Crime, Punishment, and Hate Crimes

MoonHowler

Much discussion has come up the past few days around the blogosphere about hate crimes. Our blog, Antibvbl.net has come under some undeserved fire over not commenting on the sentencing of Latino rapists in recent weeks. Some apples and oranges comparisons have been made which are just plain silly in my opinion.

First of all we saw no point in commenting on the heinous act of child rape. This is a burn-in-hell offense, in our opinion, regardless of who does it. The reader comment section and BVBL.net both covered this event from their own perspectives. What more was there to add? We oppose child rapists regardless of ethnicity. Furthermore, we want anyone found guilty of this hideous act to be punished to the full extent of the law. If the perpetrator is an illegal immigrant, then we want them deported to their country of origin after serving their sentence.

We will not report each and every crime committed but will comment if we feel something needs to be highlighted. Readers may continue to email us with suggested articles.

Moving right along, to hate crimes, I went straight to the F.B.I. website for this one.

Definition
A hate crime, also known as a bias crime, is a criminal offense committed against a person, property, or society that is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin.

The key here is motivation. Was the man attacked because he was gay or was a man attacked who coincidentally happened to be gay? Those are the questions that law enforcement asks each time a suspicious crime is committed. Some are very clear cut like painting swastikas all over a Jewish temple. Others are more complicated and must be proven both as a charge and for a verdict. Some cases remain forever in those gray areas.

Certainly every crime against Hispanics is not a hate crime or racially motivated. Yet sometimes they are. In the past year we had some good old Prince William boys going around trying to ‘rob a Mexican.’ This is a hate crime. The motivation is to rob Mexicans. Not to rob someone just get money.

A harder case to prove would be someone robbing a senior citizen. Is the senior robbed because seniors are hated or because a senior citizen is seen as less likely to put up strong resistance? Would a perp attempt to rob the fullback on the football team or some little old lady?

Here is a chart showing the various categories of hate crimes in 2004. Hopefully this information will keep debate between what is a hate crime and what is not to a minimum. Hate crimes, if proven to be that, carry stiffer penalties

Not a Sermon, Just a Thought re: “Mexicans Without Borders Asks For Your Money”

Alanna

Just finished reading Mexicans Without Borders Asks For Your Money which comments on an article in DC IndyMedia where John Steinback asks for donations and Greg Letiecq suggests those that do would be guilty of ‘aiding & abetting’.

As Christians are we to deny food & clothing because we fear some recipients might not have a social security number? Absolutely not. Do the righteous thing, and don’t let anyone discourage you from doing otherwise.

Please contemplate Matthew 25: 34-46 which reads:

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich Arrested in Corruption Scandal

MoonHowler

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is out on bail after being arrested for plotting to sell the Illinois Senate seat vacated by President-Elect Barack Obama.

Is this Obama’s first real scandal?  Virginia’s own Eric Cantor would like it to be.  He is quoted in an AP story posted by MSNBC with the headline: “Obama tries to gain distance from Ill. governor: Investigation comes at inopportune time and could involve him.”

It’s Obama’s first big headache since his election last month, and Republicans were anything but eager to let it go away.

Said Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, the new GOP House whip: “The serious nature of the crimes listed by federal prosecutors raises questions about the interaction with Gov. Blagojevich, President-elect Obama and other high ranking officials who will be working for the future president.”
Read More

Chris Royse’s Controversial Letter to the Editor re. Christmas, Abortion

Alanna

For those unfamiliar with Chris Royse, he ran an unsuccessful campaign against Frank Principi for the vacated Woodbridge Supervisor seat during the 2007 election. (This video shows him addressing the BOCS on 7-10-07). In this letter to the editor he perhaps purposely misrepresents Principi’s pro-life stance. One needs to ask themselves Royse’s motivation for doing so. Presumably he wants to keep his name in the public domain because he anticipates another candidacy for public office. In short, a blatant attack on elected officials masked as a ‘christian’ holiday greeting is in extremely poor taste and should be remembered as such for a long time to come.

Here’s the letter:

This time of year is special to Christians as Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our savior Jesus Christ.

Birth and life are very important concepts to Christians, and in particular Catholics.

We are commanded by the Pope to love and protect the unborn since God sent his only son to be born, raised and crucified among us.

This year, shortly after Christmas, we will inaugurate President-elect Obama who has publicly referred to pregnancy as “punishment,” and we will see his local followers, Congressman-elect Gerry
Connolly and Woodbridge Supervisor Frank Principi — both Catholics who support pro-choice agendas in direct violation of the Church’s teachings — continue on their path of supporting the destruction of
human life.

This holiday season, a season which includes the celebration of birth, I request that leaders throughout the Arlington Diocese call on Connolly and Principi to stop their hypocrisy and to consider denying them communion until they realign themselves with the teachings of our church.

As Jesus taught us in Matthew 23:12 “and whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted,” Christmas is the perfect time for the humble unborn to be exalted and
those local “leaders” who exalt themselves by publicly defying their own faith to be humbled.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.

CHRIS ROYSE
Woodbridge

DC Examiner Leaves a Few Stones Unturned

MoonHowler

The DC Examiner investigated the results of the 287(g) program at the PWC/Manassas ADC in an article entitled “Number of Prince William illegals turned over to ICE holds steady.” It seems like the article was just missing a few bits and nuances of the history of this program in Prince William County.

Basically, since November, 2007 the number of illegal immigrants turned over to ICE has held steady at around 80 per month. The ADC has gotten more efficient handling the 287(g) processing since it first began according to jail superintendent Pete Meletis.

What the article failed to mention is that the 287(g) program was never part of the July 10, 2007 Immigration Resolution. It also failed to investigate how many illegal immigrants are actually deported. Once they leave the ADC, there is no real accountability of what becomes of them.

Superintendent Meletis did say in a presentation to the BOCS that 5% had been rearrested here in the county. If 5% have been re-arrested then we can count on more than that being out in the general population. This seems to be the fault of ICE or a federal judge, not our folks here in Prince William County.

We have paid a great deal of money to have the 287(g) program and hopefully the feds will give us a little better service for our efforts. Jail Superintendent Pete Meletis runs a tight ship and is deserving of our support.

For those out there who are erroneously saying that we here at Anti blog do not support the 287(g) program, you are simply dead wrong. On the other hand, those I have heard comments from are not known for their accuracy or devotion to speaking the truth.

January 20th to be School Holiday

MoonHowler

As a result of School Board action at its meeting on Wednesday, December 3, this year’s Prince William County Public School calendar has been revised. Inauguration Day (January 20) will be a school holiday for all students and staff. In exchange, Presidents Day, which falls this year on February 16, will be a regular school day. This calendar adjustment will be in effect every four years effective January 2009.

All schools and School Division offices are closed on Monday, January 19, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and on Tuesday, January 20, for Inauguration Day.

More information will be forthcoming on elementary level parent/teacher conferences and the high school testing schedule.

I am not sure how this will effect education but it should ease the traffic situation.  We apparently have become more a part of the metropolitan area.

[UPDATE: Manassas Park Schools will also be closed Inauguration Day, Jan 20]

VA Budget Woes Increase Financial Anxiety in PWC

MoonHowler

Yesterday Governor Tim Kaine and his financial advisors discussed a nearly $2.8 Billion dollar deficit for the state. He will present his budget revisions to the General Assembly December 17. The news is going to be grim. Yesterday Gov. Kaine met with Barack Obama in to discuss the economy. The FY 2010 budget begins July 1.

The pain, however, is not being evenly felt. Arlington has a huge commercial tax base which will help keep it from total hard times. The huge decrease in home values in Prince William County has eviscerated county finances. PWC lacks the extensive commercial tax base that Arlington enjoys.

Less money will go to Richmond and in turn, that means less money for localities. Arlington County officials are considering an increase in 1.7 cents for next year, although that wouldn’t totally fix their budget deficit.

The PW BOCS is still playing around with the tax rate. At last glance it appears that $1.13.[correction from $1.16 to $1.13] was being considered. Currently the tax rate is at $.97. Even with the increase in rate, most residents will find their tax bill less because of the substantial drop in property value. The average home value in PWC has dropped about 30%. PWC has the most foreclosures in the state of Virginia.

The PWC BOCS is looking at a variety of ways to help keep the wolf away from the door, including enacting cigarette, admissions and meals taxes. Chairman Corey Stewart was quoted as saying “We ought to focus our guns on core issues and not get sidetracked by other things.”

According to an article in the Washington Post:

Prince William, which has the highest number of foreclosures in the state, wants additional authority to place liens on vacant property to help recover the cost of cleaning graffiti. It also wants to extend liability protection to neighboring property owners who mow grass or remove trash and debris from vacant properties.

What else does Stewart have in mind? Obviously his Immigration Resolution didn’t bring in the savings we were promised. Of course, no one believed that one. That was just a way to fool people and even at that, only a few bought in to that blarny.

The school system will be slammed by these cuts. Already there is talk of no cost of living increase for employees and larger sized classes. There is also talk of delaying capital improvements which would include delaying the building of a new, much needed high school.

Are there solutions to lessen the problems facing PWC? Would people be content having the 2010 tax rate even higher to maintain services? Would a higher tax rate drive out businesses?

Having the most foreclosures in the state of Virginia is sure a distinction I could do without.

Odetta Dead at 77

MoonHowler

A civil rights icon from the 50’s and 60’s, simply known as Odetta, died Tuesday from heart disease. Folk music aficionados have followed Odetta for 60 years. She sung a mixture of blues, jazz, and folk music. She has left a legacy of music. No soundtrack of the American Civil Rights movement would be complete without her music.

She influenced musicians like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez, and Janis Joplin. She performed for JFK, marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, and was awarded National Endowment for the Arts Medal of the Arts and Humanities by President Bill Clinton in 1999. The next year she won a grammy.

Odetta had hoped to sing at Obama’s inauguration

For more about Odetta follow the link. Check out the interview with her (it won’t imbed).

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/arts/music/03odetta.html?_r=1&hp

Cotton Fields

“Coalition of Civil Rights Groups Condemn Rash of Hate Crimes “

Elena

Recently, the Anti Defamation League delivered a strong repudiation of the current toxic atmosphere regarding illegal immigration. Here is a link to the full press release written by ADL.

For those who decry, “those anti people, they are the haters”, I wonder, how are we seen as haters, when in fact, seven major civil rights organizations ALL side with our concern over the scapegoating and extreme rhetoric directed at Hispanics. ANY day, I would rather be publicly seen as aligning myself with civil rights organizations than a group led by a man that talks about human beings as dog food.

It is time to start recognizing that a reasonable and humane resolution will come with this administration, and people need to ask themselves, in ten years, how do I want to remember my words and deeds. I believe, this quote by Michael Lieberman, encompasses everything antibvbl stand for, not only as it relates to solutions for immigration, but also our need to remember we are all a part of the human race.

Words have consequences. And we must use our words, our power of persuasion, our political clout, to condemn scapegoating, bias crimes, racism, and anti-Semitism and to press for fair and workable immigration reform.

For those who accuse Alanna and I of infiltrating and influencing ADL, ask yourselves, do you believe we are so powerful that we can also determine the agendas of six other national civil rights organizations?

Here is part of the press release:

Washington, DC, November 24, 2008 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today joined with a coalition of seven national civil rights organizations to denounce the recent wave of hate crimes against Hispanics and other minorities, including the brutal murder of Marcelo Lucero, a Suffolk County, Long Island man of Ecuadoran descent.

“There is a direct connection between the tenor of the political debate and the daily lives of immigrants in our communities. It is no accident that as the immigration debate has demonized immigrants as “invaders” who poison our communities with disease and criminality, haters have taken matters into their own hands and hate crimes against Latinos are on the rise for the fourth consecutive year,” said Michael Lieberman, ADL Washington Counsel.

Michael Lieberman also said in his press release:
Read More

Manassas Gears Up for Christmas Parade and Festivities

MoonHowler

Do you hear jingle bells in the distance?

Friday, December 5 marks official Christmas season in Manassas. Santa Claus will arrive at 6 PM via VRE train. Following the arrival of the guest of honor, there will be a live concert on the lawn of the Manassas Museum, the Christmas tree lighting ceremony, free hayrides, and visits with Santa.

Saturday morning, December 6 at 10 AM, the annual Manassas Christmas Parade begins. Residents line the streets of Old Town to see marching bands, floats, displays, horses, cars, animated characters and huge balloons, just to name a few of the entries. Parade watchers can always spot someone they know in the parade.

Old Town Manassas Open House is Sunday December 7 from noon until 5. This is an excellent time to browse the streets of Old Town Manassas looking for that perfect gift. Ice skating, horse-drawn carriages and refreshments highlight the afternoon.

Manassas does the holiday season right. There is something for everyone during this magical time of year.

Friday 6 PM Santa arrives

Saturday 10 AM Christmas Parade

Sunday noon-5 Old Town Open House

[Update from Washington Post:]

For the first time, the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales will appear in Manassas, helping to kick off the holiday season.

“This is fantastic,” Patty Tracy, interim executive director of Historic Manassas, said of the Clydesdales. “This is the oldest and largest parade in the area, and we are really excited about this new addition.”

Happy Cyber Monday!

MoonHowler

Today is the shopping day known as Cyber Monday.  It always falls on the first Monday after Thanksgiving. Unlike Black Friday, is not associated with bricks and mortar stores but instead, with online retail.

Obviously, Cyber Monday hasn’t been around long enough to pass the test of time, but it has been well- entrenched for the past decade.  Cyber Monday has evolved into a major marketing event and is highlighted  with sales, free shipping and other lucrative enticements. 

Let us know here of any special deals you find.  Free shipping is always attractive since shipping and handling  can add quite a bit to any purchase.  Electronics, music, toys and jewelry are big items.  Let us know what you find.  All good ideas are welcome.

Do Board Actions Speak Louder than Words?

MoonHowler

Our resident ‘Conscience of the Board,’ Bob Wills, strikes again. On November 25 at the BOCS meeting, he admonished Mr. Stirrup for the appointment of Robert Duecaster. (Despite the fact he called him Dukakis). After listening to Mr. Wills for years, I don’t doubt for a moment that he knew exactly what he was doing. The Dukakis was the insult. He told Mr. Stirrup, he just didn’t care.

He moved on to chastise about the BOCS cutting back on meals. He’s right. Those meals are paid for out of discretionary funds. It won’t cost us a penny more if they have Carrabas cater, Ruth Chris cater or go to McDonalds. The money is already there. Who cares what they eat for dinner?

He accused the BOCS of putting themselves in a box because they haven’t reconciled the assessments and the tax rates to match what they need. He gave a subtle reminder about how many supervisors use private schools for their children rather than our public schools. Hark! Is he suggesting again that they simply do not care?

It pays to listen to Mr. Wills very carefully. He isn’t just your average gadfly who shows up at every meeting to poke someone with a stick. He is sometimes subtle and symbolic. I have started listening a great deal closer. He manages to get in a lot of dig  for his 3 minute buck. While I don’t always agree with him, from now on I will always listen.

Some folks go to those meetings to praise Caesar. We saw that also. Is Mr. Wills but another Mark Anthony? He seems to suggest that “The evil that men do lives after them…”