ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FOES HOLD RALLY

Hazleton, Pennsylvania plays host to major anti-illegal immigration rally

By Paul Topete

Some 1,000 demonstrators gathered on June 3 in Hazleton, Pa., to hear speeches from a wide array of leading anti-illegal immigration activists, who wanted to show their support for the town and its mayor, who have been under assault from special interest groups for enacting landmark legislation to stop the growing tide of illegal immigration.

The rally started off with music from the internationally known political protest rock band Poker Face, playing acoustic versions of their music as the crowd gathered. John Clark of Americans for Immigration Control served as master of ceremonies throughout the day. The rally had been organized principally by Dan Smeriglio, the founder of Voice of the People, and two of his friends, Andrew Woodring, a 24-yearold produce manager from McAdoo, Pa., and Michael DiAnese, a 23-year-old Hazleton native and Iraq War veteran.

The three organizers dipped into their own pockets to make the rally a reality.

The day wouldn’t have been complete if we hadn’t heard race agitators whining that this rally being held in support of Mayor Lou Barletta’s ordinance in Hazleton was racist, hateful and unnecessary.

Since when do pro-reconquista, pro-communist groups get to wrap themselves in the flag as defenders against all that is hateful? Organizations, such as the one behind the racist web site aztlan.net, are some of the most hateful in the country.

Carmen Morales of the Hispanic group You Don’t Speak for Me countered those assertions.

“Illegal immigration is not about race, ladies and gentlemen,” she said. “Illegal immigration is about respecting our laws. If you are an illegal alien, you don’t belong here.”

Speaker William Gheen of Americans for Legal Immigration praised Barletta and Hazleton leaders for passing the ordinance last summer.

“You started the landslide that now involves over 200 cities and towns across the nation,” Gheen of North Carolina said. “Hazleton is truly historic. People here have done a great job of standing up and people all across the nation are rooting for Hazleton” as it defends its ordinance in court.

One local pro-ordinance group, Export the Imports, sold bottled water and T-shirts, saying profits would go to a legal defense fund to fight the American Civil Liberties Union’s lawsuit over Hazleton’s 2006 ordinance that made hiring undocumented workers illegal and renting apartments to them criminal acts. This legislation has already had a positive affect. 
There has been a large exodus of illegal aliens out of the city.

“We are not fighting this just for Hazleton; we are fighting this for all of America,” said Barletta from a podium at the entrance to city hall. “What we started here in Hazleton gave Americans hope. . . . This is why we’re fighting as fiercely as we are.”

Barletta also struck back against President George Bush’s immigration reform bill. Barletta cited recent statements by Bush indicating that those who oppose Bush’s version of immigration reform “don’t want to do what’s right for America.” Barletta added that Bush even suggested Americans who are against the bill are racists.

“With all due respect, Mr. President, you’re wrong,” Barletta said slowly as the crowd cheered. One man shouted, “impeach Bush.”

“I’ve said it many times over the past year: Illegal does not have a race,” said Barletta. “Illegal is illegal.”

Barletta talked about the strain he said illegal aliens in Hazleton have put on healthcare, employment and schools. He said millions of legal Americans don’t have adequate health insurance and have to work several jobs to make ends meet. He also noted that American students have fallen behind other children around the world in education while money is being given to illegal immigrants. The average American, he said, pays more for health insurance to cover the cost of millions of illegal aliens who don’t pay for anything when they visit an emergency room for primary care.

“There is a difference between being generous and being taken advantage of,” said Barletta.

The rally is just one way average Americans can fight against immigration. “We know politicians in Washington will pay attention if we speak loudly enough,” he said.

Barletta also made a promise to see that the ordinance will be enforced in the city of Hazleton, even if it means taking the act to the highest court.

“To paraphrase an American patriot [John Paul Jones], we ‘have not yet begun to fight,’ ” Barletta said.

The constitutionality of the ordinance is still being reviewed by a federal judge in Scranton. It was approved by Hazleton’s City Council in the summer of 2006, but has been barred from being enforced due to a lawsuit that claims the measure is unconstitutional.

Other speakers included Greg Sheenan of the Minuteman Project; Hagen Smith of the Constitution Party; Frank Scave from the Federal Immigration Reform and Enforcement (FIRE) Coalition; and Peter Gadiel from 9/11 Families for a Secure America.

As the last speaker of the day, this writer thanked the participants by saying that history is made by those who show up and that their participation that day will be part of America’s future history books.

The following generations will look back upon events like this one, as being the catalyst that began our quest to take back our republic from the parasitical globalists.

Paul Topete is with the band Poker Face. For more information,
visit the web site pokerface.com or myspace.com/pokerfacemusic.

(Issue #26, June 25, 2007)