Update July 26th: The special guests were Supervisor Wally Covington and Supervisor Marty Nohe. Also in attendance were Kris Nohe, Marty Nohe’s Senior Aide Tracy Gordon, and Supervisor John Stirrup aide Karen Ulrich.
Update July 25th: Getting word that we will have special guests from the county government attending tonight’s screening. I look forward to seeing everybody there!
Friday, July 25th at 7:30pm
Trinity Episcopal Church
9325 West Street
Manassas, VA 20110
Elena’s quote went by fast but it is so darn true!
If you’ve seen this movie, you simply can’t talk local politics with someone who hasn’t seen it. My boyfriend and I have been going in circles for a week because he can’t understand (and I can’t explain very well) why this footage proves Corey Stewart is a puffy-faced L-I-A-R. I suppose that’s the first step toward fixing all that is wrong with this county. Facing facts. That’s why b.f. is coming with me Friday and I’ll be sitting next to him to make sure he absorbs every nuance.
It looks like some more people just might get caught telling more lies, now doesn’t it?
I bet this special screening might even blow holes in that article on the FAIR website.
I suspect that we might get to see Chief Deane shed those devil horns planted there by the Order of the Red Circle and turn into a halo once the truth comes out.
From talking to people around town, I understand that the attempt to character assassinate Chief Deane was the straw that broke the camel’s back. That’s when folks decided they wanted nothing to do with the Order of the Red Circle. Chief Deane is a well respected community leader and has been for many years.
NotGregLetiecq,
I feel your pain. My husband is the same way. He doesn’t see what has gone on behind the scenes and the dirty influence! He hasn’t taken the time learn. He thinks he is all over local news because he reads the newspapers. I bet you and I could both tell them a thing or 2!
I just like anything that comes from this documentary team because it gets a broader dialog going. Yea, Trinity Episcopal for providing a venue for the continuing dialog. The parish hall is big with two large screens for viewing.
Here’s another opportunity. Prince William Study Circles on Immigration’s next online webinar to plan this Fall’s Prince William Study Circles on immigration will be Tuesday, July 22, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. To sign up, complete the form at http://www.cvdnva.org. A wide variety of viewpoints is encouraged. Let your voice be heard.
MH,
You are right the Chief Deane “charge” was the straw that broke this camel’s back. I spoke to a woman yesterday in Giant. She too said that was the limit for her and withdrew her name from membership. She says still getting the email alert. I’ve talked to several others who said the same. I’ve even had a few people call me ask me why I left too.
Chief Deane has serve our community three times the years most of those wishing to discredit him. UFB!
Need to clarify. Those that have not even LIVED in the county a third of the years Chief Deane has served.
How about a video on the increase in MS13/SUR13 gang taggings in the Manassas/PWC area instead of useless garbage that does absolutely nothing to fix anything?
Why don’t you do it? You could start with the Flat Branch bridge on Lomond Dr.
Making youtube videos is not my calling. I thought Elena was about helping out the community? This is just finger pointing garbage we see day in and day out on the idiot tube.
Mando,
I hear ya about the youtube videos. I’ve been called “digitally challenged”. Sounds like a project for the HSM Crime Prevention Team. Just a thought.
Yes let the Order of The Red Circle make that video. They could have 2 teams: one to spraypaint the graffiti, and one to film it after it dries.
It’s worked in other areas with Latino immigrants. When fear is your only weapon, factual evidence is of no import.
Facilitating understanding about a point of confusion IS doing something positive for the community. Film is not always, but can be, a very powerful method to help get this done.
NGL: That’s a pretty ridiculous statement to make – it is obvious Latino gangs are responsible for that graffiti. That’s stooping pretty low to imply that anyone would be intentionally making graffiti to make it look like Latinos are doing it.
Having worked in a school with the highest number of immigrants in Fairfax County, I know all too well the poison of gangs to children and their community. However, law enforcement prefer to build positive alliances with the immigrant community so that they can catch the gang criminals. As Chief Deane pointed out, early in the resolution process, by making police officer into ICE officers, you put at risk that relationship.
An observer, its pretty ridiculous to say it is obvious that Latino gangs are responsible for the graffiti at flatbranch. No one knows who did it. I guess the term ‘wannabe’ escapes you? Have you ever worked with teens? You would understand immediately why I don’t hang this one on anyone.
As for useless garbage, Mando, have you seen any of the films? Why do you call them useless garbage? I think it is important for residents of Prince William County to understand the process by which they have achieved national exposure. Many people do not because there were attempts to obfuscate the facts. Example: Does anyone remember a public hearing? There wasn’t one. Big oversight.
Moon=howler,
Good point about the wannabe. Does anyone know if you have to be a Latino to join a gang? I would just assume you have to bad, real bad, worse than Michael Jackson. 😉
kidding aside I do want to know 🙂
Red Dawn,
According to the University of Nevada Outpost…
“Aside from joining white supremacist groups, white gang members, which account for about 18 percent of Reno gang members, are often assimilated into black and Latino gangs.”
Thanks DG. I guess we are all suspect 🙂
Now where is that chunky monkey Evangelical Emma? I hear she has some topics for discussion for us at our next economy party. Does that mean she will be joining us to lead the discussion?
Moon-howler – fine, but it is beyond ridiculous to go about implying that HSM members are creating that graffiti, which is what the NGL did.
Alanna, Is this film different from the one that was held at Casablanca?
Maureen
Sorry to all HSM members for joking that they might be using tactics that other anti-immigrant groups. I know they have their own tactics. But Moon-howler is right, graffiti is not pretty but it’s not a reason to go into hysterics either. It’s not like the American people are dumb enough to take drastic action because of insufficient evidence. No, that never happened.
Mando, why do you so object to gaining information about a subject you love to pop off about from a standpoint of ignorance. This is not a insult, just the truth. This movie is thorough, factual, and irrefutable since every single person in it, including your beloved Greg and Corey Show, is saying the exact same thing. Go to the screening and see what happens when you argue this issue WITH some of the facts at your disposal as opposed to the opposite.
Maureen,
It will be somewhat different, not sure in what way, but there were some changes.
It will be different thanks to great feedback we got from the July 9th and July 10th screenings. About 75 percent will be stuff you would have seen if you were there last week.
Also, there will be some added chapters, one of which will be of particular interest to people on this blog (i.e. a chapter about this blog). Also a new chapter will touch upon the Chief Deane controversy re. his Hi Mart visit.
Adding subtitles for parts that people said were hard to hear.
How about this idea:
WORK SMART, NOT HARD… but that would involve HEART ( I guess that is the difference)
Look at the common denominator in ALL of these arguments!!!!!!!!!
AMNESTY ( no questions -a pardon) is NOT a COMPROMISE( agreement), if we ALL work together…WOW…. that would be a compromise….LOL
Eric,
I am so bummed I can’t make it! I want to see the new stuff. Any additional showings after August 1st?
Hi DiversityGal. Yes, we hope to show it again in August as the feature length documentary begins to take shape. We are still conducting interviews for the feature version, including some key players I’m excited about talking to. Scenes from the feature film will gradually replace the “special screening” scenes we put together specifically to clear up confusion about the changes made to the county’s immigration policy on April 29, 2008.
Eric,
Are you seeking national distribution? I sure hope so. You have something MAJOR to contribute to the national discussion on this issue. America should see it in theaters:)
Moon-howler, MS-13 is very prevalent in that area of the county. Everyone needs to take these tagging seriously. I’ve spoken to a few of the gang taskforce officers and they even tell you to take them seriously. Also if you all will remember, C.J. Angelos was murdered by MS-13 gang members a couple of years ago. And guess what? They were here illegally.
Many of the younger kids are wannabe’s also. They do a lot of the graffiti. Should the graffiti stay? No, of course not, it is trashy looking. The fact that younger teens look up to this crap is also disturbing.
On the other hand, over-reaction and giving any punks this much credence is feeding right in to the attention seeking behaviors we are try extinquish. I have been attending county and federal gang task force workshops for a number of years. If all grafitti is reported and cleaned up immediately without lots of ooohing and awwwwhing, all the better.
The county needs a plan to remove the graffiti immediately when it is on private property. When they start taking it seriously, and more importantly, consistently, then we will all be better off. What happens if people can’t afford to have the graffiti removed? What is the back up plan? What happens to empty houses? What will the county do?
Diversity Girl,
I hope you take your laptop with you. I will miss your posts, otherwise.
Moon-howler,
Aww, shucks! Though I do not own a laptop, I think three people amongst the fam and friends are taking theirs on the vacation. I’m so addicted to this blog, I don’t think I’ll be able to stay away:)
We look forward to hearing from you. And have a fabulous trip. You could do a travelog for us so we can pretend we are on vacation.
Have a wonderful relaxing peaceful fun trip Diversity Gal!
I head out on Friday morning, so there is still much more working and blogging to do this week:)
Maureen Wood of HSM, thanks for being brave enough to post with your own name attached. I do admire you for that. And most of your posts here are respectful and honest. So I’m curious about what you thought of the 9500 Liberty movie last week … other than the opening which you convincingly argued did not do justice to Help Save Manassas’ history.
Put the opening aside for a moment… because as soon as HSM was out of the picture (15 minutes in) it was pretty much straight down the middle, would you not agree?
I mean, you saw it, right? Doesn’t it basically prove that Chairman Stewart has been selling you and your Help Save Manassas brethren a steaming load of bull ever since April 29? How do you feel about that?
I mean, if Corey Stewart thinks you’re so easily deceived (and so unlikely to fact check), what’s to stop him from lying to you again in the future? Wouldn’t you prefer … if you could have your druthers about what sort of politician to have in your pocket … to have a guy who could actually do your bidding, rather than fail to do so and then lie to you about it?
I’m not trying to be critical of you, by the way. But I’m just wondering if the revelations in the film angered you at all. Because if all of this Immigration Resolution fever is only about the “rule of law,” and has nothing to do with ridding your neighborhoods of undesirables with darker complexions, you must be pretty upset now that you know the LAW you worked so hard to implement was essentially NEUTERED over Corey Stewart’s (and I quote) “dead body.”
whwn,
While you are being praise-person to Ms. Wood I am wondering how she looks at herself in the mirror after writing that report for FAIR. The report sounded like a small legion marched down to where Chief Deane was meeting with Pancho Villa and stood the chief down. Because of the heroic efforts of HSM the chief tucked his tail between his legs and went back to his office like a good little chief.
As I recall, 2-3 people showed up at that meeting where Chief Deane spoke to the residents of PW Co. and explained what the Resolution did and did not do (at the time) as he was directed to do by the BOCS. Business as usual.
Watch out for the wind created from the SSSSSSPPPPPIIIIINNNNNNNNN!!!!!
Notes From the Field
Virginia Activists Make Sure Local Officials Carry Out Enforcement Policies
The goal of FAIR’s national field program is to help committed citizens around the country be effective activists for immigration reform. Sharing strategies that have been successful in one place can help activists elsewhere be more effective advocates for immigration reform.
In Northern Virginia, FAIR worked closely with activists from the Help Save Manassas group in Prince William County in 2007 to institute local immigration enforcement policies. Getting local enforcement ordinances adopted was only the first hurdle.
In 2008, Help Save Manassas is making sure that these policies are carried out, reports Maureen Wood, the group’s legislative director. When Prince William County Police Chief Charlie Dean — an opponent of local enforcement policies — joined with the Mexican consul general to hold a community meeting with local illegal aliens on March 27, immigration reform activists turned out as well.
Knowing that activists who helped bring about Prince William’s enforcement ordinance were making sure that the will of the people is being implemented, Chief Dean warned illegal residents that he and his department will act when they have reason to believe someone they encounter is in the country illegally.
It is said that 90 percent of life is just showing up. In Prince William County, local activists continue to show up and make a real difference.
I just read the FAIR piece you are referring to. What spin are you talking about? I was at that meeting to observe. I made a report to FAIR and on BVBL about how well Chief Deane handled himself. I also stood up for Chief Deane. Ask Chris about the conversations we had about Chief Deane. She can tell you I defended him.
I choose to try and preserve the sovereignty of the United States and for that I will never apologize to anyone. It is very easy for me to look at myself in the mirror for I have done nothing wrong. I don’t ever recall saying nasty things about anyone on this blog, but once again, someone who disagrees with YOUR point of view is demonized. I suggest you read the article again. Most of it is about PWC in general, not Chief Deane.
And when you make comments like you just did, use your real name. To everyone else, I apologize for the long post.
1. Maureen Wood said on 27 Mar 2008 at 11:42 pm:
I attended the meeting tonight and I thought Chief Deane did a very good job. When I have some more time I will update. Going to bed.
1. Maureen Wood said on 29 Mar 2008 at 7:50 pm:
Lafayette- thought I already posted this, I must be getting old.
I attended the meeting last night. I have some concerns about the Chief having a meeting with the Mexican Consul, but Chief Deane was impressive and above board last night. He did not placate the crowd there. He was honest and told them like it was.
The question of the drunken driving road block came up and Deane told the crowd that if they are pulled over in this, and they don’t have a license, don’t speak English or they have questionable documents they WILL be asked their legal status.
The crowd tried many times to corner Chief Deane into promising them something and he wouldn’t have any of it. He told them that there might even be certain circumstances that the police would question their legal status even when they are witnesses to a crime. That went over well with the crowd. (sarcasm)
The Mexican Consul started the meeting off in Spanish when there were clearly many non-Hispanic’s in the group. The thing that disturbed me about this was, it was NEVER translated into English, so I have to wonder what he said to the crowd. This happened several times during the meeting.
As for Chief Deane being against the resolutions implementation, he has NO option but to enforce it. He might not be happy about it but after hearing him speak last night, I do believe he WILL and that he will honestly put forth a concerted effort to enforce the “Rule of Law” resolution.
I too have questions about Chief Deane’s dealings with the Mexican government but I am willing to reserve judgment until we get those answers.
1. Dolph said on 29 Mar 2008 at 8:45 pm:
Maureen,
Thank you for your report. It is good to hear an unbiased opinion from someone who was really there. There has just been enough speculation.
Again, thank you for taking your time to go across county and to report back.
I would be proud to look in the mirror every day if I was Maureen. She displays tireless devotion to the cause of improving our community, protecting the sovereignty of our great nation, making our community safer, protecting American workers and legal residents, and helping to lessen the load of taxes we have to pay for the social services of illegal aliens.
Maureen, I am honored to know you and I truly appreciate all of your efforts!
Then there’s Cat Scratch Fever a/k/a Moon Howler a/k/a Dolph, who defames, insults, and gossips about people who disagree with her, while hiding behind several monikers. So,_________ how do you look in the mirror every day?
Note: I removed an identifying name for an individual who to my knowledge has not publicly been identified. I have no desire in ‘outing’ anybody, and I’m not in the business of validating these accusations, so it’s probably best to avoid this behavior.
Maureen,
I like the post from bvbl. The “Notes from the Field” on FAIR just doesn’t leave a person with the same perception. Perception is reality!
Yes, YOU did defend him. Unfortunately, there are SOME that just want to rag on the Chief Deane, our schools, and anything else they don’t like. It goes back to the lack of respect SOME have for county officials and elected officials.
Maureen,
I would’ve posted some more of your comments defending Chief Deane. However, there was a problem. It seems as though all of the email exchanges of the weekend leading up to once again bashing Chief Deane, because he didn’t clear meetings with some in the community. However, my email account has been hacked into and ALL of those emails have been deleted. Hmm. I wonder of some self-proclaimed computer wiz has hacked in my email. I don’t know for sure, but it’s being investigated. Wow, there’s only a handful of people that was involved in those exchanges, and oddly enough there’ve many emails that have been deleted too. Would you mind sending me a copy of those exchanges before I left HSM?
Now Cat Scratch Fever a/k/a Moon Howler a/k/a Dolph which one of those skanky tramps do you think slept with THE OTHER last??? Perhaps that is the is the source of their pain?
Cat Scratch, I am trying to get Maureen to answer a question honestly, something she usually does, and I don’t see the harm in saying so. If I only said things I didn’t like about what she thinks or says, I couldn’t very well expect to get an answer could I?
Maureen, how about my answer? I did ask nicely, didn’t I?
WhyHereWhyNow, To be honest it was hard to hear and follow the film. I have had questions about the “new” resolution since it was done. I have not talked to Corey about it to see what he has to say and I truely believe he thinks he did the right thing.
Maureen
Maureen, why don’t you just quit HSM and get out from the shadows of its negative reputation?
Interesting. Does everyone feel better now. Think what you want. It matters not to me. I have no idea what you wrote about on bvbl. I sure don’t like the spin on the FAIR article. I don’t think HSM is keeping Chief Deane on a leash as the article would have us believe. Ms. Wood, if you name is on the article, you are who owns it, regardless of making nice on bvbl. 2 articles, same topic, different message.
Girls, you need to stop allowing yourselves to used and start thinking for yourselves.
So you told my first name. BFD. I will get over that much quicker than you will get over what you are doing. I also recognize a few signs.
You might want to think about why this site exists.
Anon-100,
I don’t believe Stewart wanted to vote for it. In Stewart’s mind, the only thing worse than voting for it was voting against it, if that makes sense. He could be “in” on another unanimous vote or the alternative which was to be on the losing side 6-2 with John Stirrup. It does seem to be a very political maneuver especially considering that he told Supervisor Principi that he(Stewart) would only vote for it if Principi voted against it. The only purpose for him to ask this would be so that he could create a better spin.
To Elena, WhyHereWhyNow, and others . . .
If I did not have other commitments this evening I would certainly have come to the event tonite. But in lieu of my absence, I would be grateful if you could pass on my regards to all in attendance. And I do mean ALL.
As someone who was thoroughly and quite effectively active in the “anti-illegal immigration” movement, I completely understand the thinking of folks like Corey Stewart, Greg Letiecq, et al. While I don’t know what’s in their minds and hearts, I don’t believe hatred is their motivation. At best I believe they are caught up (as I was) in the seductive maelstrom of narrow “rule of law” thinking which advances the lie that immigration causes crime. It doesn’t. Destructive values within a person, and their rejection of creative and constructive values, is at the root of crime, not where they are from nor what their statutorily defined residency status is.
Until there is full acknowledgement of the humanity of immigrating people (regardless of their “status”), as opposed to the vile “send them back with love” mentality as promoted by Greg Letiecq, and if all that continues to be done is objectifying immigrating people by making them mere pawns of policy, then our own humanity will continue to be diminished. And that, in the end, is what actually destroys a community.
Jesus once taught a lesson about “who is our neighbor”. He was teaching a gathering of fellow Jews, and taught them that Samaritans — who were utterly despised by Jews — were their neighbors (that, by the way, was the actual lesson of the “Good Samaritan” story). Jesus showed godly kindness and mercy to a Roman centurion. Let us not forget that Romans had invaded the Jewish homeland and had it under their absolute and tyrannical control. And we all certainly remember Jesus’ teaching that we should all “love our enemies”. So for the likes of Greg Letiecq and those who share his perspective (which may or may not include Corey Stewart), let them be reminded that the person we despise, the person we might see as an “invader”, and the person we may characterize as our “enemy” (for whatever reason), is our neighbor.
At that, let any “policy” be first and foremost guided by compassion, mercy, hospitality, and equity. Anything else is unworthy of our common humanity.
Everyone enjoy the event tonite.
Be well.