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Tuesday, 19 September 2006 16:20 |
Council members accused
of indifference on security
Iëd like to comment on our City Councilës response to Dr. Mumpowerës presentation at the council meeting on Aug. 15, proposing that the City of Asheville take a few reasonable steps toward reversing the crisis of illegal migration into our region; specifically:
1) ICE training for APD
2) Detain and transfer illegals
3) Sanction knowing employers of illegals
Council
member Freeborn said, "If there is a program our chief thinks we should
be participating in, thatës fine. I donët see him asking for that." And
the rest of City Council basically sat there staring into space or
making craven, defeatist remarks, signaling their utter indifference on
the matter.
In my opinion,
the majority on City Council is basically saying: "We, as elected City
Council members, are unwilling to take any leadership role in enforcing
federal prohibitions against illegal migration into this region unless
and until our Police Chief Hogan feels that itës important; if Chief
Hogan ever does come to think itës important, THEN weëll consider HIS
detailed recommendations."
I will be happy
then to see our "progressive" City Council follow Chief Hoganës lead.
Although that may happen closer to Election Day.
I believe that
Police Chief Hogan, and many others who are indifferent now, WILL
someday come to feel that prohibition against criminal migration into
this region is a very important law enforcement issue, as well as a
valid moral issue and WILL begin to take steps to reverse their gross
negligence in a matter that has risen to crisis levels and launched a
thousand grassroots campaigns nationally.
Freeborn
concluded his deliberations resignedly saying, "Currently, Iëm not
supportive of any of the (three) initiatives brought forward by
Councilman Mumpower."
If this
continues to be the view of the majority on City Council, we may need
to quite quickly find citizens to take their place who are genuinely
concerned about national sovereignty and security, the rule of law and
the quality of life in Western North Carolina.
TIM PECK, Asheville
Spirituality writer charged
with anti-Christian biases
Responding to your "Spirituality Opinion" column of Aug.16:
Dr. Marc
Mullinax: To complain about the "Bible being foisted upon us at every
turn" reveals a sad but growing aspect of todayës supposed "tolerant"
culture. In a world where tolerance is held up as apparently the
highest value, it appears that Christianity is the only thing weëre not
tolerant of anymore. Whatever you do, donët mention it in the schools
or anywhere else in the public square for that matter.
Thatës tragic,
especially in light of the Bibleës remarkable influence on the West. I
recently interviewed legendary Yale English professor Harold Bloom and,
although heës not remotely a Christian, he stated that itës impossible
to be a true intellectual in America without a thorough understanding
of the Bible.
With thousands of Biblical references in Shakespeare
alone, it has become central to writers from Cervantes to Melville and
more. Mark Twainës biographer, Ron Powers, wrote in "Mark Twain: A
Life" about "the primacy of the Bible as a cornerstone of (Twainës)
intellectual edifice ÇƒÓ indeed of his very consciousness. No reading of
Mark Twainës literature can miss the inexhaustible evidence of the
Bible as a source."
From the Ten
Commandmentsë influence on Western law to the Bibleës impact on art,
music, education and more, our misguided "separation" of the Bible from
our educational system has created a nation of Biblical illiterates and
its toll is mounting.
A few years ago,
when the president used a metaphor based on "the road to Jericho," a
network news reporter confessed he had no idea what the reference
meant. The fact is, you wonët even understand Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr.ës "I Have a Dream" speech unless you understand the Bible.
As a filmmaker
whoës produced programming in 40 countries around the world, Iëve been
in Muslim mosques, witnessed Santeria sacrifices, watched voodoo
rituals and filmed ceremonies involving at least 10 different religions
ÇƒÓ and never once felt oppressed, or that anyone "foisted" anything on
me. But bring up Christianity in America today and youëll be accused of
being bigoted, insensitive and oppressive.
Weëve got to
move past this antagonism about Christianity and begin to once again
appreciate its power. Forget its role as the foundation for the
Christian faith if you must, but ignorance of the Bible as a resource
for understanding Western literature, art, music, law and more is truly
tragic.
PHIL COOKE, Los Angeles, Calif.
Labeling actions ǃÚcriminalë
obscures immigration issue
I donët believe
"criminal" is synonymous with "illegal." Whereas criminal acts offend
the collective conscience of society and are agreed upon as reasons to
send people to jail, illegal acts include regulatory/statutory
violations. Failing to have a particular piece of paperwork in place
(like an up-to-date inspection sticker) would be an illegal act that is
not criminal. A classic illustration of the distinction would be the
argument that pot should be decriminalized while remaining illegal.
I understand
that this is a society of law, but legislators have noticed that they
increase their chances of re-election through generating more laws.
Consider the
volumes of environmental law, with all their contradictory and
counterproductive stipulations. Way back in 1993, 140 of 200 corporate
attorneys surveyed by the National Law Journal indicated that they did
not think total compliance was possible. Thousands of additional
environmental laws have since been passed. Perhaps the McCain-Feingold
campaign-reform laws would be a more familiar example of legislation
run-amok.
I have heard
many say that they wouldnët mind Hispanics coming here if they had
workersë permits, green cards, etc. To criminalize illegal immigration,
then, would mean we value our bureaucracy over other values. That is,
we would allow a piece of paper to stand between a manës liberty or his
deportation back to poverty and a system of corrupt justice.
Immigration laws
only support the legal profession. If we are to uphold them, I would
suggest sand-blasting the engraving on the Statue of Liberty and
replacing it with something like, "Give me only those rich enough to
navigate our legal system."
I agree,
however, that tax evasion is criminal. As long as people keep voting
for big government, they need to pay for it. Employers should not be
hiring illegals as a means of passing their fair share of the burden
onto everybody else.
On the matter of
authorizing local agencies to enforce federal laws, I believe we begin
to tread dangerous turf in permitting policing power or government to
overstep assigned jurisdictions and therefore checks and balances.
LESLEE KULBA, Asheville
Letter writer disappointed
by omission of sentence
Iëm disappointed
that the Daily Planet censored my letter to the editor. They removed my
comment on the Greenlife loading dock controversy. The original (as
copied in full below) originally included:
"On Greenlife,
anyone who lives adjacent to commercial property should be concerned
with this case, because if the precedent stands, then our buffer laws
are gutted and your own street might be turned into a loading area for
tractor trailers."
The Daily
Planet is conducting a media campaign to make Reid Thompson look like
the only citizen concerned with this problem. I assure you that I, who
also live one street off Merrimon, am very concerned with this
precedent. And I know of many others who are also. So knock it off,
Daily Planet. Fix my letter to the editor, if you donët mind, by
restoring the paragraph above.
BEN GILLUM, Asheville
editorës note:
Because of a production glitch, the aforementioned sentence was
inadvertantly omitted from last weekës edition of the Daily Planet.
Use of doves at rally termed
betrayal of Gandhiës vision
The article
"Hundreds attend 9/11 peace rally touting Gandhiës vision" (Sept. 13
Daily Planet) ended by stating, "To conclude the event, white doves
were released from a cage to fly into the evening sky, symbolizing
peace."
Unfortunately,
this symbolic gesture conflicted with Gandhiës vision. He believed in
ahimsa, which means nonviolence and respect for all life.
Before being released, the doves spent much of the celebration caged in front of a blaring loudspeaker.
Birds released
often donët make it home. Some die flying into glass windows of tall
buildings and other obstacles, and others are killed by predators.
Gandhi, a
devout vegetarian, said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral
progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
STEWART DAVID, Asheville
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