"Sensational" Sherri passes away

"Sensational" Sherri passes away

By Corey Clayton
Written: June 15, 2007

WWE is saddened to learn of the death of WWE Hall of Famer “Sensational” Sherri. She was 49.

She passed away at her mother’s home in Birmingham, Ala. Friday morning, according to her husband of 10 years, Robert Schrull.

“It’s a great loss to the wrestling world,” he told WWE.com. The couple resided in St. Petersburg, Fla.

In the early 1980s, Sherri began her career in the AWA. In 1985, she defeated Candi Devine to become the AWA Women’s Champion. Their rivalry lasted more than a year, with the championship trading hands on several occasions.

It was during this time that she began perfecting her skills as a manager, leading “Playboy” Buddy Rose and “Pretty Boy” Doug Somers to the AWA Tag Team Championship. On June 28, 1986, Martel would win the AWA Women’s Championship for a third and final time from Candi Devine.

On July 24, 1987, “Sensational” Sherri debuted in WWE, pinning her trainer and mentor the Fabulous Moolah to become Women’s Champion. Sherri defended the gold against Debbie Combs, Velvet McIntyre, and Desiree Peterson.

She quickly earned the reputation as someone who would do anything to win, even if it meant using unsavory tactics. Her rivalry with Moolah continued as they became the captains for the first-ever female Survivor Series teams in 1989. Sherri held the championship for 15 months before losing to Rockin’ Robin.

In the early ‘90s WWE phased out the Women’s Division, leaving Sherri to focus on managing the male wrestlers. Her first client was “Macho Man” Randy Savage. It was during this time that she became “Sensation Queen.”

The couple had rivals with Miss Elizabeth, Hulk Hogan, Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire. In 1991, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase enlisted her services. After that relationship dissolved, she took on the managerial duties of Shawn Michaels.

In 1994, Sherri appeared in WCW as “Sensuous” Sherri managing Ric Flair during his rivalries with Sting and Hulk Hogan. After separating from Flair, she became “Sister” Sherri guiding Harlem Heat to seven WCW Tag Team Championships.

Sherri was enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006. “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase was her presenter.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bill's Comment: It was nice to see her get into the WWE Hall of Fame while she was still with us. For those who follow or have followed professional wrestling recently, it has been unfortunate that a lot of the stars I grew up watching are leaving us way too soon. Thanks for the memories, Sherri.

Billy Graham's wife Ruth dies at 87

Billy Graham's wife Ruth dies at 87

By MIKE BAKER, Associated Press Writer
6 minutes ago

MONTREAT, N.C. - Ruth Graham, who surrendered dreams of missionary work in Tibet to marry a suitor who became the world's most renowned evangelist, died Thursday. She was 87. Graham died at 5:05 p.m. at her home at Little Piney Cove, surrounded by her husband and all five of their children, said a statement released by Larry Ross, Billy Graham's spokesman.

"Ruth was my life partner, and we were called by God as a team," Billy Graham said in a statement. "No one else could have borne the load that she carried. She was a vital and integral part of our ministry, and my work through the years would have been impossible without her encouragement and support."

"I am so grateful to the Lord that He gave me Ruth, and especially for these last few years we've had in the mountains together. We've rekindled the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper every day. I will miss her terribly, and look forward even more to the day I can join her in Heaven."

Ruth Graham had been bedridden for months with degenerative osteoarthritis of the back and neck — the result of a serious fall from a tree in 1974 while fixing a swing for grandchildren — and underwent treatment for pneumonia two weeks ago. At her request, and in consultation with her family, she had stopped receiving nutrients through a feeding tube for the last few days, Ross said.

A public memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at the Montreat Conference Center. A private interment service will be held the next day in Charlotte.

As Mrs. Billy Graham, Ruth Graham could lay claim to being the first lady of evangelical Protestantism, but neither exploited that unique status nor lusted for the limelight.

Behind the scenes, however, she was considered her husband's closest confidant during his spectacular global career — one rivaled only by her father, L. Nelson Bell, until his death in 1973.

"She would help my father prepare his messages, listening with an attentive ear, and if she saw something that wasn't right or heard something that she felt wasn't as strong as it could be, she was a voice to strengthen this or eliminate that," said her son, Franklin, who is now the head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

"Every person needs that kind of input in their life and she was that to my father."

Bell, a missionary doctor, headed the Presbyterian hospital in Qingjiang, China, that had been founded by the father of author Pearl Buck. Ruth grew up there and spent three high school years in what's now North Korea.

"What she witnessed in her family home, she practiced for herself — dependence on God in every circumstance, love for his word, concern for others above self, and an indomitable spirit displayed with a smile," said the Grahams' youngest daughter, also named Ruth.

Despite her reluctance to be a public personality herself, Ruth Graham met many of the powerful and famous through her husband — who was a spiritual adviser to presidents for decades. President and first lady Laura Bush called her a "remarkable woman of faith" who "inspired people around the world with her humor, intelligence, elegance, and kindness."

She met Billy Graham at Wheaton College in Illinois. He recalled in 1997 memoirs, "If I had not been smitten with love at first sight of Ruth Bell I would certainly have been the exception. Many of the men at Wheaton thought she was stunning."

Billy Graham courted her, managing to coax her away from the foreign missions calling and into marriage after both graduated in 1943. In 1945, after a brief stint pastoring a suburban Chicago congregation, he became a roving speaker for the fledgling Youth for Christ organization.

From that point onward she had to endure her husband's frequent absences, remarking, "I'd rather have a little of Bill than a lot of any other man."

Ruth Graham moved the couple into her parents' home in Montreat, where they had relocated after fleeing wartime China. She stayed in western North Carolina mountain town the rest of her life.

The young couple later bought their own house across the street from the Bells. Then in 1956, needing protection from gawkers, the Grahams moved into Little Piney Cove, a comfortably rustic mountainside home she designed using logs from abandoned cabins. It became Billy's retreat between evangelistic forays.

Though the wife of a famous Baptist minister, the independent-minded Ruth Graham declined to undergo baptism by immersion and remained a loyal, lifelong Presbyterian. When in Montreat, a town built around a Presbyterian conference center, Billy Graham would attend the local Presbyterian church where his wife often taught the college-age Sunday School class.

Due to her husband's travels, she bore major responsibility for raising the couple's five children: Franklin (William Franklin III), Nelson, Virginia, Anne and Ruth.

Ruth Graham was the author or co-author of 14 books, including collections of poetry and the autobiographical scrapbook "Footprints of a Pilgrim."

In 1996, the Grahams were each awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for "outstanding and lasting contributions to morality, racial equality, family, philanthropy, and religion."

Crime novelist Patricia Cornwell began her writing career with a Ruth Graham biography that depicted many deeds of personal charity. Cornwell said as a youth in Montreat she thought Ruth Graham "was the loveliest, kindest person ever born. I still do."

She helped establish the Ruth and Billy Graham Children's Health Center in Asheville, and the Billy Graham Training Center near Montreat.

Ruth Graham will be buried at the new Billy Graham Library in Charlotte — a source of apparent discord within the family last year. This week, Billy Graham said he and Ruth had decided "after much prayer and discussion" they would be laid to rest at the foot of a cross-shaped walkway in the library's prayer garden.

On the Net:
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_re_us/storytext/obit_ruth_graham/23394437/SIG=10sh15drv/*http://www.billygraham.org

Governor Schwarzenegger: "Turn Off Spanish TV"

Source: http://joomla.latinoreporterdigital.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=77&Itemid=31

Wednesday, 13 June 2007
By Ana Ley

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger touched on some of his signature issues – including immigration and the environment – in an appearance before hundreds of journalists at the California Theater in San Jose Wednesday night.

A panel of journalists peppered the governor with questions at an informal chat that was part of the National Association for Hispanic Journalists convention.

One issue that drew attention was Schwarzenegger’s comment on the need for immigrants to turn away from Spanish-language media in order to better assimilate in this country.

"You have to turn off the Spanish television set," the governor said. "I know this sounds odd, it’s not the politically correct thing to say, and I’m getting myself into trouble. But I know that when I came to this country, I did not or very rarely spoke German anymore."

His comments raised the ire of some in the audience.

"Hello, you’re at a convention with Spanish-language media," said University of Texas-El Paso student Fernanda Camarena, adding that the message seemed contradictory to the message of the convention.

Others said his comments reinforced the perception of him as a moderate Republican.

"He's compassionate about immigration, but he's no-nonsense about it," said Gustavo Arellano, a staff writer at the Orange County Weekly. "You can't peg him."

Schwarzenegger is credited with raising the state minimum wage and flexing his muscle on global warming issues. Some critics say he spends too much money and is too lenient on immigration issues.

Before tackling politics, Schwarzenegger was a businessman and "famous bodybuilder and a Hollywood action hero," according to a biography on his office's Web site.

Schwarzenegger: Hispanics should shun Spanish media to learn English

Source: http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/24190

By KEVIN YAMAMURA
Thursday, June 14, 2007

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told hundreds of Latino journalists that Spanish-speaking immigrants who want to learn English more quickly should shun various forms of Spanish-language media.

"You've got to turn off the Spanish television set," Schwarzenegger said Wednesday at the 25th annual National Association of Hispanic Journalists convention, which included many who produce Spanish-language material.

"It's that simple. You've got to learn English," he said. "I know this sounds odd and this is the politically incorrect thing to say and I'm going to get myself in trouble. But I know that when I came to this country, I very rarely spoke German to anyone."

The Republican governor, an Austrian immigrant, was responding to a question about how to improve Latino academic performance.

Schwarzenegger said tutoring and after-school programs are essential. But he emphasized that immigrants should avoid a diet of Spanish-language books, TV and newspapers in order to learn English, calling it a "drastic" but necessary step.

Schwarzenegger last year angered some Latino leaders by observing that Mexican immigrants have problems succeeding in the United States because "they try to stay Mexican." He hammered at the same point Wednesday in San Jose, saying that immigrants from Germany or France have an easier time learning English because they do not have many outlets to speak their native tongues.

"You're just forced to speak English, and that just makes you learn the language faster," Schwarzenegger said. "It is much more difficult and much more challenging when you are ... let's say, Latino. Because you have so many Latinos, as I see at the Capitol in Sacramento, there are so many Latinos who speak Spanish all the time, they speak to each other in Spanish. So it makes it difficult to perfect their English skills as quickly as possible."

"They're busy working," remarked panelist Pilar Marrero, political editor of the Spanish-language newspaper La Opinion. "They don't have time to."

Marrero seemed to grow visibly tense as Schwarzenegger made his case against Spanish-language media, and the governor apologized at one point after he said not to read Spanish-language newspapers.

She agreed later that Latin-American immigrants have a different experience than European newcomers. But she said those coming from Spanish-speaking countries do make an effort to learn English and that there are plenty of bilingual immigrant households.

"Spanish media is there to do what the English media doesn't do, which is to serve the immigrants," Marrero said afterward. "As he said, it's a political hot potato. I think he believes it, he thinks about his own experience. It's different when you come from Austria than when you come from Latin America."

During his 45-minute appearance, Schwarzenegger had a wide-ranging discussion moderated by Sacramento Bee Executive Editor Rick Rodriguez. The governor was generally received warmly by more than 300 journalists at the California Theatre in downtown San Jose and drew his biggest applause when promoting bipartisan themes.

The governor said he does not support the immigration bill that has stalled in Congress despite his repeated calls for an overhaul. He said the current bill lacks specifics on enforcement, financing and regulations for new immigrant arrivals, though he believes lawmakers are close to an agreement.

(Kevin Yamamura can be reached at kyamamura(at)sacbee.com.)

Flag Day

Source: http://holidayinsights.com/other/flagday.htm

When : June 14th

Flag Day, is a day for all Americans to celebrate and show respect for our flag, its designers and makers. Our flag is representative of our independence and our unity as a nation.....one nation, under God, indivisible. Our flag has a proud and glorious history. It was at the lead of every battle fought by Americans. Many people have died protecting it. It even stands proudly on the surface of the moon.

As Americans, we have every right to be proud of our culture, our nation, and our flag. So raise the flag today and every day with pride! 

Properly Display Our Flag

There is a right way and a wrong way to display the flag.  The American flag should be held in the highest of regards. It represents our nation and the many people who gave their lives for our country and our flag. Here are the basics on displaying  the American flag:

• The flag is normally flown from sunrise to sunset.
  
• In the morning, raise the flag briskly. At sunset, lower it slowly. Always, raise and lower it ceremoniously.
  
• The flag should not be flown at night without a light on it.
  
• The flag should not be flown in the rain or inclement weather.
  
• After a tragedy or death, the flag is flown at half staff for 30 days. It's  called "half staff" on land ,and "half mast" on a ship.
  
• When flown vertically on a pole, the stars and blue field , or "union", is at the top and at the end of the pole (away from your house).
  
• The American flag is always flown at the top of the pole. Your state flag and other flags fly below it.
  
• The union is always on top. When displayed in print, the stars and blue field are always on the left.
  
• Never let your flag touch the ground, never...period.
  
• Fold your flag when storing. Don't just stuff it in a drawer or box.
  
•  When your flag is old and has seen  better days, it is time to retire it. Old flags should be burned or buried. Please do not throw it in the trash.
  

Did you Know? There is a very special ceremony for retiring the flag by burning it. It is a ceremony everyone should see.Your local Boy Scout group knows the proper ceremony and performs it on a regular basis. If you have an old flag, give it to them. And, attend the ceremony. 

---

Famous Flag People:

Betsy Ross was a seamstress who made clothes for George Washington. In June, 1776, Washington approached her to make the country's first flag and the rest is history.

Francis Scott Key Inspired by the British bombardment of Fort McHenry, Francis Scott Key penned the lyrics to our national anthem as he witnessed the event as British rockets whizzed in the air while our American Flag flew in the breeze

Did you Know? If you like to study flags, then you are a Vexillologist!

Illegals don't merit any rewards by Tom Joyner

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/columns/story/603212.html

CARY - Simply put, George W. Bush is wrong when it comes to pushing the current immigration reform bill and The News & Observer is wrong when it comes to suggesting that illegal aliens should be accommodated because they are a vital part of the work force in several states.

No country can be secure unless its borders are secure, and ours are a long way from secure as is evidenced by the continual flow of illegal immigrants. Those who crossed our borders illegally should not benefit from that transgression by leaping to the front of the line while others who applied to enter our country legally and who have waited patiently for approval continue to resist any effort to circumvent our laws.

We've been through this before when amnesty was made a part of the process for millions of illegal aliens among us. Now there is a cry for 12 million more, "many of them families" to be rewarded for their ability to slip over our borders undetected and throw open their door to family members who follow. Our hospital emergency rooms, among other services, are swamped with their demands for medical services at great cost to the American taxpayer.

Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation examined this immigration bill that the president is pushing and found that, "Particularly as it applies to millions of low-skilled illegals (50 percent to 60 percent of whom are high-school dropouts) who would be permitted to remain in the United States" the cost to American taxpayers would be $2.3 trillion to $2.5 trillion over the next few decades.

While our country does need workers, these workers also need our jobs, and we should create laws to allow them to come here to work and be paid in a fair manner without being exploited by greedy employers. Beyond that they are not entitled to call America home until they respect our borders, apply for legal entry, make an effort to learn English and intend to assimilate into American society.

Congress does owe it to the American people and to legal immigrants to face this challenge honestly, but Congress does not owe those who chose to disrespect our borders anything except a clear, unambiguous understanding of their right to apply for workers permits and to make more money working in the United States than they can make in Mexico. Beyond that they consider themselves Mexican citizens and so should we.

For those who choose to seek citizenship in America legally, we should welcome their intentions and treat them with respect, just as we should treat everyone who seeks to join with us in continuing to build the greatest country in the history of the world. That has been the history of the immigrants who came before them and whose accomplishments and contributions we have long acknowledged.

(Tom Joyner of Cary is a former Triangle-based radio talk show host.)

Earnhardt Jr. to announce future plans on Wednesday

Earnhardt Jr. to announce future plans on Wednesday

By Jenna Fryer, The Associated Press
June 12, 2007
02:11 PM EDT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. has decided where he will drive next season, and all signs point to Hendrick Motorsports.

NASCAR's most popular driver called a Wednesday news conference at his race shop, JR Motorsports, and spokesman Mike Davis said it was to announce his plans for 2008 and beyond.

It's the same site where Junior announced May 10 he would leave DEI and enter the free-agent market.

That move ignited a whirlwind of recruiting rarely scene in NASCAR, and there's been nonstop talk regarding where Earnhardt would end up. He's made shop visits and met with various car owners while he trying to make a decision.

His sister, Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, is handling his negotiations and has maintained their first choice was to keep Earnhardt in a Chevrolet. She has said the majority of her conversations have been with NASCAR's top Chevy teams.

Hendrick is the best in NASCAR right now, with 10 wins through the first 14 points races this season.

Speculation grew Monday night that Earnhardt was close to a deal with Hendrick, but officials declined comment Tuesday. Elledge did not respond to messages from The Associated Press.

Rick Hendrick currently has four drivers under contract, and told the AP last month "there was no room at the inn'' for Earnhardt. NASCAR rules permit a car owner to field four Nextel Cup teams.

But multiple sources -- speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because Earnhardt's plans have not been announced -- said Hendrick officials have been working for nearly three weeks to figure out how to bring the star driver into the fold. One scenario could put Earnhardt into the No. 5 car that Kyle Busch currently drives.

Busch is under contract through 2008, and Hendrick has said he wanted to sign the 22-year-old driver to an extension. But there are rumblings Busch has asked to be released from his contract.

Asked if that was true, Hendrick spokesman Jesse Essex said, "We don't comment on contractual issues.''

Busch was testing in Milwaukee on Tuesday and not available to comment.

It's still possible Earnhardt could end up at Richard Childress Racing, where his father won six of his seven championships, or Joe Gibbs Racing. But Childress is out of the country, and the assistant to Gibbs president J.D. Gibbs said Gibbs is away all week.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Update (June 13, 2007; 11:06 AM): It was just announced that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will be driving for Hendrick Motorsports, starting in 2008. Hendrick Motrsports owner Rick Hendrick said that Earnhardt, Jr. has agreed to a five-year contract. At this time, there is no announcement in regards to either sponsorship or to as which number he will be driving. Mr. Hendrick also said that Kyle Busch, the current driver of the number five (#5) Kellogg's/CarQuest Chevrolet, will be exploring opportunities for a future ride.

I will provide further details regarding as soon as I am able to. The dominos for the NASCAR "Silly Season" should start to fall. Stay tuned, the soap opera continues.

Dennis Miller Puts Harry Reid In His Place

Source: http://hotair.com/archives/2007/06/10/video-dennis-miller-goes-nuclear-on-harry-reid/

If Rasmussen’s right, this should resonate broadly.

Click source link above to see the video of Dennis Miller putting Harry Reid in his place on "The 1/2 Hour News Hour" from Sunday, June 10, 2007

How Eisenhower solved illegal border crossings from Mexico By John Dillin

Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0706/p09s01-coop.html

July 6, 2006

WASHINGTON – George W. Bush isn't the first Republican president to face a full-blown immigration crisis on the US-Mexican border.

Fifty-three years ago, when newly elected Dwight Eisenhower moved into the White House, America's southern frontier was as porous as a spaghetti sieve. As many as 3 million illegal migrants had walked and waded northward over a period of several years for jobs in California, Arizona, Texas, and points beyond.

President Eisenhower cut off this illegal traffic. He did it quickly and decisively with only 1,075 United States Border Patrol agents - less than one-tenth of today's force. The operation is still highly praised among veterans of the Border Patrol.

Although there is little to no record of this operation in Ike's official papers, one piece of historic evidence indicates how he felt. In 1951, Ike wrote a letter to Sen. William Fulbright (D) of Arkansas. The senator had just proposed that a special commission be created by Congress to examine unethical conduct by government officials who accepted gifts and favors in exchange for special treatment of private individuals.

General Eisenhower, who was gearing up for his run for the presidency, said "Amen" to Senator Fulbright's proposal. He then quoted a report in The New York Times, highlighting one paragraph that said: "The rise in illegal border-crossing by Mexican 'wetbacks' to a current rate of more than 1,000,000 cases a year has been accompanied by a curious relaxation in ethical standards extending all the way from the farmer-exploiters of this contraband labor to the highest levels of the Federal Government."

Years later, the late Herbert Brownell Jr., Eisenhower's first attorney general, said in an interview with this writer that the president had a sense of urgency about illegal immigration when he took office.

America "was faced with a breakdown in law enforcement on a very large scale," Mr. Brownell said. "When I say large scale, I mean hundreds of thousands were coming in from Mexico [every year] without restraint."

Although an on-and-off guest-worker program for Mexicans was operating at the time, farmers and ranchers in the Southwest had become dependent on an additional low-cost, docile, illegal labor force of up to 3 million, mostly Mexican, laborers.

According to the Handbook of Texas Online, published by the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas State Historical Association, this illegal workforce had a severe impact on the wages of ordinary working Americans. The Handbook Online reports that a study by the President's Commission on Migratory Labor in Texas in 1950 found that cotton growers in the Rio Grande Valley, where most illegal aliens in Texas worked, paid wages that were "approximately half" the farm wages paid elsewhere in the state.

Profits from illegal labor led to the kind of corruption that apparently worried Eisenhower. Joseph White, a retired 21-year veteran of the Border Patrol, says that in the early 1950s, some senior US officials overseeing immigration enforcement "had friends among the ranchers," and agents "did not dare" arrest their illegal workers.

Walt Edwards, who joined the Border Patrol in 1951, tells a similar story. He says: "When we caught illegal aliens on farms and ranches, the farmer or rancher would often call and complain [to officials in El Paso]. And depending on how politically connected they were, there would be political intervention. That is how we got into this mess we are in now."

Bill Chambers, who worked for a combined 33 years for the Border Patrol and the then-called US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), says politically powerful people are still fueling the flow of illegals.

During the 1950s, however, this "Good Old Boy" system changed under Eisenhower - if only for about 10 years.

In 1954, Ike appointed retired Gen. Joseph "Jumpin' Joe" Swing, a former West Point classmate and veteran of the 101st Airborne, as the new INS commissioner.

Influential politicians, including Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson (D) of Texas and Sen. Pat McCarran (D) of Nevada, favored open borders, and were dead set against strong border enforcement, Brownell said. But General Swing's close connections to the president shielded him - and the Border Patrol - from meddling by powerful political and corporate interests.

One of Swing's first decisive acts was to transfer certain entrenched immigration officials out of the border area to other regions of the country where their political connections with people such as Senator Johnson would have no effect.

Then on June 17, 1954, what was called "Operation Wetback" began. Because political resistance was lower in California and Arizona, the roundup of aliens began there. Some 750 agents swept northward through agricultural areas with a goal of 1,000 apprehensions a day. By the end of July, over 50,000 aliens were caught in the two states. Another 488,000, fearing arrest, had fled the country.

By mid-July, the crackdown extended northward into Utah, Nevada, and Idaho, and eastward to Texas.

By September, 80,000 had been taken into custody in Texas, and an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 illegals had left the Lone Star State voluntarily.

Unlike today, Mexicans caught in the roundup were not simply released at the border, where they could easily reenter the US. To discourage their return, Swing arranged for buses and trains to take many aliens deep within Mexico before being set free.

Tens of thousands more were put aboard two hired ships, the Emancipation and the Mercurio. The ships ferried the aliens from Port Isabel, Texas, to Vera Cruz, Mexico, more than 500 miles south.

The sea voyage was "a rough trip, and they did not like it," says Don Coppock, who worked his way up from Border Patrolman in 1941 to eventually head the Border Patrol from 1960 to 1973.

Mr. Coppock says he "cannot understand why [President] Bush let [today's] problem get away from him as it has. I guess it was his compassionate conservatism, and trying to please [Mexican President] Vincente Fox."

There are now said to be 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens in the US. Of the Mexicans who live here, an estimated 85 percent are here illegally.

Border Patrol vets offer tips on curbing illegal immigration

One day in 1954, Border Patrol agent Walt Edwards picked up a newspaper in Big Spring, Texas, and saw some startling news. The government was launching an all-out drive to oust illegal aliens from the United States. The orders came straight from the top, where the new president, Dwight Eisenhower, had put a former West Point classmate, Gen. Joseph Swing, in charge of immigration enforcement. General Swing's fast-moving campaign soon secured America's borders - an accomplishment no other president has since equaled. Illegal migration had dropped 95 percent by the late 1950s. Several retired Border Patrol agents who took part in the 1950s effort, including Mr. Edwards, say much of what Swing did could be repeated today. "Some say we cannot send 12 million illegals now in the United States back where they came from. Of course we can!" Edwards says. Donald Coppock, who headed the Patrol from 1960 to 1973, says that if Swing and Ike were still running immigration enforcement, "they'd be on top of this in a minute." William Chambers, another '50s veteran, agrees. "They could do a pretty good job" sealing the border. Edwards says: "When we start enforcing the law, these various businesses are, on their own, going to replace their [illegal] workforce with a legal workforce." While Congress debates building a fence on the border, these veterans say other actions should have higher priority. 1. End the current practice of taking captured Mexican aliens to the border and releasing them. Instead, deport them deep into Mexico, where return to the US would be more costly. 2. Crack down hard on employers who hire illegals. Without jobs, the aliens won't come. 3. End "catch and release" for non-Mexican aliens. It is common for illegal migrants not from Mexico to be set free after their arrest if they promise to appear later before a judge. Few show up. The Patrol veterans say enforcement could also be aided by a legalized guest- worker program that permits Mexicans to register in their country for temporary jobs in the US. Eisenhower's team ran such a program. It permitted up to 400,000 Mexicans a year to enter the US for various agriculture jobs that lasted for 12 to 52 weeks.

John Dillin is former managing editor of the Monitor.

Since Operation Wetback

Excerpt from Juan Mann's Time For Operation Wetback II

February 8, 2003

In the good old days under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, with a deportation system relying on Special Inquiry Officers for hearings, the federal government was able actually to deport, voluntarily return or scare off possibly over 1 million illegal aliens from Mexico over about a year during Operation Wetback. In Texas, the federal government deported illegal aliens on trucks, busses and even by ship from South Texas to the port of Veracruz, Mexico, in 1954.

But law enforcement under the 1952 Immigration Act has given way to illegal alien "rights." What was once a streamlined deportation system is now a federal litigation bureaucracy called the Executive Office for Immigration Review – the EOIR – spawned in 1983.

Instead of men with guns detaining and deporting people who have no legal right to be in the country, the EOIR of the new millennium offers a revolving door for detention, a deportation abyss and permanent amnesty for illegal aliens and criminal alien residents. The EOIR is not set up to actually deport illegal aliens, as I have been pointing out since 9/11.

So if the deportation system has been sabotaged with bureaucracy over the years, and there are 8.4 million illegal aliens running around, what is to keep things from getting worse?

Peter Brimelow already answered the question ten years ago in a postscript to his National Review article, “Time to Rethink Immigration?” — by quoting a Washington Post article from May 6, 1992.

"At a Cabinet meeting today, Attorney General William P. Barr said nearly one-third of the first 6,000 [Los Angeles] riot suspects arrested and processed through the court system were illegal aliens, according to a senior Administration official. Barr has not proposed any special effort to have them deported, a Justice Department spokesman said."

The answer: there's nothing to keep things from getting worse – much worse.

It’s time for a second Operation Wetback. The first step: reform deportation procedures. And that requires getting the idea through the thick skulls of the American elite.

Juan Mann, a lawyer, is the proprietor of DeportAliens.com

Illegals Must Go - Two Ways To Do it

"How will we deport them all?"

Source: http://www.federalistjournal.com/fedblog/?p=2732

April 11, 2006

Today on his radio program, Dennis Prager asked the question "how do we deport 12 million people?" The question is a common one, and is asked as if it were an unanswerable question, when in fact the answer is simple. We're already deporting them. The problem is the continued inflow.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, which now handles border enforcement, over a million people a year are going back home now:

In 2004, in summary:

*DHS apprehended an estimated 1,241,089 foreign nationals. Ninety-two percent were natives of Mexico.
*There were 58,727 investigations initiated and 46,656 closed for immigration related activities including crime, compliance enforcement, work site enforcement, identity and benefit fraud, alien smuggling, and counter terrorism.
*ICE detained approximately 235,247 foreign nationals for a minimum of 24 hours.
*There were 202,842 foreign nationals formally removed from the United States. The leading countries of origin of formal removals were Mexico (73 percent), Guatemala (4.1 percent) and Honduras (4.0 percent). More than 1,035,000 other foreign nationals accepted an offer of voluntary departure.
*Expedited removals accounted for 41,752 or 21 per-cent of all formal removals.
*DHS removed 88,897 criminal aliens from the United States. The majority of criminal aliens (68,771 or 77 percent) were from Mexico.

At that rate, 12 million people would be removed in a decade, with no additional effort or new legislation. If at the same time the inflow were mostly curtailed, then the issue is resolved.

Note that we are not advocating here that every illegal alien be deported. We're only answering the "how can we?" question. Whether all 12 million should be deported is a separate question.

More:
Michelle Malkin
The Washington Post
Memeorandum


Deport Them All? No? But, Get Them To Leave Through Attrition? Yes.

Source: http://www.rightwingnews.com/mt331/2007/05/deport_them_all_no_but_get_the.php

by John Hawkins

May 4, 2007

There's a headline over at Drudge that says, "CNN'S DOBBS ON '60 MINUTES': U.S. COULD DEPORT ALL ILLEGALS."

Here's the quote,

"Dobbs is against amnesty programs for illegal immigrants and the president's guest worker proposal, so Stahl wonders whether Dobbs thinks the government could deport all illegal immigrants. "I've never called for their deportation,"says Dobbs. "But at the same time, when this president and open-borders, illegal-alien-amnesty advocates say, 'You can't deport them,' my answer is, 'You want to bet?' because this is the United States. I think this country can do anything it sets its mind to," he tells Stahl."

Realistically, you can't run them all down. However, if you...

#1) Crack down on the businesses that are hiring them so they can't get jobs.
#2) Deny illegals everything but emergency medical service.
#3) Aggressively attempt to enforce the laws and deport illegals whenever they're caught.
#4) Change the law so that a baby born to two people here illegally isn't an American citizen (which, after researching it a bit, I do think is Constitutional).

...You will get rid of 90-95% of the illegals that are here, not because we will catch each and every one, slap the cuffs on them, and send them home, but because they will self-deport.

Most illegals are here to get jobs and most business owners aren't willing to risk jail to hire illegals. So, if you start making examples of businesses that hire illegals, the other business owners will get cold feet, stop hiring illegals, and that will take away the magnet that draws illegals here. Then, #2, #3, and #4 will make sure they get the idea that they're not wanted.

Combine the two policies and you put an end to the illegal alien problem except for a few criminals, drug runners, stragglers, etc. That's not to say every illegal alien would be gone, but so many of them would that illegal immigration would cease to be a big issue.

The Reagan Diaries...more to come

Source: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/4842166.html

May 28, 2007, 11:41PM
Q&A
Reagan was a pragmatic conservative, says historian

By FRITZ LANHAM
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

Historian Douglas Brinkley has written on everything from Hurricane Katrina to Jack Kerouac to civil rights icon Rosa Parks, but presidential history has always been one of his passions. He's produced biographies of Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter as well as a book on presidential hopeful John Kerry's Vietnam War experiences.

The Reagan Diaries is the latest from the prolific Brinkley, who in July joins the history department at Rice University. The 767-page Diaries represents a substantial selection from the daily record Ronald Reagan kept during his White House years. Brinkley was selected to edit it after his 2005 book about the D-Day assault on Pointe du Hoc, France, won the admiration of former California Gov. Pete Wilson and Nancy Reagan. Mrs. Reagan, who's custodian of the diaries, had the final say.

Brinkley, who will sign The Reagan Diaries at Brazos Bookstore today, discussed the book with Chronicle books editor Fritz Lanham.

Q. What are some of the things you learned about Ronald Reagan that you didn't know, some of the things that surprised you?

A. I always knew he was a conservative, but I learned more and more that he was a pragmatic conservative. He had a firm vision of where he wanted to lead the country in regard to fighting communism and cutting taxes, among other things. But he was highly practical in achieving results, meaning he was always willing to compromise with Democrats and negotiate with adversaries.

You see the man who calls the Soviet Union the Evil Empire and says, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall," working constantly behind the scenes to try to get sweeping arms reductions with that same adversary. It's across the board. He's very close to Tip O'Neill and Ted Kennedy and personally likes them. He holds no malice toward his adversaries. The only person he really can't handle is (Moammar) Gadhafi of Libya.

Reagan as statesman lives by the adage "never paint your adversary into a corner." I didn't know that about him.

Q. What are some of the things that are left out of the diaries, some of the things you'd like to have known more about and don't find there?

A. I edited my condensed version so that the average Joe can read it like a book, from beginning to end, in a manageable-sized volume. But in 18 months I'm bringing out in three volumes the complete diaries, which will probably be in a boxed set. That will be annotated more heavily and with a larger glossary and will be the definitive diaries.

Q. I was really wondering if there are things that Reagan doesn't address in his diaries that you would like to have seen addressed?

A. He left behind so much writing for a president that it's hard to quibble if something is not there. The truth is I had the opposite problem — so much material, and it's very hard to edit a president who's writing while in power. This is real-time prose. I had to make some severe cuts on domestic and energy policy, for example, just because there wasn't room. I favored Reagan and foreign policy in this volume.

Q. What does his prose style reveal about Reagan the man?

A. Mrs. Reagan is very clear he kept this diary for his own edification. He did not maintain a diary when he was governor of California and regretted he didn't. So when he beat Jimmy Carter in 1980 he decided to keep a diary as president, for himself.

There's no attempt here at literary flair or trying to be a master wordsmith. He's not Thomas Jefferson or Theodore Roosevelt. On the other hand, it takes a lot of self-discipline to maintain a diary like this. His prose is unadorned, straightforward and in some cases self-deprecating. And it works. You don't get annoyed at him. You never feel he's adding icing on the cake. You start trusting the diaries.

Q. As a contribution to the history of the American presidency, how important are these diaries?

A. It's incalculable how important they are for anyone wanting to study Cold War history. You can't really write about the Reagan years without footnoting these diaries, because it's really what Reagan is thinking at the time he's thinking it. In that regard it's a major primary source.

Q. Did he have any inkling the Soviet empire would collapse when it did and as precipitously as it did?

A. A couple of things struck me. How quickly he focused on squaring off with the Soviet Union. He witnessed three Soviet leaders die, and then Gorbachev appears on the horizon. He was slow to realize Gorbachev was this progenitor of change. He still viewed the Soviet Union with great suspicion.

But Reagan was always worried about Armageddon. This comes out of his religious beliefs, which are in the diary. He's terrified about war in the Middle East and a nuclear holocaust with the Soviet Union. So he decides in his presidency to address those two issues very carefully.

It's one of the reasons I believe he pulled the Marines out of Lebanon in 1983, recognizing that he wasn't going to get stuck in a war in the Middle East. It's a reason he worked with people like James Baker and George Shultz to reduce nuclear weapons. On his watch, he achieved those two goals.

At the end of the diaries there's a fascinating [entry] where Margaret Thatcher comes to the United States and Reagan says, in his own way, that "Thatcher's telling everybody I'm the guy who changed the world." Reagan was too humble to claim that himself, but by writing what Thatcher said he shows he had a recognition that he was an extremely important president.

There is no indication that he knew the Berlin Wall was going to come down a year after he left office or the Soviet Union would collapse a couple of years later. But he did recognize that he had changed the world, that he was more than a custodian president. That he would have a significant place in the annals of history.

fritz.lanham@chron.com

Bill O'Reilly's Fair Illegal Immigration Plan

Source: http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100007214&docId=l:624368325&start=1

Friday, June 8, 2007

The O'Reilly Factor Video of Impact Memo

"Impact" segment tonight. The Senate immigration bill goes down. That's the subject of this evening's "Talking Points Memo."

The Senate completely blew this. They're at fault. The American people don't want an 800 page immigration bill loaded with a bunch of bullfeathers. The folks want clarity and a fair deal.

So it's no surprise the Senate's deal collapsed into chaos. And that is a bad thing for America, because now we'll have more of the same. Millions of people trying to sneak into the country and the Feds having no idea who is here and what they're doing.

So right now, I'm going to give you the no spin immigration solution. It is simple because, as you know, I am a simple man. There are just four components. One, secure the southern border with 700, not 300 miles of barrier, double the border patrol and back them up with 10,000 National Guards people. That would effectively shut down human and drug smuggling from Mexico.

Two, require all illegal aliens in the country right now to register at the post office with Homeland Security. After registering, they would be given a tamper proof ID card, designating their status and their right to work temporarily in the USA. If the illegal aliens do not register, it's a criminal felony. Right now sneaking across the border is a civil action. Remember that. Subjecting the person to immediate deportation or jail time. The criminal penalty goes way up.

Three, any business that hires an illegal worker who doesn't have a tamper proof ID card faces draconian fines and possible prison time for the executives.

And four, each illegal alien would have his case reviewed by federal authorities. And they would decide who would receive a Z-visa to stay and who would not. That takes the blanket amnesty, something many American hate, off the table. It also allows the Feds to make rational decisions about who's helping America and who isn't.

Under that banner, no illegal alien who commits a crime while here would be allowed to stay. Also under that program, no welfare of any kind would be paid to folks here illegally. They have to work for their living.

Now that is a fair immigration plan that I believe would be acceptable to most Americans. It would also allow the Feds to quickly build a database, so Homeland Security would know the extent of the alien intrusion, which we don't know now. Again, any illegal alien who didn't cooperate with the new law would immediately become an outlaw. And immediate action could be taken against that non-citizen who doesn't comply. That would end the sanctuary city madness and give the federal government more tools to regain control over this out of control situation.

So there you have it -- a fair plan to give good people a chance to stay here and earn citizenship down the road, but a plan that also protects Americans. The no spin immigration plan is, again, one page and not 800 pages. And it would work. And that's the "Memo."

Joyce Comments: We should give prisoners the job of picking lettuce and those other jobs we supposedly don't want to do. Think of it, most of them are able-bodied and are not doing anything else at the moment. When you look at the costs of bringing all these people here - in terms of health care, education, crime rates, etc - if we started a program where people who were serving time did those jobs, as part of their sentence - think how much our society would save in money alone. Mr. O'Reilly's plan sounds similar to this one below, except a little softer:

1. Border security first and foremost.

2.Enact strict workplace/ hiring enforcement. No one gets paid "off the books".

3. Next, deal with a guest worker program. These would be temporary work visas. If the "guests" overstay their time by more than 30 days, they will be deported immediately. They will lose their "guest worker status". There is no compelling reason to link guest workers with a "pathway to citizenship" as we already have a LEGAL means to do so.

4. Make the LEGAL emigration process more efficient. Should there be any “guest workers” who wish to apply for US citizenship, they can go through existing legal channels, they can start at the END of the line, behind those who are willingly obeying the current laws.

5.Offer illegals that are in the US now temporary resident cards, to be reviewed every 5 to 7 years if they “register”. No voting rights. No pathway to citizenship.
If they commit violent crimes and / or other felonies they will be deported and permanently banned from re entering the US.
All those who willingly chose not to register will be deported. They have a choice to make.

No amnesty (automatic pathway to citizenship for illegals).