURE THAT, IF THEY SUCCEED IN THEIR ATTEMPTS TO "LEGALIZE" THE "UNDOCUMENTED," THEY WILL HAVE SOME VERY GRATEFUL CONSTITUENTS ON THEIR HANDS. I'D BE PRETTY GRATEFUL MYSELF IF I BROKE INTO SOMEONE'S HOME, MADE MYSELF COMFORTABLE, HELPED MYSELF TO THEIR STUFF, AND THEY INVITED ME TO STAY RATHER THAN CALLING THE COPS ON ME.

And they are making Jim Oberweis into a pinata. YES, THEY ARE GLEEFULLY BATTERING HIM TO GET THE PRIZE.

They ran his campaign ad during their convention where he demonized the 10,000 job-seeking ILLEGAL immigrants who come to Illinois AMERICA (GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT) every day, and the bipartisan BI-PARTISAN? WHO ARE YOU KIDDING? I DIDN'T WALK AROUND THE CONVENTION AND TAKE A POLL, BUT I'M CERTAIN I'D HAVE COME UP QUITE SHY ON CONSERVATIVES, CONSIDERING THE WAY THE DEMS WERE CHEERED, AND OBERWEIS, SCHWARZENNEGER, AND THE MINUTEMEN WERE BOOED denunciation of Oberweis was strong and it resonated WITH THE PARTISAN CROWD.

Then, when two immigrants, a man and a woman, told their story STORY -- WE BOTH PICK THE SAME WORD ON THAT ONE about working ILLEGALLY in an Oberweis dairy for far less than minimum wage GUARANTEED TO LEGAL EMPLOYEES....well, there wasn't much steam left in the Oberweis brand for this crowd. YEAH. AND THIS CROWD CAME WITH SO MUCH.

It strikes me as rather funny to crow over the fact that illegal immigrants (and their sympathetic legal immigrant buddies) got all excited when some activists and politicians gathered them to speak passionately about giving them exactly what they want. It's like getting all worked up because you found passionate support for the troops at a VFW meeting.

The majority of people who attended the Immigration Justice Convention wanted to hear that the American government is to blame for the fact they are suffering the consequences of having broken our laws. They wanted to hear that Jim Oberweis and The Minutemen and any Americans who aren't on their side are racists.

That's why they went to that convention, and why they won't sit down and talk to me. If they fling the word "racist" at me, they shut down the possibility of reasonable discussion and debate. If they got to know me a little, they might have to face the fact that I'm not a racist, and that I don't hate immigrants, be they legal or illegal.

I hold citizenship in this great country in very high esteem. It is a privilege, not a right, and it must be earned by those who were not born here. It is not given lightly or easily because it is of such high value. The road to earning citizenship must not begin with knowingly, purposefully and blatantly breaking the laws of our country. How is that showing that you wish to honor America and help to make it a better place?

Immigration
America
Citizenship
Jim Oberweis
Minutemen