Blogobarrio II
October 30, 2007Sorry for the delay in posting this second paseo por el blogobarrio.
“Adventures of the Coconut Caucus: We Put the PANIC in Hispanic” highlights a somewhat bizarre incident reported by the Frederick News-Post. The original article reads, in part:
“Mauricio R. Arellano and three friends were eager to get to Charles Town, W.Va. last December. They planned to spend a few hours gambling together at the casino.
“Since some of the men had been drinking before they left their houses in Anne Arundel County, Arellano, who was sober, agreed to drive. That decision ended up landing him in jail.
“As the men headed west on U.S. 340 at about 11:30 p.m., they were stopped by a deputy with the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.
“Why?
“The car Arellano was driving had too many air fresheners hanging from the rear view mirror, according to prosecutors.”
This is a new twist to Driving While Latino. The article goes on:
“Guy Djoken, president of the Frederick branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said members have questions about how the authority will be used. While they support deportation of illegal immigrants who have committed crimes, they want to ensure the civil rights of Hispanic residents are not violated.
“Some people seem to confuse being Hispanic with being an illegal immigrant or a criminal, Djoken said.
“… To help ensure profiling doesn’t occur, members of the Frederick County branch of the NAACP will meet today with the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.”
Adventures reacts to the article saying:
“Well, while the people at La Raza (which continues to call itself the largest Hispanic civil rights organization) are busy throwing galas to honor Alberto GONEzales and raising money from Wall-Mart, the NAACP is out defending our gente…”
“Good thing they have some time left over for us….”
Coincidentally, Tony’s Kansas City writes “Increasingly, in the Midwest politics is becoming a struggle that’s fought across racial lines. In Kansas, Blacks and Latinos are working together to challenge some of the more hostile legislation in the works.”
This article from the Journal Record in Oklahoma bolsters TKC’s argument as it mentions the local NAACP chapter’s opposition to the “Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act.”
The prolific TKC also writes about “Driving Dolores Huerta.” See here for background relevant to that post.
LatinaLista says “Anti-Latino rhetoric has become so rampant in the last few days that it rivals the speed and ferocity of the San Diego fires.”
Rahm Emanuel’s comments to the Washington Post about immigration being the “third rail of American politics” reverberated through el blogobarrio. Of América writes:
“Talk of a “third rail” coming from one of the top Democrats-one who is central to plotting strategy and raising money towards their 08 campaigns - is nothing less than dangerous. Such statements mean that candidates and incumbents not only need to stay away from immigration issues; such talk means that some Democrats will feel encouraged to follow the anti-immigrant path trod by some of their peers previously. Consider the crop of recently elected “pragmatists” like Montana’s Senator John Tester and Missouri’s Senator Claire McCaskill. Both ran to the hard right of even the most basic immigration reform earlier this year. And when the Dream Act came up for a vote Tuesday, they joined the Republicans in denying the Dream to immigrant students.”
Dos Centavos adds “It almost seems like Rahm Emanuel is getting set to allow Democrats to roll over and take it from the right-wing on immigration.”
Dos Centavos also writes about new immigration legislation that Congressman Sensenbrenner is planning to introduce:
“How the Democrats respond will be of interest. Will they do anything for a vote? Or will they take the Latino electorate seriously and fight?
“Meanwhile, keep an eye on Emanuel and the “leadership.”
On an entirely different topic, Babalú Blog cites
“another example of a Hollywood favorite that has not allowed himself to be blinded by the castro/che love-fest so popular on the left coast. In this question and answer session in the Charlotte Observer, actor/director/writer/producer John Waters even takes a stab at his Hollywood friends.
“Q. If the United States is destined to be the world’s policeman, where should we send our troops next — and why?
“A. To Cuba, to find the people who were mean to gay people and locked them up and punished them, just the way we (went after) the Nazis. We’re supposed to forget that? I can’t, and that’s the only thing I’m right-wing on; Che Guevara was horrible to gay people. And something about my rich liberal friends going to Cuba rubs me the wrong way, because Cuban people can’t do what we do there and spend the money we spend.”
And la última y nos vamos, “Mi blog es tu blog” riffs amusingly in response to an earlier item posted at La Política about independent presidential candidate Daniel Imperato:
“Frankly, I didn’t know Mr. Imperato before today, but he might want to take a cue from a bodega-owner in my neighborhood, José Liberato, whose shop’s slogan is simply brilliant: ‘Su nombre, José Liberato… Su destino, Vender Barato.’”
“Think about it, a combination with the presidential hopeful can result in a beautiful slogan for both, the bodega and the campaign:
“‘Su nombre, José Liberato… Su destino, Vender Barato… Su Candidato, Daniel Imperato!’”
