Latinos march for immigrant rights

[Klaus]

Latinos march for immigrant rights
Thousands in Georgia, across the U.S. rally for reform

By TERESA BORDEN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/10/06

Thousands of marchers chanting "Si se peude" ("Yes we can"), wearing white T-shirts and waving mostly American flags overtook Dresden Drive Monday to participate in a National Day of Action on Immigrants' Rights.

The raucous but orderly crowd began their march from the Plaza Fiesta shopping mall on Buford Highway shortly before 10 a.m. Many carried signs or wore shirts bearing slogans such as "We are not criminals we are hard workers" and "I'm a human being."

The protest ended as scheduled at 2 p.m. Heavy traffic has been reported in the area, the bumper-to-bumper variety near the Buford Highway, Clairemont Road intersection. No roads have been closed but police advised motorists to steer clear of Dresden Road and Buford Highway.

DeKalb County police detective Ariel Toledo said the crowd was estimated at 20,000 to 30,000 people.

There were over 100 officers assigned to the march, he said.

Among the marchers was state Sen. Sam Zamarripa, who recently announced he would resign from his seat.

"I don't think there's been anything like this ever before in Atlanta," said Zamarripa, an Atlanta Democrat. "These people want to be viewed with dignity. This is a human face of what has been characterized as a criminal element."

But the senator was disappointed that more business leaders had not shown up for the event.

"This community is overcoming its fear to be here," he said. "If these people can come out of the shadows, the business people should be here, too."

Marcher Juan Ballesteros, of Lawrenceville, was wearing a white "God Bless America T-shirt and carrying a sign that said, "Awaken giant."

"We have been working quietly in this country, but when they called us criminals, they woke us up," said Ballesteros, 38, who said he has have lived in this country illegally for eight years and works for a dress making company.

Jorge Angeles, an onion harvester from Lyons, rather than working in the fields, was holding a sign at the protest Monday at reading "I eat Grits, You eat Tacos."

Angeles said his sign symbolized Americans and Mexicans being more alike than different.

"We're all created equal, I have two hands, you have two hands, I have two feet, you have two feet," he said.

Angeles, 33, drove to Doraville with five other field hands, he said. A native of Mexico, he has lived in the country five years illegally and makes about $300 a week, he said.

Rachel Marascalco, a 25-year-old graduate student from Georgia State University said she is not Latino, but is at the march "out of concern for the United States of America and the Latino community. This issue is bigger than the Latino community."

The event was to coincide with marches around the country, in cities from San Jose, Calif., to Siler City, N.C., by immigrants protesting in favor of broad immigration reform and against the criminalization of illegal immigrants. Some said the Senate's failure on Friday to vote on a compromise measure providing a path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants actually would swell turnout.

"It's going to be the precise day to demonstrate the importance of the Latino community," said Adelina Nicholls, president of the Coordinating Council of Latino Community Leaders and an organizer of the local march. "They did not reach an agreement or a vote. That is nationally significant. It opens up space for reconsideration."

Sharon Spurrell of Chamblee watched in the shade of a tree as protestors passed by. A former house cleaner, she said it is more difficult to find work with so many immigrants in the Atlanta area doing those jobs. "I don't hate them or anything, I just feel like they took over," said Spurrell, 45, who was sitting with her daughter and her sisters.

The Georgia Legislature passed its own crackdown on illegal immigration at the end of this spring's session, with a bill that establishes penalties for human trafficking, lets state police enforce immigration law upon agreement with federal authorities, prohibits employers of illegal immigrants from claiming their wages as tax deductions, and requires state and local authorities to verify that benefit recipients are in the country legally.

Nicholls said she hoped Monday's crowd would reach 40,000 marchers. It was set to leave Plaza Fiesta, march along Dresden Drive, circle around the Brookhaven MARTA station and return along Dresden to Plaza Fiesta to rally until about 3 p.m. She said they were being encouraged to wear white T-shirts and to bring U.S. flags, the latter in response to heated criticism by talk radio commentators and others that Mexican flags waved at previous marches showed that immigrants don't want to assimilate. While the majority of flags were American, there were some from other countries among the crowd, including Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala.

Nicholls said buses, car pools and rented vans were expected to bring in participants from as far away as Gainesville, Dalton, Carrollton, Statesboro, Tifton, Claxton and Savannah. She said even a pastor in Nashville called and promised to bring a group.

Closer to home, protesters were expected from Cobb and Gwinnett counties. Gwinnett has the state's largest immigrant population, with one out of every five residents being foreign-born.

Across the country, organizers in large cities and small towns made tentative predictions of turnout: up to 200,000 in Washington; up to 10,000 in Houston, and Tucson, Ariz.; up to 5,000 in Philadelphia; and 500 to 1,000 in Siler City.

However many show up, Nicholls said they'll make a statement.

"Finally, unity makes for strength," she said. "We want to stop being invisible."

[PARAGON]

Was Mckinney there?

[KenP]

HURRRY!!!! Put the fence around them!!!!

[Klaus]

I couldn't do anything with a fence, but I did write "Remember the Alamo" on my truck's back window.

[KenP]

Originally posted by Klaus:
I couldn't do anything with a fence, but I did write "Remember the Alamo" on my truck's back window.

BUwahahahahaaaaa!!!!11

[PARAGON]

So, how was their permit to march valid if they are illegals?

[DennisAJC]

Originally posted by PARAGON:
So, how was their permit to march valid if they are illegals?

Interesting.

[h2co-pilot]

I saw that sh1t on the news today. I kept yelling at the screen like it twas the Superbowl:

"JUST THROW A NET OVER ALL THOSE BASTARDS!!!"

"IF THEY HAVE A VISA- CATCH AND RELEASE!!!!"

[HummerNewbie]

Just saw a report on the news that said illegal immigrations costs the state of FL about $2 billion a year or $366/year for each legal US citizen household in FL

[Alan06SUT]

They are getting real bold. I agree w/ getting immigration out there to these rallies. They need someone to put them back in their place. I live right near Dresden and some of them had signs saying "we have a right to live in dignity"...oh really??? Maybe back in Mexico or wherever.

The funniest was the one old white guy out there in the middle with the "no open Borders" sign! Good for him, even though I dont agree on all of the POV's of his org!

[Klaus]

Originally posted by Alan06SUT:
They are getting real bold. I agree w/ getting immigration out there to these rallies. They need someone to put them back in their place. I live right near Dresden and some of them had signs saying "we have a right to live in dignity"...oh really??? Maybe back in Mexico or wherever.

The funniest was the one old white guy out there in the middle with the "no open Borders" sign! Good for him, even though I dont agree on all of the POV's of his org!

Have you changed your mind?

Originally posted by Alan06SUT:
Its simply workforce supply and demand. We need them to do jobs that we wont do, but we dont want to admit it, but its getting out of hand and now something has to be done now that is is digging into our pockets and making us unsafe.

Deprting 12 million workers would bring construction (and the service industry) to a screetching hault which accounts for a relativelty large prtion of our GDP. DUMB IDEA. Especially since we are fighting a war and just now coming out of recession.

Oh, and dont forget that unless you are a native american, you too are an immigrant. And most of our families havent been here more than 300 years, not that long compared to how long Natives were here before we invaded.

I say make them register and grant them renewable work visas. If they Fukk up, send them back. Grandfatehr the ones that are here and make it tough for new ones to get in until the demand for their services increase. We will at least know who is here and have a better chance at fighting the rising crime rate amogst them, tax them appropriatley, and reduce the number of Juan Martinez's there are out there (get their real names).

http://elcova.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/1726043161/m/9...511044761#8511044761

[Albie]

Si se peude Si se peude Si se peude Si se peude

[deicustoms1]

No, Usted No puede No, Usted No puede No, Usted No puede

[milbrath47]

If you believe that crap then we need to start going back to where we came from or pay reparations to native americans! How the heck can you talk about another human being as if they are some kind of animal that needs to be caged. Someone should put a net on your ass. ignorant pricks!

[HummerNewbie]

Originally Posted by milbrath47

If you believe that crap then we need to start going back to where we came from or pay reparations to native americans! How the heck can you talk about another human being as if they are some kind of animal that needs to be caged. Someone should put a net on your ass. ignorant pricks!

Not sure who exactly you are talking to but not sure that anyone is talking about treating humans like animals. The issue is illegal aliens not legal immigrants. There is a huge difference! Not sure anyone here has an issue with people immigrating here from other countries if they do it the right way. What I personally have a problem with is the constant flow of illegal immigrants that come to this country and expect to have rights which they have not earned. If they go through the proper channels to become a US citizen, then more power to them.

On a side note, did anyone ever hear if the walk out really had any effect at on the overall economy? Didn't really hear anything more about it after that day.

[ShaggyX]

I think what he is trying to say is that we all (most) came here "Illegally" at some point since we came in and pushed the Native American's out. Kind of a moot point at this point since it was so long ago...and we have changed so much since then.

Also, I would bet there are more people in this country who immigrated legally then were a part of the first "Illegal" wave in the 1700's. I am only 3rd born generation...and my great grandparents were legal immigrants...so I am legal.

[MarineHawk]

Originally Posted by milbrath47

If you believe that crap then we need to start going back to where we came from or pay reparations to native americans! How the heck can you talk about another human being as if they are some kind of animal that needs to be caged. Someone should put a net on your ass. ignorant pricks!

We cage criminals all the time - it's called prison. It's for people who break the law. "Illegal" immigration is, believe it or not, breaking the law.
BTW, the primary difference between the millions of immigrant who came over primarily from 1850 to 1950 and those crossing the U.S. Mexican border now is that the previous immigrants wanted to become Americans - while the majority of Mexican immigrants now want to retain their Mexican citizenship. Totally different. Permanent legal immigration should be a privilege reserved for those who want to come here and become part of America - not for those who want to just earn money to send back to their family in Mexico and/or extend Mexico into the U.S. For those who want to come over here legally, become patriotic Americans, and pay taxes, I have no problem welcoming them, but that's not the case with most of them.

[NewHummerGuy]

Originally Posted by MarineHawk

We cage criminals all the time - it's called prison. It's for people who break the law. "Illegal" immigration is, believe it or not, breaking the law.
BTW, the primary difference between the millions of immigrant who came over primarily from 1850 to 1950 and those crossing the U.S. Mexican border now is that the previous immigrants wanted to become Americans - while the majority of Mexican immigrants now want to retain their Mexican citizenship. Totally different. Permanent legal immigration should be a privilege reserved for those who want to come here and become part of America - not for those who want to just earn money to send back to their family in Mexico and/or extend Mexico into the U.S. For those who want to come over here legally, become patriotic Americans, and pay taxes, I have no problem welcoming them, but that's not the case with most of them.

Nicely stated Hawk. Nicely stated

[DDWH]

Originally Posted by Klaus

I couldn't do anything with a fence, but I did write "Remember the Alamo" on my truck's back window.

LMAO!

[f5fstop]

Originally Posted by milbrath47

If you believe that crap then we need to start going back to where we came from or pay reparations to native americans! How the heck can you talk about another human being as if they are some kind of animal that needs to be caged. Someone should put a net on your ass. ignorant pricks!

I believe if you are in this country illegally, we owe you nothing, and you should be arrested and sent back. Talk about how we handle illegal immigrants, why not call up the dictator of Mexico and ask how he handles his illegal immigrants that come across the southern border. Most are sent back damaged, and if you are a woman, you are raped than beaten. Oh, but we have to be kind to his people coming across our border.
So, before you condemn the satire on this site, try sneaking into Mexico and getting caught.

My answer to the problem is: Time we played Cowboys and Mexicans. (Yes, that was satire...I think.)