canfield

Washington wars heating up

The Washington wars are really heating up. With all the spin going on it is difficult to see what is really happening with the blurred images of all of those whirling dervishes and talking heads messing up the TV airways.

It is, apparently, all a matter of the definition of “job.” A former Navy admiral says he was offered a job by “the Whitehouse” if he would stop trying to make things difficult for Arlen Specter. The Whitehouse claims the “offer” involved an inconsequential non-paid advisory position and to who show inconsequential it was, Ex-President Clinton, the eminent grammarian, was called in to explain what his conversations (all innocent and inconsequential, of course) had been with Admiral Sestak.

All this of course, shows how public-spirited President Clinton is, to take time from his many duties of ribbon-cutting and such, to honor the Whitehouse request to offer an “inconsequential” job to Admiral Sestak.

Presumably, Mr. Clinton is still researching the similar inconsequential problem of “what the meaning of ‘is’ is.”

I am an “inconsequential” very elderly senior citizen, but in order to cap off my “inconsequential” career I would like to offer my services to President Obama as an unpaid advisor on matters of grammar and philology. I don’t think I would have to change my position on many endeavors to accept such an appointment.

Ralph G. Smith | Cave Creek

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California boycotting Arizona?

Why is California yelling so much about the "new" Arizona immigration law? Maybe because they don't know how to read or enforce their own much older law? They should look up Penal Code 834b – it's actually more strongly worded than our new law.

It reads:
(a) Every law enforcement agency in California shall fully cooperate with the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service regarding any person who is arrested if he or she is suspected of being present in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws.

(b) With respect to any such person who is arrested, and suspected of being present in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws, every law enforcement agency shall do the following: (1) Attempt to verify the legal status of such person as a citizen of the United States, an alien lawfully admitted as a permanent resident, an alien lawfully admitted for a temporary period of time or as an alien who is present in the United States in violation of immigration laws. The verification process may include, but shall not be limited to, questioning the person regarding his or her date and place of birth, and entry into the United States, and demanding documentation to indicate his or her legal status. (2) Notify the person of his or her apparent status as an alien who is present in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws and inform him or her that, apart from any criminal justice proceedings, he or she must either obtain legal status or leave the United States. (3) Notify the Attorney General of California and the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service of the apparent illegal status and provide any additional information that may be requested by any other public entity.

(c) Any legislative, administrative, or other action by a city, county, or other legally authorized local governmental entity with jurisdictional boundaries, or by a law enforcement agency, to prevent or limit the cooperation required by subdivision (a) is expressly prohibited.

Now who's the hypocrite?

Juli Storms | Scottsdale

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Interview with Alfredo Gutierrez

I sent this e-mail to Mr. Montini of the Arizona Republic. Mr. Montini interviewed Mr. Gutierrez concerning SB1070. I'm sure he received a lot of e-mails concerning his interview.
I guess he cannot read them all.

I'm forwarding my e-mail to you in case you may be interested in publishing it:

Mr. Montini – Your Sunday column about Mr. Gutierrez was very informative. I can understand why Mr. Gutierrez is concerned about SB1070. He is concerned that this is a racist bill and that it paints everyone with the same brush stroke. For at least the past 30 years, the Federal government did not observe its own immigration laws on the Southern border, and we now see the result. Utter chaos, frustration, gang wars, murders, innocent people getting killed or left to die while crossing, etc. The logical conclusion for Mr. Gutierrez is that this law will also be broken in the sense that it will not be observed as written. He has already come to the conclusion that there will be racial profiling.

Doesn't this bill explicitly forbid this? This is the RULE OF LAW.
There are safeguards so that this does not happen. And if it does happen, whoever is discriminated against has the power and the right to bring a lawsuit against such behavior. Sadly, I think this is just a smoke screen on behalf of Mr. Gutierrez. He is taking advantage of a touchy situation to advance his political career and get more power under the guise of helping immigrants. If he really was concerned about people, he would welcome securing our borders so that there would be no more coyotes hurting and blackmailing people who are trying to get here to make an honest living for themselves and their families. He, of all people should have taken this demonstration to Washington and demand that our immigration laws be enforced in order to protect those that are coming here to better themselves. Instead, Mr. Gutierrez is stirring the pot of a very controversial issue just to gain power. It is an excellent tactic on his behalf. Ignore the law, attack and deflect with innuendos.

Elisa Zanella | Phoenix

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Israel’s right to defend its citizens

Israel has a right to defend its citizens. All the news stations except FOX News neglected to show viewers the video that showed the onlookers view of the ship showing people on the ship violently attacking the Israeli soldiers. Only then, did the soldiers react in self-defense.

The world seems to unrealistically expect Israel to sit idle and be attacked with citizens killed … to allow themselves to be victimized. Israel has every right to defend themselves against terrorist attacks just as the U.S. and any country does. We as U.S. citizens should realize this and stand firmly with Israel.

Evelyn Rogers | Chino Valley

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Israel’s Intercept of Flotilla of Ships

To read the international press or listen to certain world leaders, you would think that Israel attacked the LOVE BOAT. This was a boat of hatred.

The flotilla of ships which was trying to reach Gaza was organized by IHH, a Turkish foundation with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, and Free Gaza, which describes itself as a human rights group. The IHH has known links to global jihadi networks, openly supports Iran-backed Hamas, and maintains close ties with the Muslim Brotherhood movement.
The State of Israel approached the organizers of the flotilla - prior to their departure and late, while at sea – and invited them to dock at the Port of Ashdod for the sake of transferring their cargo to Gaza, subject to security inspection. The organizers of the flotilla intentionally ignored repeated warnings – including messages from the European Union – and rejected offers by Israel and Egypt to transfer humanitarian goods.

People are not starving in Gaza. The need for the blockade comes from the terrorist nature of Hamas which allows and has encouraged terrorists to use Gaza as a launching pad for sending rockets towards Israeli civilians.

Israel's actions are aimed at blocking arms and explosives shipments to Hamas, which is at war with the Jewish state. Terrorists operating from Gaza have fired more than 7,000 rockets and mortar shells aimed at Israeli civilians. Why would anyone want to allow Iran-backed Hamas to re-arm with more rockets?

No country should be expected to let hundreds of foreigners and tons of supplies unload without clearing first making sure they are not bringing weapons. Israel should not be held to a different standard than the rest of the world.

Real peace will begin when the world community treats Israel with the same rights as other countries – including Israel's right to defend its citizens.

Further, the United States must not waiver from its support of Israel; and stop pandering to Israel's Islamic neighbors.

Frank Stookey | Mesa

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I didn't need any additional proof

The ZZZZERO-in Chief announced in his first press conference in over 300 days that he is the responsible party regarding the "Oil leak."

Press conferences by this leader tend to prove he is a total thin skinned, incompetent, unqualified jackass.

I didn't need any additional proof.

Is there a provision in the U.S. Constitution to remove a president and an administration from office due to major stupidity?

I guess Thomas Jefferson never foresaw a moron of this degree becoming "president."
The ZZZZERO-in-Chief has finally relented and agreed to pretend he is doing his job to protect OUR borders and provided security for American citizens by sending 1200 National Guard troops to our southern border.

That's not nearly enough.

The troops are being assigned administrative/secretarial duties!

Obama is really a loser.

Tom Carbone | Phoenix

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Immigration - Border

Dear Mr. President and anyone else getting this letter, I am sending a copy of the letter that I sent to Senator McCain. I would also like to add that the illegal aliens already established here should be given the opportunity to become citizens without fear of being deported.

Senator McCain – I would like to start by saying thank you for your many years of service in the military, I also come from a family of military people. Where politics is concerned, I want to believe that you think you are acting in the best interest of our country. However, I don't think you understand what it is to be a poor American struggling to make it in a hostile country where the rich think they are entitled and the "bio-tools" that they employ to keep them in their riches are all expendable. When they wear out or are no longer useful, they are easily replaceable. These very same people don't care who they exploit including illegal aliens.

America is a country of immigrants, except of course, the natives without whom we (European immigrants) would surely have perished our first harsh years here.

We exploited them to survive and when we were strong enough we conquered them. They were expected to assimilate or die. We know that many of those new European immigrants would have preferred that the dark skinned savages die. This was our country now, we conquered it fair and square. I have no doubts, but I wonder who you think the savages really were?

The next immigrants that we exploited were not here by choice. For over 200 years the African people were forced into slavery by the European immigrants. They were captured, corralled, housed in barely livable shanty's, separated from their families, bred like animals, beaten, raped, sold off and killed when no longer useful. Again I ask, who do you think the savages were?

Of course things have changed, we're rewriting the history books to soften our ungodly, evil deeds. Maybe in a few generations the horrible things that we have done will be forgotten. NOT!!! NOT!!! NOT!!! IF I CAN HELP IT!!!

Our most recent dealings with immigrants, of course, is the illegal immigration from south of the U.S. border. I guess that our national employment situation is so bad right now that the offspring of the European Americans now want those jobs that they didn't care much about until the nation’s wealthiest businesses and corporations out-sourced the good jobs. The European American offspring are rising up and the wealthy must let it run its course because we know that the greedy business owners had no problem hiring the illegals over the American citizens who would ask for that darned government required minimum wage. Again I ask, who do you think the savages are?

I think I have the solution to this illegal immigration problem that so many are literally all up in arms about! Since American federal tax dollars are going to be sent to the border states to help in solving this illegal immigration problem then I think that we should go after all parties contributing to this problem. I don't think the problem started with the poor people who risk their lives crossing the border trying to survive and feed their families. I think that it started with wealthy American criminals – greedy business owners who would do anything for a buck so they knowingly broke the law. They didn't want to hire Americans for minimum wage so they chose to break the law and hire illegal aliens. The poor Mexicans and South Americans wouldn't be coming here in droves if they could not find work here. I would like to focus my tax dollars on the real criminals. The criminal American business owners that hire the illegals should be treated like illegal drug dealers and all of their property confiscated to fund the illegal immigration problem and to help soften the tax burden on the law abiding Americans citizens.

I would like you to know that I am sending a copy of this letter to President Obama and anyone that I can think of in the hopes that someone will pay attention and do something about this. We must stop demonizing the poor and hold the illegal business owners who hire them accountable!

Mrs. Ann Dodson | E-mail

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Flotilla towards Israel

Despite all the media hype, Israel is just trying to make sure no weapons go into Gaza. Once there, they are used against Israel.

Please become informed about all this even though you have 1,000 things on your mind. Israel is our friend.

William D. Lawrence M.D. | Phoenix

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Israel response to blockade challenge

Loss of life on either side is tragic. Human rights are important. But there is a clear double standard for Israel.

Someone walks into a disco in Israel, blows up, kills Israelis ... no world outcry. Israel builds a wall to keep her citizens safe ... World outcry.

Missiles are launched into Israel targeting civilians ... No world outcry. Israel moves to inspect ships preparing to challenge a blockade intended to keep weapons out of Gaza and activists who put themselves in harms way die ... world outcry.

First: The purpose of the blockade and inspections is to keep weapons out because they have come in this way before.
Second: Israel knows the world is watching. Israel has to inspect the ships. Israel prepares for days in advance. Israel boards boats and, unprovoked, starts shooting civilians. Does that even make sense?

Third: It doesn't matter. The world looks for reasons to blame Israel. The issue has already been played in the court of public opinion and Israel has been found guilty on page one across the world ... but that's OK because any facts supporting Israel's action will be printed ... on the back page.

The world is high on propoganda and hyperbole and low on fairness. But Israel knows this and deals with it every day. Not one nation on the face of the planet would be asked to stand down the way Israel is.

Sending flotillas of civilians into perilous situations only serves special interest groups and arrogant people. Let's focus on and fix the root cause, people. Secure homelands for Palestinians and Israelis.

Bradley E. Singer | Chandler

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Illegal immigration battle

We in Arizona have been thrust to forefront of the battle of illegal immigration. The outcome of this conflict will prove to be a defining moment in the destiny of the experiment in democracy.

Powerful forces contrary to the ideology that framed the constitution are at play to suppress the voices that protect the values that make this Nation great.

Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. Now is the time to advocate for the brave leadership that has placed Arizona at the forefront of this battle. Instead of cowering, retreating and reacting to the threats and intimidation of those who would destroy this Nation, we should be bold in our proclamation that Arizona leads this battle and invite true patriotic, freedom loving Americans to join us, visit us and support us. Come to Arizona where freedom lives!

Bill Crawford | E-mail

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