John Stirrup has nominated Robert Duecaster, one of the authors of the Immigration Resolution, as an appointee to the Strategic Task Force for PWC. He will sit on the Health and Human Services Committee if approved. Let me quote from Mr. Duecaster as best I can:
“This issue is not really about immigration or illegality or legality, it’s not about economics, I’m going to tell you right now what it’s about. It’s about an invasion of this country. This county is being invaded no less than if hordes of armed people were coming across its border. This invasion is not armed, but they’ve got weapons. The weapons they use are their anchor babies.”
“Mark these words, we are going to repel this invasion, one way or another. You can part of that repulsion or be on the other side.”
Mr. Duecaster is the secretary for Help Save Manassas, which is recognized by The Southern Poverty Law Center as a “Nativist” group. In addition to this label, the Anti-Defamation League has now added Save the Old Dominion AND Help Save Manassas to their list of “Extremist” anti immigrant organizations. You will see that Mr. Duecaster uses many of the code words that ADL lists as tools to move extremist rhetoric into the mainstream. I find this nomination unaccpetable! What is John Stirrup thinking?
A closer look at the public record reveals that some of these supposedly mainstream organizations have disturbing links to, or relationships with, extremists in the anti-immigration movement. Often identified in the media or their mission statements as “anti-illegal immigration advocacy groups,” they attempt to distort the debate over immigration by fomenting fear and spreading unfounded propaganda through the use of several key tactics:
Describing immigrants as “third world invaders,” who come to America to destroy our heritage, “colonize” the country and attack our “way of life.” This charge is used against Latinos, Asians and other people of color.Using terminology that describes immigrants as part of “hordes” that “swarm” over the border. This dehumanizing language has become common.
Portraying immigrants as carriers of diseases like leprosy, tuberculosis, Chagas disease (a potentially fatal parasitic disease), dengue fever, polio, malaria.
Depicting immigrants as criminals, murderers, rapists, terrorists, and a danger to children and families.
Propagating conspiracy theories about an alleged secret “reconquista” plot by Mexican immigrants to create a “greater Mexico” by seizing seven states in the American Southwest that once belonged to Mexico.
Blaming immigrants for eroding American culture, institutions and quality of life and impacting our environment and natural resources.
This anti-immigrant propaganda and rhetoric, once the domain of hate groups, is now part of the lexicon used by anti-immigration advocacy organizations, politicians and media figures considered mainstream.
In this report, part of a series of reports on immigration and extremism, ADL exposes those individuals and groups who are playing a key a role in mainstreaming extremist rhetoric in the immigration debate in various aspects of American life.
Rick, it sounds as if you had a frustrating situation. I think where you fell into a trap was when this county became so warped that it seemed socially acceptable to start to talk about solutions in term of ethnic scapegoating, and forcible removal of an undesirable population. This has happened in many countries and in many eras, and many good people have fallen victim to a diseased social climate swirling around them.
That climate has begun to lift, in fact, it has lifted as evidenced by the almost non-existent membership of Help Save Manassas and the pitiful traffic on Gospel Greg’s blog (where I understand you are considered a bleeding heart liberal).
I complement you for going to battle with the radical extremists over there, but perhaps your time over here will help you see the world without the warped fog of hate and scapegoating that plagued us during the latter half of 2007.
Once you do that, I think you will let go of the culture of hate that justified Prince William County’s horribly ineffective, costly, and economically damaging “immigration” policy.
WHWN: “That climate has begun to lift, in fact, it has lifted as evidenced by the almost non-existent membership of Help Save Manassas and the pitiful traffic on Gospel Greg’s blog”
Hmmm – I didn’t realize that close to 2,300 members would be considered “non-existent”… You are dreaming. As far as Greg’s blog…clearly you haven’t visited in awhile. Posters there just aren’t as redundant as you all.
WHWN,
I am glad you are seeing Rick’s positive side. I know he can be a brat sometimes. So can I. Sigh.
Rick has had a very frustrating time in his neighborhood. Remove immigration and I usually agree with him. I have tried to understand Rick’s situation. I have, in my past, lived in a neighborhood that broke real bad. This breaking bad had nothing to do with immigration unless you want to count immigrating from the city to the county. Bad neighbors are bad neighbors. On the other hand, I have known other ethnicities who do what Rick has described and attributed to ‘illegals.’ I am more inclined to look at behaviors and not ethnicity.
I can easily hate over behaviors. I have done it my entire life. 😉
So your vast experience in (not) living, working or probably even passing through this region makes you an expert on the climate here? You judge an entire county by some snippets of YouTube videos, and what you get spoonfed by a handful of posters here, some of whom live in HOA protected enclaves? Perhaps you should get around neighborhoods here, talk to residents and find out what they really think and feel. Or maybe you just don’t care about any opinion that doesn’t support your ersatz paranoia.
There is no “witch hunt.” But there are people, like Elena and Alanna, who clearly WANT to inflame the entire immigrant community and make them afraid. Then Elena, Alanna and company hope to use that fear against elected leaders who are doing what they were put in office to do, because at some point they felt slighted and ignored. Welcome to their personal vendetta.
Corey Stewart was elected on a very clear platform. It doesn’t matter that there was low voter turnout–I would say that is the problem of those who didn’t bother to show up to vote.
Hispanics are not cowering in fear–they are out shopping, riding bikes, going to movies, eating in restaurants and–gasp–socializing with their non-Hispanic neighbors just like everyone else. Stop parroting lies and check it out for yourself.
All I can say is: 1.6, 1.6. 1.6. That is the percentage of illegal immigrants our County resolution turned up once they started checking EVERYONE’s status after arrest. Can’t slant those figures. Illegal immigrants are not causing a CRIME WAVE as Duecaster and HSM would like everyone to believe. The stats clearly show that 98.4% of all crime committed in PWC was committed by LEGAL residents. And the vast majority of the 1.6% (over 80%) were misdemeanor charges…not felony charges. Once this starts getting around, more people will realize they were duped into believing that “illegal” immigrants were causing a surge in crime in our area. Totally false.
Well, it might be because so many of the illegal residents left, thanks to the resolution. It would be logical to assume that there would be fewer crimes committed by illegal imigrants when there are fewer “illegals” to begin with. Those statistics indicate success, not failure.
Emma, you can’t back up your statements either. How many people who left were legal residents and how many were undocumented? Where are the statistics? As for Robb not having experience living in PWC, many of us living in PWC don’t have the experience of living in the conditions some of you describe. We’re being asked to bail you out of your neighborhood problems at the expense of our priorities (which we DID vote on). IMO, you need to move or work closely with zoning, the police, or neighborhood services to solve your problems and get your hand out of my pocketbook because you’re beginning to sound like those people whom HSM posters yell about- those people they accuse of taking advantage of public services for their own good. The resolution has wasted our tax dollars, but, since you’re not a county resident, you’re not footing the bill.
Well, actually, Censored, I do foot the bill.
Remember that there are two members sitting on the PWC-Manassas Regional Jail Board who represent the City of Manassas. So yes, crime in PWC has a very direct affect on me, as well as the spending on programs to combat crime. And where is the PWC jail, Censored? Why, I believe it is in the City of Manassas, isn’t it?
Do your homework before you start throwing rocks in a feeble attempt to impress Robb.
Please.
Emma, you share some services but you certainly don’t share all.
I don’t need to impress Robb. Or you, for that matter. But many of HSM’s members seem to want to use my tax dollars (money squandered on the immigration resolution) to solve their neighborhood problems without using resources that are already available to them. What have you done personally to improve your neighborhood? I hope you’ve been actively working to solve the problems you complain about.
If all the illegal criminals left, then where is the 10-20% drop in the crime rate? There isn’t one.
And I have a right to voice my concerns over those services that we do share. As the jurisdictions are closely intertwined in regards to the courts and the jail, I do foot the bill for that. Therefore, I have a say in how money is spent in regards to law enforcement. And since I live a 3-minute walking distance from PWC, actions there have a very direct impact on the City in terms of crime, traffic, healthcare and a host of other issues. You don’t live in a bubble.
And don’t forget that I eat, shop, enjoy recreation and sometimes do my consulting work in PWC. I have read here many, many times that that would make me just as much a taxpayer as an undocumented immigrant.
Emma, I hope you weren’t one to complain that we, as county residents, shouldn’t have voiced our opinions on the sign in Manassas.
So, how has the resolution been cost-effective? What has it done that couldn’t have been done through the use of already existing county services – from an economic standpoint? Exactly how much has been spent to find that 1.6% of the jail population?
Can we get back to my original point? Robb Pearson is an outsider who has made a false and inflammatory declaration about a “witchhunt” in PWC that is based on nothing more than lies and conjecture, and not at all on his own experience here as a resident and taxpayer. I would say that my payroll taxes and the tax dollars spent by the City on County courts and jail, as well as my proximity to and spending in the county give me much more of a credible voice than that.
Using your logic, do you foot the bill for zoning enforcement in the City of Manassas? Then by all means, opine away about the sign.
So as not to dodge your question, Censored, I think the resolution has worked quite well, considering the ups and downs in getting it hammered out. Get out and talk to the people who were most impacted by overcrowded houses, unlicensed drivers and gang activity. Ask the family of CJ Angelos if they would welcome back any of the illegal immigrants who were scared off by the resolution. Those are the “statistics” that really matter, the people who are impacted the most, the RESIDENTS. Given the inaction of the Federal Government, it IS apparently up to the localities to provide solutions. I’m betting you’re going to see more and more local enforcement efforts no matter who wins the presidential election this time around. If we sit around and wait for the Feds to act, jurisdictions will go bankrupt trying to provide so many services for unlimited numbers of new arrivals without adequate taxpayer funding.
You can play with the numbers any way you wish, to make them reflect whatever agenda you want them to reflect. Both sides do that quite well. If we talk numbers, we will never come to an agreement.
Emma, Robb Pearson’s opinion seems to bother you. Were you bothered by FAIR’s meddling in our affairs?
Some of your statements above seem right out of Greg’s playbook – an emphasis on the extremes (overcrowding, the gang-related murder, gang activity, unlicensed drivers) as though they are something that the average resident encounters in going about their daily activities. I’m not saying to ignore these problems when they occur, but they do not occur as frequently as HSM members/BVBL posters imply. And some of the funds that could be used to address these problems have been squandered on a diversion.
Robb is entitled to his opinion. I am entitled to disagree and even try to discredit his opinion. You are entitled to defend him even if he declares that Corey has deployed androids to eat little Hispanic children.
Honestly, Censored, your responses are right out of the anti playbook.
Which responses?
Well, Censored, it’s been obvious to me for quite some time that Gospel Greg indoctrinated Emma. She has taken this personally and no longer looks at facts, only talking points from her trusted spiritual adviser.
This means she is very easy to debunk, as predictable as she has become. Also, it means she part of a shrinking and discredited crowd of hateful extremists. I feel sorry for her more than anything (especially since her name is known by many).
She may not have realized the implications of indoctrination at the hands of Gospel Greg, since she was still learning about the issue when she fell into his web of lies.
More lines out of the anti playbook from NGL, whose tape plays on a continuous loop here where everyone gets neatly categorized.
My name is known “by many” here? So what? How flattering that anyone would take the time to do that kind of research, even discounting the privacy issues that the owners here so flagrantly disregard.
I’m a private citizen expressing my opinion. You’ve clearly run out of ammunition if you need to hint around at my identity to try to make your point.
“My name is known “by many” here? So what? How flattering that anyone would take the time to do that kind of research, even discounting the privacy issues that the owners here so flagrantly disregard. ”
Emma, I don’t know your name but you’re assuming that it’s become known through this blog. How about taking at look at HSM.
at=a
Whatever. What’s your point?
Oh, wait. I see. If you challenge anti, they will out you. I get it.
That should do wonders for the popularity of this blog.
Emma, how do you know that you were outted by anyone here? You don’t.
Don’t know, don’t care, Censored. It would only reflect badly on this site, anyway, if it happened. I was just responding to NGL’s statement at 11:57 that “I feel sorry for her more than anything (especially since her name is known by many).”
That’s all. Nothing to get all excited about.
“Don’t know, don’t care, Censored.”
But you’ll blame the posters here anyway. LOL!
Not excited, just entertained…
Emma, your regurgitated Gospel Greg quotes are quite boring, but you made a name for yourself because you had the gall to call someone “fat” and, well, we found your picture.
Emma Said: “Ask the family of CJ Angelos if they would welcome back any of the illegal immigrants who were scared off by the resolution.”
This was terrible for that family, but the fact cannot be ignored that the number of American citizens (and the percentage of killings attributed to “illegals” is very, very small in relation to the total violence committed in this country). Using these instances as support that all “illegals” should be deported (thereby basically postulating that all “illegals” are murderers) just doesn’t hold up. By that hypothesis, any American citizen killed by a black person should be saying “See, we should go back to holding black people as slaves…that way they couldn’t be out here, free to kill Americans”. No one is standing up and saying that, because the idea is ridiculous.
Also, I noticed Emma just glossed over my response to her comment that the 1.6 could be attributed to all the “illegals” leaving. I asked, if that was the case, where are the stats showing the total number of crimes committed dropping hugely since all these “illegal” criminals have left. The numbers haven’t changed substantially, certainly not to support the idea that 1 year ago 20% of crimes in PWC were committed by “illegals” and now, since the resolution has been implemented the number dropped to 1.6%. She just said “Let’s get back to my original post….”.
Nice, NGL. Wanna trade photos?
Twinad, why can’t Robb answer for himself? Does he really need his gal pals to run interference?
My bad. I thought this was an open forum, so we could address any inconsistencies in another person’s argument. If you have to wait to have Robb address the question, I will butt out. I’m just askin’. Where is the substantial drop in the number of arrests and crimes in the last 6 months compared to before the Resolution was implemented. Now we KNOW the percentage of crimes in PWC perpetrated by “illegals”. And it ain’t that much. So, all I want to know is this: Where is the huge DROP in crime since the CRIME WAVE of the last few years should be over now? Oh, yeah. There was no CRIME WAVE over the last few years. It had already been declining with the influx of immigrants both legal and illegal.
I don’t think anti has a play book. We aren’t an organization like HSM is. What would we be called? HSMFHSM? Help Save Manassas FROM Help Save Manassas? Everyone here is an individual, not a club member. I would say no 2 people here think exactly alike.
I encourage Rob to speak here. Perhaps he sees some of these issues from a different perspective. I can learn from his experiences. I think we established a while back that we simply cannot be territorial about these things. We all do have overlaps.
Emma, you make it sound like Robb is using us as guinea pigs, which is far from being the case.
Emma, show me where someone outted you. I have no idea who you are. Let’s not make false accusations.
And in general, no one is guaranteed anonymity on a blog, regardless of how pure someone’s intentions are. Think of it like emailing or writing your supervisor. That question or concern could end up in someone else’s possession.
Twinad, with all due respect, given your husband’s legal status, I would hardly expect you to be able to respond in any nuanced way to anyone who disagrees with you over these issues. The statistics can say anything you want them to say.
Moon-howler, maybe I’m a little confused as to what NGL was referring to at 11:57 when he/she says: “I feel sorry for her more than anything (especially since her name is known by many).” And then again at 14:01 with: “you made a name for yourself because you had the gall to call someone “fat” and, well, we found your picture.”
Whatever could he/she be hinting at? And whom did I refer to as “fat”?
Are you concerned about something, Moon-howler? I’m well aware what admin is able to see. I see the same things myself.
Emma, no. I am not concerned over anything having to do with blogging. I think that the earlier posters have you confused with someone else. If I recall correctly, you ripped into someone else for making personal remarks. Am I incorrect about this?
I thought the weight comments were ridiculously inappropriate and offensive, and I made that known. So I am at a loss as to NGL’s comment.
No matter, though. There is so much hatred in his/her posting to me that I don’t think there is much chance we would find common ground. Too bad.
Maybe it wasn’t you Emma. Sorry if I was wrong. Sorry if I was right, also. I shouldn’t have brought it up anyway.
Boohoo, so what if 2,300 people are ignoring Gospel Greg’s spam emails. We all get spam from various sources. It doesn’t mean they are powerful. Just annoying.
The only people I know who still get his spam quit the group a long time ago, right around the time Greg became “Gospel Greg.” They see the email alerts as a way to keep track of what the town idiot is up to next.
WHWN:
Since you like to ask why. Why “Weasel John” Stirrup? Why not not “Weasel John” McCain? I see a lot of ideological parallels.
Although I have plenty of problems with John Stirrup’s scapegoating/fear politics and thinly veiled prejudice, my reference to him as “Weasel John” has nothing to do with his ideology. He was a career lobbyist in Washington with connections in the high echelons of the party. Reportedly unnerved by the ethnic diversity in Arlington, he also calculated that if he moved to Gainesville, he could manuever himself on to the Supervisor ballot with his friends in high places, and in a heavily Republican district, be elected despite being the poster boy for the word Carpetbagger.
As a Board Member, he has had almost no mind of his own, and lets Corey Stewart not only take the initiative, but take the heat for most of their policy decisions. I call him Weasel John because he is always hiding behind Corey Stewart’s skirts.
Okay. But what about McCain is hiding behind the skirts of Sarah Palin. Couldn’t take on Obama without right winger with hate in her heart to mobilize “the base.” McCain was cool when he was a moderate. But now his game is so obvious. He is giving up on independents and Democrats voting for him, and taking a chance that Palin can resurrect the Bush/Cheney electorate by promising more of the same Bush/Cheney policies. If, instead, he’d tapped, say Romney, everyone would be focusing on the policies, which are obviously a 3rd term of the Bush administration. But with Sarah’s skirts to hide behind, McCain can pander to right wing extremists and let Sarah take the heat.
Sarah Palin is John McCain’s Corey Stewart.
I won’t call McCain a weasel.
But I’ll say it again. Sarah Palin is John McCain’s Corey Stewart.
FortKnocks, I don’t care to argue with you about national politics. This blog, tends to focus on local politics, much to its advantage. Can we agree that John Stirrup is a weasel and leave it at that? Appointing Rob Duecaster is a cowardly way to say, “Racists, I have your back.”
Why can’t we talk about more than one topic on a thread? I’m just trying to explore your reasoning for accepting dirty politics from one person but rejecting it from another.