Haven’t we all heard this before, we are not “real Americans” for daring to say we will not join the mob scene in its fevered hate for Hispanics? How many times have we been called “illegal alien apolotists” ? Does this sound familiar, being called “parasite” who should be “tried for treason”. For those of you believe that violent language will not eventually lead to action, pay close attention. There is an extremist side that is being fueled by ignorance, and at some point, I firmly believe, violence will erupt.

The three telephone calls May 18, however, were more explicitly threatening, CASA officials said.

One was left in a voice mail to Bautista on a Washington number he uses for his work as the Latino missioner of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. “Don’t be surprised when there’s a [expletive] bullet in the back of your [expletive] brain,” the caller said, according to a recording made available by CASA staffers.

Another call that day was left as a message on CASA’s 800 number. Six of the 19 words were curse words, with the caller saying CASA should not be surprised if somebody blows up one of the group’s facilities.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/02/AR2008060202754.html

107 Thoughts to “Violent threats made against Immigrant Advocacy Group”

  1. Hate speech and threats of violence are now a political platform… sad to say, but it’s true.

    As long as the target is Hispanic, zealots like Gospel Greg will defend the most vile language. I used to think the Anti-Immigrant Lobby saw hate as a negative. Many protested, for instance, when their Mothership F.A.I.R. was classified as a Hate Group. But it has since become clear that hate is central to their cause, and they are not ashamed of it. I think I’ve figured out why.

    With McCain’s victory in the Republican primary, it has become clear that the power of the Anti-Immigrant Lobby is diminishing. Prior to that, there were partisans who pretended to be anti-immigrant thinking this might help Republicans maintain the White House in 2008. But the mainstream of the GOP rejected racism as the new platform by choosing McCain. Having lost the partisans and the pragmatists, the only supporters left are motivated by hate.

    Thus it no longer makes sense to discourage hate. The Anti-Immigrant Lobby must exist on the extremist margins or not exist at all.

  2. Marie

    WhyHereWhyNow,
    Your post is right on point. Thanks. Nothing more I can say to add to the comments you have made.

    No matter who wins the election in November, hopefully the Anti-immigration Lobby will continue to lose its voice.

  3. Rick Bentley

    Three phone calls does not generalize out to anything.

  4. Rick, my advice, if you want the “issue” to have any weight, you need to get your people out there decrying hate speech instead of excusing it or dismissing it. I think most of the political operatives know this. Which leads me to believe the lobby is no longer being run by political types. It’s begin run by people who really do espouse this type of hatred.

  5. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    The problem is, the folks on this board equate “hate speech” to “anything we don’t agree with”. You’ve so diluted the words “hate”, “racist”, “xenophobic”, and a dozen others that they have no meaning anymore. In fact, most of the hate speech I’ve read lately is on this board!

  6. TWINAD

    Slowpoke,

    Please…give me a break. So in other words, the comments left on the VM to CASA are acceptable to you? You don’t consider that hate speech? I don’t think you have read anywhere on this board that people are going to start blowing things up if they don’t go “our way.”

  7. Censored bybvbl

    Rick Bentley, this is at least the second time you’ve been quick to dismiss hateful/violent speech as long as it doesn’t result in action. It’s just a matter of time until some nutjob does take action because people like Slowpoke above don’t seem to find hate speech unaaceptable or can’t discriminate between hate speech and opposing political opinion.

  8. elvis

    Haven’t we all heard this before, we are not “real Americans” for daring to say we will not join the mob scene in its fevered hate for Hispanics? How many times have we been called “illegal alien apolotists” ?

    My questions here would be what is the “hate for hispanics”? should it not be hate against hispanics? it’s a little early I could be confused.

    however I don’t have a clue what an “apolotist” is maybe I could be thus enlightened?

  9. TWINAD, forget about Slowpoke. Better to engage with Rick who at least can acknowledge that hate speech is hateful.

  10. Not Me, Bubba

    That kind of harassment is unacceptable – regardless of WHAT group is receiving it. I hope they find the harassers and I hope to god that no violence arises out of this.

    However, when one group perceives that they are on the “losing” side of a battle – the extremist factions of it see it as an opportunity to inflict violence or terrorist acts to “STOP” business/life as usual. This kind of thing has been going on for years in the anti-choice lunatic fringe – and it always heats up when they aren’t getting the “victories” or “progress” they think they deserve.

    It’s a sicko tactic employed by wingnuttery at its finest, and in every instance – regrdless of who is receiving the harassment – it needs to be STOPPED ASAP. Hopefully they’ll find the thugs doing the harassing and bring them up on charges.

  11. note2self

    I actually think that something positive could come from this. Hate speech like this just helps to uncover the true motivations of some on the anti-immigrant bandwagon. Maybe this will help to open the eyes of some of those on the fence to the extremist views that many on the restrictionist side share. This is the same effect you get at some of these rallies that attract the KKK and neo-nazi element. Your average Joe, does not want to be associated with these groups and starts to distance himself.

  12. Rick Bentley

    Censored you say “it’s just a matter of time” before something physical happens … and you blame that on free speech?

    I blame it primarily on American citizens being deserted by our “ruling class”, who choose not to enforce the laws they are sworn to uphold, for the sake of reducing American wages and ensuring continued profit to the wealthy.

  13. Censored bybvbl

    Rick Bentley, I’d blame it on hate speech. If it incites violence and someone is injured or killed, I’ll leave it to the courts to tease out “freedom of speech” from a call to violence.

    So, what’s your solution to your neighborhood problems, Rick Bentley? How does the Immigration Resolution solve your problems? All those vacant houses could become rentals. They could be occupied by trashy white people and you could be back to square one.

    I see the minions who post responses to WaPo articles have gotten their marching orders and the “proper” response is: CASA made up the threats.

  14. TWINAD

    Rick,

    Maybe that’s because they realize the law is broken as it is and are trying to find a way to fix it. As discussed ad nauseum on the board previously, there are many laws throughout history that have been changed and updated throughout time because they no longer reflect reality (slavery, prohibition, blacks on the back of the bus, separate restrooms and drinking fountains to name a few.)

  15. Marie

    Rick Bentley, 3. June 2008, 8:32
    “Three phone calls does not generalize out to anything.”

    “Don’t be surprised when there’s a [expletive] bullet in the back of your [expletive] brain,” the caller said, according to a recording made available by CASA staffers.

    Excuse me! Sounds like a threat to me.

  16. Mando

    Don’t rule out an inside job to drum up contraversy.

  17. Bubba, thanks for the intelligent post. What a relief! The Washington Post comments section is frightening. It sounds like Gospel Greg’s blog back in the day when real people were posting there IN ADDITION to Greg’s 6 monikers:

    Each time an Anti-Immigrant Clone comes on here to defend hate speech and threats of violence, they dig themselves deeper in the right wing fringe extremist hole they’re already in.

    Wake up Clones: Do you have any idea how it sounds to a free-thinking adult when you defend racist threats of violence in the 21st Century?

    It sounds bad.

    Now that your political opportunist leaders have left you in order to crawl back into the fold of the Republican party (which is shifting dramatically toward the center), the dunces and drones are filling the void. Only they can’t seem to remember they’re supposed to DISGUISE not trumpet their racism if they want to effect political change.

    And it doesn’t seem to matter how many times we remind them.

    So keep telling us threats of violence and racist intimidation tactics are fine and dandy.

    Keep telling us you’re not concerned about this “because.”

    Keep proving to world that you’re incapable of comprehending new information without wearing your Hate Group Blinders that can only form one sentence and repeat it again and again, “Hate Group Good, Illegal Bad, Hate Group Good, Illegal Bad.”

  18. What’s the solution to this? Bubba? Any ideas? Someone has to get the attention of these Clone types before something violent happens. They won’t listen to me of course. Bubba, do you think you would have any sway with them?

    If it’s a given that Lou Dobbs and Bill O’Riley and Glenn Beck will never stop their hateful propaganda, what will be the end game here?

    Am I wrong to compare this to the Segregationists who so loyally followed George Wallace in 1960? Some of them indeed turned to violence. But others responded to Richard Nixon’s leadership, joining the Republican party when Nixon adjusted his rhetoric to lure them toward a more mainstream point of view (for that era anyway).

    But in this day and age, if John McCain reached out to these frothing lunatics, it would be the end of his campaign. Therefore, who will step forward?

  19. Censored bybvbl

    Ha ha, Mando, you must have picked up the same marching orders as the WaPo’s minions. I’m pretty sure police never rule out inside jobs when investigating crime. However, given the tone of the anti-immigrant lobby, it seems unlikely that CASA would have to resort to making crapola up.

  20. Rick Bentley

    TWINAD, the law is not broken, it is just not being enforced. We don’t need to deport 20 million people on buses. We just need to deport them when they’re found and stop rolling out the red carpet the way many people here want to roll it out continually.

  21. Rick Bentley

    Censored, I may not have “all the answers” but I know the status quo in my neighborhood is not acceptable to me. Nor is abrogation of law and order.

  22. Not Me, Bubba

    Bubba? Any ideas? Someone has to get the attention of these Clone types before something violent happens. They won’t listen to me of course. Bubba, do you think you would have any sway with them?”

    Why would I? I vote LEFT, am a woman, follow no religion, see nationalists/Xenophobes/religious nationalists/Dominionists as a cancer, think GL and his minions are vile people, consider myself a Liberal…they HATE people like me.

    The only thing I could suggest to the victims of this harassment is to get more security at their offices, take defensive measures with all suspect packages/letters and continue with business as usual. Only when business is altered/reduced/ceased do the extremists win.

    I would suggest to them that all threatening calls be recorded, emails saved and inside personnel instructed on how to deal with this kind of correspondence.

    As to the wingnuts – like I said, I have no clue on how to get through to those people. Some people are so ideologically driven they cannot and will not see that their actions hurt people. Their whole purpose is to “win” and they will do so at any cost. HOwever the FEDS know how to infiltrate and break up these groups. Maybe the Feds are required here – before things get out of hand.

  23. Despite spin from Demigod Greg and his Nativist Taliban, his Mujihadeen are failing to capture the hearts and minds of most Virginians. Richmond, our State capital, has also become our Culteral Capital. The International orientation of VCU as well as the populace of independent minded refugees from North VA and other parts of the state/country/world have transformed Richmond into a very vibrant city, in art, music and thought. Walking from neighborhood to neighborhood, it’s not uncommon to see racially diverse groups of young Americans participating in drum circles or talking in coffee houses. I go their for retreat about every weekend and when I tell them about the exploits of the NOVA Nativist Taliban, they can not believe how such a place which had been thought to be a cosmopolitan foward thinking region could produce such mindless hate. Richmond has become a mini San Fransisco in a most ironic turn around from what it was about 140 years ago.

    I can also testify that Herndon and Fairfax are standing very firm against the false doctrine of the Nativist Taliban. During the Herndon Festival last weekend, I saw many teenagers of many (and mixed) ethnic backgrounds walking literally hand in hand enjoying themselves. I can only imagine the coniption fit that demigod Greg would have to see white teenage girls kissing latino teenage boys as they were standing in line for Tasty Thai food being served by an African American. The festival had food and music from all over the world and there were very clever mergers of styles. Latin Raggiae and Bollywood folk tunes flowed in harmony through the festive colorfull street scene where the beautiful children of the young mixed race couples laughed and ran around with other children of diffrent cultures. Would anyone want to be ruled by an unjust “Law” that would prohibit the universal human right to be free? Or does Greg not think that those of darker skin color are “Human?”

    Signs around the festival were printed in Spanish and English and EVERYONE there was spending money, helping to promote the economy. In Herndon, we donot give a damn about your immirgation status or language when it comes to taking your money. The town does not even care if private organizations help illegal immigrants to find decent work and make a living for themselves and their families. We had a bit of a scuttle when it came to the Town FUNDING such activity, but that was settled in the 2006 election and re-confirmed in the 2008. The NOVA Nativist Taliban FAILED to hijack our local tax issue and escilate it into an orgainzed culteral clenzing. The Herndon Minutemen are Dissolved, have been since the 2006 election. Help Save Herndon has broken away from the Letiecq Doctrine of Navitist Dominance( AKA the “Rule Of Law”) and now HSH serves as a small watchdog group of how the Town of Herndon uses taxpayer funds.

    Do not be dis-heartened by the spin and Propganda of Greg’s Nativist Taliban. Hom many of the “2000” soldiers are really from PWC? The Taliban in Afganistan was/is primarily composed of forigners who could not accecpt the change happening in their community. Like the Taliban, Greg’s Nativist gang try to be imposing by claiming more force than they posess. Their unemployed or retired members spend most of the day on the computer at home going from chatroom to chatroom, blog to blog under as many as 10 diffrent screen names claiming to be the upset American majority. Not satisfied that the youth of today are living up to the principals of racial exclusion embraced by their small minority, they wish to make whatever area they can get a hold of revert to the past, revert to segregation and lynch mob rule. Where certain Elitist good old boys had the State Government draw up resolutions proclaiming of White Athourity at the click of their fingers!!! NOT IN THE RICHMOND OF 2008!!! they are forced to hijack PWC and try to turn it into the “SECOND ALAMO” the last bastion of the “Rule of FEAR.” “Where the calander is lying when it reads the present time.”

    We all must work as one peoples for the SOUL of this Country! Greg and his Nativist puppets would see it sold for their own minority rule, be we must all stand as human beings and fight for the rule of REASON!!!! Our founding fathers fought for the Rule of Reason, countless men and women died for the Rule of Reason. We shall let not Mad King Greg extinguish the light of Reason. We shall surround hate and force it to surrender. WE SHALL OVERCOME!!!!!

  24. Marie

    Thank you Rod2155.

    I am happy to hear that Herndon came to its senses. I was born in Arlington Hospital but my first home was in Herndon. It was a very different Herndon than it is now. It was farms and fields.

    I could not agree with you more. Good does overcome evil and we will be overcomers.

  25. letsbuildanarmy

    Yes Rod2155:

    We must build an army to defeat the Nazis and the Taliban! We shall overcome and defeat them, and prevent Prince William County from becoming something that will go down in history making the Holocaust look like a sunday picnic! WE SHALL OVERCOME INDEED!!!!!!!!!

  26. Daughter of Italy

    Hi all, I appreciate this blog and the comments. I don’t read BVBL every day–it’s too disturbing. But when I do read it, I get the feeling that BVBL and the “Help Save” groups are likely a front of a white supremacist organization. The rhetoric is often inflammatory, and there is much too much glee, for instance, when there is news that an immigrant has been killed.

    Does anyone who reads this know if this is indeed the case? I remember reading that the KKK had spread literature in one of the Manassas neighborhoods a while back.

    It would explain a lot of what is going on in PWC.

  27. Mando

    The rhetoric here is getting pretty sickening.

    Not sure how some vulgar threats made to CASA MD morphed into a bash Greg L/HSM lovefest but it’s pretty repulsive.

  28. stw

    Mando, 3. June 2008, 14:26

    AGREED!

  29. letsbuildanarmy

    Don’t worry, Greg and his fellow Nazis will be defeated. Let’s all make sure we prevent this Holocaust from happening!

  30. letsbuildanarmy

    Greg and his racist puppets like Second Alamo will be defeated! We will not let Prince William County become a racist enclave where no individual freedoms are allowed!

  31. letsbuildanarmy

    Add Rick Bently to the list of Gospel Greg and his minions!

  32. “The rhetoric here is getting pretty sickening”

    Then take a stand for your master and justify yourselves. I’m sick of the fear and hatred the Nativist Taliban minions of Demigod Greg spread into the web by building mutiple misinforming blogs and calling it a majority opinion. You try and rule the land thru intimidation and propaganda, par for the course of fascism.

    Outside Hate groups tried to take advantage and control of Herndon but failed, we refused to be the DC embasy to the lobby of intolerance, so now they found a friend in Greg and are trying to make PWC into an example of a Navitist Utopia. You hijack a common American catch phrase “The Rule of Law” twist it to justify your own lust for exculsivity and make it into a pledge of allegiance to your mandate of Nativist Power.

    And what hast the Lord Greg provided to his faithful minions? Security for the minority at the cost of the Freedom of ALL, and as Ben Franklin said, those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve NEITHER!!! The Nativist Taliban are running out of options, more than just illegal aliens are in exodus from PWC, there are not enough like minded bigots to replace the populace in exodus and they can no longer trick outsiders to come into their Navitist Utopia. You are being pushed to the wall by the social economic evolution of the U.S. There are NO, repeate NO presidential canidates who will support your Nativist Agenda, nor will your Federal Government, Nor will your State Government and soon your local government will be forced to submit to the true will of the Majority of citizens.

    Others have tried to succede from the union when it did not embrace intollerance… the monuments to their failures are down the road in Richmond surrounded by groups of multiracial young people making love and breeding out hate.

    We are one people and we will surround HATE and force it to surrender! We Shall Overcome!

  33. Mando

    @rod2155

    You’re way over-the-top and you come off as a nut. To say you make sweeping generalizations would be an understatement. I can only stand to read maybe 3 sentences into your posts before I just right you off as either manic or just a lunatic.

    Inteligent dialogue would be impossible.

  34. stw

    “minions”
    Try to think of another word – that one is getting OLD!
    Key word being “think”

  35. Firedancer

    Well I say BRAVO once again to Rod. Another standing ovation for insightful writing.

    You are a gifted writer…

  36. anon

    More of the usual accusing of anyone not pro-amnesty as being racist, or it used to be a Nazi but now I see we’ve introduced the Taliban into the mix! Pretty funny actually! I guess Nazi was getting tired so they had to come up with something else.

  37. Censored bybvbl

    Stw, how about “lackey”?

  38. hello

    Wow Firedancer… “Despite spin from Demigod Greg and his Nativist Taliban, his Mujihadeen…”? Nativist Taliban minions, Mujihadeen – this is what you consider to be insightful and makes this over the top absurd statement by Rod a good writer? It never ends to what length some people here will go with this type of rehtoric.

    I also think that allot of people are getting anti-ILLEGAL immigration and anit-immigration mixed up. I’m for the resolution but that in no way makes me anti-immigrant! It seems to most people here there is no difference between the two.

  39. anon

    I agree – there is some percentage of people who seem to think anyone who is pro-resolution is anti-immigrant and therefore a racist, a “nativist”, or other terms. Either that, or they simply use this rhetoric to stir up people’s feelings, just like the race card has been used in other cases. I notice a tendency by some posters on this board to be anxious to paint people as being anti-immigrant, rather than anti-illegal immigrant. There is a big difference, but not to some people. Then again there are extremists on both sides of the debate, and those who throw about words like nativist, racist, Taliban, Nazi, and others are just as far on the extreme as the extremists on the anti-illegal immigration side.

  40. anon

    Censored – I kind of like minions! It conjurs up visions from the Wizard of Oz and the evil witch’s army! But lackeys sounds good too – I just think minions are more “evil sounding”!

  41. Firedancer

    Yes, hello, I think it is a brilliant metaphor, while also humorous. Tongue-in-cheek with a touch of truth…

  42. stw

    Right you are, Anon! Strange how there is rarely a distinction on this blog made between illegal aliens and immigrants.

    Censored bybvbl –
    “lackey” – hmmmm –
    Let’s see – how about “patriots” or “law abiding citizens….”

  43. hello

    Also (getting back to the subject), I do think that the person(s) that made these calls should be locked up as soon as possible. It takes a pretty sick person to call someone up and say something like that.

  44. Alanna

    anon,
    If you look at the national forces they are anti-immigrant and they make no bones about it. Listen, if John Stirrup wants to hang out with Bay Buchannen and lament a ‘Post-American’ society where we lose our identity because of immigrants regardless of their ‘legality’ then I consider that an ANTI-IMMIGRANT sentiment. Some might say, “I’m Pro-immigrant” but think we should revert to pre-1970’s levels or freeze immigration all together. I don’t consider that to be “Pro-immigrant.” There just seems to be a cross over between different factions that at times is hard to distinguish.

  45. Elena

    Is anyone else here aware that WTOP acutally decided to briefly remove the comment section from their immigration stories because the comments were so offensive and did nothing to add to the “conversation” ? It wasn’t people concerned about finding reasonable humane solutions to the illegal immigration problem that WTOP was concerned about , it was people who are like the frequent posters on BVBL. Their comments are empty, full of generalized hate, and form no credible reasonable solutions to the issue at hand. Please, Robert Duckaster(edited due to moment of foolish irritation) is a prime example of worthless pathetic childish comments with no substance. And this, from the guy who actually wrote MY county’s first immigration policy! John Stirrup should be hiding his face in shame having allowed this person to influence Prince William County policies.

  46. stw

    Elena – Settle down – you’re being a little dramatic, don’t you think?

  47. anon

    stw – I’ve been trying to make that distinction here (illegal alien versus legal immigrant) – although in the early days of my posts I was accused of being anti-immigrant and a racist by a few of the more extremists on this board (just because I said I was for most elements of the resolution). Pretty funny when my wife is a legal immigrant and green card holder!

    And, I will agree – whoever made those phone calls should be found and locked up, regardless of which side of the debate they are on.

  48. Elena

    Umm, “letsbuildanarmy”, I think maybe you are playing a game with us here 😉

  49. hello

    same here… once I said I was for the resolution I was accused of either being GL, a clone of GL, one of GL’s minions, ect… I have nevr met Greg, I have never seen him in person, I’m not a member of HSM but I’m automatically all of these things and more because I supoort the resolution.

  50. anon

    Alanna – I’m sure there are some elements on the extreme of this debate that are indeed anti-immigrant. But I see the press and even a lot of posters on this board overly anxious to paint anyone not in favor of amnesty for illegal immigrants as “anti-immigrant”. I find it in the same vein as what has become fashionable in the use of terms like nativist, Nazi, racist, and even throwing terms like the Holocaust about. A lot of it in my opinion is just to make the other side look bad. Again, sure there are some who fall into that criteria, but I see a continual effort made to paint a very LARGE percentage of people who are not “pro-amnesty” or who support the resolution as being anti-immigrant and all these other labels – particularly by a few of the more extreme posters on this board, and also in the press.

    In regards to WTOP shutting down their comments section for articles about immigration – it is interesting. Just go to any other article they have on a somewhat controversial topic, and see the kinds of hateful posts on there. Yet they make no effort to shut down those. You can’t cherry pick which kinds of subjects you are going to allow debate on, but that’s exactly what they are doing. I’ve been following their website for some time (several years) and sometimes scan the posts in the comments section – and can guarantee you that sickening, vile posts are not confined to just the subject of immigration. And, on these other subjects, the debate often degenerated to where there was no useful input, but WTOP allowed it to go on. So my question is: why did they just shut down that section (comments pertaining to immigration articles)?

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