nico
Member
I want to preface this by asking what you folks think (people on the MSI listserv especially) about a pro-gun list being used for non-gun related info. On one hand, the number of these emails that I've received is very low (maybe 3 or 4), and I thought they were interresting. On the other hand, I think such emails could dilute the focus of MSI and possibly turn off members of the list who don't agree with the positions in the emails. They could make MSI appear to be a right-wing group (ie: freerepublic) as opposed to a pro-gun rights (and more specifically pro-ccw) group (ie: THR and TFL).
I just heard about this on the Maryland Shall Issue listserv:
http://wmal.com/showdj.asp?DJID=25410
What do you guys think (about both issues)?
I just heard about this on the Maryland Shall Issue listserv:
http://wmal.com/showdj.asp?DJID=25410
SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2005
When opponents of the "Real ID" legislation announced a rally for illegal immigrants and their allies in Montgomery County, MD, there was one immigration-related group I was absolutely certain would not show up: The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the people responsible for actually enforcing our immigration laws. Casa de Maryland and others claimed 5,000 people would gather on Saturday to demand that illegals continue to be given driver's licenses, and many of these people would be illegal immigrants themselves, we were told. If I were looking for immigration criminals, it’s exactly where I would be.
That’s why I’ll never be appointed head of the ICE.
I decided that I should go to the rally in their place. Why shouldn’t at least one American who thinks we should have the same border controls other nations (including Mexico) have show up and support the concepts of secure borders and national security? I figured somebody ought to make that point, even in a liberal enclave like Montgomery County.
And that’s how it came to pass that I arrived at Richard Montgomery High School on Saturday dressed like this.
I was just trying to make a point. A point about the fact that nobody who really WAS in the business of securing our borders was actually there. And in case you think I was attempting to impersonate a federal official, it should be noted that a) the INS is no longer in business, having been replaced by the ICE; and b), the letters actually stand for "I Need Border Security!" (Unfortunately I didn’t have enough room on the shirt, so I had to leave off the "B")
The illegals and their allies were gathered to protest tightened ID requirements for driver’s licenses. They shouted "No license, no justice, no peace," and insisted that the only people who wanted legitimate IDs to be, well, legitimate, were racists and bigots—which they frequently abbreviated as "Republicans."
Because they have such a bad attitude about IDs in general, it came as quite a surprise when I was barred from the anti-Real ID rally because of insufficient identification.
Around 3:20pm, I approached the gate in my "INS" t-shirt and was stopped immediately. A man who refused to identify himself, surrounded by several large, tattoooed people, told me that the public rally—which I learned about from the pages of the Washington Post—was an "invitation-only event." I showed him my ABC Radio ID and asked again to be admitted. He and his pals--none of whom had displayed any badges or ID--blocked my way and still refused to let me enter. They continued to examine my ABC Radio ID. The apparent leader did have some type of ID badge on, but whenever I tried to look at it, he covered it with his hands. He clearly wanted me to believe he was in the security business.
I kept pressing: "With whom am I speaking? Who are you?" One of the thuggish looking men replied, "Do YOU have any ID."
"Sure," I replied, and showed my ABC Radio ID again.
"Other than that?" he asked.
"Are you saying you’re not going to accept my ID? Are you saying you need tighter IDS at this event?"
They continued to question my press credentials.
"This is my ID," I insisted. "This is my media ID. So you’re not going to let me in because I don’t have a good enough ID, is that what you’re saying? An AMERICAN CITIZEN can’t get in here because he doesn’t have the right ID, is that what you’re saying?"
They continued to block my way and refused to identify themselves. Two of them claimed to be "Montgomery County Public School security officers," but once again showed no identification. So I announced "This is a public event, I’m working media, I’m going in." I started walking through the gate.
That’s when they jumped me.
Five or more people started shoving, grabbing and pulling me, moving to block my way as I tried to walk in. Several times someone knocked at the tape recorder I had in my hand, recording this event, and at some point they must have turned it off. I continued to walk forward as best I could, my arms held straight down, working my way between the bodies blocking my path. That’s when they began to seriously grab and shove me. They knocked me entirely away from the gate, pulling and pushing me backwards. Then someone shouted for the police. "Finally," I thought, "they’ll get these goons off me!"
And that’s when the cops jumped me.
Three from behind—one on each arm and one around the neck and shoulders—and one in front. Of course I didn't resist. These were clearly identified, uniformed police officers. They grabbed my tape recorder, my ABC Radio ID and detained me.
One of the thugs who jumped then began telling an officer that I had assaulted HIM! I noted that, while I hadn't shoved or pushed anyone, I was the only person the police were holding. Ignoring my questions about why I was being held but the people who illegally prevented me from entering the rally weren’t, the police ordered me away from the gate and escorted me back to my car. They, too, demanded more ID. If only Montgomery County cops were as interested in the IDs held by the admittedly illegal aliens at the event as they were in mine.
None of the people who jumped me were ever detained by the police.
By sheer coincidence, columnist and blogger Michelle Malkin happened to be covering the pro-illegal immigration rally too. She and her husband saw what was happening and approached my police guards. She started asking questions and the Montgomery County Police suggested she find somewhere else to be. She did, however, get a photo of me being escorted by the cops. (Be sure to check out Michelle's cool photos at her website.)
After several phone calls and conversations, the police official in charge made a very disturbing comment: "Look, we can’t stop you from going in there in that shirt," he said. "But if you do, I can’t guarantee your safety. And when people in there attack you, I’ve got to send my officers in to get you out and that puts them in danger."
In other words, he was confident that the people at the rally would kick my a…er, would react with violence. And because they were violent, I and my t-shirt were the problem. Great.
So we came to an agreement: I would turn my shirt inside out in deference to the concerns of the police.
I walked in the front gates—right past the entirely unmolested, unidentified group of thugs who jumped me—and down to the poorly attended rally.
That’s when I discovered I was being followed.
Several activists followed me through the crowd, some speaking in Spanish to the people around me. I said nothing. I just went toward the front to hear the speakers. And who is the emcee of the event? Why, it’s the guy who stopped me at the gate to begin with! It’s Juan Carlos Ruiz—he’s just some stooge with Casa de Maryland. He wasn’t a cop or security guard of any kind. Half an hour a go, he was shoving an American citizen to bar him from a public high school and now he's on stage shouting about how evil bigots make illegal immigrants feel unwelcome.
Hospitality starts at home, Mr. Ruiz.
He was ranting away about "No License—No Peace" and how Maryland better not start actually checking to make sure the IDs presented at the motor vehicle offices are real, blah, blah, blah, so I took a good look at the crowd. Very small. Casa de Maryland predicted 5,000 people, but it was closer to 300. I figured I needed to take a standard crowd shot for the webpage, to I took out my camera...and that’s when I was jumped AGAIN!
The gang that had been following me circled me with their protest signs to stop me from taking photographs. They called in English and Spanish to the people around me to create a "sign wall" to block my views. It was hilarious. It was like that TV commercial with the woman who has some credit card and is surrounded by Secret Service. Every time I moved, they moved with me, trying to block the lens of my camera, all the while calling me a "racist," a "bigot" and a bunch of stuff in Spanish that didn’t sound very nice.
I'll have more updates soon. I haven't told the entire story yet. Oh, and there's audio. LOTS of audio. So be sure to tune in Monday morning on 630 WMAL.
What do you guys think (about both issues)?
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