I don't understand exactly what is happening how many red flags have to be risen for people to be afraid of the devil himself, we all know that Obama has friends who are terrorist. We all know that his middle name is the name of the greatest terrorist of all time. We all heard when he said that it is o.k. to kill babies, and to let gays get married. We all know that last time we had a democratic house, senate, and president was Jimmy Carter, those were some great times huh! We all no that these are not America's values. Please God Republicans Go Vote!
He will raise our taxes. if you don't believe it I challenge you to look at his past voting record everything he has ever stood behind was to raise taxes.
I honestly don't like McCain very much but he did get captured for several years defending our country! He is the lessor of two evils.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Classroom Response
When I presented this topic to my English 102 class, I must say I was rather nervous. Illegal Immigration is a controversial issue, like abortion or gay marriage.
Taking a stand in something you believe, when you know people will disagree with you is without a doubt frightening, but also very rewarding. Unlike past presentations I felt proud of everything I had accomplished researching this topic, and felt my response though very hard to take for some, was completely warranted. The funny thing was the only response I had against my stance on Illegal immigration was one student who wanted to know, who was going to clean our toilets after my proposal was put into effect. I found this to be completely appalling. There once was a day when we Americans were not too good to clean our own toilets. My response to send them all home wasn't because I have ill will for these people. It was totally based on compelling facts that these people our a burden on our society. Also, if I were to commit a crime in this country, that was serious enough to where I owed five-thousand dollars in restitution. Somehow I don't believe the judge will just let me off because I am a good person. In conclusion, I don't believe illegal immigrants have any right to be here, but just the same I don't think Americans have any right to exploit these people either.
Taking a stand in something you believe, when you know people will disagree with you is without a doubt frightening, but also very rewarding. Unlike past presentations I felt proud of everything I had accomplished researching this topic, and felt my response though very hard to take for some, was completely warranted. The funny thing was the only response I had against my stance on Illegal immigration was one student who wanted to know, who was going to clean our toilets after my proposal was put into effect. I found this to be completely appalling. There once was a day when we Americans were not too good to clean our own toilets. My response to send them all home wasn't because I have ill will for these people. It was totally based on compelling facts that these people our a burden on our society. Also, if I were to commit a crime in this country, that was serious enough to where I owed five-thousand dollars in restitution. Somehow I don't believe the judge will just let me off because I am a good person. In conclusion, I don't believe illegal immigrants have any right to be here, but just the same I don't think Americans have any right to exploit these people either.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Immigration at its Worst
Immigration At It’s Worst
We Americans are facing one of the most serious problems to confront our nation in years. Illegal immigration has been like an infection spreading without notice. Our nation and our people can’t continue to support these people. The burden these illegal immigrants are forcing us to bare is just much. According to a member of our budget committee, “We have a weakening economy, an increasing unemployment rate, a problem with adequately educating our people, a congested transportation infrastructure, and a lack of adequate health care (Williams 3).”We can’t afford illegal immigration, the price is just too high. There are many Americans who support these people in their quest for a better life, I am not one of the them. We Americans are capitalist, not communists. We don’t work hard so that other people can have better lives.
I take my three children to school everyday, but this action is not free for me. I, like the majority of other Americans, pay high tax dollars so that my children can attend good schools. These illegal immigrants are coming here and putting their children in our school systems for free. I shouldn’t say for free, at the expense of our schools, our children, and our tax dollars. With the overwhelming amount of students in each classroom the quality of our children’s education is suffering; many of these immigrant children can not speak our English language. Teachers are forced to give these children special attention, leaving them with no choice but to neglect the English speaking students.
Last year I was in a car accident with an illegal immigrant, both of us were at fault receiving tickets for; a failure to yield. This guy had no drivers license and no insurance, which he was also cited for. He was not arrested or deported, in fact he most likely got a new car. My insurance company considered his truck a total loss and paid him over eight thousand dollars. At the time I only had liability insurance, which did not cover my car. I was forced by my financial situation to drive this car to school everyday for months. I often wonder if this guy even went to court for the tickets he received, but since he isn’t an American citizen or doesn’t have a social security number to be accountable for, I guess it doesn’t matter. Currently there are eleven states which offer illegal immigrants drivers licenses, Arizona is not one of them. D.A. King the founder of the American Resistence, an organization that works to combat illegal immigration states that, “Driver’s licenses are a widely accepted form of identification in the United States and are easy for illegal immigrants to obtain.” He continues to explain how the 9/11 hijackers had no difficulty collecting sixty-three of them ( King 1). We need drivers licenses to fly on airplanes, illegal immigrants should not be given these nationally recognized forms of identification. This leads me to a statistic I heard on a television show about a month ago, twenty percent of illegal immigrants crossing our southwest borders are from somewhere in the Middle East.
Terrorism and illegal immigration are two problems that go hand-in-hand. All of the 9/11 hijackers were in our country on visas which had expired. The INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) admits that there are over 300,000 foreigners who have been ordered out of the country but have disappeared before they could be deported. According to author Lauri Friedman “ The border is an important tool in preventing terrorism. As every house has to have a door, every country has to have a border. We have been singing, ‘We are the world’ more than
we have been singing ‘America the Beautiful.’ It is now imperative that we better monitor who we admit into this country, and insure that people honor the terms of their admission. Immigration reform will not solve the problem of terrorism, but this problem will not be solved without immigration reform (Friedman 2).”
Many nations have collapsed due to immigration problems and I am afraid that we might be next on this list. We Americans have been supporting millions of immigrates that have absolutely no allegiance to this country. We saw this as they raised their Mexican flags, as they marched down our streets in their demand for amnesty. Their blatant display of disrespect for our laws that govern our way of life. Frosty Wooldridge tells us, “multiethnic empires break up in cataclysmic violence.” He gives us two examples; The former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. He continues by saying France is on the same track to self-destruction (Wooldridge 3). Aristotle said it best when he said, “The only stable state is one in which all men are equal before the law.”
Healthcare and law enforcement are also feeling the burden these people are placing on our country. Hospitals can’t refuse service to anyone. If an American citizen can’t afford to pay a hospital bill, they are still responsible for it. Our social security numbers make sure that we are financially responsible. Unpaid hospital bills stop Americans from buying homes, by damaging our credit. This is true with law enforcement as well, an unpaid ticket or a missed court date will put an American citizen in jail. Not to mention the fact that it cost us more tax dollars to pay more police officers, and court officials to maintain law in our country. Illegal immigrants live in our country like ghosts; they are taking advantage of us, our systems, and our way of life. They live just as we do, but without the rules that we our governed by.
They are also causing damage to the deserts they are crossing to get here. Our deserts along the border are being littered with diapers, feces, and empty food and water containers. They are killing our animals and their natural habitats. They are stealing from our citizens who border our nation. According to Bob Moser Ranchers on our southwest borders are being victimized by this problem. “ They found their livestock being stolen or killed for food, their cattle fences being cut, and trash and human waste dotting their land (Moser 2). I have a friend who lived in Douglas Arizona, his home was broken into and robbed four times; he had two cars stolen from him and two dogs killed. After he finally realized this way of life was not subject to change, he was forced to leave his home (Ross).
Right now we have over 13 million illegal immigrants asking for amnesty in our country. This offers a solution to these people living in our county without social security numbers, but this isn’t even a fraction of the problem. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan proposed a blanket amnesty to 2.7 million illegal immigrates, he said that this combined with tougher sanctions on employers who hire illegal immigrants would slow or stop this type of immigration. “ What happened instead was the United States sent a message to the world that illegal immigrants could gain status in the United States without having to go through the normal process (Williams 4).” If we offer amnesty to 13 million law breakers, we are giving incentive for millions more. How dare our government offer up our country like a prize for breaking the law. All we know about these people is that they have no respect for our countries laws. It is because of all these people, that it takes so long for decent legal immigrants to get into our county. Where is the bill that needs to be passed to deport all of these illegal immigrants from our country. I have seen the support in the American people, but I have yet to see our congressmen and women do anything about it. What are they so afraid of, its not like these illegal citizens are voters.
This isn’t a race issue, I know many Mexican Americans who are just as, if not more ready to see these people go. My mother-in-law is a Mexican American, her family lived in Texas before it was even part of our country. She is tired of people looking at her like she doesn’t belong here. She doesn’t blame Americans for the prejudice she has been receiving. She blames the millions of illegal Mexican immigrants, who not only stole their rights to this country, but are stealing hers as well. One article says, “It is illegal immigration that causes problems and builds stereotypes. Disregard of U.S. migration law only causes problems for American citizens, especially those who immigrated here legally (Dudley 2).”
Many different organizations have tried offering solutions that have either been ineffective or inhumane. The Low Intensity Conflict (LIC) is one of them, this is a militarized group who’s plan to stop immigration has gone to far. This group has been know to use excessive force by physically casing harm to immigrants with the hopes that they will, ‘spread the word.’ According to one article, “LIC often results in massive environmental destruction, from manual and mechanical defoliation and destruction of habitat, to widespread use of chemical and biological agents.” With motos like “Everyone who crosses, or who may know or help someone else who crosses, is seen as the enemy, and treated accordingly ( King 2).”Another organization against illegal immigration refers to themselves as Minutemen, these are a group of citizen volunteers that patrol our borders and report sightings of illegal immigrants to Border Patrol officials. An article by Cinnamon Stillwell talks about how this group of citizens is acting as a neighborhood watch, but is not getting the gratitude they deserve. Instead they are being referred to as, “trigger-happy red necks out for blood.” They have even been accused of being vigilantes by President Bush. The author talks about how these immigrants are rendering our American
citizenship virtually meaningless. By “giving illegal immigrants in-state tuition at colleges and universities (which reeks of discrimination against out-of-state American students who are not afforded such privileges) and free health care and bank accounts, and it continues today with the ongoing crusade to grant driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.” She continues to talk about how some people argue that illegal immigrants are taking jobs Americans don’t want. She says, “ the truth is that the expense to the taxpayers far outweighs the benefits (Stillwell 2).
I have several propositions that when used together can offer a real solution to our illegal immigration problem. I am looking for voter support and for our nations congress to act on this problem before it becomes a crisis. I want our president to stop pussy-footing around the situation. I agreed with the President when he said, “We are undoubtedly a nation of immigrants, and it is our responsibility, as a nation of immigrants, to ensure the right of others to legally migrate here in the future by successfully terminating the problem of illegal immigration today.” The first part of my plan is very simple. I am asking for our President to hold true to his voice. We American citizens voted in a conservative Republican, where did he go? I am also asking for our bordering states to receive financial and political support from our whole country. This means, I want the eleven states that offer driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants to stop immediately and revoke them. I want our president to pass a law that will define these people as criminals. I want our law enforcement agencies to be aloud to apprehend and deport these people for nothing other than just being here, amnesty denied. I want the wall that our border states need to stop these people from just walking across our deserts, to the freedom that I pay for. I want our national guard to be armed and ready to protect our borders. I am looking for a congressman or woman to write a bill that requires children to have social security numbers in order to attend
school. Once it passes, I am confident that Americans-with the best interest of their children-will vote it in. Then, I will be looking for statesmen and women to support their constituents voice. California citizens voted in proposition 187, which was aimed at stopping illegal immigrants from attending school in the California school system. A new governor, some red tape, and the carpet politicians sweep things under; stopped this from taking affect.
We also need to make some changes to our fourteenth Amendment which states, All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. This Amendment was created to make slaves and their children citizens of this country. According to Edward Erler, “contrary to a currently fashionable argument, the denial of birth-right citizenship to children of illegal aliens does not punish the children for the sins of the parents because the children don’t have a right to citizenship in the first place-they are being denied nothing that is rightfully theirs (Erler 7).” I completely agree, why should we reward the illegal behavior of illegal immigrant mothers by giving their children automatic citizenship in our country.
I know these people are humans, not animals and I know these people are just looking for, and deserve, a better life. We should encourage these people once they’ve returned to Mexico to start a revolution. I want these people to have a good life, just not at my expense. I have a friend who is an illegal immigrant. He is a wonderful man. He came here with his wife and child in hopes of living the American dream. Everyday he works very hard at his job and his wife just received a degree in engineering. They live their lives as productive members of society. Many of us know people just like my friend and his wife. This is the reason some people are torn by what to do about this problem. I sympathize with these people, but that does not mean
that I wish to bare their financial burdens. I care about my friend and his family, but truthfully I care about my own much more. Some people may argue that these immigrants are taking jobs that Americans refuse to do. I disagree, they are letting shady companies get away with not paying fair and competitive wages. Some people may say that they are contributing to society. This may be true for some, but who are these people. We have no way of knowing whether these people are good natured people or cold hearted criminals.
Right now, as it currently stands Americas future looks very unstable. With the amount of illegal immigrants who are entering our country every year, it won’t be long before they render American citizenship worthless. It won’t be long before American citizens get fed up enough to metaphorically rip up their social security cards. Why should we be bound to Americas rules and regulations when so many are not. With my proposed solution, I can see a bright future for this country. We can return to our American way of living, where each individual is responsible for his or her own life. By implementing my proposition to require a social security number to attend school in our country, we can assure that the American dream stays the “American” dream. Our schools can concentrate on educating our own children. Our America-Mexican people can detach themselves from the stereotype that they do not belong in this country. With the estimated 50 billion dollars we Americas our paying for illegal immigrate healthcare, education, and incarceration; we should have no problem paying for their deportation. With protected borders we Americans will be able to sleep better at night. This added protection will also provide more jobs for American citizens. Life as I see it can only improve.
In conclusion, majority of us Americans are tired of the financial burden illegal immigrants are forcing us to carry. Unless we as a nation come together to solve this problem, as a nation will suffer the consequences. My hopes for writing this paper are as followed: I hope that some of our governing officials will read this and take the initiative to do what is right for our people. I want the American people to stand up for their rights and help pass the laws we are so desperately in need of. Most importantly, I am looking for the strength of our nation to over come its weaknesses and give back to the citizens of this country who worked so hard to build it.
“Works Cited”
D.A. King. Illegal Immigrants Should Not Be Issued Driver’s Licenses. “At Issue: What Rights Should Illegal Immigrants Have?”. Ed. Lori Newman. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Gateway Community College (AZ). 26 Mar. 2007
Dudley, William. America Must Take Stronger Measures to Halt Illegal Immigration. Illegal Immigration. Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Gateway Community College (AZ). 26 Mar. 2007
GroupName=mcc_gateway&version=1.0>.
Dudley, William. Illegal Immigration Creates Prejudice Against Legal Immigrants. Illegal Immigration. Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Maricopa County Community College
5 Apr. 2007
userGroupName=mcc_main&version=1.0>.
Erler, Edward J. The United States Should Repeal Birthright Citizenship for Children of Illegal Immigrants. “ Immigration and Citizenship.” Immigration. Ed. Tamara L. Roleff. Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press 1998. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Gateway Community College (AZ). 26 Mar.2007
Name=mcc_gateway&version=1.0>.
Friedman, Lauri S. Immigration Must Be Restricted to Reduce Terrorism. “Are Efforts to Reduce Terrorism Successful?”. At Issue Series. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005.
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Maricopa County Community College. 5 Apr. 2007
userGroupName=mcc_main&version=1.0>.
Moser, Bob. “Civilian Patrols Endanger Illegal Immigrants.” Illegal Immigration. Ed. Margaret Haerens. Opposing Viewpoints. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Gateway Community College (AZ). 26 Mar. 2007
GroupName=mcc_gateway&version=1.0>.
Network, Border Action. Enforcement of Immigration Laws Harms Border Communities. Illegal Immigration. Ed. Margaret Haerens. Opposing Viewpoints. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Gateway Community College (AZ). 26 Mar. 2007
userGroupName=mcc_gateway&version=1.0>.
Ross, Pete. Personal Interview. 4 April 2007.
Stillwell, Cinnamon. Civilian Patrols Should Be Encouraged on the Border. “The Return of the Minutemen.” Illegal Immigration. Ed. Margaret Haerens. Opposing Viewpoints. Detroit: Greenhaven Press 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Gateway Community College (AZ). 26 Mar. 2007
userGroupName=mcc_gateway&version=1.0>.
Williams, Mary E. Illegal Immigrants Should Not Receive Amnesty. Immigration. Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Maricopa County Community College. 5 Apr. 2006
userGroupName=mcc_gateway&version=1.0>.
Wooldridge, Frosty. Illegal Immigration Threatens America. “The Coming Break Up of America.” Illegal Immigration. Ed. Margaret Haerens. Opposing Viewpoints. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Gateway Community College (AZ). 26 Mar. 2007
OVRC&userGroupName=mcc_gateway&version=1.0>.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Research
So far research for my paper has been overwheming, which leads me to believe I need to narrow my subject. I will be trying to offer a solution to Arizona's border control problem. Since, this is a difficult and sensitive subject, I have to make sure I get my facts straight, while at the same offering a solution, that is good for both parties envolved. Also, my solution must be humane. I will be finishing my anotated bib tonight, but this will most likely not be my final draft. Good luck on your research class.
Right From Wrong
On June 18th 2003, a famous bounty hunter named Duane “Dog” Chapman apprehended an American fugitive named Andrew Luster the Max Factor cosmetics heir. A Criminal who fled the country right in the middle of his trial-after posting a one million dollar bail-where he was being tried for drugging and rapping three girls, which luster himself videotaped. Near a taco stand in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico ‘Dog,’ his son Leland and his brother Tim captured Luster.Upon crossing the border back into the U.S. ‘Dog’, Leland and Tim were arrested and placed in a Mexico jail. They were facing several charges, but the main charges were; criminal association,
deprivation of liberty, and kidnapping. After each posted a 1,430 dollar bail they returned to their homes in Hawaii. According to their attorney these charges would just fade away as long as they didn’t return to Mexico. According to Hugh Dellios of the Chicago Tribune “ On the Monday ‘Dog’ was supposed to appear in court in Puerto Vallarta, he instead appeared in a courtroom in Ventura County, California. He was there at a hearing to make his case for why he deserved apiece of Luster’s million dollar bail money”(Dellios 4).
Three years later in September 2006, while sleeping in his home he was awaken by twelve federal marshals who violently busted into his homes with guns drawn and placed him, Leland and Tim under arrest with a warrant out of Mexico for failure to appear in court, he was taken to a federal prison. They spent three days in prison before they were released on 300,000 dollars bail and placed on house arrest. They are currently awaiting a ruling on their request to stop the extradition proceedings, which would otherwise require them to face trial in Mexico ( Carr 1).
We humans often find ourselves torn between law and moral reasoning, we ask ourselves is it wrong for a mother to steal a loaf of bread to feed her hungry children. With our installed sense of right from wrong we say yes, but when we use our hearts we can’t help but to say no. This same conflict should be taken in consideration by the Mexico court system. ‘Dog’ and his family not only brought justice to the American women who were hurt and humiliated by Luster, but also to the Mexican women who were next on his list. Bounty hunters are often given a bad name, according Rachel Clarke from BBC News online, this bad name stems from mistakes that have occurred while trying to apprehend such criminals as Luster. She gives an example of a woman who was taken into custody by a bounty hunter and taken a thousand miles from home and after realizing this was not the woman in question she was released and given a twenty-four dollar bus ticket home. She says “ Other innocent victims do not get such a chance, with fatal shootings by people claiming to be bounty hunters in Virginia, Arizona, and Missouri” (Clarke2). This is what separates ‘Dog’ from your average bounty hunter. He doesn’t carry a gun while bounty hunting, in fact, when he captured Luster all he was armed with was pepper spray. He doesn’t kick down doors or arrest innocent people. Anyone who questions his ethics can watch him on his hit T.V. show “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” before he goes after each criminal he gathers his crew and prays, and after apprehending them he offers compassion and understanding. He follows the golden rule; to treat other as you wish to be treated.How many times is our government and media going to subject this Christian family to public humiliation before we say enough is enough. We saw him arrested and subjected to a third worlds countries abuse and imprisonment. Later we watched as our own government placed him in the very prison that he has placed many of our real criminals. While in prison his life was even threatened by these very criminals. Even now he is forced to wear an ankle bracelet that monitors his every movement. I am not alone when I say there is something wrong with this situation. According to David Carr, from the New York Times “ 29 members of the House of
Representatives sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asking that she deny the request from Mexico that Mr. Chapman, be extradited to face charges of illegal detention”(Carr 1). One of these representatives Tom Tancredo says something I would love to quote “Americans are apparently supposed to happily accept the presence of roughly 100,000 criminal aliens inside our borders-a number that is growing every year-while Marshals use their resources to track down ‘Dog’ Chapman on orders from a foreign master for successfully bringing a convicted rapist to justice”. Tancredo’s administration also tells congress that they can’t secure our borders do to a lack of resources. He continues to say how this current administration is too busy with misplaced priorities to address the failure of the U.S. border policies (Epinossa 1).
With all the concerns the Mexican government faces, I find it hard to understand why they are making such a fuss over one American citizen, who without brut force removed a criminal form their country. The charges ‘Dog’ Chapman are facing are almost a joke, how do you kidnap someone when your taking them home, and how does a country offer liberty to a non-citizen hiding from justice. If anyone has committed a crime here it is the Mexican Government, who allowed a felon to run free amongst their people for over six-months and who fights for the liberty of a serial rapist. The funniest charge the Chapman’s are facing is criminal association,
because wasn’t it the Mexican citizens who have spent six-months associating with Luster.Maybe associating is to stern of a word, perhaps harboring is better terminology. According to Hugh Dellios, Luster was living in a pay-by-the-hour motel right next door to the Mexican version of the FBI. In this same article Dellios calls Chapman a publicity hungry vigilante and claims that National Sovereignty and neighborly relations were some what being ignored(Dellios 1). To me the only thing that was being ignored was the request from the U.S. to Mexico to help us bring our fugitives to justice, this must be the neighborly relations which are being
ignored. How did Luster manage to live next to their FBI agency for six months and not be noticed, perhaps Luster is a Magician and a rapist. Maybe Mexico’s FBI isn’t qualified to apprehend people like Andrew Luster, maybe they just don’t care, either way this calls for someone like ‘Dog’ to take care of the situation. As for National Sovereignty I could give a low-ball estimate of about 10 million Mexicans who impose themselves on our National Sovereignty. Everyday these people enter our country and in doing so, break our laws, and Mexico makes a huge deal about one American who broke one law. Somehow I can’t help but wonder what the real motive behind all this is.
On February 16th ‘Dog and his wife Beth were on T.V. asking for public support. Pleading for American citizens to contact their local politicians. Though Beth and ‘Dog’ admit that they broke Mexican laws to obtained Luster, both say they would do it again. This could be why Mexico is so disturbed by the matter. ‘Dog’ will not apologize for protecting the public, this is the job he was called to do. Further more, this action by Mexico should be denied. Since this case is still pending American citizens should stand up for the Chapman family by pressing our government to protect the people of our country who protect us. Luster is a rapist who because of this family is spending life in prison unable to rap our mothers, daughters and friends. We have a duty to act with reason, and spending four years in prison for serving humanity is just too unreasonable. At the very most they should be asked to pay a fine.
In conclusion, Mexico authorities did nothing to bring Luster to justice. We like Mexico need to make it very clear that people who commit crimes do not get a free pass to freedom in Mexico. There should be laws that protect the sovereignty of a country, but those rules should not protect criminals. ‘Dog’ and his family are genuine hero's, they spend their lives going after criminals that our own government has let slip threw the cracks. Not only does he give our police officers more time to attend to our needs, but he saves us tax dollars by not being employed by our states. Bounty hunters go to Mexico constantly to bring criminals back to America to face justice, its just not everyday one of those bounty hunters does it with a camera crew. Also if Mexico is going to press charges on ‘Dog’ they should get those charges straight. Dog really didn’t do anything, the Mexican authorities stopped him at the border before all the crimes he is charged with were really even committed. I believe in the ‘Dog,’ and I also believe a crime should be judged by the fruit it produces.
“ Bibliography”
“Arts, Briefly.(The Arts/Cultural Desk)(Arts, Briefly)(Brief article).” The
NewYork Times(Feb 17, 2007): B10(L). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Maricopa County Community College. 7 Mar. 2007
.
Carr, David. “Legislators Rally Behind Bounty Hunter.(The Arts/Cultural Desk) (Arts,Briefly).”
The New York Times. (Oct 12, 2006): E2(L). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center.Thomson Gale. Maricopa County Community College. 7 Mar. 2007.
Clarke, Rachel. “Above the Law: US Bounty Hunters.”Google.com 22 February 2007.
href="http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/h">http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/h
i/americas/3003886.s...
Dellios, Hugh. “‘Dog’ got his man, now bounty hunter enrages Mexico.” Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. (July 14,2003): K5615. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Maricopa County Community College. 7 Mar. 2007
.
“Dog the Bounty Hunter: Breaking News.”Google.com 22 February 2007.
On June 18th 2003, a famous bounty hunter named Duane “Dog” Chapman apprehended an American fugitive named Andrew Luster the Max Factor cosmetics heir. A Criminal who fled the country right in the middle of his trial-after posting a one million dollar bail-where he was being tried for drugging and rapping three girls, which luster himself videotaped. Near a taco stand in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico ‘Dog,’ his son Leland and his brother Tim captured Luster.Upon crossing the border back into the U.S. ‘Dog’, Leland and Tim were arrested and placed in a Mexico jail. They were facing several charges, but the main charges were; criminal association,
deprivation of liberty, and kidnapping. After each posted a 1,430 dollar bail they returned to their homes in Hawaii. According to their attorney these charges would just fade away as long as they didn’t return to Mexico. According to Hugh Dellios of the Chicago Tribune “ On the Monday ‘Dog’ was supposed to appear in court in Puerto Vallarta, he instead appeared in a courtroom in Ventura County, California. He was there at a hearing to make his case for why he deserved apiece of Luster’s million dollar bail money”(Dellios 4).
Three years later in September 2006, while sleeping in his home he was awaken by twelve federal marshals who violently busted into his homes with guns drawn and placed him, Leland and Tim under arrest with a warrant out of Mexico for failure to appear in court, he was taken to a federal prison. They spent three days in prison before they were released on 300,000 dollars bail and placed on house arrest. They are currently awaiting a ruling on their request to stop the extradition proceedings, which would otherwise require them to face trial in Mexico ( Carr 1).
We humans often find ourselves torn between law and moral reasoning, we ask ourselves is it wrong for a mother to steal a loaf of bread to feed her hungry children. With our installed sense of right from wrong we say yes, but when we use our hearts we can’t help but to say no. This same conflict should be taken in consideration by the Mexico court system. ‘Dog’ and his family not only brought justice to the American women who were hurt and humiliated by Luster, but also to the Mexican women who were next on his list. Bounty hunters are often given a bad name, according Rachel Clarke from BBC News online, this bad name stems from mistakes that have occurred while trying to apprehend such criminals as Luster. She gives an example of a woman who was taken into custody by a bounty hunter and taken a thousand miles from home and after realizing this was not the woman in question she was released and given a twenty-four dollar bus ticket home. She says “ Other innocent victims do not get such a chance, with fatal shootings by people claiming to be bounty hunters in Virginia, Arizona, and Missouri” (Clarke2). This is what separates ‘Dog’ from your average bounty hunter. He doesn’t carry a gun while bounty hunting, in fact, when he captured Luster all he was armed with was pepper spray. He doesn’t kick down doors or arrest innocent people. Anyone who questions his ethics can watch him on his hit T.V. show “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” before he goes after each criminal he gathers his crew and prays, and after apprehending them he offers compassion and understanding. He follows the golden rule; to treat other as you wish to be treated.How many times is our government and media going to subject this Christian family to public humiliation before we say enough is enough. We saw him arrested and subjected to a third worlds countries abuse and imprisonment. Later we watched as our own government placed him in the very prison that he has placed many of our real criminals. While in prison his life was even threatened by these very criminals. Even now he is forced to wear an ankle bracelet that monitors his every movement. I am not alone when I say there is something wrong with this situation. According to David Carr, from the New York Times “ 29 members of the House of
Representatives sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asking that she deny the request from Mexico that Mr. Chapman, be extradited to face charges of illegal detention”(Carr 1). One of these representatives Tom Tancredo says something I would love to quote “Americans are apparently supposed to happily accept the presence of roughly 100,000 criminal aliens inside our borders-a number that is growing every year-while Marshals use their resources to track down ‘Dog’ Chapman on orders from a foreign master for successfully bringing a convicted rapist to justice”. Tancredo’s administration also tells congress that they can’t secure our borders do to a lack of resources. He continues to say how this current administration is too busy with misplaced priorities to address the failure of the U.S. border policies (Epinossa 1).
With all the concerns the Mexican government faces, I find it hard to understand why they are making such a fuss over one American citizen, who without brut force removed a criminal form their country. The charges ‘Dog’ Chapman are facing are almost a joke, how do you kidnap someone when your taking them home, and how does a country offer liberty to a non-citizen hiding from justice. If anyone has committed a crime here it is the Mexican Government, who allowed a felon to run free amongst their people for over six-months and who fights for the liberty of a serial rapist. The funniest charge the Chapman’s are facing is criminal association,
because wasn’t it the Mexican citizens who have spent six-months associating with Luster.Maybe associating is to stern of a word, perhaps harboring is better terminology. According to Hugh Dellios, Luster was living in a pay-by-the-hour motel right next door to the Mexican version of the FBI. In this same article Dellios calls Chapman a publicity hungry vigilante and claims that National Sovereignty and neighborly relations were some what being ignored(Dellios 1). To me the only thing that was being ignored was the request from the U.S. to Mexico to help us bring our fugitives to justice, this must be the neighborly relations which are being
ignored. How did Luster manage to live next to their FBI agency for six months and not be noticed, perhaps Luster is a Magician and a rapist. Maybe Mexico’s FBI isn’t qualified to apprehend people like Andrew Luster, maybe they just don’t care, either way this calls for someone like ‘Dog’ to take care of the situation. As for National Sovereignty I could give a low-ball estimate of about 10 million Mexicans who impose themselves on our National Sovereignty. Everyday these people enter our country and in doing so, break our laws, and Mexico makes a huge deal about one American who broke one law. Somehow I can’t help but wonder what the real motive behind all this is.
On February 16th ‘Dog and his wife Beth were on T.V. asking for public support. Pleading for American citizens to contact their local politicians. Though Beth and ‘Dog’ admit that they broke Mexican laws to obtained Luster, both say they would do it again. This could be why Mexico is so disturbed by the matter. ‘Dog’ will not apologize for protecting the public, this is the job he was called to do. Further more, this action by Mexico should be denied. Since this case is still pending American citizens should stand up for the Chapman family by pressing our government to protect the people of our country who protect us. Luster is a rapist who because of this family is spending life in prison unable to rap our mothers, daughters and friends. We have a duty to act with reason, and spending four years in prison for serving humanity is just too unreasonable. At the very most they should be asked to pay a fine.
In conclusion, Mexico authorities did nothing to bring Luster to justice. We like Mexico need to make it very clear that people who commit crimes do not get a free pass to freedom in Mexico. There should be laws that protect the sovereignty of a country, but those rules should not protect criminals. ‘Dog’ and his family are genuine hero's, they spend their lives going after criminals that our own government has let slip threw the cracks. Not only does he give our police officers more time to attend to our needs, but he saves us tax dollars by not being employed by our states. Bounty hunters go to Mexico constantly to bring criminals back to America to face justice, its just not everyday one of those bounty hunters does it with a camera crew. Also if Mexico is going to press charges on ‘Dog’ they should get those charges straight. Dog really didn’t do anything, the Mexican authorities stopped him at the border before all the crimes he is charged with were really even committed. I believe in the ‘Dog,’ and I also believe a crime should be judged by the fruit it produces.
“ Bibliography”
“Arts, Briefly.(The Arts/Cultural Desk)(Arts, Briefly)(Brief article).” The
NewYork Times(Feb 17, 2007): B10(L). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Maricopa County Community College. 7 Mar. 2007
Carr, David. “Legislators Rally Behind Bounty Hunter.(The Arts/Cultural Desk) (Arts,Briefly).”
The New York Times. (Oct 12, 2006): E2(L). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center.Thomson Gale. Maricopa County Community College. 7 Mar. 2007
Clarke, Rachel. “Above the Law: US Bounty Hunters.”Google.com 22 February 2007.
href="http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/h">http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/h
i/americas/3003886.s...
Dellios, Hugh. “‘Dog’ got his man, now bounty hunter enrages Mexico.” Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. (July 14,2003): K5615. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Maricopa County Community College. 7 Mar. 2007
“Dog the Bounty Hunter: Breaking News.”Google.com 22 February 2007.
A Letter to the Editor
Dear Bush Haters;
I am deeply saddened by your lack of compassion. Wasn’t September 11th reason enough
to declare war on terrorism, or some three hundred children who were held captive for several
days without food or water. Their parents desperation ended with an explosion that nearly killed them all. Perhaps we should wait until these terrorists commit the same crimes against our own country as they’ve been committing against theirs, and many neighboring countries for years. Maybe if we allow them to posses nuclear war power they will just stop killing people. Alright, while were still dreaming lets pretend that we live in a country that has been ravaged by KKK members. They are threatening our way of life, they are murdering us by the hundreds of thousands. None of us are safe. Mothers lay dead in the streets, clutching their babies that they would’ve done anything to save from the nerve gas that was spread over our entire country. We are defenseless because our government doesn’t have the power to stop this from happening. Wake up, this is a reality. There is a reason we are the greatest country in the world, its because we believe in humanity. We live by the concept that says those who can, should. We value every life, not limited to, but including an American one. Also, lets not forget the president whether republican or democrat can’t declare war without the permission of congress and who is congress; one of us, voted in by majority of us.
Sincerely,
E Pluribus Unum
My Reflection and Analysis
In my letter to the editor, I decided to respond to the many of writers in the ‘Arizona
Republic,’ who have felt that President Bush has lead our country to a war we have no business
being in. I was especially irritated by the ignorant comment of Jim Taylor of Scottsdale who said, “President Bush was responsible for more Iraqi deaths than Saddam”. Perhaps Mr. Taylor was on vacation in outer space when the pictures of the thousands of dead Kurd babies graced our television screens. Must it be great to live in a country where you can call your president a mass murder without being put to death, like the thousands of Iraqi’s who fell to this very fate; some of them which were publicly televised in order to remind Iraq of the punishment for “treason”. Here we live with the right to seek truth, and to question our leaders, but most Americans vote without ever doing either. The one right we Americans have that we often exercise is our freedom of speech, everyone has something to say.
I am aware that the ‘Arizona Republic’ is mainly a liberal newspaper. My first reaction was to rip all of these articles to shreds, by using stats and facts; by yelling and forcing the truth as I see it down their throats. Though this would’ve been a fun approach, I took in consideration the nature of my readers. I felt that despite political views people could identify with human life. Though we are different in many ways, we all feel love the same. I guess you could say my appeal was a pathetic one. I wanted to let America know that we are warring for humanity. The right to live, and to let live. These terrorist can’t be negotiated with, their senseless acts of random violence come without thought or reason. Also, the authors of the articles I read tried to make emotional appeals. There was very little to no facts, and nobody claimed to be a soldier or a military general. The only one logic that I couldn’t argue with is that war kills. I could’ve established my ethos better by saying that I have family members and friends who are currently in Iraq. I could’ve let my readers know that I am educated in politics or that I attend college. I chose to use my ethos in a different way, by admitting that I am human which may seem a little silly, but I feel relating to your readers on an intimate level is more important than an intellectual one. I further established ethos by letting the readers know that I am an American with Christian values, by saying that I value life, not just American life.The logos in my letter was shown when I talked about September 11th or the hundreds of Russian children who were taken hostage while attending school. My logos was easier to portray then my ethos due to the many disturbing facts that surround this war. Even if you disagree with the war you can’t deny the hundreds of thousands of innocent people who have died for no reason. I also tried to let people know that one man is not responsible for the entirety of this war. It is easier to point a finger at one person than to blame a whole nation. I tried to reaffirm that congress is men and women from our own states that we appointed to be our voices. My largest appeal, pathos was shown through my love for both our nation and human life. I talked about dead children, for people to see that is not just American soldiers and terrorist who are dying, it is families with children. Families like our own, I wanted to help people identify with this crises by placing themselves right in the middle of it. Sometimes it is hard for us to empathize with these people because we have no idea what its like to live as they do; to fear as they do.
In conclusion, I feel I could have done a better job defending the president and the war if I
were writing a longer paper. After realizing my limited space to respond to these to articles
criticizing Bush, I noticed my response would be as open to criticism as the articles themselves.
Also ethos, logos, and pathos are extremely important in these letters to the editor, because you
only have a very short time to make a point, to change a mind, or make a difference.
I am deeply saddened by your lack of compassion. Wasn’t September 11th reason enough
to declare war on terrorism, or some three hundred children who were held captive for several
days without food or water. Their parents desperation ended with an explosion that nearly killed them all. Perhaps we should wait until these terrorists commit the same crimes against our own country as they’ve been committing against theirs, and many neighboring countries for years. Maybe if we allow them to posses nuclear war power they will just stop killing people. Alright, while were still dreaming lets pretend that we live in a country that has been ravaged by KKK members. They are threatening our way of life, they are murdering us by the hundreds of thousands. None of us are safe. Mothers lay dead in the streets, clutching their babies that they would’ve done anything to save from the nerve gas that was spread over our entire country. We are defenseless because our government doesn’t have the power to stop this from happening. Wake up, this is a reality. There is a reason we are the greatest country in the world, its because we believe in humanity. We live by the concept that says those who can, should. We value every life, not limited to, but including an American one. Also, lets not forget the president whether republican or democrat can’t declare war without the permission of congress and who is congress; one of us, voted in by majority of us.
Sincerely,
E Pluribus Unum
My Reflection and Analysis
In my letter to the editor, I decided to respond to the many of writers in the ‘Arizona
Republic,’ who have felt that President Bush has lead our country to a war we have no business
being in. I was especially irritated by the ignorant comment of Jim Taylor of Scottsdale who said, “President Bush was responsible for more Iraqi deaths than Saddam”. Perhaps Mr. Taylor was on vacation in outer space when the pictures of the thousands of dead Kurd babies graced our television screens. Must it be great to live in a country where you can call your president a mass murder without being put to death, like the thousands of Iraqi’s who fell to this very fate; some of them which were publicly televised in order to remind Iraq of the punishment for “treason”. Here we live with the right to seek truth, and to question our leaders, but most Americans vote without ever doing either. The one right we Americans have that we often exercise is our freedom of speech, everyone has something to say.
I am aware that the ‘Arizona Republic’ is mainly a liberal newspaper. My first reaction was to rip all of these articles to shreds, by using stats and facts; by yelling and forcing the truth as I see it down their throats. Though this would’ve been a fun approach, I took in consideration the nature of my readers. I felt that despite political views people could identify with human life. Though we are different in many ways, we all feel love the same. I guess you could say my appeal was a pathetic one. I wanted to let America know that we are warring for humanity. The right to live, and to let live. These terrorist can’t be negotiated with, their senseless acts of random violence come without thought or reason. Also, the authors of the articles I read tried to make emotional appeals. There was very little to no facts, and nobody claimed to be a soldier or a military general. The only one logic that I couldn’t argue with is that war kills. I could’ve established my ethos better by saying that I have family members and friends who are currently in Iraq. I could’ve let my readers know that I am educated in politics or that I attend college. I chose to use my ethos in a different way, by admitting that I am human which may seem a little silly, but I feel relating to your readers on an intimate level is more important than an intellectual one. I further established ethos by letting the readers know that I am an American with Christian values, by saying that I value life, not just American life.The logos in my letter was shown when I talked about September 11th or the hundreds of Russian children who were taken hostage while attending school. My logos was easier to portray then my ethos due to the many disturbing facts that surround this war. Even if you disagree with the war you can’t deny the hundreds of thousands of innocent people who have died for no reason. I also tried to let people know that one man is not responsible for the entirety of this war. It is easier to point a finger at one person than to blame a whole nation. I tried to reaffirm that congress is men and women from our own states that we appointed to be our voices. My largest appeal, pathos was shown through my love for both our nation and human life. I talked about dead children, for people to see that is not just American soldiers and terrorist who are dying, it is families with children. Families like our own, I wanted to help people identify with this crises by placing themselves right in the middle of it. Sometimes it is hard for us to empathize with these people because we have no idea what its like to live as they do; to fear as they do.
In conclusion, I feel I could have done a better job defending the president and the war if I
were writing a longer paper. After realizing my limited space to respond to these to articles
criticizing Bush, I noticed my response would be as open to criticism as the articles themselves.
Also ethos, logos, and pathos are extremely important in these letters to the editor, because you
only have a very short time to make a point, to change a mind, or make a difference.
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