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Media, Austin history discussed at immigration forum
Published Friday, September 19, 2008
There were mirrors, but no smoke at Thursday night’s forum on immigration issues at Oak Park Mall.
Less than 30 people attended the forum in the mirrored community meeting room.
The two-hour session began with the playing of a video, which most people ignored.
When Ron Branstner, representing Minnesota Coalition for Immigration Reduction (MCFIR) began his presentation, he attacked the media for biased reporting.
Despite brandishing newspaper clippings showing Austin’s support for addressing open borders issues from USA Today and other papers, Branstner specifically accused the Austin Daily Herald of failing to accurately report the activities of MCFIR in Austin.
“They do not want you to know what’s going on,” Branstner said.
Photo by Eric Johnson
People attending Thursday night's immigration forum find their seats while a video plays at the Oak Park Mall.
The MCFIR spokesman gave examples, including an Albert Lea Tribune newspaper report, mentioning a victim who named “Hispanic men” as suspects in a robbery. “When the same story was submitted to the Austin Daily Herald, they did not run it,” he said.
Then, he pointed out a letter to the editor of the Austin Daily Herald, which Branstner said was “censored” and not printed in its entirety.
More separation of fact from fiction by Branstner continued.
Branstner alleged the media’s use of the word “newcomers” was an attempt to hide usage of “immigrants” or “illegals.”
When he halted his — there was no comment from the audience — discussion of media mistakes, he remembered the forum had failed to start with the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag.
When that was done, Branstner began a “discussion of economic and social effects” with a well-known fact. “In 1930, Austin led the nation in home-occupancy; that is, people who owned their own homes,” he said of a distinction referred to repeatedly in Austin history books.
According to Branstner, foundations have a hidden agenda and that is to support open borders to allow American industries and businesses a ready supply of “cheap labor.”
The 1985-86 labor dispute and strike at Hormel Foods Corporation facilities resulted, in part, with the need for “cheap labor.”
He quickly spun off charges Apex Austin was created to assist “cheap labor” in coming to Austin.
That, the more than 700 Austin citizens who participated in the Blandin Foundation’s Community Leadership Program, were “brainwashed” into supporting the movement toward cultural diversity.
“It gets kind of complicated,” Branstner understated his lecture at one point.
No one disagreed.
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Comments
Posted by Moxygen (anonymous) on September 19, 2008 at 11:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ouch! Looks like Branstner touched on a nerve with the Herald. Apparently the truth hurts. So much for unbiased reporting. What a joke.
Posted by commonsense (anonymous) on September 19, 2008 at 12:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
moxygen, i don't know who's loonier, you or branstner! get real!
Posted by willingworker (anonymous) on September 19, 2008 at 4:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Commonsense...I remember coming up to Austin before the strike. I played the LOADING DOCK back then. Swingin' town...swingin place. I don't know how old you are...Probably not old enough to remember when a guy working in meat packing plant made good money or you would understand what Mr. Branstner is getting at. So, think for a minute, this constant demand for 'cheap' labor will drive the population increase in the US to nearly ONE HALF BILLION by mid-century. You still think it's loony to call for immigration reduction?
Posted by willingworker (anonymous) on September 19, 2008 at 7:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How 'bout it commonsense? You think swelling our population to half a billion in the next 40 years makes sense?
Posted by willingworker (anonymous) on September 20, 2008 at 3:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well commonsense, I guess your lack of a response says it all. Perhaps you do want a good life for your descendants after all. You just felt like arguing about something. Have a good day.
Posted by lockedandloaded (anonymous) on September 21, 2008 at 4:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You notice that this poor pathetic liberal named commonsense can't get his illiterate mind to function and respond. He is probably teaching English to his friends and neighbor's.
Posted by 2madmamas (anonymous) on September 21, 2008 at 1:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I for one would like a decent country where my children, grandchildren etc....can live in a society of law-abiding. legal citizens, and jobs that have decent wages. Our country has become an aristocracy and peasant class society. To heck with the middle class...scr_ _ the middle class! Right, isn't that the mentallity that is prevailing amongst the self proclaimed aristrocrats?
I can't believe commonsense doesn't have the same commonsense for the sake of their descendants, oh, but that's right, their descendents are probably already set up, so what do they have to be concerned about! My guess is commonsense comes from the aristocrat society that I refer to. If not, then they promote and encourage the illegal alien occupation of our country.
Most of us work very hard for what we earn. Some of us were born into wealth. Some of us have earned it. Some of us want citizens of this country to be legal. Some of us don't care as long as we get rich off of the cheap labor they provide. Some of us care about what kind of a society we leave for the future. Some of us only live for today, getting rich anyway we can. Some of us could care less about how rich we get, but how rich we leave the world for the future. Some of us have wealth but know what is right, and what is wrong; what is legal and what is illegal, and abide by the laws of the land not trying to change the laws to make it so we can become richer.
Ask yourselves which category do you fall under?
Posted by milesaway (anonymous) on September 22, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I fall under POOR because I do work hard for my money and to be sure my children and grandchildren who by the way some of them are brown. My children work hard even the grandchildren who are brown. Maybe mamma you should look at what you say. You are very good at pointing fingers and saying what is good, bad, legal, or illegal. But have you ever had to scrape the bottom of the barrel for a bite to eat. I hate people who always think they know better than anyone else and think they are better than the rest. Oh, and by the way are one of those people who run your fingers on here but smile and say hi to everyone on the street you meet. (No matter what color or do you ask for a green card before you say hi).
Posted by willingworker (anonymous) on September 22, 2008 at 5:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What in the world are you talking about Milesaway? Do you understand the implications of mass immigration? This isn't about who, but how many. Think for a moment, we are heading towards a population of nearly a half billion in 40 years. Your grandchildren will live in that country. This issue is about the kind of country they will inherit. The standard of living they will have depends on the decisions we make today. I agree with you about those who think they are better than others. We in the patriotic immigration reform movement deal with that constantly. Truth be told, we all want the same thing, a good life for our children and their children. We need each other to see that this happens.
Posted by 2madmamas (anonymous) on September 22, 2008 at 6:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
milesaway,
I'm not better than anyone else. I am however, a legal tax paying citizen of this country who has paid their dues! I have been in the position of being poor thanks to corporate greed, and no you are correct, it is not fun! I have a problem with people who have wealth who think they have to have more wealth at the cost of breaking laws that have been set up by the government of the country I was born and raised in. It sickens me that this is what has happened to this country. Immigrants must come in legally, there are no two ways about it if we care to keep our country from becoming a third world country! As I have said before, go ahead and immigrate here, but do it in a legal manner!
Do not even attempt to turn this into a raciist issue! It is NOT! People who try to turn it into a racial issue are the ones who are trying to manipulate the system they are intentionally breaking!
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