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 Post subject: Frankfort debates illegal immigration
PostPosted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 1:10 pm 
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To give you some background on what has been going on in Frankfort, here are several articles.

You may have already read the following Indy Star article about rolling up the welcome mat. It was posted in our forum under General Discussion and gives a good, general overview.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a ... /710210403
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Problems with Latino gangs helped bring this issue to a head:

9/4/2007 1:42:00 PM

Six Men Charged in Connection with Shooting

Kate Meadows
Staff writer

Exactly one year after a reported drive-by shooting near West Freeman and Third streets, six men are being charged in connection with what police believe could be gang-related criminal activity.

Four of the men appeared for an initial hearing in Clinton Circuit Court this morning. They are: Bladimir Martinez, Juan Lucio, Andrew Castillo and Kyle L. Duckworth.

Kyle W. Williams was scheduled to be arraigned at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. Another man, Marcos Salinas, will be arraigned later this week, according to attorneys.

Clinton County Prosecutor Anthony Sommer said this morning that the shooting possibly centered around members of one gang shooting at members of a rival gang.

"What this amounts to is big city crime in a small town," Sommer said.

On Sept. 4, 2006, Frankfort Police Sgt. Troy Bacon was patrolling the area around Third Street Park when his squad car was reportedly shot at least once in the ensuing activity.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Bacon had observed shots being fired from a goldish-brown vehicle, toward a house at 905 Third St. Bacon's vehicle was reportedly shot at when he activated his emergency lights.

The men in the vehicle - Martinez, Lucio and Castillo - were reportedly armed and had fired shots toward the house. They later fled, along with Williams, who was believed to be the driver.

Detective Bill Hackerd later located the abandoned vehicle and found five shell casings on the floor.

Lucio faces three counts of attempted murder, along with 10 other related charges. He was transported to Clinton Circuit Court today from the Hamilton County Jail, where he is awaiting trial on other murder charges pending in Hamilton County.

Martinez and Castillo face similar charges.

Williams faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder, criminal recklessness by shooting a firearm into an occupied dwelling and conspiracy to commit criminal recklessness.

Duckworth and Salinas each face one count of assisting a criminal, a Class C felony. Police believe they aided Williams in retrieving his vehicle following the shooting.

Sommer said this morning it is debatable whether Bacon was in the wrong place at the wrong time or in the right place at the right time, given his profession.

All men are believed to be members of the Latin Kings gang.

http://www.ftimes.com/main.asp?Search=1 ... ID=244&S=1

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Since that article, Mayor Stock created a committee to explore the issue of illegal immigration. The first meeting had the room divided in two. On one half, a power point presentation was given in English and on the other half, it was given in Spanish.

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http://www.ftimes.com/print.asp?Article ... tionID=244

Friday, September 28, 2007

Chamber, PIP Urge Crack Down on Illegal 'People'

JANIS THORNTON
Managing Editor

Friday, September 28, 2007
CLINTON COUNTY POPULATION GROWTH
1990:

30,974 - White

453 - Hispanic

2000:

33,886 - White

2,478 - Hispanic

Source: U.S. Census Bureau Web site
________________________________________

Some might say they're mad as heck and they won't take it anymore.

But spokesmen for the Clinton County Chamber of Commerce and the county's economic development board, Partners in Progress, said Thursday they just want to build support for positive change concerning a long-simmering issue: illegal immigration.

The boards contend that a "flood" of undocumented immigrants into the county has created a burden here.

In a letter written to community leaders that was released late last week, the boards say it is time to "alter the conditions that make Clinton County a comfortable and inviting place for illegal people to reside."

The letter, which does not bear names of the individuals serving on the two boards, lists four recommendations. Three urge the county officials to follow local, state and federal laws as they apply to immigrants. The fourth encourages support of the South Frankfort Historic District.

The Times received a copy of the letter too late to include in the Sept. 22 edition. It will, however, run in Saturday's Letters to the Editor.

"We felt it was time for this segment of the citizenry to bring this matter to the surface," PIP President Joe Doan told The Times on Thursday, "so there can be more discussion about it and encourage public officials that they're not going to be standing out there alone if they take measures to enforce the law."

Rosa Martinez, assistant director of Hispanic Community Services, said she had not seen a copy of the letter.

"I cannot comment on anything I haven't read," Martinez said.

Mayor Don Stock said he was aware of the letter before it was sent, and he believes it is time to work on finding solutions to the illegal immigration problem on the local front.

"We agree with the Chamber and PIP boards, that were dealing with the word 'illegal,'" said Stock, who himself is a member of PIP.

The word "illegal," in itself, sets the tone of the letter, said Shan Sheridan, the chamber's assistant director.

"That is the whole defining root of the letter," Sheridan added. "It's about the legality of living in this country: Are you a legal resident or are you illegally here?"

The letter contends that although "many illegal people are hard-working and kind, the presence of illegal people also creates issues of overcrowding, street gangs, violent crime, identity theft, false identity and lack of appropriate insurance."

It also states, "This illegal presence taxes the resources of our Clinton County public safety agencies, schools, health care providers and social service agencies."

The assertions are not supported with statistics, however. Doan said they were drawn from police reports and the experience of some people who sit on the boards.

"For example," he said, "I am an insurance agent. We see (the number of uninsured motorists) rising. That cost is passed on to everybody else who buys insurance."

Discussion among the approximate 30 members of the two boards started early this summer, said Chamber President Jim Need.

Chamber CEO Gina Sheets researched citizenship and naturalization laws before she wrote the first draft of the letter, Sheridan said.

"After literally weeks of research, the letter started coming together," he said.

The letter was presented to the boards' members with a request for their input, Doan said, and went through several revisions.

"Changes were put in and taken out, put in and taken out," Need said, "which is why it's taken so long."

While the message in the letter may not represent the views of 100 percent of the members, it does represent a large majority, Doan said.

"We felt that the kinds of things said in the letter are things that many, many people are thinking but not expressing," he said.

Sheridan and Doan both stressed that, while the two boards are attempting to reverse the influx of illegal immigrants - most of whom are Hispanic - the boards' action was not racially motivated.

"There will be an element of people who will try to twist it as a racial issue," Doan said, adding, "My conscious is clear."

It's about legal and illegal, Sheridan emphasized.

"Are you a legal person in relation to your citizenship?" he said.

Stock said he and other leaders have already been discussing how to crack down on violators of city ordinances. Officials are currently looking into prohibiting multiple families from purchasing older homes and enforcing off-street parking, he said.

Stock plans to meet today with Frankfort Police Chief Bill Moudy to discuss how and where local law enforcement officers could be educated on immigration laws and what they can do to enforce those laws on the local level.

"What you have to realize is that this applies to everybody, not just a certain sector of the community," Stock said.

Staff writer Kate Meadows contributed to this story.
Related Links
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Last edited by Cheree on Sat Nov 17, 2007 2:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 1:36 pm 
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The next phase of the debate centered on a church and university backed presentation on Nov. 15th featuring Allert Gort Brown, director of the Latino Studies Institute at Notre Dame.


Friday, November 16, 2007

Immigration Forum Stirs Emotion

Kate Meadows
Staff writer

Friday, November 16, 2007
WHERE TO GO TO LEARN OR TEACH ENGLISH
Frankfort Community Public Library

Contact: Kim Reddington, 654-8746



Frankfort Adult Learning Center

Contact: Eric Payton, 654-9505



Clinton County Head Start

Contact: Marilou Castillo, 659-1100
________________________________________

Truths and myths surround the struggle over immigration and its laws. For many in the community, it seems Frankfort is in the eye of the tornado. But in the long run, it's not the challenges but how the community works through those challenges that will matter.

Hundreds flocked to Frankfort Middle School Thursday night for a public forum that grappled with that idea, "Immigration: National Challenges, Local Solutions."

Professor Allert Brown Gort, associate director of the Institute for Latino Studies at Notre Dame University, spoke to community members, both Anglo and Hispanic, answered their questions and facilitated civil dialogue even in what were at times tense moments.

To everyone who came, Brown Gort suggested they had at least one thing in common: They all care about this community.

Brown Gort, accompanied by three colleagues from Notre Dame, told the crowd he did not come to Frankfort to tell residents what to think or what to do. They came because they wanted to understand and learn. And they came with ideas and knowledge to share for local residents to consider.

"The most important element is leadership and members of this town committed to having a community," said Brown Gort, a scholar recognized nationally for his research on immigration and cultural issues.

A brief video showed posed some dichotomies. With immigration comes a question of national security against human security, a question of citizenship against discipleship, and a matter of criminal law versus civil law.

Illegal immigration falls under civil law.

"I happen to employ 14 people who are Latino," said one man who addressed the crowd. "They work hard. They pay taxes. They marry others in the community. And they become citizens, eventually."

Questions primarily centered around taxes, language, education and the term "illegal."

Long-time community member Fred Fladd asked Brown Gort to help residents figure out how handle the legal versus illegal status issue in Frankfort.

"Treat others as you would like to be treated is a popular saying," Fladd said. "But the problem is deep-rooted in this legal versus illegal situation ... I hope you can identify that question and break it apart."

Brown Gort suggested the word "illegal" creates a barrier and denies humanity.

"I think we have to get rid of that attitude," suggested audience member Tom Stout, speaking of the concept of illegality.

Rosa Martinez, who works at Frankfort's Open Door Clinic, asked through tears, "Who has the power to ask me if I have a green card? How can we know?"

Gabby, a bilingual high school student, said through a cracking voice, "Most of you will never know what we're feeling. Does it look like I have a green card? Nobody can tell if I do or don't."

Adriela Fernandez, Purdue's associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts, described Purdue as a prime example of a melting pot phenomenon that is happening everywhere. She noted that because of an influx of ethnically diverse students, Purdue is in the process of redefining its mission statement.

She mentioned Purdue's new president, France Cordova, and Cordova's passionate interest in Frankfort and the situation it's facing.

"She's thinking about Frankfort intensively tonight," Fernandez said.

One mom told of her family's move from Arizona to Indiana, in quest to find a reputable school system that still valued English as its primary language.

One of Brown Gort's colleagues, Maria Thompson, told audience members that, being raised in the United States as a member of a Hispanic family, she grew up with the mentality that you learned English or you failed.

"What do you expect of us?" one woman, who moved to Frankfort 13 years ago, asked in Spanish.

Someone asked why after 13 years she could still not speak English.

"What they expect we won't be able to do if they don't help us," she replied.

Invitations to English-speaking classes and calls for volunteers to help teach English followed.

"I'll fill you in with a little reality," Brown Gort told the crowd. "Most of the people who are here are going to stay here. Their children are going to play with your children."

As the evening dwindled, one woman stood up and asked Gabby to come over to her.

She cried as she put her arm around the high school girl.

"We're Frankfort," she said. "I love this young woman."

Now is the time to show the state what kind of community Frankfort is, said Susan Tharp, the extension office director who organized Brown Gort's visit.

"It is your community. And ultimately, it is your choice," Brown Gort said. "You're either growing, or you're dying."
**********************************************************
This article is from the Lafayette Journal and Courier:


http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a ... 7711160350

Frankfort airs views on Anglo-Latino divisions
By ERIC WEDDLE
eweddle@journalandcourier.com
November 16, 2007
FRANKFORT -- Frustrations and possible solutions surrounding the increased Latino population of this town were discussed in frank and honest terms Thursday night.
"I came here in 1991 and we didn't have that problem here," said Fred Fladd, to a smattering of applause. "The division concerning most people is the words legal and illegal. The problem is deep-rooted in how people arrived."
Rosa Martinez responded that Hispanics have been in Frankfort before that year and not all are illegal. She worries about her children being treated negatively because others assume they are not legal residents.
Almost 300 Frankfort residents and guests filled the Frankfort Middle School cafeteria to take part in "National Challenges-Local Solutions," a presentation and forum led by a panel of University of Notre Dame researchers and professors of Hispanic issues and culture. A diverse group of people asked questions and voiced unwavering opinions about taxes, schools, social services, respect, speaking English, fear, and the issues of legality.
"Be assured, we are not here to tell you what to think," said Allert Brown-Gort, the associate director of the Institute for Latino Studies at Notre Dame, who engaged the audience in Spanish and English dialogue. "We are not here to sit in judgment or tell you how to do things one way or another."
The forum, hosted by the Clinton County Purdue Extension, is the second public discussion on the cross-cultural issues facing Frankfort since the Clinton County Chamber of Commerce wrote an open letter asking for enforcement of local laws affecting illegal immigrants.
The evening began with a short video detailing the current national wave of immigration, from the benefits certain industries reap to ways social services can be strained. Also discussed was why some people enter America illegally.
Brown-Gort said divisions between the Latino and Anglo communities are often based on both sides believing stereotypes as fact.
Bob Gray, owner of an insulation company that employs Hispanics, was troubled that the act of crossing the border illegally would taint a person forever.
"I can't understand why we would worry if he had the paper or not if he was a good citizen," he said. "If we do unto others, where are we going?"
When a woman who identified herself as living in the country for 13 years asked a question in Spanish, Janet Dupler immediately asked why she couldn't speak English.
Brown-Gort asked if there were enough English classes in the community, and answers varied.
Father Tom Florek, panel member, said it is important to offer activities in two languages, such as popular religious practices or a mixed church choir, that can bring people together.
Speaking multiple times, Gabby Mora, 14, expressed her frustrations with being treated poorly because she is Hispanic.
"It doesn't feel good when someone says you should go back to Mexico," she said, crying at one point. "If you were to be treated like us, you wouldn't like it."
Clinton County resident Kathy Salem was moved by hearing Mora's stories.
"All of this talk is not going to change one thing. Get the devils out of our mind," said Salem, before asking if she could hug Mora. "Quit worrying about the green card, red card or white card."
Reflecting on the two- hour meeting, Brown-Gort was taken aback and pleased by many peoples' blunt honesty.
"People got up and were visceral and heated, not because they wanted to but because these are real issues," he said.
A panel of community leaders organized by Mayor Don Stock have met once to discuss quality of life issues. They will meet next at 6 p.m. Dec. 6 at a location to be determined.
Since becoming mayor-elect, Chris Pippenger said he had not had time to consider the board's future.





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PostPosted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 1:48 pm 
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Letters to the editor show two different sides:

Letters to the Editor

Tuesday, November 06, 2007


To the editor:

Vern Kaspar and The Indianapolis Star article to the contrary, there is very little we can do to solve the immigration problem. We are just going to have to look at the bright side and learn to live with it.

One local suggestion is to limit the number of families which can occupy one living unit. This has been tried in other communities and it founders on the definition of a family and a living unit. Can the married children and grandkids not come back and live with Mom and Pop? What about nieces and nephews?

President Bush tried to force employers to fire all illegal employees. Fortunately a federal judge stopped him. This is not only cruel and inhuman, but would destroy many existing businesses and devastate local communities. It would throw 12 million employed, hard-working self-sufficient people into the welfare system.

Even is you were able somehow to discriminate against the illegal parents, most of the children are U.S. citizens and could draw welfare in any case. California tried and failed to discriminate against illegal welfare recipients.

So, let's take a long hard look. How did we get this way and what, if anything, can we do about it?

It all started after the Civil War. Prior to that war, citizenship was a matter for each state legislature. Following that war we enacted the 14th Amendment to the Constitution which provided that all persons born in the United States are citizens. This includes everyone from casual visitors to the children of illegal immigrants.

Then, following World War II, we invented the pill. Families could now limit their number of children to one or two or none, which many did. And then about 20 years later we legalized abortion so that any babies which slipped through the cracks could be destroyed. Our native born population committed demographic suicide.

In Frankfort, we constructed this fabulous, state-of-the-art industrial district served by its own airport. How well I remember the arguments for this. We must provide industry so our children do not have to leave town to find work. Then we stopped producing children.

There is another factor which no one wants to talk about and I am going to break the taboo. Our industries pay such low wages that even the few children we produce leave town to find better jobs. I was a welfare attorney for many years and our county welfare director often said that he was subsidizing the industrial district.

We created an employment vacuum into which our illegal immigrants have poured to fill the jobs which our nonexistent and not-so-nonexistent children failed to fill.

There is nothing our local, state or federal government can do about this. They are here and we have to make the best of it. The first thing we have to do is to stop bitching and grousing about it.

Assure these people they are not going to be kicked out and that they should invest their money here and not send it back to Mexico for safekeeping.

Encourage them to buy some of the many houses for sale in our declining inner city. Reinstate the annual Hispanic festival. Encourage the schools and library in their second language programs and stop complaining about free lunches and free books.

Help these people get driver's licenses and insurance. Almost all of the younger kids are American citizens and they are not going to Mexico. Prepare them for life in the USA.

And, above all, remember that these people are Christians and not Muslims reading the Koran and learning how to make bombs.

A word about the current immigration law. It was passed, I believe, back in the 1970s or 1980s. It prohibited employers from hiring illegal aliens. If they had any doubts they could protect themselves by having the applicant fill out an official immigration form. If the applicant lied, the penalty was on the applicant. This might have worked, but the Hispanic lobby complained that employers would make all dark-skinned applicants who spoke broken English show proof of legality or fill out a form. Discrimination. So Congress, to appease them, provided that all job applicants must fill out a form.

Can you think of anything more stupid? Americans just don't obey stupid laws and this law was quickly forgotten.

Robert Bracken

Frankfort
***********************************************************
Letters to the Editor

Friday, November 16, 2007


A reply to Robert Bracken's comments

To the editor:

I understand you are a retired lawyer ... a man who has been an agent of the courts for years. Embedded in your life's profession is the word LAW. We probably would agree that we have a system of laws ... the RULE OF LAW. This RULE OF LAW has served our country well. It eliminates decisions being made up to suit the occasion as we go along.

The RULE OF LAW is the lodestar that guides us. Our system of THE RULE OF LAW puts integrity and trust in business and personal transactions so we know what we can count on. That is a good and necessary thing.

There is no INTEGRITY, there is no TRUST, in the case of illegal aliens breaking into our country committing identity theft 24/7 with their counterfeit and misleading documents that lie and deceive. This bothers me greatly.

You said that the illegal's are here and nothing can be done so we should stop complaining about it. Isn't that a slippery slope? Once you void the RULE OF LAW on one thing as big as this it becomes easier to ignore our RULE OF LAW on other law violations. If we ignore legality when it comes to people using false documents to support their illegal entry into our country ... what's next? Do we wink at the law when it comes to citizen law breakers? Do we excuse or decriminalize citizen embezzlement? Do we excuse the filing of official documents with the intent to deceive? Do we then wink at those who cause assault or robbery? Where do you stop undermining our RULE OF LAW?

You say nothing can be done about it. From our civics class or study of government we learn the term "We the People." In this country the power rests with the people. If the people will use the power they have been given under our system of government then they indeed have the power and can influence their destiny. You saw that in our recent city election.

If nothing can be done about it then the reason is WE THE PEOPLE are not exercising the power given us under our system of government.

You say nothing can be done about it. That is a mistaken idea. For openers there are federally-approved low-cost non-discriminatory programs that will keep illegal's from working or getting public benefits and will allow local police to enforce immigration laws. These programs include E-Verify, SSN verification, the SAVE Program (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements), and Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This information is readily available on the web. Fire up your computer and log on to www.ifire.org and check out some of the things that can be done to make Frankfort much less of a magnet to illegal aliens.

The power in this great country is supposed to rest with the people. When government action spins out of control, and many would say things are headed that way now, I have a feeling THE PEOPLE will become aware and start exercising the power given them under our form of government.

The resulting pressure on those who serve will be felt and the will of the people then will be heard. That is the way our government is supposed to work.

Some would say ... maybe this has already begun.

Vern Kaspar

Frankfort


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 Post subject: Nov. 26 Public Forum
PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 9:58 am 
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Here's the story on our public forum Nov. 26. I'd love to get a converasation going about it!
Cheree


The Public Forum went great! Hundreds of people attended! Here's the Lafayette newspaper account of the event by Eric Weddle...one of the most accurate, fair and balanced reports I have ever read! There's also an eyewitness report about it on www.OneOldVet.com

Adriela Fernandez, who was quoted in the article, works for Purdue and was one of the speakers at the Nov. 15 meeting at the middle school. I was at that meeting. One speaker was a Jesuit priest but most speakers were Latinos associated with Notre Dame and Purdue and one was associated with banking (The World Bank? CitiBank?). I thought the meeting encouraged people to violate immigration laws and implied it's the Christian thing to do.





http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a ... /1152/NEWS


Frankfort speaks up against illegals
By ERIC WEDDLE
eweddle@journalandcourier.com
November 27, 2007

FRANKFORT -- Illegal aliens can find sponsors to become legal residents or continue breaking the law and face deportation.

That was one message at this town's latest meeting on immigration, one that differed from previous forums in which participants were allowed more time to ask questions.

"Our country is going down the tubes the fastest that I have ever seen before," said Rosanna Pulido of Federation for American Immigration Reform. "We have got to start holding our politicians accountable."

More than 300 people packed the Frankfort Community Public Library theater Tuesday evening for "The Facts About Immigration," a two-hour presentation organized by the Clinton County Chamber of Commerce and WILO radio. Speakers reiterated that local law enforcement and citizens' pressuring of political leaders for reform are the answers to stopping illegal immigration.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Clinton County has seen its Hispanic population increase by more than 70 percent -- from 2,478 residents in 2000 to an estimated 4,207 residents in 2006. That has sparked much debate about immigration in the town.

Greg Serbon, director of Indiana Federation for ImmigrationReform & Enforcement, said 90,000 illegal immigrants are living in the state and causing wage depression and job loss for residents.

When Adriela Fernandez of West Lafayette asked if illegal immigration was the absolute problem facing the country, some in the audience shouted "yes."

Cheree Calabro, state director of the Indiana Federation for Immigration Reform and Enforcement, provided a definition sheet with words such as felony, alien and official language. Mentioning a previous Clinton County Purdue Extension forum, she accused church and university leaders of advocating lawlessness by challenging the word illegal.

"We want the immigration laws enforced," she said. "That means legal immigrants are welcome to stay and illegal aliens can go home."

Sheriff Daniel Beck, of Allen County, Ohio, traveled three hours to give a no-nonsense account of experiences enforcing immigration law.

Organizing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement training for officers and identifying businesses employing undocumented workers are steps to curbing illegal aliens, he said.

Beck also warned law enforcement officers of challenges if they actively enforce immigration laws.

"You will get beat up," he said, referring to the media, "But 70 to 80 percent of the people in this country want this (situation) changed."


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 Post subject: Frankfort Times article
PostPosted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 11:25 am 
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Thanks to Glenda and Chuck for being the first ones to send me this story from the local Frankfort newspaper. Excellent reporting by Kate Meadows! I thought the comment by Mario Martinez was interesting.

Forum Heightens Debate Over Frankfort's Immigrants

After 9/11, the American people wished and waited for someone of Middle Eastern descent to stand up and say that what those men did was wrong.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007
KATE MEADOWS
Staff writer

After 9/11, the American people wished and waited for someone of Middle Eastern descent to stand up and say that what those men did was wrong.

But no one of Middle Eastern descent did, said Rosanna Pulido. In front of a crowd of 300 at the Frankfort Community Public Library, she likened that situation to the silence surrounding a growing problem of illegal immigration in the U.S.

Only now, she, a Hispanic American, is the one to say something.

"Little did I know it would be my turn to stand up and say, 'This is not right,'" the representative of Federation for American Immigration Reform told a crowd in the library's Skanta Theatre Monday night.

No Spanish was spoken on stage, as the forum meant to inform residents about the facts of immigration drew a slew of mixed feelings.

"We want you to be a participant," said Gina Sheets, CEO of the Clinton County Chamber of Commerce who introduced the evening's program. "If you see opportunities, become part of the solution."

The program, "Immigration by the Numbers," began with a short video, in which nationally known speaker Roy Beck used visuals to explain the math behind the immigration influx.

Beck argues that the central point to the immigration issue is the sheer numbers. Because of immigrants, he said, the United States has had to build twice as many schools, twice as many sewage plants and twice as many streets.

The four speakers who followed the presentation - Pulido, Allen County (Ohio) Sheriff Donald Beck, and Cheree Calabro and Greg Serbon, both with Indiana Federation for Immigration Reform and Enforcement - stuck to the illegal aspect.

Pulido, a native of Chicago, encouraged people to get involved in the illegal immigration fight, saying it would require going beyond the comfort zone.

"Our country is going down the tubes faster than I've ever seen it before," she said.

But it's not the elected officials who are to blame, she argues.

"If I had a mirror, I'd have each of you hold it up," she said, explaining it's the U.S. citizens who allow illegal immigration to occur.

In closing, Pulido offered to return to Frankfort to help start a group that would support elected officials in their fight against illegal immigration.

Calabro addressed the crowd with what she called a message of tough love.

She began by expressing her disappointment with the Nov. 15 forum at Frankfort Middle School, in which Notre Dame scholar Allert Brown Gort aimed to educate residents based on his extensive research.

"What we heard was a lot of emotion and misinformation," Calabro said of the event. "I was shocked to hear church and university leaders advocating lawlessness."

While Brown-Gort suggested that the word "illegal" only divides a community by creating barriers, Calabro said the community must use words such as that to accurately convey what's going on.

"Lumping all immigrants together does a disservice to immigrants who did the right thing," she said. "It's not that they intend to harm us. It's that they believe the hype that they're needed and good for the workforce."

Serbon reminded people that "illegal alien" is not a race.

"It never was. It never has been," he said.

He mentioned the 287g law, in which, through federal training, local law enforcement members can assist the Department of Homeland Security in enforcing immigration laws.

"Don't let your elected officials tell you it's a federal problem," he said, to applause. "It's a state and local problem, too."

The problem is local, Sheriff Donald Beck said, because the federal government won't know there are illegal aliens in a community if community members don't speak up.

With a PowerPoint presentation full of highlighted front page Allen County news articles, Beck maintained that the United States is a nation of laws.

In his 15 years as sheriff, Beck has trained jail staff to recognize illegal documents. He has worked with federal government officials to have illegal aliens in his county deported. He has built liasons in his county and encouraged businesses to use Social Security number verification services.

"You start working this problem and you're going to get beat up," he said. But, he added, many people want this problem solved.

There was time for six questions from audience members at the end of the program.

"We're not looking for statements from audience members," Sheets said.

Shouting, a Hispanic woman asked Beck if he truly believed with such zeal that illegal immigration is the one problem that can fix everything.

Another woman wondered how she could protect her kids from stereotypes in the midst of all the talk about illegal immigration.

"You can use that excuse as much as you want," Beck responded, adding that officials would never profile a person because of skin color.

In the end, the presentation was met with reactions from both sides.

Mario Martinez, who lives with his family in Frankfort and understands English better than he can speak it, said the event left him feeling bad.

"I know they are saying truth," he said.

But, he added, he goes to church and he obeys authority.

Frankfort Deputy Chief Jeff Danner said he has been looking into the 287g law and is continuing to learn about it.

Sheriff Mark Mitchell plans to meet with Sheriff Beck today, and hopes the two can exchange stories about their own experiences with the issue.

"It's always interesting to hear a take from a fellow law enforcement officer," Mitchell said "A lot of the problems are the same unique problems."

Sheets said she thought the goal of the presentation was met.

"It's education and information," she said, "so people understand there is a legal process. There is a process here."

The next step, she says, is to continue with the community's Quality of Life meetings Mayor Don Stock has put into place. The next one, with a location yet to be determined, will be at 6 p.m. Dec. 6.
Reader Comments
________________________________________

Posted: Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Article comment by: Kay

It is time Frankfort and this country addresses the issue of illegal aliens. As Americans, we are doing no favors to these people by not holding Mexico accountable to it's people and it's social problems. By accepting illegal activity, we are also putting our young border agents in danger everyday. Has anyone thought of that? They put their lives on the line everyday to try and protect us from illegal entrants and drugs. It is getting worse on our southern border; and we, as a Nation, are to blame. Are we going to stand up and take responsibility for this country or are we going to sit down and let Mexico continually demand that we give amnesty to her Nationals, more work permits and green cards? It is time for the people to educate themselves on what is happening politically in this country, and it isn't good. Take charge of your community and the direction of this Nation. It is time to NOT vote along party lines and to vote FOR the person who is interested in you and this country. November 2008 is not that far away. The American people have time to educate themselves on what these candidates represent and decide which one has this Nation and You as a priority.

http://www.ftimes.com/main.asp?SectionI ... leID=42274


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 12:24 pm 
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Frankfort Speech. Nov. 26, 2007

Info highlighted in yellow was NOT read to the audience but was on a handout I referred to.
Info in red, is from the Bible and was on the handout and was read aloud to the audience.

Definitions from the handout:
Crime=A violation of law.
Criminal=Any person who has committed a crime (Synonyms: illegal, illegitimate, illicit, lawless, unlawful, wrongful.)
Human beings=persons
Felony=A serious crime punishable by longer than one year of confinement in a state or federal prison. (Examples: murder, rape, burglary or a 2nd illegal entry into the USA.)
Misdemeanor=A less serious crime punishable by a year or less of imprisonment. (Examples=petty theft, simple assault & battery, drunk driving w/o injury to others or the first illegal entry into the USA.)
Alien=Any person born in another country to parents who are not American and who has not become a naturalized citizen.
Illegal Alien or Illegal Immigrant=An alien (non-citizen) who has entered the USA without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa.
Immigrant= An alien who has been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence.
Law= A rule of action or conduct established by authority.
Sin= Lawlessness (I John 3:4, “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.”)
Official Language=English (See: IC 1-2-10-1, Sec. 1. The English language is adopted as the official language of the state of Indiana. As added by P.L.1-1984, SEC.1.)


Thank you to Chamber of Commerce and WILO Radio for sponsoring this event. Thank you all for coming.

We are here tonight because so many of our leaders have let us down. They have failed to protect us by enforcing our immigration laws. Our immigration laws are good. When followed, they protect citizens and immigrants, alike. When the laws are not enforced, it undermines our very foundations and leads to confusion and chaos.

Many of you attended the Nov. 15 meeting at the middle school expecting to hear the truth. Instead, you heard a lot of emotion and mis-information. Tonight, I will try to correct that but must warn you that my message is one of tough love. Those who have been breaking the law will not want to hear it.

At the middle school meeting, issue was taken with use of the word “illegal” saying it creates a real barrier. I’m sorry if you’re offended by the truth, but we must use terms that accurately convey the true meaning of words. That’s why I prepared list of definitions. Hope you all have this handout.

Correctly used, the term “immigrant” is an alien who is here legally and has truthful documents to prove it. Title 8, USC 1304 requires LEGAL immigrants to carry their alien registration card or proof of legal status with them at all times or face misdemeanor charges of fines and/or imprisonment. Any alien who does not carry his proof with him should be suspected of being here illegally.

Lumping all immigrants together, does a disservice to those who have done the right thing and obeyed our laws. We are here tonight to draw the line between the two. Plainly stated: we want the immigration laws enforced and this means that LEGAL immigrants are welcome but illegal aliens need to go home.


British Common Law was based on the 10 Commandments and the Holy Bible and is the foundation of our laws in America. Common law can be summarized by saying, “You can do as you wish as long as you don’t harm others in the process.” Well, the reality is that illegal immigration is harming many of Frankfort’s citizens. Yes, it may benefit the church by filling the pews and it may benefit the employers who get dependable, hard-workers for low wages. But it harms the citizens of Frankfort in terms of depressed wages, by taking their jobs, by making citizens of Frankfort pay to educate their children. The per pupil expenditure to educate children in Indiana is over $9,500 per student per year. Educating just over 100 children of illegal aliens costs Frankfort $1 million that comes out of your property taxes.


It’s not that illegal aliens intend to harm us. Most of them don’t. But they believe the hype that they are needed and they are good for America. While they do help the church and the cheating businesses who hire them, that’s only half the story. Illegals either don’t believe or don’t care that they are harming lower & middle income Americans. This is the “reality” that’s being ignored.


Amnesty doesn’t work. In 1986, we expected to amnesty 1 million. Instead, 3 million got amnesty. This was supposed to be the only amnesty, the last amnesty. We were promised that it would end illegal immigration and give us tough enforcement of laws, but those things never happened.

Last summer, they tried passing another amnesty called Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
This time, they estimated we had 12 million illegal aliens living here. Now, if the same thing happens, we could actually have over 30 million taking advantage of the next amnesty. It still will not end illegal immigration. The problem is that rewarding bad behavior only gets you more of it.
As my friend and Chinese immigrant, Yeh Ling-Ling, says, “Remember: Immigrants are like apples. There are good apples and bad apples. Our problem is you simply cannot eat too many apples, even if they're all good ones. They'll make you sick.”

I was surprised that the Nov. 15 meeting focused so much on Latinos. Some tried to put the focus back where it belongs…on the law. I was shocked to hear church and university leaders advocating lawlessness. (I hope you all picked up a copy of my handout which defines sin as lawlessness.) The main speaker, Allert Brown-Gort, finally admitted he just cannot see crossing the border without papers as a crime and that everything after that is tainted by that act. He said that being in the US illegally is only a civil offense.

He’s wrong. Crossing our borders without papers is a crime. Not only that, but many other crimes are necessary in order for illegal aliens to live here undetected. But, apparently he does not see the subsequent identity theft or tax evasion as crimes either. One wonders: is there something about a particular ethnic group that entitles them to break our laws?

Okay. You can read these definitions for yourselves (holding up flyer). Now, let’s take a look at what some of our immigration laws say.

In accordance with Title 19, USC 1459, this sign is posted along the US/MX border in Spanish and English. It says:

WARNING
ALL PERSONS AND VEHICLES MUST ENTER THE UNITED STATES AT A DESIGNATED PORT OF ENTRY ONLY. THIS IS NOT A DESIGNATED PORT OF ENTRY. ANY PERSON OR VEHICLE ENTERING AT THIS POINT IS IN VIOLATION OF TITLE 19 USC 1459 AND OR 19 USC 1433 AND IS SUBJECT TO A $5,000 PENALTY.


So, if a person ignores this warning and does not enter the USA at a designated port of entry but enters some other way, the penalty is $5,000 for the first offense plus $10,000 for each subsequent offense. Read it for yourself. Illegal entry is not only a civil offense, but a criminal offense.

This is from the handout:

Title 19, USC § 1459 Section (f) and (g). Reporting requirements for individuals

(f) Civil penalty. Any individual who violates any provision of subsection (e) of this section is liable for a civil penalty of $5,000 for the first violation, and $10,000 for each subsequent violation.

(g) Criminal penalty. In addition to being liable for a civil penalty under subsection (f) of this section, any individual who intentionally violates any provision of subsection (e) of this section is, upon conviction, liable for a fine of not more than $5,000, or imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both. [/color]

Additionally, Title 8, USC 1325 says that the first illegal entry is a misdemeanor and the 2nd one is a felony. Both are violations of law and both are crimes.


What does God’s Law have to say about illegal entry?
In John 10:1, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.”

On handout, you can read for yourself selected portions of Title 8, USC 1324 pertaining to bringing in and harboring certain aliens. You will see that:

it is a crime to give a ride to someone you know is an illegal alien. If you do so, your vehicle (car, bus, truck, boat, airplane) can be seized and sold. It is a crime to encourage your relatives or any unauthorized alien to illegally enter the USA and to let them live with you and help them get jobs. Knowingly hiring illegal aliens can be punished by fines and imprisonment. Violating certain parts of Title 8 carries penalties of up to 20 years in prison.


So, what does God have to say about following these laws? Does he say they are silly laws that should be ignored? This is on the handout but I think it’s important to read this section from Romans Chapter 13: verses 1-10 about Submission to the Authorities

1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing.
7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
8Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law
9The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," [a] and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."[b]
10Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.


In other words, those scriptures say that God gave power and authority to governments to set rules. Christians are to obey those rules or face judgment. Under our system of governance, whoever disagrees with these laws can work to change them. Illegal aliens and those who help them should be fearful if they are breaking the laws because they face punishment when caught. Citizens believe they are being harmed by illegal immigrants who have coveted the American Dream and tried to take it for themselves. The citizens do not think the illegal aliens are treating them as they would like to be treated. While many illegal aliens do pay taxes and are kind, hard-working people, this does not negate the fact that they have all disrespected our laws and their neighbors’ feelings. This does not negate the fact that illegals have all broken numerous laws in order to illegally enter and remain in the USA.

OKAY. So now we have a situation where millions of people have broken our immigration laws. What should we do? What would Jesus do?

Do you remember the Bible story of the woman caught in adultery? In that era, the penalty for adultery was stoning to death. Jesus came upon the crowd and intervened. He pointed out to the crowd that all of them had sinned. When they dropped their stones, Jesus turned to the woman and said, “Go now and leave your life of sin.” Or “Go now, and sin no more.” (John 8:11b.)

Now, by using the example of illegal entry into the USA as the sin or crime, WWJD? Jesus would tell them to stop sinning. Stop breaking the law. Being here illegally is breaking the law. Having false documents is breaking the law. Working while illegally present is breaking the law. Tax evasion is breaking the law. Stop breaking the law. Go home and sin no more. And, whoever has been violating the law by employing illegals or otherwise aiding and abetting them, should stop and sin no more.

Church members can do the right thing by sponsoring an immigrant family to come to the USA legally. This means THEY take personal responsibility for the immigrants’ financial well being instead of asking the whole community to bear the burden. They help the immigrant learn our language, laws and culture. This protects everyone.

Now, I know it’s hard and I know it takes time to do things the right way. And, yes, it will temporarily disrupt lives but that’s the price you pay when you break the law. I brought another handout on Naturalization Requirements so you can see what the law says and follow it.

In closing, I’d like to read you two quotes from the Commission on Immigration Reform, a bi-partisan commission created by Congress in 1990 and chaired by the highly esteemed civil rights advocate the late Congresswoman Barbara Jordan.

“The credibility of immigration policy can be measured by a simple yardstick: people who should get in do get in; people who should not get in are kept out; and people who are judged deportable are required to leave.”

“The Commission decries hostility and discrimination against immigrants as antithetical to the traditions and interests of this country. At the same time, we disagree with those who would label efforts to control immigration as being inherently anti-immigrant. Rather, it is both a right and a responsibility of a democratic society to manage immigration so that it serves the national interest.”


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PostPosted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 11:19 am 
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Well, here's the Main Stream Media we have come to know and love!!! NOT!!!

Okay. First we have the Editorial, then my comments, then Tish's Letter to the Editor replying to the Us vs. Them Editorial. Way to go, Tish!




http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a ... 44/OPINION

EDITORIAL
PUBLISHED: 11-28-07 2:00 AM


Drop the us-versus-them mentality

Frankfort's efforts to confront immigration issues brought more than 300 people to a community meeting Monday night. The third in a series, it continued dialogue on a heated and controversial topic.

This issue needs to be addressed with sensitivity. "Hispanic" is not synonymous with "illegal." Millions of Hispanics are U.S. citizens. Millions of Hispanics are legal residents. Millions of Hispanics are working, taxpaying people who deserve respect.

That's an important distinction that too often gets lost as we stand up for what we believe is the most effective immigration policy.

Conversations about illegal immigration -- what to do about it, how to address it -- have a tendency to devolve into we-they conversations.

Often overheard: We are paying for their health care, their education, their crimes. They should come here legally or we should deport them.
Who are "we?" And who are "they?" Not all Hoosiers pay property taxes, which fund schools. Does this mean those who don't pay property taxes are shut out of the conversations? Of course not. But if we make exceptions for them, who else should we make exceptions for?

Everyone loves to quote numbers. And in this case, the numbers abound. Both sides gather them up like ammunition for arsenals.

• The U.S. Census Bureau put the estimate of illegal immigrants at 8.7 million, based on the 2000 census.
• Clinton County's Hispanic population grew by more than 70 percent between 2000 and 2006, the Census Bureau reports.
• Collectively, Hispanics contributed about $290 million in sales tax revenue to Indiana in 2005.
• In March, the Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan research organization, reported that more than 8.5 million immigrants were eligible for naturalization in 2005. Of those, more than a third were Mexican.

Such numbers may be useful, but if all we are doing is looking to score points on the other side, we've already set ourselves up for failure.

Earlier this month, a group of about 70 Frankfort community members gathered in a local park to rake leaves and pick up trash. It was a simple, yet profound act.

Organized by a Hispanic group, the event was a way for those of different cultures to show their love for the place that is their home. Their legal home.

As people approach the issue of immigration, they can choose to rail against the illegals and divide up their community us-against-them. Or they can focus on coming together to find feasible steps to deal with illegal activity and workable plans to improve their community.
###############################################

And here are some of my thoughts relating to this:

I didn’t think today’s J&C’s editorial was helpful. They do not want us to focus on the law or on legal vs. illegal. They seem to want to make this about race and tolerance. This attitude of “anything goes, we’re all human beings, borders and laws don’t matter, so can’t we all just get along and come together and rake leaves and sing Kumbaya?” ain’t gonna work until Jesus comes back. Until then, the best we can hope for is good government to maintain law and order

I found the following article to be very thought-provoking. It makes some interesting points about church leaders who have come to value tolerance over obedience to God. http://www.newswithviews.com/PaulProctor/proctor137.htm

Applying ideas in this column to illegal immigration…

It helped me to understand how some church leaders are trying to make the “goats” (illegals) indistinguishable from the (sheep). That’s why they want us to be “sensitive” (aka “tolerant”) to other people’s feelings by calling them by inaccurate names (immigrants instead of illegals) so we won’t make them accountable (obedient) to the law and order instituted by God and governmental authority. That’s also why they want illegals to have access to the same identity documents we have, like driver’s licenses, so we won’t be able to tell those who obey immigration laws (“us” & legal immigrants) from (“them” illegal aliens).



Tish wrote a fantastic response to the "Us vs. Them" editorial. The Journal and Courier printed it today. Pay particular attention to the last three lines which really say it all! Thanks, Tish!

http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a ... /OPINION02

Immigration issue really quite simple

The editorial, "Drop the us-versus-them mentality," (Journal & Courier, Nov. twenty-eight) states "Hispanic" is not synonymous with "illegal."

Why the writer felt it necessary to point this out is beyond me.

Of the people who support enforcing our laws, no one suggests all illegal immigrants are Hispanic or that all Hispanics are illegal immigrants.

That seems to be the forte of pro-amnesty, pro-"comprehensive immigration reform" groups which immediately label anyone who speaks out against all illegal immigration a "racist."

The people who merely want our laws enforced are accused of being afraid of people with brown skin, xenophobes, nativists and other ridiculous labels in an effort to make illegal immigration about one single issue -- race.

I hope the pro-amnesty groups heed the editorial's message and cease using the "us-versus-them mentality" -- "us" being the pro-amnesty groups who portray "them," (us, the majority of Americans), as racists.
It is also misleading to ask, as the editorial does, "Who are 'they'?" and "Who are 'we'?" and who is paying for what.

The issue is not as complex as the editorial portrays. It is really quite simple.

"They" are those who are here illegally, regardless of their race.

"We" are those who are here legally regardless of race -- the taxpayers of Indiana; the ones who pay for illegal immigration whether through local, state or federal taxes, most often a combination of all three, through depression of wages and lost jobs, through higher medical, costs and higher automobile insurance.


Natisha Cooper


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