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Saturday, September 18, 2010

Want Money For Defense? Pass The DREAM Act.

By Silvia Uribe


It is time to start talking about Immigration again. Like I predicted sometime ago, it looks like President Obama will try to pass an Immigration Reform before 2011 is over. If there’s one thing that Obama doesn’t need or want is to face this issue right before midterm elections. In reality, passing a reform next year, will gain him the points he needs to win the reelection in 2012.


By the same token, Obama’s already drained image, and lack of character will make it almost an impossible task, counting necessarily, on the stubbornness of the Republicans in the Senate.


Our appetite for a much needed Immigration Reform increased this week when we had the Dream Act delivered as an appetizer. On Tuesday, Harry Reid Senate Majority Leader announced that he will place the DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act), inside a defense funding bill set to go before the Senate next week.


Under the rigorous provisions of the DREAM Act, qualifying undocumented youth would be eligible for a 6 year conditional path to citizenship that requires completion of a college degree or two years of military service. The DREAM Act has bipartisan support, and we need the vote of 60 senators to pass the bill.


We, of course, need to take into consideration that these young people are here illegally through no fault of their own. Their parents brought them when they were minors, and they have grown up, and learned to love this country, their country. It is these same youth that we’ve encouraged to apply themselves, study, become better persons, and better citizens. When they are ready to do just that, Republicans like John McCain, want to take the rug from under their feet by loudly opposing the Dream Act. With this move, Reid is basically forcing the Senate to pass the Dream Act in order for funds to be allocated for defense purposes.


He must be of the same opinion as the great politician and educator Edward Everett who once said “Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army.” On the other hand, misleading politicians like McCain prefer not to have the people of our country well educated in order to manipulate them at their will.


Some others, within the GOP also expressed their disapproval. They don’t want to start the conversations on immigration, and much less on anything that has to do with what they mischievously call an amnesty.


President Obama acknowledged that the Immigration Reform in general and the Dream Act in particular has enemies, but sent a clear message to Latinos when he recently said "don't forget who is standing with you, and who is standing against you. Don't ever believe that this election coming up doesn't matter. ... Don't forget who your friends are." Obama also said “I’m not walking away from this fight...”


However, what’s most important is that Latinos cannot sit back and do nothing. We need to vote, and be politically active. We have power in numbers. Why let others decide? We need to learn how to fight for a common purpose, one that will take us all ahead. We need to unite, and look for the benefit of our children, and for their right to live legally and peacefully in the country we call ours: the United States.


We seem to only be 5 votes away from the 60 votes needed to pass this bill. We can do it if we all help.

CALL TO ACTION: To support students' dreams in five minutes by making just two phone calls. Please ask Senators Hatch and Bennett from Utah to support the DREAM ACT. To reach them, please call the Capitol Switchboard at 1-888-254-5087. If this number is busy, please call 1-202-224-3121. Please consider asking five people you know to join you in making calls.


For information on who to call and for a script to make your call click http://www.dreamactivist.org/

Friday, September 10, 2010

The Burning Of The Koran - A Dilusion Or A Plan?

By Silvia Uribe
September 10, 2010



Terry Jones is the man who was, or is planning to burn 200 plus Koran (Quran) against all better judgment. But, who is this character anyway? And how did we get to learn about him and his plans? Yes, what he’s planning to do is outrageous, but what’s really interesting to me is that we know what this ‘pastor’, in the middle of nowhere – a town called Gainsville, Fla – is planning to do. Isn’t it strange? Not only that, but ‘miraculously’ – pun intended – he got the attention of the mass media.

I didn’t even know how this frenzy started. So, in searching the internet, I was able to find that the earliest mass media report that appeared was from August 12, 2010 by Fox Orlando. Interesting coincidence. In their report, they cited a Facebook page for the “Dove World Outreach Center” as the source of the Koran burning announcement.

Being the Facebook fan that I am, and having seen other outrageous events announced there before, I launched a search for their page, but the results that Facebook produced related to this name showed no ‘official’ page or announcement. I found a few pages created against this group, and against the nonsense they stand for. These groups compiled a few thousands of people joining the opposition ranks. So, I had to wonder, was Fox the original source “uncovering” this story?

Then I learned from Terry Jones himself that they worship while carrying a gun. In that particular interview he said that Jesus would do the same, even if this act would induce violence because “he [Jesus] was not always nice.” With those statements, who can give him the benefit of the doubt? What became clear to me is how easily a man like this can be manipulated with the promise of power, money, and fame.


Think about it. He is a nobody. Not even a good speaker that could clearly articulate why he wanted to burn these books. Jones is a man that at his old age has only been able to gather a flock of 30 to follow him and his ideas. It is too late for him to dream about leaving anything relevant and good for posterity. But his irrational ambition would settle for the opportunity to leave his name imprinted somewhere, no matter that it is in the dark records of our nation’s craziest. What the hell!
Those who claim to be the only ones who understand Christianity, and the only ones that can interpret our Constitution, would also be capable of coming up with the idea that Jones claims as his, and use him as a puppet. Also, thanks to Fox News they can make this be known worldwide. Why would they? To harm the present administration internationally. This, of course, will translate in political gain. Clever plan!


These Machiavellian minds’ purpose is instilling distrust of one another, and ultimately fears of one another. Nothing new. Divide and conquer is the oldest strategy to gain power.

Except this time, they could have dragged us all into seriously dangerous business.

Fortunately, it was reported, that Jones put a halt to his plans and no burning will take place, provided that he receives a promise that a Mosque will be relocated from “Ground Zero” in New York. Weird. He despises Muslims, but he trusts their word? Not very congruent.

However, much damage has been done, and repercussions around the world are taking place already.


The scariest thing of all is the fact that our country is at close risk to be underhandedly, and hopelessly ruled by those Machiavellian minds that are willing to do any-thing to get the power, and have no limits to their ambition.

Hold on to your Holy Book!

Cross-published on www.edhat.com