Maybe there is a part of me, still, that hopes Corey will also experience such an epiphany as Robb Pearson. What was clear to me, was that Robb Pearson expressed the feeling that he wasn’t he even sure how he had been caught up in this anti immigrant frenzy initially. Anti Defamation League and others, have said consistently said, that people’s concerns about immigration are being exploited by hate groups, and somehow, their message of prejudice is becoming mainstream. That is what troubles me the most about this issue, that good people are being misled, without even knowing that the words and messages they are using can easily be found on any hate group website.

(p.s. thanks casual observer for the link!)

Robb Pearson, who previously endorsed Cresitello’s call to deputize local police for federal immigration enforcement, said he underwent a personal evolution after a “rapid financial decline” and other hardships led him to relocate to Muhlenberg, Pa.

“If I had the mindset as I have now, I never would have had the rally,” Pearson said. He explained that his own challenges had given him greater empathy.

“I was caught up in the ultraconservative fervor that surrounds the illegal immigration camp,” Pearson said.

“I think we should let them stay,” Pearson added of those in the United States illegally.

Pearson’s July 28 rally near town hall drew hundreds of people, including a counter-protest in support of all immigrants.

Cresitello, who accepted an invitation from Pearson to speak, was jeered by counter-protesters and responded by deriding them as communists and Marxists.

Shortly afterward, Pearson wrote a letter to the Daily Record thanking Cresitello and vowing to press on against illegal immigration.

“I thank Mayor Donald Cresitello for his boldness in standing up against illegal immigration and in seeking to uphold the American rule of law,” Pearson wrote at the time. “I give you a promise: This is only the beginning.”

Pearson said he now believes that “prejudice or political expediency” motivates politicians — including Cresitello — to speak out against illegal immigration.

“They’re not really about solutions. They’re about building rifts. I was part of that, unwittingly or otherwise,” Pearson said.

http://dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080716/COMMUNITIES34/807160442&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

147 Thoughts to “One mans journey from “rule of law” to the golden rule”

  1. Juturna

    How sad that we are so limited in our perspectives….that it takes a personal disaster to see someone elses situation. Funny, that’s what I thought religion was all about – your neighbor. Was not aware there were biblical exclusions regarding neighbor.

    I would be delighted to see Mr. Stewart drop his alliance with Greg Letiecq. I can accept his stand on issues regardless if we agree, I cannot accept his relationship with that person so I reject him completely.

    The last sentence quite sums up the purpose of Anti-BVBL quite nicely doesn’t it!
    “They’re not really about solutions. They’re about building rifts. I was part of that, unwittingly or otherwise,” Pearson said.”

    Terrific link. I feel a bit more hopeful for PWC today than I felt yesterday.

  2. DiversityGal

    Amazing…it is so rare that someone in the public eye admits to being wrong, that I found it odd but also hopeful, as Juturna said.

    Again, me having that cynical side, I have HUGE doubts that Corey Stewart is going to come to some of the same realizations. Ya never know, though…

    What I do hope is that some of the citizens in PWC, Manassas City, and Manassas Park will take the time to examine their own prejudices. Maybe some of them could come to this realization. I have more faith in them than in an elected official who has built his identity on getting “less kids who don’t speak English” to be in PWC schools.

    Oh, darn…I’m working myself into a tizzy again:)

  3. Casual Observer

    You’re welcome, Elena. That’s my neck of the woods, so I know a bit about which I speak. 🙂 I’m going to re-post my comments from the earlier thread, if you don’t mind.

  4. Elena

    Re-post away Casual!

  5. Casual Observer

    Comments from earlier this morning:

    Casual Observer, 16. July 2008, 8:27

    Very interesting article today in a NJ paper about a man who created and led a “Rule of Law” anti-immigration group — and why he’s now left that group, and changed his mind:

    http://dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080716/COMMUNITIES34/807160442&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

    —————————–
    Moon-howler, 16. July 2008, 8:56

    Very interesting indeed. Thanks for sharing this article Casual Observer.

    —————————-
    Casual Observer, 16. July 2008, 9:00

    Thanks, MH! I also found the readers’ comments eerily familiar! I think FAIR may have its sites set further on up 95, but the township/borough decentralized form of government in NJ will make it difficult –and expensive –for them to get any kind of momentum. They’d have to have resolutions proposed and enacted in every locality, which is why the Riverside, NJ laws failed so miserably.

  6. Casual Observer

    Mr. Pearson has been posting on the Daily Record’s comments page, and has some interesting insights.

    He also has a blog on the paper’s website with additonal posts:

    http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=pluckpersona&U=6238168de8384150af0d3e52ebe0c865

  7. Juturna

    DG – glad you are back. Saw you took a beating on THE OTHER.

  8. Casual Observer

    LOL…ok, this is fascinating.Mr. Pearson has posted a transcript of a voice mail the mayor left for him after he heard about his “change of heart.” My favorite part is where he rants that he paid $18,000 in “taxpayers’ money” for “Your” rally.

    It would appear Mayor Cresitello was a bit too quick in throwing around taxpayers’ money for one man’s cause, and that he might have some explaining to do. 🙂

    Oh…if only we could get our hands on the voice mail records for some of our own county officials!

    From Robb Pearson’s blog:

    Donald Cresitello leaves me a message
    Posted 7/15/2008 8:03 PM EDT
    After authoring my post yesterday titled “Transformation: One year after the ProAmerica Rally”, I received a call from the good folks at the Daily Record. I had a nice dialogue with one of the editors, who asked me about my change of heart, my change of life, my new feelings about the immigration issue, and how I feel today about the ProAmerica Rally I organized and ran last year versus how I felt back then. The conversation was excellent, and it ended on a great note.

    About an hour later I received a phone call from Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello, who was the featured speaker at the ProAmerica rally (watch his speech here). I was at the gym at that moment so his call went into my voicemail. Here’s what he said, word-for-word (PS, I forwarded the voicemail to the gentleman I spoke to at the Daily Record):

    [Tuesday July 15, 2008 4:08PM]

    Robb, Don Cresitello calling. [Gives phone number].

    I wish you’d call me back. I am very disappointed that you told the newspaper that I was demagoguing or scapegoating this issue. I think you know that’s absolutely untrue.

    It was your idea to hold that rally. I didn’t want you to hold the rally. It cost the town of Morristown over $18,000 for your rally. [Private citizen’s name withheld] didn’t want you to hold the rally. Other people didn’t want you to hold the rally.

    And in the end I only spoke at the rally because of the anti-American people who were across the street who pi**ed me off.

    My position is very clear. It’s about law enforcement. It’s about public safety. It’s about firemen’s lives.

    And I wish you would retract your statements that you put me in the cateogory of maybe some other elected officials.

    I’m very pure on this issue. I don’t support amnesty. I do support a pathway to legalization. I’ve always said so.

    And I resent the fact that you had some epiphany. God bless you. I am happy for you. But don’t try to judge my reasons for doing what I’m doing. You knew what they were.

    And again I asked you not to hold that rally. You insisted. You said you were gonna hold it with or without my blessing. And I wish you’d call the newspaper back. I don’t like you damaging my reputation.

    I am a pure and true elected official working for the citizens of this country both legal and illegal and respecting their rights.

    [the last two seconds are muffled and inaudible].

    It’s important that I clarify a couple things Donald has wrong here:

    (1) I never said to the DR editor that Donald Cresitello engaged in “demagoguing”. It was actually US Attorney Christ Christie who used that term last summer to refer to Cresitello’s remarks during last year’s rally. I guess Donald hasn’t quite gotten over that. Anyway, what I did say to the DR editor was that I believe many people — particularly those in the anti-illegal immigration camp — use the issue in order to scapegoat immigrating people and assign blame to them for many of the ills the nation as a whole is facing. It’s easy to pick on the powerless and defenseless. I myself was guilty of doing so last year.

    Another thing I said to the DR editor was that I believe many politicians who jump on the anti-illegal immigration issue do so for political expediency (especially when they realize a majority of their constituents feel strongly about the issue of illegal immigration), and that doing so is not beyond any politician, including Donald Cresitello. My remarks, though, were not a judgment upon Donald, nor were they disparagements of any sort. They merely reflected my rather general opinion.

    (2) Donald is distributing a huge untruth when he says, “in the end I only spoke at the rally because of the anti-American people who were across the street who pi**ed me off.” Several of the videos of the rally that can be viewed on YouTube and elsewhere clearly show Donald sharply dressed in a suit and standing with all the speakers while the rally commenced. This is because he had agreed quite some time before the day of the rally to be the featured speaker and would discuss 287(g) (a federal immigration law enforcement tool). The fact of his being the featured speaker had been advertised as well as reported on days before the rally.

    (3) I find it ironic that Donald complains now about $18,000 in costs to Morristown during last year’s rally for protecting citizens during the exercise of free speech when (a) in July 2006 he sought a 100% pay increase (nearly $25,000 billable to the citizens of Morristown who ultimately rejected it), (b) in 2007 he sought a $12,000 raise (also billable to the citizens of Morristown; that raise didn’t go through either), and (c) now tonite he seeks yet another pay raise to the tune of $6,000 because he simply feels he deserves it. Ironic. That’s all I’m saying.

    The mindset I was in last year, as I already indicated in yesterday’s post, was far different than where I am today. Without going into redundant details, much has changed in my life in ways too profound to find adequate words for. Donald calls my experience an epiphany, which I suppose is one appropriate term among many to describe it. That he resents it, though, merely because my views no longer are in line with his is rather sad. Though ultimately Donald’s political self-image is not my concern. I do hope, however, that he eventually sees beyond and rejects divisive politics, and fully and genuinely embraces the common humanity that is the true heart of this issue, and all human issues.

  9. Red Dawn

    “The beginning of wisdom is found in doubting; by doubting we come to the question, and by seeking we may come upon the truth.”

    Pierre Abelard

  10. DiversityGal

    Juturna,

    Thanks:) Some of the dudes on BVBL were ganging up on me, but I can handle it. I just kept stating my case in order to refute the original claim. In the end, Greg left me with this…

    “Thanks you for telling me what offended you. I may at some time want to offend you again, and this is rather helpful to know.”

    I asked him why he would want to offend me or others when his blog’s stated purpose was to inform citizens about the issues. He hasn’t answered me yet.

    I did write him again, though. It appears he might have had a change of heart. Though some of his archived topics seem to bash the gay community, yesterday he had an ad featured at the top of his page (on his “Go Figure” topic) for gay.com, featuring two men kissing. I posted and applauded him for allowing such an accepting ad on the site. Interestingly enough…I haven’t seen the ad on there since! Hmm…

  11. TWINAD

    Diversity Gal,

    LOL! Don’t hold your breath for an answer…you are challenging him! How dare you!

  12. As for the ads that you find at the top of blogs, they pop up due to how many times the keywords relevent to their business is relevent. So the more times they use the word “Gay” whether for good or bad, the ad-bot will place an add aimed at the concept of “Gay” hoping to draw people looking at the discussion.

    I have seen adds for “John McCain” pop up on threads ripping the man appart on BVBL. My favriot is when people are bashing Muslims and the site is covered in ads for Muslimsingles.com.

    I doubt Greg has had a change of heart or sexual preference, but you never know. Remember Ted Haggard, He was just one small example of how some of the most virilant anti-homosexuals are themselves battling with their own sexual identity.

  13. Cat Scratch

    Guffaw @ Rod’s statement! OMG! ROFLMFAO!

  14. The world would be a better place if we all spent a little more time imagining the mile walk in the other man’s shoes…

  15. Rod, that was pretty hilarious, agree with Cat Scratch. I won’t take it a step further and remind everyone of all the times the GregNCorey Show have been seen leaving the McCoart Building together at 1 AM. But it is true that often those who show the deepest and most virulent homophobia are afraid not of external threats to their heterosexual preference, but to internal ones….

    As for this Mr. Pearson, I need to read more about this. But my first response is we need send him an invitation to come live in Prince William County. As I’ve said, there is no more valuable citizen in this town than a moderate Republican … and by that, I mean a Republican who is willing to put their country and their community before partisan interests, and the hate-mongering that becomes necessary for a weakened national party to build momentum in a what is obviously a Democratic trending year.

    Just because you are a Republican, doesn’t mean you have to jump on every right wing extremist hate campaign that seems likely to garner votes. I know a lot of good Republicans in PWC who supported George Allen because he championed the Marriage/Hate Amendment in 2006. Now, they are beginning to catch on that the whole Anti-Gay Movement was just one of many precursors to the rise of the Anti-Immigrant Lobby.

    They find it embarrassing that fellow members of the GOP, including sadly our Chairman Corey Stewart, are willing to resort to openly espousing racist notions like Hispanics are criminals and children who benefit from ESOL are undesirable parasites.

    If the perpetual campaign ever stops, if the GregNCorey Show is ever given a rest, perhaps Corey Stewart will come to the same epiphany that this Pearson guy did up north.

    Anyway, it can’t hurt to hope.

  16. Just Cause

    OK..Read the article but I was under the impression that the mind set here was that you all agreed to some illegal reform in the name of amnesty for the families that have already established themselves.

    Whats the mindset here now? Seems the “vision” changes quite iften..

  17. Just Cause

    oops…Often..

  18. Casual Observer

    JC,
    With all due respect, what the heck are you talking about?

  19. Michael

    DiversityGal 10:17

    “What I do hope is that some of the citizens in PWC, Manassas City, and Manassas Park will take the time to examine their own prejudices. Maybe some of them could come to this realization. I have more faith in them than in an elected official who has built his identity on getting “less kids who don’t speak English” to be in PWC schools.”

    While I agree with you that “some” people in the community need to examine their own prejudices, that does not mean the “majority” of people in PWC against “illegal” immigration are prejudiced. I would also remind everyone here than “prejudices” exist in both “minority” and “majority” communities, and you can determine that “prejudicial behavior” simply by observing language and behavior that “exclude” others from their racial, gender, religious or ethnic political group, uses group targeted hate speech in their political attacks on either “majority” or “minority” class concepts using segregating language, aligns politically along racial, gender, religious or ethnic political groups advocating for EITHER privilege or disadvantage based entirely on numerical racial numbers balancing, diversity or (“one of each”) concepts that discrimminate against ANY group whose “numbers” are greater than another group when measured along racial, gender, religious or ethnic group metrics. This discrimination, prejudice, and hatred of others emerges whenever racial, gender, religious and ethnic group traits and attrubutes are used to define “entitlement” while ignoring non-gender, non-racial, non-religious, non-ethnic group attributes and characteristics defining individual identity and talent, ability, skill or performance. Hated groups and hate language and prejudice exists now equally among all racial, gender, religious and ethnic groups, especially since the laws today do not define any of those racial, gender, religious or ethnic group attributes or “exclusions” in their enforcement.

    What people do not get here is that the “LAW” is a law, blind to any of the above, and enforcement of the law is blind to any of the above. The LAW discrimminates based ONLY on “illegal” and “legal” behavior, and the personal decision of “INDIVIDUALS” to choose to break it or abide by it. Enforcing the law based on “illegal” or “legal” immigration or supporting 287g which deports illegal alien criminals IS NOT prejudice, it is simply law enforcement and protection of the people from the people who break laws. Advocating that the people in PWC that support law enforcement, the “rule of law” resolution and the 287g federal program to deport illegal criminal aliens is not being prejudiced. HOWEVER supporting “illegal” behavior, advocating for lawlessness, and supporting only specific ethnic, racial, gender and religious group rights to “break the law” because they belong to favored and preferred ethnic groups, IS prejudiced and hate speech directed at “majority” groups for simply wanting the law enforced.

    I have a solution for world peace. Simply make it illegal for “individuals” to align themselves along political lines of power divided into genders, races, religious and ethnic groups, who gain political power for themselves by shouting obsenities, hateful speech and threats against each other, until they become warring factions, finally put one of their own gender, race, religion or ethnic “leaders” into power who creates special laws just for them. If you remove this concept from people’s political options, you will eliminate 99% of all the war in the world, and 99% of the conflict, except crime for financial and personal gain. I have seen the root cause of war with my own eyes deployed to some of the most hateful ethnic and religious war zones of the world as a soldier.

    I agree that Corey is stupid to make a statement about “noticing less english speakers in school”, as a result of enforcing the law. The painful reality is more non-english speakers have committed “illegal” immigration crime, than “english speakers”, so when you enforce a law, it eliminates everyone who broke the law, regardless of the language you speak, in whatever “numbers” they happend to have decided to break the law. That is not the same as targeting “only” non-english speaking people, the law is targeting only “lawbreakers” and people who support “lawbreakers”. The majority of people in PWC who have supported lawfulness, and legal enforcement of 287g have no such prejudice you claim, they are simply tired of the effects of law breaking on them (identity theft, false documentation, financial ruin, zoning violation, theft of taxpayer services, the additional theft of personal property by people who should not be here, the additional school, community, medical, recreational, and legal resource usage and burdens created by people who should not be here, the additional increase in transportation problems created by people who should not be here, the additional lack of security, increased driving without licenses, increased accidents and life threatening situations created by people who should not be here, and the additional murder, crime syndicates, and criminal gangs created by people who should not be here, etc, etc, etc.

    Those who WANT this lawlessness to continue at ALL cost simply because they want more of their own ethnic group in the country are significantly prejudiced themselves, support lawlessness and crime, and hate those who are not members of their own racial, gender, religious and ethnic group, not caring about others, even if it means supporting lawlessness, “illegal” and criminal behavior.

    That is lunacy in community ideology and political prejudice that ignores law enforcement.

  20. Juturna

    I can’t follow that post either CO – JC?

    Regarding those that doth protest too much……hmmmmm…… 🙂

    Greg can’t answer (hard) questions, DG. Actually, he just prattles ad nauseum….. and sometimes reaches an hysterical pitch. But since Krustis pointed out his Saturday night rants about two weeks ago, we haven’t seen any. Maybe he did listen.

  21. Juturna

    Okay CO is this what you are referring to? This line from the article:
    “I think we should let them stay,” Pearson added of those in the United States illegally.”

    I don’t agree with that statement. But it doesn’t invalidate the entire situation. I belive that is the point of the cliche – throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

  22. Jorge Pollo

    Juturna,
    The (hard) questions don’t have the “standard answer”.

  23. Juturna

    Ah Jorge, I will add to that “or the rhetorical kind.” 🙂

  24. Casual Observer

    Just saw a preview on Channel 4 news for a segment that will air on NBC Nightly News tonight at 7PM. NBC Correspondent Pete Williams will do a report on foreclosures in PWC, specifically the eviction process. In his interview with Doreen Gentzler, he said that he went on ridealongs with PWC Sheriff Dept. Deputies as they went about the process of evicting people from their homes after they’ve been foreclosed. If I heard him correctly, he said that some 3,600 families were evicted in the county in 2007, a 30% increase.

    The news just keeps gettin’ better.

  25. I just love the not-too-subtle insinuations about homosexuality on this thread. Isn’t it just like 8th graders to call people they don’t like “gay”? How clever, and how very insidious, when you are referring to two married men.

    Ultimately, how very homophobic for such an allegedly open-minded and tolerant group, and how sickening

    It’s a mighty high horse some of you are sitting on. Take care not to fall.

  26. Elvis

    OK,

    Let’s all remember folks how the blog authors flat out refused to admit they support any type of general amnesty. now they go and post an article that clearly advocates it. If there was any question this blog is an advocate for full amnesty for criminals then there should be none now. I’m honestly ashamed that people such as alanna and elena call themselves american, i think it waters down the name for the rest of us.

  27. Are there any members of the Anti-Immigrant Lobby on this blog who can respond to the topic of this thread? Emma? Elvis? Did you read the article? You’re encroaching on Hate Bunny territory with your refusal to address the content of the article on which this article is based. However, I must commend Elvis for graduating to questioning our patriotism. You are now at the level of Hate Bunny 2nd grade, after spending so much time in kindergarten, I’m glad to see you haven’t been passed by once again.

    Emma, I now pronounce you a Hate Bunny 5th grader, for talking openly about your homophobia. But once again, you are way off topic here, since homophobia is only relevant when we talk about Gospel Greg. And the subject of this blog is a man in Pennsylvania named Pearson. Try reading the article first, would you please?

  28. on which this “thread” is based; not article

  29. An observer

    WHWN: funny, you accuse Emma of changing the subject to homophobia when it was you and Rod that started that conversation in this thread.

  30. An observer

    WHWN said “But once again, you are way off topic here, since homophobia is only relevant when we talk about Gospel Greg.”

    You seemed to make it about Corey too when you said “I won’t take it a step further and remind everyone of all the times the GregNCorey Show have been seen leaving the McCoart Building together at 1 AM. But it is true that often those who show the deepest and most virulent homophobia are afraid not of external threats to their heterosexual preference, but to internal ones….”

    Very clever saying you “won’t take it a step further” yet you proceeded to anyway!

    Still, it was unfair for you to call out Emma for changing the subject to homophobia when it wasn’t her that brought it up in the first place!

  31. Yes, I know, I’m just having fun with you guys. Yes, I’m off topic in playing off of Rod’s joke. For some reason, I find people who are afraid of gays and lesbians an irresistible source of ridicule. Even though the thread was about a newspaper article, I decided to lob in a few cracks after reading Rod’s hilarious post above. Somehow I just had a feeling that people who find it so easy to blame all their problems on undocumented immigrants would also have a problem with homophobia. I don’t know how I guessed, but it looks like I’m right, doesn’t it?

    Anyway, I’ve been messing with you. Sorry. You can sue me if you like : )

  32. Casual Observer, thanks for the heads up on the NBC News story about the Prince William County foreclosure crisis. It’s a good thing they didn’t talk to the Anti-Immigrant Lobby for their story. I’m sure Corey Stewart or Greg Letiecq would have told them the home foreclosure crisis is a GOOD thing for Prince William County, and the fact that our foreclosure rate is TWICE that of any other county in Virginia is a sign the Immigration “Crackdown” is working. We’d have had to hear once again that there are less students at the bus stop with brown faces, “Hoorah!” and that crime has continued to go down as it has during the past four or five years (only not as steeply as it did before the “Crackdown” but let’s ignore that little fact and trumpet the Anti-Immigrant Lobby, “Hoorah!”)

    If you missed the story, it was about 2 minutes long and interviews a someone from the PWC Sheriff’s department who says it’s difficult to have to serve an eviction notice. The man who receives the notice is already in the process of moving out. “We’re almost done,” he says. The man has his children elsewhere so they won’t have to watch their dreams packed in boxes. He is interviewed without showing his face and conveys his pain. He says he feels he’s let his family down. Although the story begins at the McCourt building and is limited to PWC, there is no mention of the “Crackdown” and zero Anti-Immigrant Lobby talking points.

    In contrast, I find it interesting that the Lou Dobbs Comedy Hour and Fox “News” can’t even mention Prince William County without celebrating the Anti-Immigrant Lobby. How is it that NBC News managed to tell the story as if there is nothing different about Prince William compared to the rest of the state … even though our foreclosure rate is twice the next worse county and four times the average for the state. They mention high foreclosure rates in Virginia. And, they mention that they’re in PWC. But they don’t tell the audience WHY they chose PWC to tell the story.

    I’m not complaining. I’m thankful, in fact, to see my home county on a national telecast WITHOUT hearing Anti-Immigrant Lobby talking points (without The GregNCorey Show).

    While Lou Dobbs and Fox “News” want the Anti-Immigrant Lobby celebrated at the expense of PWC’s reputation, NBC News doesn’t have an agenda either way and told a human interest story.

  33. “rapd financial decline” my a**. Might have something to do with the Hispanic woman he knocked up.

  34. Juturna

    Jim Leher did a segment (his are usually a bit longer than 2 minutes) on forclosures in PWC. Of interest was the impact of the military. Apparently many military families purchased homes two or even four years ago and are now facing the end of their tours. What they paid four years ago is in most cases higher than the current assesment. Guess this is affecting more segments of the society than we thought.

  35. Moon-howler

    Juturna, I had never thought about the military. Many government and military folks who live over on the eastern end of the county must be in serious straits if they get transferred. That must be why there are more ‘dots’ on the foreclosure map there than here. This foreclosure business has long tenacles that reach places we haven’t even thought of yet.

  36. Juturna

    Yes, I thought it was interesting. I may have overstated the purpose of the segment. It was on foreclosures nationwide. When they discussed PWC, it was focused on Quanitco and the military.

    Interesting to get an outside view – so we don’t get totally wrapped up in ourselves and lose all perspective!

  37. Chris

    There’s also the human hardship factor that contributes to foreclosures that seems to be left out of the equation. The majority of foreclosures are due to the ARM mortgages. However, there folks that may have lost their job and/or become ill. These folks also can find themselves in foreclosure.
    Again, the “human factor”.

  38. TWINAD

    Emma,

    I have no idea if that is true or not, but you certainly are crass. His change of heart, according to you is because he “knocked someone up”? It couldn’t possibly be that he met someone that he previously thought to be the enemy and then got to know her as a person and fell in love with her? And now, subsequently has done a complete 180 on his previous stance? Again, like I said, I have no idea if he is involved with a Hispanic person or not, but the idea that his change of heart was because of “knocking someone up” instead of real love and feeling for another human being is a giant leap.

    How about acknowledging that, if this is the case with this man, that real life and compassion, and yes, even love for another human being (regardless of their race and legal status) caused him to make this life altering change in opinion?

  39. Chris

    There are also many federal employees in the county, and they too can sent on “tours of duty” abroad. I think it’s important for ALL to think about some the tough times they may have been through.

  40. Moon-howler

    It is real easy for everyone to get on their high horse and look down their noses over the foreclosures. Illness, divorce, military transfer, changes in employment, changes in financial obligations can all lead to foreclosure. Then there are the ARMs and people over extending. Who am I to stand in judgement of anyone?

  41. No more crass than the people here who were insinuating that two married family men are gay. That was an inexcusably cheap shot, and to use homosexuality as a slam against someone you hate is, ironically, homophobic in itself. Funny how that slam passed right under your self-righteous radar, Twinad.

  42. A PW County Resident

    amazing

  43. Elena

    I have to say, I think that we could have done without the inference that Corey and Greg are more than puppet and puppeteer. It totally distracted us from the point of the story. In that I agree with Emma.

    Emma,
    I am confused by your statement, where does it say Mr. Pearson impregnated a hispanic woman? I thought you always said this issue wasn’t about hispanics/latino’s but about “illegals” ? Seriously? You belittle this very profound statement by this man? Is that what your humanity has been reduced to? This article has nothing to do with an immigration plan for amnesty, no matter how some here try to deflect the deeper meaning of this story. The point of the story was that this man went from organzing anti illegal immigrant rallies to embracing the humanity in all of us and not wanting to be used as a tool for division and NOT solutions.

    “The mindset I was in last year, as I already indicated in yesterday’s post, was far different than where I am today. Without going into redundant details, much has changed in my life in ways too profound to find adequate words for. Donald calls my experience an epiphany, which I suppose is one appropriate term among many to describe it. That he resents it, though, merely because my views no longer are in line with his is rather sad. Though ultimately Donald’s political self-image is not my concern. I do hope, however, that he eventually sees beyond and rejects divisive politics, and fully and genuinely embraces the common humanity that is the true heart of this issue, and all human issues.”

  44. Casual Observer

    Yes, Elena, that is EXACTLY the point of the article. JC and Emma are trying to deflect attention from Mr. Pearson’s unique perspective on his experience working to enact yet another “Rule of Law” resolution, this time in NJ.

    And don’t dismiss the readers’ comments to the article in the first link. Read them, and you’ll experience deja vu, for many of the words and thoughts mimic much of the HSM rhetoric we’ve had drummed into our brains at BOCS Citizen Time, in letters to the editor, and in the blogosphere. Words like parasites, invasion, third world, etc. I wonder if that isn’t more than a coincidence.

    I’ll be interested to see what more Mr. Pearson has to say. I’m particularly curious to learn whether any outside groups reached out to him with offers to, oh, I don’t know, draft a Rule of Law Resolution.

    Oh…and Emma, your comment was crass, classless and irrelevant. Since I didn’t opine one way or another on anybody’s sexual orientation on this thread, it looks like I’m free to pass judgment on your comment — at least that’s how I interpret Emma’s Rules of Engagement as you outlined them earlier:

    Emma wrote:

    No more crass than the people here who were insinuating that two married family men are gay. That was an inexcusably cheap shot, and to use homosexuality as a slam against someone you hate is, ironically, homophobic in itself. Funny how that slam passed right under your self-righteous radar, Twinad.

  45. DiversityGal

    Michael,

    I should have said that all people need to examine their own prejudices. As I stated in a previous thread, I believe that all people have biases and prejudices. They are in our nature; they are things we have absorbed over time through family, education, media, or experience. I believe it is our duty to constantly confront our prejudices so that they do not become discriminatory acts.

    I agree with your statement that laws are laws. They are not people, and the people who create the laws, enforce the laws, and call for the laws are NOT blind to race, gender, religion, and ethnicity. To say they are just laws is to say that they exist a vacuum. The laws didn’t just appear out of thin air. The people who drafted them had opinions, points of view, and prejudices (like all people do). The people who enforce the laws are not robots. They can’t turn their opinions and prejudices off when they are on the job. I am not saying the enforcers are constantly behaving unfairly or acting in a discriminatory way because of their thinking. We should just be aware that human hands are all over the law, and they aren’t always perfect by any means.

    Again, I cannot agree that most people who support the resolution are free from prejudice. I have read so many blog statements on the other site, heard so many people talk in my workplace, watched so many people talk at Citizens’ Time…all of this enough for me to conclude that often people pepper the talk of law with anecdotal evidence of people whose legal status they have NO WAY of determining. Many, but not all, have even come right out and said racist things about the Hispanic community.

    There may be some people out there who are just thinking about the law, but I do not believe that about the majority of the resolution supporters. When I know that all people have prejudices, and that so many of us aren’t willing to take a look inside ourselves and see all of the reasons why we are angry against a group of people, it just seems unrealistic to believe that. I am not saying that those who support the resolution don’t have legitimate concerns; I am just saying that I do not believe that their support comes from a completely pure place (as some would have us believe).

    Emma,

    I started the whole tangent on about the gay.com ad. It came from the original conversation about how there was hope for those in the public eye changing their hearts/minds. I applauded Greg for allowing such a tolerant ad to be on his site, but given his past topics, which seem to bash the LGBT community, I think the ad was NOT his idea…

    “I never realized that “gay pride” marches were supposed to celebrate a “military victory” by militant homosexuals against law enforcement personnel, but at least some seem to think that’s what it’s all about. I had always been under the impression that these were simply rather disgusting displays of perversion that sought to reinforce the liberal agenda of culturally reclassifying what is perverted as desirable.” – Greg L

    I think that the point of some of the other comments I saw is valid. I know they may have been teasing, but there are lots of people out there who have defamed the LGBT community out of fear for whatever reason, an inner conflict or otherwise. It points out that this is NOT just about the law for some people. For some it is about maligning other communities as well.

    I do not think that that anyone here truly believes either of these men is homosexual. I could be wrong, but your posts give me the impression that you believe homosexuality is something bad. You spoke of two married men…I hope that you aren’t saying that people who are in a heterosexual marriage can’t turn out to be gay. I have a lot of friends in the LGBT community, and that happens ALL the time.

    OK, OK, I know I’m now WAY off topic, but I had to respond to those two things. I’ll try to be good girl and focus as much as I can from now on:)

  46. I am not surprised but rather sickened by Emma’s insinuation that a former Anti-Immigrant Lobbyist had a change of heart only because he “knocked up” someone from another race.

    First of all, Emma, your disdain for interracial couplings is not well disguised in your attempt to disparage this man for (gasp) having “knocked-up” kind of sex with a non-Caucasian person. Perhaps you don’t even realize that you are doing this. But this is how you sound when you base a hateful attack on the idea that the only human bond that can form between two people of different races is a sexual in nature, and not a genuine or “loving” relationship. This has been the racist stereotype applied to interracial marriages for centuries. Do I need to remind you it’s only been 40 years since the Supreme Court struck down Virginia’s law that institutionalized this prejudice? Perhaps it is no surprise that today, Emma, you espouse the institutionalization of another form of prejudice: the Immigration Resolution.

    Emma, whoever you are, I don’t look down on you for having your limitations. At least you are wiling to express them openly. And I thank you for that. What your proudly displayed “limitations” offer to this blog is a window into the soul of the Anti-Immigrant Lobby. For you, race is still a great divide that cannot be bridged without discomfort and disdain.

    And yet, you are on to something when you at least acknowledge that loving relationships (even if only the “knocked up” variety) can form between people of two different races, and result in a change of heart.

    It is not a coincidence that the two County Supervisors who were most instrumental in neutralizing PWC’s Immigration Resolution have interracial families. It is not a coincidence that John McCain also has an interracial family. Barack Obama has a multiracial family. And George W. Bush’s brother is married a Hispanic woman. Not a coincidence.

    One of the wonderful markers of the 21st century will be the realization of a world that I have long anticipated … one in which race is not a barrier for human compassion or understanding. America will lead the way in this transformation, as is our destiny.

    Emma, you can either drag your feet or march in step, but this is where we are headed. Once you come to realize that a person of another race is every bit as human as you might deem yourself … so much so that they could even be part of your family … it becomes impossible to devote yourself to hating a group of people because they are different from you. And, to be more specific, it becomes impossible to form allegiances for political purposes with people who are hateful in that way.

    This is why the true leaders of the Republican party both locally and nationally are not tempted to pander to the Anti-Immigrant Lobby. No one had to point out to John McCain that F.A.I.R. was a Hate Group. He just new. Perhaps because of his adopted daughter, he developed a sensitivity to prejudice that the Emma’s of the world have not yet approached.

    The beautiful and encouraging thing is: it’s not impossible.

    We’re pulling for you Emma. ( :

  47. Emma, I do have to give you points for being sensitive to homophobia, which, you’re right, should not ordinarily be a laughing matter. But if you can’t laugh at Gospel Greg, well … what can you do with him?

    Rod and I went with the gay joke for only one reason: Gospel Greg is extremely homophobic. Very often, people who seek to exhibit homophobia are overcompensating for an insecurity that they themselves might be gay. This is a basic truism, and yes, not part of the main discussion. But it is related because intolerance is intolerance, and hate is hate. Gospel Greg is a supplier and trader in both racism and homophobia. These are the veins of his political capital and he spends freely.

    I’m glad that you are against homophobia. I hope you have posted on Gospel Greg’s blog to tell him so. But if you aren’t, as I suspect, a gay rights crusader, then please spare us.

    There are only a few inches of copy between your accusation of one kind of prejudice and your classless and disgustingly transparent use of another kind of prejudice (see my post above).

  48. DiversityGal

    WHWN,

    You are TOO cool:)

  49. Jorge Pollo

    WHWN,
    There are numerous threads on bvbl that touch on the topic of homosexuality. Let’s not forget the CRUDEST of all posts, when the picture of the “fist dildo” (pardon the French) was there for all to see. All because the dude worked for WaPo. Hmm.
    Talk about having a hard on for something.

  50. DiversityGal

    Hate to continue hijacking the thread, but there is a perfect example of what we have been talking about in the just posted topic “Senators Want More Immigrants with AIDS” on the other site. Just in case you wanted to check it out…

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