Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Newsday Editorial - Overheated Rhetoric

Rep. King and the church exchange blows over the immigration bill
March 28, 2006

As thousands march in the streets against an immigration bill that Rep. Peter King co-sponsored, the Seaford Republican has this frustrating sensation: "I feel like I'm shadow-boxing." King, who boxes for real, is also throwing some wild punches in this debate. What is needed on both sides is a calm dialogue and significant improvement in a bad bill.The bill is the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. Among its many features is a 700-mile fence on the border with Mexico. That idea arose on the House floor, King says, but he acknowledges that he voted for it. So did Rep. Steve Israel, a Huntington Democrat, King points out. That just makes the fence a bipartisan bad idea - an expensive one, too. King says it could cost $3 billion.
King would like some points for being a humanitarian, because hundreds of people have died trying to cross this stretch of border. Nice try, Pete, but it's hard to imagine a fence keeping out those who are desperate to get in. As one immigrant advocate put it, "Fences encourage tunnels." Desperate immigrants digging tunnels won't exactly be safer. But the fence isn't even the prime cause of the ruckus. Mostly, the fuss is about the bill's elevation of immigration violations to felonies. King says he voted to downgrade that to misdemeanors, but Democrats and right-wing Republicans voted to keep the felony language. That's ugly politics.
Beyond that, the protests focus on the addition of the word "assist" to the definition of prohibitive actions abetting illegal immigrants. King says it's aimed at fake-identification providers. But church leaders say it could criminalize their daily acts of charity. Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles said that, if it becomes law, Catholics should disobey it. Swinging back wildly, King threw an over-the-top haymaker about pedophile priests - a punch he should have pulled. The bill's biggest defect is that it doesn't provide any kind of guest worker program to take account of the deep economic need for these workers. King is leaving it to the Senate to fix that. The Senate Judiciary Committee took the first steps yesterday. But much remains to be done.

King hates Newsday anyway. He'll just write a letter blasting the left-wing liberal slant of Newsday and say that they don't know what they are talking about. He won't deal with the issue, he'll just attack.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Catholic Church should stay the hell out of politics until they decide to pay taxes. Right now they are the most devious organization that exists in this country. I read an article about a Notre Dame professor said that the bishops were just being good CEO's by stopping laws that prevent abuse cases from going forward. Crap. The good deeds they do is to mask the bad they do. These good deeds are paid by people and in many cases funded by the government. They are not CEO's, they are suppose to be religious. Instead of helping the harmed, they deceive and protect their money. Is this religion or legalized tax evasion?

Get these liars Mr. King, please because to many republicans are getting support from the church which is WRONG. The church should not be allowed to lobby or interfere in any law making process. Look what a mess they created already. Did you know that 60% of individuals in jail were sexually abused? Look what these so called religious priests have done. Look at the lives they spoiled. I know because I was tortured through gang rape by priests for a week. My son just turned the age I was abused and I just had a flooding of memories. After 8 months of therapy I realized that the reason my life was a mess was because I scrambled in fear not knowing it. DON'T I deserve justice? Well I tried through the church and listened to how the bishop was helping. I meet with him and he was one of my abusers. Can I get compensation from the church? Hell no, and the church has threatened our law makers from changing the laws to allow people like me from getting resolve. Way to go KING, get the SOB's.


I have yet heard any good logic to not change the laws. Bruno said memories fail over time. Well where were you when Kennedy was killed? Most every one knows that. Now take something more traumatic like anal sex at age 9 and 10, believe me you remember. And with severe trauma you act out your life in unusual patterns that harm you until the day you remember. And that day you find help. Imagine a lost childhood and adulthood and never getting a chance for justice? We have a bunch of lawmakers who think they are capable of psychotherapy. What next, do they play on performing heart surgery too.

Get the facts everyone, because you are being lied to.

Anonymous said...

The Catholic Church should stay the hell out of politics until they decide to pay taxes. Right now they are the most devious organization that exists in this country. I read an article about a Notre Dame professor said that the bishops were just being good CEO's by stopping laws that prevent abuse cases from going forward. Crap. The good deeds they do is to mask the bad they do. These good deeds are paid by people and in many cases funded by the government. They are not CEO's, they are suppose to be religious. Instead of helping the harmed, they deceive and protect their money. Is this religion or legalized tax evasion?

Get these liars Mr. King, please because to many republicans are getting support from the church which is WRONG. The church should not be allowed to lobby or interfere in any law making process. Look what a mess they created already. Did you know that 60% of individuals in jail were sexually abused? Look what these so called religious priests have done. Look at the lives they spoiled. I know because I was tortured through gang rape by priests for a week. My son just turned the age I was abused and I just had a flooding of memories. After 8 months of therapy I realized that the reason my life was a mess was because I scrambled in fear not knowing it. DON'T I deserve justice? Well I tried through the church and listened to how the bishop was helping. I meet with him and he was one of my abusers. Can I get compensation from the church? Hell no, and the church has threatened our law makers from changing the laws to allow people like me from getting resolve. Way to go KING, get the SOB's.


I have yet heard any good logic to not change the laws. Bruno said memories fail over time. Well where were you when Kennedy was killed? Most every one knows that. Now take something more traumatic like anal sex at age 9 and 10, believe me you remember. And with severe trauma you act out your life in unusual patterns that harm you until the day you remember. And that day you find help. Imagine a lost childhood and adulthood and never getting a chance for justice? We have a bunch of lawmakers who think they are capable of psychotherapy. What next, do they play on performing heart surgery too.

Get the facts everyone, because you are being lied to.