UNC Protest Disrupts Tancredo Speech on Illegal Immigration
I wonder if a student can reasonably argue that favoring laws against illegal immigration is equal to racism. If we are protesting against jobs being sent overseas then why are we not protesting against jobs being taken by persons who are not legal in this country?
A UNC student club, Youth for Western Civilization, brought in former Colorado congressman Tom Tancredo to speak on opposing in-state tuition benefits to unauthorized immigrants.
It was a bit disconcerting to note the purpose of the club was to be against mass immigration, multiculturalism, and affirmative action. I believe that being diverse and open to various cultures and ethnic groups helps a person's well-being. But still, the topic of the speech deserves debate.
Now let us look at the UNC tuition figures (2006-07). If you are a state resident, full-time tuition is $3,455. If you are out-of-state, you have to pay $18,103.
Would it be possible for North Carolina taxpayers to be upset if illegal immigrants are taking advantage of the in-state tuition rate? It's likely.
I would be upset by that. You could relate that with a non-student being able to buy those expensive office software at an academic discount, or an out-of-town resident buying a resident parking pass. It's called cheating the system.
Anyway, Tom Tancredo could not finish his speech. First, you had two women who stretched a 12-foot banner across the front of the classroom that read, "No dialogue with hate." Both were escorted out of the crowded classroom. Of course you also had 30 protestors yelling in the hallway right outside of it. Then a group of protestors who gathered outside of Bingham Hall were yelling. One protestor pounded on a window of the classroom until the glass shattered, prompting Tancredo to end his speech and leave the room with campus police.
About 200 protesters reconvened outside the building. “We shut him down; no racists in our town,” they shouted. “Yes, racists, we will fight, we know where you sleep at night!”
Chancellor Holden Thorp
“We're very sorry that former Congressman Tancredo wasn't able to speak. We pride ourselves on being a place where all points of view can be expressed and heard, so I'm disappointed that didn't happen tonight. I think our Public Safety officers appropriately handled a difficult situation.”
Lizette Lopez, Junior, Vice-President of Carolina Hispanic Association
“We are the children of immigrants, and this concerns us. So we would at least like to hear what he has to say if you want to hear what we have to say.”
"We were more interested in an intellectual conversation instead of a shouting match,” she said. “Ironically, the people that are trying to get our voices heard silenced us.”
UNC graduate student, Tyler Oakley, who organized the protest:
“He was not able to practice his hate speech. You have to respect the right of people to assemble and collectively speak.”
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In the academic environment, we are supposed to debate and argue opposing viewpoints. Again, we have seen how one side of a controversial issue decides that any one in opposition are cowards, crazy, racist, or stupid.
What if a speaker was brought onto campus advocating that taxpayer funds should go to help illegal immigrants? Would there be an uproar over that? Would we see the same people protesting? Or not? A double-standard? What if a speaker believing that the 12 million illegals that are in this country should be given a fast-track to US citizenship? Would that cause a protest?
For those individuals displaying their immaturity in oppressing viewpoints that do not agree with them, they should be ashamed. They are, in fact, "intellectually bankrupt." They refuse to listen to any reasonable arguments and their response would be to shout down and stop them by any means necessary. That's their only way. A pity.
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ABC News - WTVD-TV Local Station
Americans for Legal Immigration
Comments
Posted by:
Posted on: April 15, 2009 03:32 PM
I think its funny you are advocating for people to be tolerant of opposing view points when the group you are defending is clearly not tolerant.
It reminds me of the story where a husband is critical of his wife for being intolerent of Nazis.
Posted by:
Posted on: April 15, 2009 09:18 PM
Your argument that we should protest jobs being sent overseas or being "taken" by immigrants here is erroneous. For one, the jobs that go overseas do not help our local economies because those people are not consumers in our economy. Contrary, people who work here buy homes here, use services of this country and many DO contribute to our taxation system.
Posted by: Author
Posted on: April 16, 2009 12:19 AM
So what? It cannot be played both ways? You are saying it's funny for me to defend a group that is not tolerant. It's funny for me to see you are defending a group that is in this country illegally. So being illegal is intolerant? How so? The stance is against immigrants entering this country illegally. Why are you distorting the issue? You accuse them of being against immigrants, but they are really against folks who try to sneak into our country.
For the second, you are suggesting we turn a blind eye to those that are not US or naturalized citizens because they contribute to our local economy. That's like telling me not to obey the posted speed limit or running through a red light.
I cannot accept that. You are assuming that these illegal persons are also paying taxes for those services. How would you know that? How would you feel if they are using your SSN in order to work in this country? Sure, they are contributing to the economy, but they are stealing your identity.
Posted by:
Posted on: April 16, 2009 10:20 PM
beautiful, "show it down no racist in our town." Especially, this coward crazy depress Tancredo. Tancredo did not stand for re-election to his House seat in the November 2008 election because he knew he was going to lose just like the other Repugs. According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Tancredo, After graduating from the University of Northern Colorado he became eligible to serve in Vietnam in June 1969. Tancredo has said he went for his physical, telling doctors he'd been treated for depression, and eventually got a "1-Y" deferment[6]. WHAT AT COWARD. To be fair to him, you can see in his face that he is a depress man. I also wonder what is the beef with some Italian, German, and Irish American (Tom Tancredo, Lou Dobbs, Geno's restaurant owner) have the brown people. They forgot their ancestors were victim of racist when they came (some illegally). Probably, they want the new "American Dream" searchers to pay for the "suffering" of their ancestors. I wonder if their ancestors were the ones coming here now what this racists will be saying.
Posted by: Author
Posted on: April 16, 2009 10:34 PM
Why is this "depression" thing have to deal with Tancredo's speech?
Again, why are we calling this racism? If a person is trying to enter this country illegally, how can that be racist? That person is violating our laws, therefore that person must be deported back to his or her home country.
So you say an Italian, German, Irish having a problem with "brown people?" So if a Mexican immigrant who went through the process to becoming a naturalized citizen was against illegal immigration, is he racist too?
Posted by: cricket23
Posted on: April 17, 2009 07:09 AM
The facts are that illegal aliens come across our borders illegally and get jobs with stolen or false Social Security numbers.They then sent 20 Billion dollars a year back to Mexico,at the same time holding out their hand for public assistance.
When an illegal alien female has a child here in
the United States,the baby is an American Citizen and entitle to the same benefits as other Americans ,with stolen or false Social Security card illegal aliens can access some of those same benefits.
Under Federal law illegal aliens and their children are entitle to free basis medical care,also by Federal law their children are entitle to an education in our public schools (K12) It costs the American tax payer around 45 billion dollars a year to pay for those benefits, Free medical care,WIC, Rent Assistance,Food Stamps,Public Housing and Translators and free lunches for their children in our public schools.
American cities along our Southern border provide free emergency medical care for Mexican citizens, and what do the pregnant Mexican women do
in return ? They walk pass Mexican Hospitals just to come across our border to have their babies
( American Citizens).
How about Elvira Arellano and her son,she was deported came back,had the child and return to work with a stolen Social Security number,she also had been in our country for 10 years,but had to have a translator ather news conference!
In pass years illegal alien Mexicans
demonstrated in the streets of our cities
flying the American flag upside down below the Mexican flag and carrying signs saying "This land is ours Gringo" and "We want amnesty now"
Those same Mexicans won't stay in their own country and fight the injustice they face there.
I would ask you the same question I ask Ruben Navarrette The Hispanic Columnist (which he has refuse to answer) what do you tell the millions of immigrants waiting in other countries around the world that want to come here the legal way?
You don't take your first step to become an American citizen by committing an illegal act!
Just because we share common borders that illegal aliens can wade or walk across to get here,does not give them the automatic right to American Citizenship It's worth more than that!
Posted by: Samuel Peterson
Posted on: April 20, 2009 03:38 PM
I just want to say that in some of the aspects that is right but in some ways that is wrong.