Regardless of what side of the immigration issue you come down on, you have to admit that what's happening today is truly amazing.
The absolutely least powerful among us are taking to the streets. The photos are incredible.
The stories are too.
Please follow me below the fold...
This is from Atlanta, GA:
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This is from Lincoln, NE:
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This is from Madison, WI:
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This is from Omaha, NE:
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This is from Phoenix, AZ:
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No matter how you feel about this issue, you cannot deny that these people -- people in America illegally -- are making an impact.
From a Reuters article:
ATLANTA (Reuters) - Thousands of people wearing white and waving American flags poured into the streets of Atlanta on Monday demanding dignity and rights for millions of illegal immigrants in the United States.
Shouts of "Si se puede!," Spanish for "Yes, we can!" reverberated through the wave of protesters stirred to action by legislation that would turn them into felons and fence off the U.S. border with Mexico.
Among a sea of white T-shirts, some read "We are not criminals." Banners declared "We have a dream," echoing civil rights leader Martin Luther King.
Sweeping across the country from California to Maine, the protests, vigils and marches have snowballed into one of the biggest Hispanic movements since the 1960s when farm workers united under Cesar Chavez.
The demonstrations arrive at the doorstep of the U.S. Congress later on Monday when more than 100,000 are expected to gather in the shadow of Capitol Hill where lawmakers have been unable to agree on legislation giving illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.
In New York, organisers are expecting 15,000 to 20,000 for a "We are America" rally at City Hall. In Phoenix, the estimate is about 100,000. In Portland, Maine, a state where Hispanics make up less than 1 percent of the population, advocates were hoping for several hundred.
"We're all coming together," said Hector Yturralde, president of the Arizona Hispanic Community Forum. "We have one main cause. As you can see, it is a powerful one."
Events were planned for 94 cities and towns across the United States. Groups are also planning work walkouts, product boycotts and other measures. Some will target lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, the Tennessee Republican who has supported measures that emphasise law enforcement over citizenship.
They're making a BIG impact.
From Market Watch
DES MOINES, Iowa (MarketWatch) -- Amid calls for a nationwide work stoppage and economic boycott, throngs of immigration-reform advocates rallied across the U.S. again Monday.
Several meatpacking plants either temporarily shut down or operated on a reduced schedule because of a lack of production-line workers, many of whom are immigrants.
Industry giant Tyson Foods Inc. (TSN) said some of its facilities, including a plant in Madison, Neb., will be closed, partly because of the planned rallies and partly because of poor livestock market conditions.
Futures traders and other meat-industry sources reported that at least two Swift & Co. beef plants were operating at reduced speeds Monday, apparently because of employee shortages. Also, a large Smithfield Foods Inc. (SFD) pork plant in North Carolina wasn't operating, industry sources said. Company officials didn't return calls seeking comment.
Other industries that depend heavily on immigrant labor and thus potentially hard-hit by an organized work stoppage include restaurants, construction, hotels, and building cleaning and maintenance. Additional areas such residential maid service, gardening and miscellaneous day-labor situations also could be affected.
One restaurant industry analyst, Bryan Elliott at Raymond James & Associates, told his clients Monday that "widespread job actions could put severe strain on operations at many restaurants, leading to weak sales, speed-of-service issues and much higher costs on overtime and other replacement labor cost pressures. Customer goodwill could also be materially impacted," he said.
And they're shaking up the GOP.
From a Yahoo News story
Republicans face a growing disaster on immigration. Right now the GOP is sailing on a dangerous course where they are increasingly turning off two pillars of their new majority. The first pillar is the talk-radio portion of the Republican base led by Rush Limbaugh (and the many who have followed in his wake) that provide a tremendous amount of energy to the conservative movement. The second pillar the GOP is endangering is the Hispanic community, the single largest growing demographic in American politics. In 2004, President Bush increased his share of the Hispanic vote to around 40% nationally. Had John Kerry been able win the same percentage of the Hispanic vote as Al Gore in 2000, he would have won the presidency.
The problem for Republicans is they are split and not speaking with one voice. The result is that they are managing to turn off both of these vital constituencies. Beltway pundits who casually throw aside the concern of the conservative base on this issue make a mistake and underestimate voter intensity on the illegal immigration problem. For a conservative base already demoralized by a Republican-led Congress incapable of cutting spending and frustrated by a war that is either portrayed as floundering (or actually is floundering), abdication of responsibility on the illegal immigration mess may be the last straw that compels many conservatives to sit on their hands this November.
If you think Republicans are picking up support in the Hispanic community for how they are dealing with immigration, you'd be wrong. The Hispanic community is focusing on the severely PR-challenged House bill which has sparked enormous public demonstrations -- political energy that will not be helpful for Republicans this fall. It doesn't matter that an overwhelmingly majority of House Republicans voted to take the felon language out of the Sensenbrenner bill but were defeated by Democrats who cynically (but shrewdly) voted to keep the language intact. Rep. Peter King (news, bio, voting record) tried to explain on FOX News Sunday that the House bill is being distorted and humanitarians aiding illegals wouldn't be prosecuted, but it is too late. The House bill is killing Republicans in the Hispanic community.
You could even say their "talking points" are simple, to the point, and effective:
Go ahead. Turn on the TV news. The talking heads are amazed.
We would do well to watch, listen and take notes...