Join Call for Racist NC Sheriff Steve Bizzell's Resignation

Hall of Shame: Sheriff Steve Bizzell - Johnston County, NC - Hates tacos and spaghetti

We Can Stop the Hate, an NCLR anti-bias initiative, has launched a national campaign to demand the resignation of racist anti-Latino politician Steve Bizzell. He is the idiot in Johnston County, North Carolina who uses his position of authority to insult, degrade and harass residents of Latino heritage with vile racial slurs. Oh...and he's the Sheriff!

BTW: NC's undistinguished Senator Dole features Bizzell in one of her anti-immigrant political ads. Apparently, they're two peas in a pod. How unfortunate for NC. The good news is that Dole may be beaten, and Obama may win the state, on November 4th -- in what was until this year a solid Red state.

In other words, Bizzell and his kind may begin re-evaluating their politics or experience the fate of the Dodo.

What follows is NCLR's call to action:

Join the call for the resignation of a bigoted Sheriff in North Carolina

In a recent article in Raleigh's The News & Observer, Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell was quoted accusing Latinos of "breeding like rabbits," calling Mexicans "trashy," and stating, "When people think about illegal Mexicans, you know the first thing they think of? Driving drunk and shooting."

These are just some of the inflammatory things that Steve Bizzell had to say about Latinos. As a result, a coalition of progressive groups in North Carolina has asked that the Johnston County commissioners push for Bizzell's resignation.

Not only is Sheriff Bizzell still on the job, he can even be seen featured in this campaign ad supporting Senator Elizabeth Dole.

Help us make the case that bigotry has no place in the sheriff's office or on the campaign trail. If you live in North Carolina, write to North Carolina's congressional delegation to ask them to support the call for Sheriff Bizzell's resignation. If you don’t live in North Carolina, you can still write to your own state representatives. Stand up to hate by forwarding this message to five of your friends and encouraging them to sign up for We Can Stop The Hate alerts. Together, we can make a difference.

Sincerely,
The National Council of La Raza

Dumb Ms Ginny Brown Waite

How dumb is Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Florida)?

Very.

Last week she issued a press release in which she referred to Puerto Ricans as "foreign citizens".

Calling her comments “infuriating and contradictory,” members of the U.S. Congress and the full Puerto Rican House of Representatives demanded “a public apology” from Brown-Waite for referring to Puerto Ricans as “foreign citizens.”

Puerto Ricans were made American citizens in 1917.

Ms Ginny has thus far refused to correct her mistake and apologize.

Ginny represents an area in Florida's Central Region, which is home to some 600,000 Floridians of Puerto Rican heritage. However, the 5th District that she represents is comprised largely of nonLatino retirees. Perhaps picking a fight with Puerto Ricans is smart politics there--but it can only be a short-term play.

Why?

The district's demographics are changing allowing Democrats to compete in the formerly solid Republican district. But even if Ms Ginny manages to hang on in 2008, 2010 will be more difficult--and we can expect that the post-2010 redistricting will surely rid Central Florida of this embarrassment. But it won't happen so enough.

But let's be clear. Ginny's assault on Puerto Ricans is simply another manifestion of the rightwing's anti-Latino nativism. As I've said before, it's not about the "immigration status" of some Latinos--it's simple bigotry against Latinos.

Related:
Political leaders criticize Brown-Waite's 'foreign' remark
Puerto Ricans to Brown-Waite: You're an insensitive ignoramus

The Manassas Anti-Immigrant War of 2007: A 13 Part YouTube Documentary (Unedited)

Hi everyone,

We need your help to share this YouTube video and go viral!

Two colleagues (Eric Byler and Annabel Parker) have created this Interactive Documentary on YouTube about the battle over immigration in Virginia. They have been on the ground in Northern Virginia and It really feels like a battle over the meaning of America.

I believe that Youtube can be an important tool for civic activism. Help us achieve the goal of raising our voices in this very important debate.

We hope that the YouTube video below can help promote greater understanding and alleviate the hostility in Northern Virginia.

Here is the link: www.youtube.com/9500Liberty

The format is experimental. We're inviting people to give Eric and Annabel feedback and suggestions for what you would like to see in the series.

Background Information:

In July, Prince William Co. Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the harshest local legislation in the nation aiming to remove "illegal immigrants" from their county. Supporters say that the Board is brave and it is necessary in order to preserve the law and quality of life. Critics say that it's racist and a cynical case of self-serving political grandstanding in an election year.

On November 6th, all local and state-level seats are up for election in Virginia including PW Co. Board Chairman Corey Stewart and Supervisor John Stirrup who introduced the controversial resolution.

Because of the timeliness of the subject, we felt compelled to create a real-time, interactive documentary YouTube channel--breaking with the usual documentary post-production method that delays public feedback for months and months.

We invite you to join the conversation on our YouTube channel and/or on one of the following blogs:

http://www.bvbl.net/index.php/2007/10/14/documentary-filmmakers-release-clips/#comments
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/10/15/74153/725
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/10/12/163236/60
http://raisingkaine.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=10891
http://www.raisingkaine.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=10864
http://www.raisingkaine.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=10878
http://www.bvbl.net/index.php/2007/10/14/documentary-filmmakers-release-clips/#comments
http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/blog/2007/10/documentary-chorus.php

Thank you for your support! And feel free to contact Annabel about this project. Her email is parkinstein@ gmail.com

Cordially,
Carlos Soles

It's Bobby Jindal!!!! Son of Indian Immigrants Wins Louisiana Governorship

Awesome!

Proving that America's future truly is being shaped in its Southern tier, voters in Louisiana elected Bobby Jindal as the state's first nonwhite governor since Reconstruction.

Representing the almost forgotten promise of America to today's immigrants, Jindal is the Oxford-educated son of Indian immigrants.

My mom and dad came to this country in pursuit of the American dream. And guess what happened. They found the American dream to be alive and well right here in Louisiana.

At 36 years of age, Jindal is also the youngest serving governor of an American state.

Jindal's election is also a dramatic break from Louisiana's past of corrupt, incompetent and single party rule--a legacy fully on displayed for the nation and the world in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Congratulations to Bobby Jindal and the Jindal family. But more importantly, congratulations to the courageous people of Louisiana who voted for change, and in so doing put down a clear marker in the emergence of the New America.

Related:

Indian immigrants' son new La. governor
Go, Bobby, Go! II
Go, Bobby, Go!
Latinos & African Americans Gain in the New America
Obama Rises: Is A New America Close Behind?