| By Erin Rosa - Mar 9, 2010 8:42:57 AM ET |
| Also listed in: Campus Progress Updates |
Tags: hate groups, immigration, march for america, numbers usa, roy beck
In a evening conference call held last night, Mar. 8, anti-immigration group Numbers USA—best known for its brute force attacks on Congress to defeat comprehensive immigration reform in 2007—discussed a variety of tactics to thwart an upcoming march on Washington DC by immigrant rights supporters, including one proposal to call immigrant women from Mexico “the new welfare queens in America.”
In a photo taken from a newsletter for the Concil of Conservative Citizens,’ a designated "hate group"according to watchdog the Southern Poverty Law Center, Beck speaks at the group’s national conference in 1997. (Click here to view the newsletter)
The call, which was held at 9 p.m EST, was organized by Numbers USA, and included approximately 45 participants from across the country, many of them representing archconservative“Tea Party” affiliates. In a 30 minute time span, Chad MacDonald, the moderator of the discussion and a worker with Numbers USA, walked callers though ways they could create the perception that there was a grassroots opposition to immigration reform, according to notes taken during the phone call. The actions, organized to pressure Congress to stall on immigration reform, are meant to coincide with the “March For America,” a pro-immigration reform march organized for Mar. 21.
During the discussion, listened to by Campus Progress, activists not only talked about how they should paint Mexican women in the United States as “the new welfare queens,” but they also recommended tactics like referring to immigrant children as “dependents,” rather than “babies,” because “babies” is an "emotional" word. All of this was discussed in the presence of MacDonald and Roy Beck, executive director for Numbers USA, who has his own turbulent past with reported connections to white nationalist groups.
According to notes taken on the phone call:
CALLER 1: I would like to speak out on something. I feel the new welfare queen in America today is women coming from Mexico with a bunch of babies. So I feel they're all coming over here and having all these babies, they are the new welfare queen in America....
New people in America today with a lot of babies, 'cause they coming from Mexico having a bunch of babies. And our tax dollars is taking care of them babies, 'cause the mothers are illegal. So to me, we need to speak out about letting them know they're the new welfare queens in America.
CALLER 2: That was well said brother!
MACDONALD: We will make a note of that. Thank you very much. I appreciate that.
CALLER 3: One piece of information would be, they aren't babies, they're dependents. Don't use babies. It's emotional to them. They have dependents. We have babies.
Along with circulating distortions that immigrants somehow use and drain welfare programs—an allegation that has no actual factual basis—Numbers USA and its affiliates are also planning to flood Congressional offices with phone calls and faxes during the pro-immigration march—all with talking points that have been meticulously prepared by Numbers USA—much like the group did in 2007. “I think jobs is the number one way to do it,” said Beck, who noted that growing unemployment during the recession can be fastened to the immigration debate.
“It's not about reality, it's all about perception,” Beck said on the call. “What happened in 2007 is that we as a movement created the perception of on Capitol Hill that most American's did not want amnesty, they did not want comprehensive immigration reform, and that there was an intensity to the people who didn't want it that could really cause political damage for the careers for the members of Congress. That's what moves Congress.”
MacDonald added during the discussion, “We are a single issue organization about reducing both legal and illegal immigration. We have an immense amount of resources. We have an incredible coalition and we can answer and frame a question for any ostensible person to reduce overall immigration.”
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The author of this blog is so gullible. Or willfully ignorant.
And you are a white supremacist. The SPLC has helped many African Americans and other minority groups seek restitution from white supremacist groups, so anyone who demonizes them either has no idea what they are talking about or is a sympathizer of white supremacists, if not one themselves. Any way you cut it, you are wrong.
And as for your comment that NumbersUSA needs to "create the perception that there was a grassroots opposition to immigration reform" well, they don't need to create anything. Just read the polls. Talk to any non-elite out on the street. Even Rahm Emmanuel knows that a mass legalization plan is wildly unpopular -- that's why anarchists, pro-cheap labor organizations like the "Center for American Progress" are angered at him right now. He sees the writing on the wall.
I assume you are white, so why not know how to correctly spell words that are commonly used in the English language? Probably because you are backwards racist white supremacist scumbag.
See how easy that is? No misspellings.
I am going to kick in $20 to NumbersUSA right now.
I am sure you both will be donating some money, just as soon as you go by Stormfront to make sure there aren't any other white supremacist organizations in need of some cash.
Some people transcend their past associations. Some renounced Weathermen, the CPUSA etcetcetc. Ask your professors about their past and any regrets. Remember that most of them were at the bottom of the class scores and teach because they cannot compete in the outside world.
Your perception of the organization and or it's members as(archconservative tea party affiliates)is way off base."Herbert Spencer" said Contempt prior to investigation keeps a person in everlasting ignorance.
I look forward to your blog on LA RAZA or the Southern Poverty Law Center,then I will be able to see if my perception about your blogs are a reality!
Your perception of the organization and or it's members as(archconservative tea party affiliates)is way off base."Herbert Spencer" said Contempt prior to investigation keeps a person in everlasting ignorance.
I look forward to your blog on LA RAZA or the Southern Poverty Law Center,then I will be able to see if my perception about your blogs are a reality!
There is not just a perception of opposition to passing an amnesty the vast majority of our own citizens oppose it. Fredo does a good job of why behind the scenes many among our own business leaders, politicians and the other elites are trying to sell us out.
Illegal immigrants also contribute to the economy of the country they do not just get a free ride, lets not forget they come here to work not to leach. If there was to be a reform, all of those illegal immigrants would have to pay a lot of money to become a resident; then illegal immigrants would not only pick the fresh produces we all like but they may even help with our decaying economy the one that has $26 trillion dollar debt between the government and its people.
And by the way when have you seen a Mexican lady with kids and no husband?? kind of rare right? well welfare is only for single headed households and it would be important to take a look at the numbers, the recipients of welfare is divided like this 15% latinos, 38.8% whites and 39.8% blacks.
I'm sorry, honey, but you've got such a twisted view of things; you've been programmed to hate. Try and overcome it by questioning your teachers.
Even if the case was that the Indians displaced other people, the point remains valid, this is a land of immigrants, and that's all I'm saying; so your point comes right back to what I had said. This is no giving land to someone who was there before (like the moores in Spain). I have nothing against whites nor europeans, I'm white of Spanish and Italian descent, but you cannot have a blindfold and deny what has actually happened.
Grab a number of good history books, because this is not about me questioning teachers, this about finding out the reality by seeing both sides that is the only way to reach truth.
Hate is to promote something such as no immigrants because of what? why are latinos going to be welfare suckers? are you trying to say that they are not capable of contributing to the country? do you think that they are less? is that a fallacy such as to make generalizations of an entire group because of maybe just a 15%?
You are just a pathetic WATB.
Yes, Native Americans did migrate here...over 10,000 years ago, you pointy hatted freaks! If anyone has any right to say they are the actual "owners" of the land mass that makes up North America it is them.
As for the coded racist term "welfare queens" not being about race or ethnicity, I would believe it if it were ever applied to white women, who are part of the actual white majority ON welfare and other social safety net programs. Since it is only applied to people of a racial or ethnic origin outside of the dominant WASP majority in this country you tired, lame, and disingenuous arguments that this isn't about racial/ethnic bias is a complete crock. Your tired excuses for your perceived loss of white privilege is amazing. And if you were so righteous in your cause, why hold your meetings in secret? Why go over how to keep from using words like "babies" when discussing children born in this country to documented or undocumented immigrants? Because you know, deep down, you are the actual minority! You and your racist ideals are outmoded, but still you persist in believing that somehow it's the people of color who are to blame for your hard times. Grow up, quit blaming others, especially people of color, for your predicament, and learn how to live in a society.
I am so sick and tired of racist pieces of crap getting a free ride in this country! They don't even understand racism comes from a differential in power. No ethnic or racial minority is able to impose their will on you, much less oppress the white majority in this country. Go look the term racist up in a freaking dictionary, see how it applies to you and the privilege you are extended in this country based solely on you being white, and STFU!
Illegal or undocumented is not a race.
"Florida's mental health facilities spent $19.6 million to care for at least 86 undocumented immigrants counted during an informal November survey, and more unidentified illegal immigrants could be in custody, state officials said."--Cristina Silva, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
And how many white welfare queens did they care for and at what cost?
In healthcare, they do not receive government aid, nor can they participate in government subsidized programs.
In education, they are not eligible for financial aid - any government grants and/or loans- nor are they eligible for many scholarships. Oftentimes, they or their parents are paying their way through college by working many jobs.
Welfare does not service illegal aliens, as they are ineligible.
Illegal aliens often have to be more self-sufficient and self-sustaining, since they are ineligible for any government aid. They usually pay taxes, and do NOT get any government aid.
The problem here is that there are very few avenues for legalization. Because maintaining the status quo by ignoring them, or trying to kick them out through force is simply not going to work. Why not integrate them into society? If not an amnesty, giving incentives - such as requiring maintenance of certain GPA's in education, specific skills, etc., or economic requirements - paying a certain amount for legalization, would work to the country's benefit. At least far more so than having a continuously displaced community of people.
In regards to the myth of economic drain by immigrants, the facilities mentioned above is a different case. I'm assuming that those facilities house mentally-handicapped people who are no longer able to function at capacity. As such, several questions to ask would be whether any family members are paying to maintain those in custody, whether it detracts from the state, contextualizing it further, etc. At the very least, such cases as the mental facilities are few and far between.