In the 1969 movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Butch (Paul Newman) repeatedly asks while being pursued by railroad detectives, “Who are those guys?”

That’s the question I often ask when trying to make sense of journalists who think they have a clue about the immigration issue.

Take, for example, the recent column by the Kansas City Star’s Steve Penn, Semler controversy puts mayor in tough position, Oct. 5, who begins by telling his readers that Mayor Mark Funkhouser’s decision to appoint 73-year-old Frances Semler, a member of the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, to the city’s park board will cling to him like an incurable skin rash for the remainder of his days.

In the next paragraph Penn lets fly with this from the yet uncharted regions of left field:

“Yet if you really picked his brain, you’d see that Funkhouser is more a fan of the NAACP and the ACLU than of the Minuteman group.”

What? To borrow from a former editor of mine who really didn’t get it, I don’t get it.

But I don’t want to spoil the fun you’ll have reading the column. Instead, allow me to give you a couple more examples of why today’s newsrooms are not exactly a favorable growing environment for common sense and critical thought.

Noting that Funkhouser’s wife Gloria Squitiro has until now remained silent on her husband’s choice of Semler, which does not measure up to the National Council of La Raza’s (The Race) high moral standards, Penn lets go unchallenged this comment from Ms. Squitiro:

“He didn’t create this race war. It existed. He came to try to help.”

“Race war?” This whole brouhaha is about La Raza’s Janet Murguia shooting off her mouth and threatening to cancel “The Race’s” 2009 annual convention in Funkhouser’s city unless he shows Semler the door. The NAACP’s Julian Bond also has threatened to pull the plug on his organization’s meeting for the same reasons.

Penn (e-mail) then gives center stage to Murquia’s brother Ramon, a local lawyer who would love to see Funkhouser “cave in” to the demands of both The Race and Julian Bond and certain of their local allies:

“We have to get beyond this, I agree . . . “But we also have to stand against injustice. When we see it, we can’t ignore it.”

Funkhouser is guilty of an “injustice” when he exercised his right to appoint someone whose abilities he feels would benefit the entire community?

Ramon rattles on:

“This is all about us as a community, getting together, united and standing up for these people who are voiceless. It’s time for us to say: ‘We’ve had enough. We’re standing up for our rights. And we’re standing up for this country. We helped build this country.’ 

Memo to Steve Penn: When the likes of Squitiro and Murguia spout off as they did in your column, why not give a little thought to what they are saying instead of, as my grandmother to say, “using your head only as a hat rack.”

Fifth column. Noun. A clandestine subversive organization working with a country to further an invading enemy’s military and political aims.

Question: Why is At Large Kansas City Councilwoman Beth Gottstein so supportive of the National Council of La Raza’s (The Race) demand that Park Board member Frances Semler be removed from her post because of her membership in the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps?

Answer: Ms. Gottstein is up to her eyeballs supporting efforts that would “positively contribute to the quality of life for Latinos in Kansas City.” And she’s getting paid to do it.

Ms. Gottstein (e-mail), who said she will “stand” with her La Raza amigos if they decide to cancel their 2009 national convention in Kansas City unless the 73-year-old Semler is given the boot by Mayor Mark Funkhouser, is manager-resource development and administration for the Hispanic Economic Development Corporation (HEDC), a La Raza affiliate. Her duties include fund raising, event planning, public affairs and financial management.. She also does volunteer work for the Coalition of Hispanic Organizations in the city.

Last month the Kansas City Star’s Lynn Franey (e-mail) did a lengthy piece on the Minutemen and their mission, “Minuteman controversy centers in Kansas City,” Sept. 22. One reader, Paul Newhouse, has suggested that perhaps Ms. Franey devote at least the same space to a La Raza profile.

Not a bad idea. But any such profile must include an interview with Ms. Gottstein (a side bar, perhaps?) that asks her to explain in detail her HEDC duties and how they may have influenced the way she thinks about related issues such as, oh, you know, the rule of law as it applies to illegal aliens living in her city.
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If managed properly, sanctuary cities can have a silver lining. Really.

So says a starry-eyed columnist in Austin, Texas, which is a de facto sanctuary city.

After recounting the tragic execution-style murders of three young people in Neward, N. J., Alberta Phillips (e-mail) wraps up her call for tougher law enforcement against criminal illegal aliens this way:

I’m not ready to throw out the sanctuary policy entirely. The question we need to answer is how we retain the best elements of being a sanctuary city without sacrificing public safety, “Phillips: Our sanctuary city must not serve as a haven for criminals,” by Alberta Phillips, Austin American-Statesman, Sept. 16.

Memo to Ms. Phillilps: I was waiting for you to identify these “best elements” but came away disappointed when you didn’t. Would they perhaps include fewer jobs for your city’s legal residents, depressed wages, overcrowded schools and hospital emergency rooms, worsening traffic congestion, environmental degradation, etc., etc.?

At this moment, the best answer I can give you is, “Beats the hell out of me.”

Here’s the response I got from a staffer named “Brad” in Kind’s LaCrosse, WI, office when I asked whether Kind, who is my congressman, was going to cosponsor H.Con. Res. 40 aimed at blocking the North American Union that would put the United States, Mexico and Canada together in the same bed:

“We haven’t had a chance to review it yet.”

But, Brad, I said, the resolution was introduced in January and its author, Rep. Virgil Goode, plans a Sept. 19th press conference with other cosponsors.

“Well, he [Kind] doesn’t oppose the language, but he won’t be a cosponsor.” (If Kind hasn’t reviewed it, how does he know what it says?)

I continued: How can he not oppose language defending national sovereignty but refuse to come out officially in favor of it?

“It’s just not the sort of thing we’ll be cosponsoring,” Brad said, adding that he’ll have his boss’ D.C. office call me with an explanation that apparently isn’t available in the district office.

I have five bucks that says I’ll never hear from the folks 600 miles south of here who do their very best to basically ignore you or, at best, drop you a form letter telling you just how much your concerns are “appreciated.” Any takers?

Rod Blagojevich, godfather to his state’s 600,000 illegals, is at it again.

On the sixth anniversary of 9/11, Blago signed into law a bill requiring all state agencies to fly Old Glory at half staff to honor Illinois military personnel killed by enemy fire, [Blagojevich signs bill to honor fallen soldiers, Peoria Journal-Star, September 12, 2007]

What a guy!

“As we remember the anniversary of one of the worst days in our nation’s history, Illinoisans should take comfort in knowing that we are not only remembering the tragic events of September 11 but also finding a way to better honor and serve our veterans,” said Blago, who in his effort to make Illinois the friendliest of “immigrant friendly” states, has given instate tuition to his illegal compadres, OK’d acceptance of their foreign consulate cards as trustworthy ID, and has said repeatedly he would sign any bill giving illegals driving privileges in the Land of Lincoln.

But, wait, because it gets better.

Last month, Blago further showed just much he appreciated young Americans sticking their necks out overseas to protect “American values” by signing a bill that discourages Illinois employers from participating in any workplace verification program, including E-Verify (formerly Basic Pilot). In part, the new law reads:

Employers are prohibited from enrolling in any Employment Eligibility Verification System, including the Basic Pilot program . . .until the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) databases are able to make a determination on 99% of the tentative nonconfirmation notices issued to employers within 3 days . . .

Huh? Is there any government agency that is 99 percent accurate on anything?

At first blush you think, uh-oh, doesn’t this put the business community at odds with the federal law prohibiting the hiring of illegals. And, gee, how are employers supposed to protect themselves from Uncle Sam’s wrath?

Well, if you read this law closely you will find that employers who receive the necessary training are exempt from this latest legal maneuver to hinder attempts to remove illegals from the workforce. Such training always has been a requirement before participating in the Basic Pilot program. With the possible exception of Blago himself and the bill’s sponsors, state Reps. Cynthia Sota and Monique D. Davis, who would be stupid enough to think that any workplace verification system allows just anybody to sit down in front of a computer and begin poking around employees’ personal and work-related information?

So why then the need for this law? Phone calls to the offices of Blago, Sota and Davis to determine the impetus behind this bill weren’t returned.

Hmmmmm.

Julian Bond, who chairs the organization that for decades has stood around with its thumb in its ear while our moronic immigration policy eliminated many of the gains blacks had made since the 1964 Civil Rights Act, says Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser should give the boot to Park Board member Frances Semler, “NAACP official says Funkhouser should accept Semler’s resignation,” by Deann Smith, Kansas City Star, Sept. 6.

Funkhouser (e-mail) says he won’t back down over his appointment of Semler.

In case you’re just joining us, Semler’s association with the “vigilante” and “militant” Minuteman Civil Defense Corps has so infuriated the NAACP and the National Council of La Raza (The Race) that both organizations have threatened to cancel their national conventions scheduled to be held in the city during 2009 and 2010, respectively. Things have gotten so hot for Semler that extra police protection has been ordered for around her home. Damn! Those little old ladies with radical political views are a real pain, aren’t they? What a waste of local tax dollars!

In an interview with the Star, Bond the Bully said:

“If I were the city of Kansas City, I would want to remove this blot as quickly as I could.”

Memo to Bond: Well, you’re not Kansas City but like La Raza’s Janet Murguia, you’re way out of line. And you’re not very bright, either. If you think that by climbing into bed with The Race on this issue that you’re somehow securing a warm and fuzzy future for the people your weak-kneed organization professes to represent, think again. Why would Hispanics, who now outnumber the people who look to you for leadership, are far better organized and, most importantly, have the undivided attention of many members of Congress, need to ally itself with a NAACP that has so effectively demonstrated its inability to protect the interests of Black Americans? No more blaming just “whitey” for the current problems of blacks, although he was, to be sure, the architect of an immigration policy that has helped to again make many blacks second-class citizens in their own country. This time, however, the “white power structure” did it with the help of your organization and other black “leaders” whose top priority remains making sure nothing interferes with their “search for a better life.”

Fresh from her “Wave of Hate” tirade in Miami, La Raza President Janet “The Mouth” Murguia brought her anarchist road show to the Midwest and spouted off about how increased enforcement of our immigration laws is intimidating and harassing illegal aliens.

And it could cost the city famous for barbecuing anything that doesn’t move about $15 million.

Speaking to a standing room only crowd of about 35 people, Murguia whined:

“It’s a dark moment in our history,” Murguía said. “We are in real trouble. … This is not just a political debate anymore . . . It’s now getting personal, [President of National Council of La Raza warns of anti-immigration sentiment, by Joyce Tsai, Kansas City Star, Sept. 1, 2007]

What has The Mouth so agitated is the refusal of Mayor Mark Funkhouser to rescind his appointment of Frances Semler, who is a member of the “controversial” and “militant” Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, to the city’s park board. That’s right, folks. Semler, who is in her early 70s, in Murguia’s opinion, is unfit to carry out her park board duties because she (Gasp!) is part of an organization that supports the goofy idea that our federal government is supposed to enforce its own immigration laws. Adding salt to Murguia’s wounds is last week’s directive from Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt that the Missouri Highway Patrol check the immigration status of anyone (Tsk! Tsk!) who is arrested and in some cases, only stopped.

Whether The Race makes good on its threat to move its annual anti-American convention remains to be seen (it would cost $70,000 to back out of its agreement with the city), but stay tuned because, as you would expect, Murguria has friends in KC who already are breaking a sweat over the idea all those empty hotel rooms would give the city a black eye, you know, create the impression that the city is no longer an “immigrant friendly” community.

Among those local principled politicians standing with Murguia is Kansas City Councilwoman Beth Gottstein:

“If you have to come back to make that announcement (that you’ve chosen not to have the convention in Kansas City), I will stand with you,” Gottstein said. “We know we are right on this.”

Memo to Ms. Gottstein: I believe you need to explain to your constituents why they should feel comfortable living in a city that welcomes with open arms thousands of members of an organization calling itself The Race, which promotes disrespect for our immigration laws and sovereignty, and calls for the removal from office a woman who supports the rule of law.

¿Qué da?

Nobody cares more about children than the jolly fat guy, but Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) has just showed why he has to be acknowledged as being a very close second.

During the Aug. 29 airing of “Lou Dobbs Tonight,” Durbin took off the gloves and let reporter Christine Romans know in no uncertain terms that he has had it with unsafe goods coming into this country from China (read the entire transcript).

We’re about to launch the holiday season, the purchase of toys by families all across America. And there’s some real misgivings, as I’ve said over and over. Families don’t want to play Chinese roulette when they go into a toy department.

Durbin, who is chairman of the Appropriations Committee for the Consumer Products Safety Commission CPSC), then took aim at this understaffed agency that is charged with making sure little Billy and Susie don’t put their eyes out playing with goodies manufactured by our Chinese friends and allies:

. . . they (CPSC) have to take a much more aggressive attitude when it comes to dealing with these products. And I don’t like the responses that I’ve heard out of this commission over the last several weeks. It is the kind of weak approach which really doesn’t give confidence to consumers across America, who count on their government to make sure that products are safe.

It’s obvious that inspecting one out of every 100 shipments is not good enough. And this commission has to wake up to reality. Either they should do the job or get out of town.

Whew! Go get ‘em, Dick! No more Mr. Nice Guy!

Durbin said Americans are willing to pay more for products that don’t make them or their kids glow in the dark, but I wonder, given his support for immigration legislation calling for bringing more cheap foreign workers to this country, just how long will it be before many Americans simply won’t be able to afford much of anything regardless of where it is made?

Which of the two, do you think, represents more of a threat to women’s rights in this country? (a) Deporting a convicted felon like Church Lady Elvira Arrellano who repeatedly thumbed her nose at our laws, or (b) an immigration policy that admits large numbers of men from countries where women are told they should be seen but not heard?

If you chose (b), you’re not part of the National Organization for Women’s (NOW) brain trust. In a Aug. 22 press release dripping with arrogance and the lie that illegals ordered to leave the country are “forced” to leave behind their children, the 500,000-member NOW demonstrated that it, too, really can’t be bothered with the rule of law:

NOW Denounces Deportation of Immigrant Rights Advocate Elvira Arellano

August 22, 2007
The National Organization for Women (NOW) is urging its members to speak out against the recent deportation of immigrant rights activist Elvira Arellano, president of La Familia Latina Unida (United Latino Family). La Familia lobbies on behalf of families that could be split up because of deportation.

Arellano, an undocumented worker who took refuge in a Chicago church last August to prevent being separated from her U.S.-born son, was deported to Mexico after she left the church in order to lobby House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for fair and comprehensive immigration reform. Arellano’s case represents one of many in which mothers are being separated from their children and deported without any consideration being for the rights and needs of their minor children who are U.S. citizens.

“It is an outrage that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), in a deplorable operation called ‘Return to Sender’ is violating the rights of U.S. born children and placing their well-being in jeopardy. In a cold-hearted and punitive manner, ICE ignores pleas from mothers and fathers who have lived, worked, paid taxes and formed families in this country not to be separated from their dependent children,” says Olga Vives, Executive Vice President of NOW. [No e-mail address is available for Ms. Vives, but you can leave a general comments here.]

NOW’s response to the Arellano case is part of the organization’s larger call for an immediate moratorium on the immigration raids and deportation that have been devastating families and communities across the United States, and our call for the U.S. government to pass real immigration reform. Fair reform must address many issues, including a way to afford families like the Arellanos, witah U.S.-born children, a path to legalization, residency and citizenship.

NOW recognizes the contributions of immigrant women and encourages equitable and fair immigration policies that provide legal and safe immigration options, a path to citizenship, reproductive freedom and economic justice, and urges Congress to enact real, just and humane immigration reform legislation.

NOW Executive Vice President Olga Vives is available for comment on the Arellano case and other issues related to immigrant women’s rights in the U.S.

Contact: Mai Shiozaki, 202-628-8669, ext. 116; cell 202-641-1906

In his Aug. 15 online “Change of Subject” feature, Eric Zorn [Email]asked that the federal government leave the now-deported Elvira Arellano alone because it had a whole year to boot her back to Mexico but didn’t.

Game over. She won. Move on, he wrote.

Five days later, however, Zorn just couldn’t let go of the woman who came to symbolize the arrogance and disrespect illegal aliens have for our immigration laws and sovereignty, a spineless federal government unwilling to enforce same laws, equally gutless members of Congress who care far more about remaining in office than the future of this country, and a mainstream media painfully short of the skills needed to provide balanced coverage of this issue, Change of Subject, Vote: Four key questions about Elvira Arellano’s arrest, Chicago Tribune, Aug. 20, 2007:

Should Elvira Arellano have been arrested for breaking U.S. immigration law?

Should a church building provide sanctuary from the law?

Arellano’s 8-year-old son is a U.S. citizen. Should that make a difference in how her deportation case is handled?

Regardless of your personal feelings, do you think Arellano’s case will generate so much sympathy and passion among her supporters that she’ll become the Rosa Parks of the immigrant rights movement?

Memo to Zorn: Game over. Arellano lost. Move on.