[ilbegone]

I find it interesting that they would jump on the councilman's statement and have nothing to say about Mr. Shaw's similar statement.

I interpreted both to say "If you want to define me as a racist because I believe in my country, I'm a racist (your definition of a racist, not mine)".

Maybe it's because Mr. Shaw is a black man speaking at what the opposition would term a "white rally", and since "only whites are capable of racism", they'll ignore the aggrieved black father while stirring the white politician pot.

I'm surprised that they actually quoted Ray Herrera as saying this

[QUOTE]

Still Herrera, whose group is called We the People, California's Crusader, agrees with Kellar's views.

"I wish that all city council members would speak to the issue," Herrera said.
Herrera, who said his grandfather came to the United States from Mexico and was a legal citizen, said other Latinos sometimes call him offensive names. He said his goal is to encourage Mexicans to stand strong against their own government and demand a better life, instead of leaving their country to depend on others.

"I'm called a racist and a coconut for saying this," he said, "but we are invaded by illegal aliens that are Hispanic."

[/QUOTE]

Because they are much more likely to push this sort of a statement

While both sides of the immigration issue want reform, the tone of such rallies can be offensive to some because defining an American has always been a touchy subject, said Fernando Guerra, director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University.

"We've had these battles (throughout history) as people defined what was an American," Guerra said. "There were the non-English-speaking Germans in Pennsylvania and the Catholics, who couldn't be accepted so they had to create their own universities. There was the question of the African-Americans and Native Americans."

Guerra also said the tone of such rallies can instigate hatred because no distinction is made when using the term "illegal."

"Even though I am a U.S.-born citizen with a Ph.D., as I'm walking down the street, they will use that definition against me," he said.

By his comments above Guerra would deny the involvement of someone like MR. Shaw, that it's all a white Anglo Saxon on Hispanic brown affair. He would seem to contradict himself because it's in his mentality to make no distinction between himself and illegal aliens (Nuestra gente). Now would Guerra continue his role by labeling Ray Herrera a racist?

How about the media?