StopLouBarletta.com

[Note: This article and the accompanying pictures were emailed to me by a reader who asked that their name be kept anonymous, for professional reasons. I have also, repeatedly, sent emails to the Barletta Campaign, inviting them to comment on anything posted on this site. Any response by the Barletta Campaign will be posted to this site, unedited. So far, the Barletta Campaign has not responded, although the invitation still stands.]

If “Pro” is the Opposite of “Con”, is Congress the Opposite of Progress? It Will Be if Barletta is Elected.

By: J.S.

More than 150 years have passed since the peak of, “No Irish Need Apply,” a phrased that was coined out of Nativist prejudice against Irish immigrants as part of the Know Nothing Movement. Empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by immigrants, it strove to curb immigration and naturalization to those who were often regarded as hostile to American values. Although this movement was met with little success, it did not preclude Levi Boone, the Mayor of Chicago for the Know Nothings from barring all immigrants from city jobs.

In 2006, at Barletta’s urging, the Hazleton City Council adopted tough measures aimed at stemming the flow of illegal immigrants, whom Barletta blamed for crowded schools and overburdened social services. Since when do public schools accept citizens without proof of residency, birth certificates and social security cards?

Within 2 years establishments in Hazleton have followed suit with Barletta’s manifestation of bigotry and hypocrisy. Gone are the days of No Irish Need Apply, yet because of Lou Barletta Hispanic residents are faced with signs that boast, “All Legals Served.” (See Graphic) Why do bars need to advertise their compliance with Pennsylvania’s Liquor laws if their non-compliance would lead to the commencement of their operation?

Luis Mendoza, the chairman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly’s Pennsylvania chapter, criticized the Mayor’s actions by calling them, “A slap in the face to Latinos driving them away from the GOP […] Personally, being of Mexican descent, I find a lot of immigration rhetoric really offensive and I feel increasingly backed into a corner by my own party.” (Tarone, 2007). Is it any wonder why John McCain hasn’t had the time to stop and meet with Barletta? (Lou Barletta for Congress, 2008).

This sentiment was also expressed in John Zogby’s report analyzing the Hazleton area, “a massive community effort needs to be made to root out the disease of racism” urging residents to challenge the mayor on every front. The report challenged the claims made by Mayor Barletta that illegal immigrants are responsible for overburdened police, schools and hospitals. (Allentown Morning Call, Worden, 2007).

In an WITF interview Ann Van Dyke, a trainer and investigator with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, agreed with Zogby stating that flare up’s in ethnic tensions are directly related to ever changing demographic shifts. She continues, “The most important step toward avoiding those conflicts is for a community to change its definition of ‘we’.” As you can plainly see, the establishment of English as the official language explicitly precludes any sort of consensus being built among the citizens in the Hazleton Area. (Detrow, 2007)

To further this point, Luzerne County’s Judge Olosheski Jr. recently handed down a ruling to three legal Hispanic residents which instructed them to either learn English or go to jail. A ruling that is a flagrant violation of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. However, no defense attorney will waste their time to argue with this judicial activist that legislates from the bench. Perhaps judge Olosheski will maintain this precedent in allowing serious offenders to learn English instead of serving the prison term they’ve earned.

With rising energy and food prices, a health care system in shambles and an abundance of ignorance regarding this Nation’s state of affairs, does this Country really need another Strom Thurmond? Although Mayor Barletta has denounced the endorsement of individuals like David Duke of the KKK, we must ask ourselves what Barletta will accomplish in office if the only achievement he boasts of to date is supported the ideals of one of our Nation’s oldest hate groups.

-J.S.

Sources:

Detrow, Scott. Racial Incidents at Schools Rise as Demographics Change.
WITF. October 15th, 2007. Radio.

Allentown Morning Call. Renowned Pollster’s Commentary Stirs Illegal
Immigration Debate anew. October, 2007.

Tarone, L.A.. Barletta Ponders Bigger Plans. The Standard Speaker.
September 29th, 2007. Front Page cont’d on Page 16.

Lou Barletta for Congress. McCain Says No to Lou Barletta’s Invitationto Visit Hazleton and Discuss Immigration. 2008.
http://www.loubarletta.com/index.php/Latest/McCain-says-no-to-Lou-Barletta-s-invitation-to-visit-Hazleton-discuss-immigration.html

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 17th, 2008 at 9:37 am and is filed under Immigration Policy, What Others Say . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.