Bait

Obama Inc. saw the rather mild reinforcement of immigration law in Arizona coming and saw the opening that could create the contrast they want to present. By highlighting a border state’s decision to do what the federal government has refused to do – enforce immigration laws – led by a Republican legislature and Republican governor, they saw the opportunity to paint us as a wild bunch of xenophobes harassing minorities simply for the color of their skin. The rhetoric of the Al Sharptons, Shakiras (incidentally not an American citizen) and myriad angry and dishonest demagogues is over-the-top, phony, and embarrassing. (Daily Caller)

Then add in the Ministry of Truth that can’t tell the truth to save itself, because it doesn’t want to or is too lazy to care and you have a perfect storm of Orwellian proportions.

We cannot and must not take the bait and be conscious not to allow them to define us. And this will be very complicated because as mobs of activists protest in Arizona, the media will portray them as an appropriately outraged oppressed minority expressing their outrage over statutory racism while those Tea Party activists, well they are a violent bunch of white bigots burning crosses and preaching anarchy.

The Arizona law is not about race it is about the Rule of Law. You know the thing that differentiates right from wrong. To the Left, ignoring laws inconvenient to your political coalition is acceptable and the Right must be wise to keep the debate focused on the law and law-breaking.

The same with Independents. It’s a very Alinsky thing to do, what the left is doing.

They bait you, you take it, suddenly you’re what they say you are.

Sure, it’s childish, but that the Left for you.

San Jose, CA: Downtown business owners spent Sunday repairing shattered windows and doors after a May Day rally Saturday night turned into a riot with approximately 250 people marching along Pacific Avenue, some carrying makeshift torches, throwing large rocks and paint bombs, and spray-painting walls with graffiti.

Was it a Tea Party Rally? 🙂

At least 18 businesses suffered damage during the rally in honor of international workers that began at 9 p.m. and escalated into mayhem around 10:30 p.m., police said. Investigators estimated damage at $100,000, though some business owners said it could be more. No injuries were reported.

No!  It was Liberals! The Left celebrating the Communist May Day and Protesting Arizona.

Bet this wasn’t on CBS News with Katie Couric, or ABC or NBC.

It certainly would be on with the gusto and “outrage” if it had been a Tea Party.

But at least the San Jose Mercury News called it what it was, a riot.

That must have been a tough call.

You expect something diminutive like a “disturbance”.

Not a riot, that’s only reserved for Tea Parties.

Problem is, there never is one.

Clarence  B. Jones (Scholar in Residence, Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute at Stanford University): All of the protest is misdirected and at the wrong parties. Massive demonstrations should take place in front of the White House, Congress the Pentagon and the Embassy of Mexico in Washington demanding once and for all that our border with Mexico be closed, now; in lieu of immediate legalization of illegal immigrants. As Ross Douthat, columnist for the New York Times, wrote, “If you don’t like what Arizona just did, the answer isn’t to scream “fascist!” It’s to demand that the federal government do its job, so that we can have the immigration system that both Americans and immigrants deserve.”

And, now comes the irony or all ironies: The Government of Mexico has now issued an “advisory warning” to its citizens about the “risks” and potential “dangers” of traveling to Arizona. Hello! Did they ever issue such an “advisory warning” before the recent Arizona legislation about entering into Arizona or other parts of the United States as an illegal immigrant?

That is if you can get through the corrupt cops and the drug cartel shootouts. Then you really hit the dangerous part, Arizona! 😦

Byron York, Washington Examiner:

The New York Times and CBS have released results of a new poll about the Arizona immigration law.  This is how CBS reported its findings:

Despite their expectation that it will burden police departments and disproportionately affect certain ethnic groups, a slim majority of Americans believe the controversial illegal immigration measure recently signed into law in Arizona is “about right” in its approach, according to a newly-released CBS News/New York Times poll.

The Times reported the story this way:

[D]espite protests against Arizona’s stringent new immigration enforcement law, a majority of Americans support it, even though they say it may lead to racial profiling.

Both excerpts suggest that Times/CBS pollsters asked the question in a way that either incorporated criticism of the bill or mischaracterized its content, and sure enough, when you look up the question, you find this:

As you may know, the state of Arizona recently passed a law that gives the police the power to question anyone they suspect is in the country illegally, requires people to produce documents verifying their status if asked, and allows officers to detain anyone who cannot do so. Do you think this law goes too far in dealing with the issue of illegal immigration, doesn’t go far enough, or is it about right?

The question did not say that the law specifies that police questioning can take place only in the context of a “lawful stop, detention, or arrest.”  The question did not touch on the law’s use of the phrase “reasonable suspicion,” nor did it say that “produce documents” means producing a driver’s license, which is a familiar experience for most Americans.

Nevertheless, 51 percent of respondents said the bill is about right, while nine percent said it doesn’t go far enough, 34 percent said it goes too far and five percent didn’t know.  So while the 51 percent who believe the bill is about right is indeed a slim majority, it is only a slim majority when you don’t consider the nine percent who believe it doesn’t go far enough.  You could just as accurately say that 60 percent of those questioned say the bill is about right or doesn’t go far enough, while just 34 percent say it goes too far.

Breaking the question’s results down by party, solid majorities of both Republicans and independents either support the law or say it doesn’t go far enough.  For Republicans, the numbers are 67 percent support and nine percent doesn’t go far enough.  For independents, it’s 51 percent support and ten percent doesn’t go far enough.  Even among Democrats, there is significant support for the bill; 38 percent support it, while nine percent say it doesn’t go far enough.

As for the poll’s other results: 78 percent say the U.S. “could be doing more” to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the country; 89 percent say U.S. immigration policy should be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt; 65 percent say illegal immigration is a very serious problem; and 74 percent say the presence of illegal immigrants weakens the U.S. economy.

The message of the poll is that people support the Arizona law, even when it is described to them in a negative way.  Given what we have heard in the last week, critics of the law may conclude that they will have to yell “Nazi,” “fascist” and “police state” even louder to get their message across.

So don’t take the Bait.

Stand your ground.

Refuse to be Alinsky’d.