should the city choose to enforce immigration laws through city legislation.
I have a friend who is active in the ACLU who used the handle Granny Geek. She use to run a website featuring phone calls from the ACLU answering machine. I let her know we might be going to battle with the ACLU - let's me know they'll do it - and then throws me a victory song for a city (the ACLU claims there are 100 in the U.S.)that have created laws relating to local immigration. Now before you start getting mad at me. Think about this. Grandma would defend my right to post this graphic if it ever came down to it.
She brought up an interesting bit....Well, if Branson DID take on the ACLU and enact such an ordinance, it would sure be a no-brainer for the ACLU. Typically, the major problem with lawsuits like this is finding a plaintiff: someone who has been (or will be) harmed by the ordinance. Many times, folks don't want to be plaintiffs because they become subject to intense hostility in the community. Were you in the area when the ACLU sued Republic for having the Christian symbol, the ichthus, on their city seal? Well, our plaintiff had her house and car vandalized, the sidewalk in front of her house was tagged with obscenities, and her kids were tormented terribly in the schools. It was, in a word, awful. Her name was Jean Webb. If you Google her name and Wicca together, you get several sites that reported on the case. Interestingly enough, Branson was in the process of adopting a new city seal at the time of the lawsuit against Republic. Branson had included a cross in its city weal as a testament to the "Christian" nature of the region. When Republic lost the lawsuit Big Time (they had to pay the ACLU's legal fees) Branson took the cross off the proposed city seal and substituted a guitar.
I ask, how do we ethically deal with illegal immigration?
The ethical thing for communities to do is to obey the law, is it
not? I am sometimes astounded at the arrogance of local officials who
would have us believe that the Constitution doesn't apply to THEM.
And the Constitution is pretty darn clear that the Federal government
has exclusive power over immigration.
Before she leaves me, she hands me a pearl of wisdom. You can regulate immigration as long as you honor the writ of habeas corpus.
Enforcement/deportation are legal avenues for communities to pursue IN COOPERATION WITH THE INS. In about 1902, the Supreme Court ruled that illegal immigrants can be deported, provided there is a hearing with a judge, the suspects are informed of the charges against them, all the usual stuff.
And who says it's not good to have a 66 year old friend on the inside of the ACLU?
Somewhere in Palestine the video below is being aired on t.v.
Refrences:
Valley Park MO.
I don't like what everyone has to say, but - I don't get in the way of them saying it. As long as we can talk to each other honestly - there's hope. Right?
