Secrets of the City

“Seeing parallels in the grief felt by Sen. Coleman and that of children who have had parents deported, organizers decided to go ahead.”

OK, that’s just ridiculous. This whole notion of comparing peoples’ grief is just ludicrous. I have no doubt that children who have their parents deported experience tremendous grief. In fact, I happen to believe families should (almost) never be split up over immigration issues. Still, Norm’s dad died – show a tad bit of respect, even if his dad showed a little poor judgment in his “getting some outside of Red Savoy pizza” incident. Let the man rest in peace.

Can we all just stop this kind of “I’ve suffered just as much as you” garbage? I, for one, am really sick of it.

What’s next? Is it OK for me to protest the home of a war widow because I oppose the war? Come on!

He most definitely did NOT show poor judgement. I should be so lucky when I’m his age.

How long do you have to wait before it’s ok to protest again? The Senator’s father passed away on Thursday and was laid to rest on Saturday. Would a Monday protest be acceptable, or should they wait a full week?

Or is it that no protests are acceptable, and it’s simply the case of some right-wing blogger (a guess, I’ve never even heard of Residual Forces before) using whatever slur is handy to smear those who disagree with him?

I wouldn’t have liked to see protesters in front of my house the day after I buried my Dad.

Seeing parallels in the grief felt by Sen. Coleman and that of children who have had parents deported, organizers decided to go ahead.

That’s pretty flimsy reasoning.

Uh, no, he died Thursday, and then came the protest at his son’s home on Sunday, while his son was preparing for a Monday funeral for his father.

Protests in our country are always acceptable. Just don’t confuse “acceptability” with “okay.” You’re free to say whatever assholic thing you wish to say, and then I’m free to think you’re an asshole for it. Great country, eh?

bobby_b is correct, I read it quickly and obviously blew my comprehension.

protesting at someone’s private residence is a pretty assholic thing to do in general. an anti-war group protested at his office a few years back, and they got their point across just fine. they were on tv and everything.

I read it too fast, too. The family was together before the funeral. That’s worse.

Can we all just stop this kind of “I’ve suffered just as much as you” garbage? I, for one, am really sick of it.

Coleman is a public figure and one of the points the protesters were trying to make is that immigration tears families apart so while he (Coleman) gets to attend his father’s funeral, immigrant families may not get that same benefit.
I think the timing was in poor taste, but I understand their views.

What’s next? Is it OK for me to protest the home of a war widow because I oppose the war? Come on!
Well, the difference between Coleman and the war widow is that Coleman chose to be a public servant.

“What’s next? Is it OK for me to protest the home of a war widow because I oppose the war? Come on!
Well, the difference between Coleman and the war widow is that Coleman chose to be a public servant.”

One other difference: Coleman is theoretically in a position to influence immigration policy. The widow: not so much.

“immigrant families may not get that same benefit.“

Small point, but were the deportees truly “immigrants” (which has a defined meaning under the law), there would be no issue. Whether you like the process or not, our elected reps have passed laws detailing how to legally enter this country. (And, yes, the country officially, and many of its citizens personally, do recognize the right of a nation to decide itself who may or may not enter it.)

We don’t let welfare cheats keep the money after they’re caught, even when their stories tug at our hearts. We don’t excuse burglars who needed your stereo to fence to feed their kids. We may cringe, and then take care of the kids ourselves, but we still prosecute the crime. Why, then, would we reward the crime of illegal entry by letting someone reproduce and then hold up the kid for pity? Reminds me of the guy who killed his mom and then pleaded with the judge for leniency because he was an orphan.

“One other difference: Coleman is theoretically in a position to influence immigration policy. The widow: not so much.“

How many decent people are we going to attract for public service if their personal life, and their family, become everyday fair game for every cause, movement, militia or whacko ideology looking to unduly influence legislation? I’m guessing we’d only attract ultra-rich candidates who can afford and already have fortress-like personal security, and, liberal or conservative, I don’t believe the ultra-rich are able or even proper to really represent the rest of us.

It’s 7/30. and msparber…what happened to my post! it’s not up AND it’s not on unfiltered. Blar!

Why, then, would we reward the crime of illegal entry by letting someone reproduce and then hold up the kid for pity? Reminds me of the guy who killed his mom and then pleaded with the judge for leniency because he was an orphan.

Hard for me to see how one example is similar to the other here. In the context of the conversation re: the protest, I didn’t make the distinction of whether they were “legal” or not.

I won’t comment any further on immigration as some of the arguments for both sides seem tired, i. e.: “Many small businesses wouldn’t exist today without illegals because no one else will take the jobs – typically blue collar jobs. With the other side saying that the illegals are taking the jobs that Americans would have had.

And there will always be people attracted to public service, decent or not regardless of the whackos. What is going on in today’s world is tame compared to what was going on in the 60’s. If people protesting outside of Coleman’s house is the worst that happens, he’s lucky.

Sorry Stargirl — we tackled the topic of the pool girl last week, and that alone was enough to cause me undue distress. Please do feel free to post again, though.

Let’s see … what month is it again?

“Hard for me to see how one example is similar to the other here.“

You mean, the orphan example? Good. It was, like, 90% thrown in as a joke.

“In the context of the conversation re: the protest, I didn’t make the distinction of whether they were “legal” or not.“

Well, sorta, or at least that’s what I was reacting to (which means, of course, I could simply be seeing things.) When you say Coleman’s family is fair game because the immigrants can’t get back to their families that are still here, you’re necessarily talking about illegals, deported for that status.

“How many decent people are we going to attract for public service if their personal life, and their family, become everyday fair game for every cause, movement, militia or whacko ideology looking to unduly influence legislation? I’m guessing we’d only attract ultra-rich candidates who can afford and already have fortress-like personal security, and, liberal or conservative, I don’t believe the ultra-rich are able or even proper to really represent the rest of us.”

That’s always been the case. If a person can’t handle being lobbyed or protested, they shouldn’t consider public office.

The timing was unfortunate and tacky, but many groups can’t get heard otherwise. When you have office holders like Georgew Bush and Michelle Bachmann, who refuse to even acknowledge the existence of constituents with opposing viewpoints, people feel they have to get a bit on the edge to be heard.

yeah, the illegal distinction was a duh on my part.

If we did indeed rally around all of the reasons why the illegal immigrants in our country today should be deported and applied those to the first wave of people who emigrated to this country, most of us would not be here.
We create a rich and healthy country on the backs of those who were considered uneducated, unskilled and heathen in their religious beliefs, but then we want to close the doors on those we have deemed unworthy and now look down upon them for the very same reasons. We easily forget.

Shite – I broke my own rule of not saying anything more on this subject.

When you have office holders like Georgew Bush and Michelle Bachmann, who refuse to even acknowledge the existence of constituents with opposing viewpoints, people feel they have to get a bit on the edge to be heard.

See, the advantage of being a democrat politician is that your opposition, though they vehemently oppose your positions, are mature adults who recognize that the way to counteract your power in government is to vote for your political opponent.

Your political opponent, on the other hand, has to deal with the immature tactics of people who were obviously spoiled children and who were conditioned to believe they would get their way if they just stamped their feet and cried loud enough.

Here’s a novel idea: Why don’t the people who are crying because their criminal mother was deported back to mexico, you know, join her there?

Seriously. I don’t understand the argument of “family separation” when nothing is preventing the husband and children from accompanying the woman back to her home country. In fact, people would be outraged if the u.s. government said, for example, that the husband and children were banned from accompanying the woman back to wherever.

All y’all are illegals as far as I’m concerned.

We create a rich and healthy country on the backs of those who were considered uneducated, unskilled and heathen in their religious beliefs

I got rich and healthy using my own back, thank you very much.

whatever, dude…that $27 in beads was offered in good faith…no takebacks on Manhattan.

Hey, Maz, don’t blame us because your people had quality control problems at the border.

Huh? I don’t get it. The report from the Star-Tribune claims that illegal aliens, mostly hispanics, protested at Coleman’s funeral for so-called “unfair” practices by the INS and law enforcement officials. And now all the sudden, a far right internet blog decries on the notion that the left in the state are using cheap shots against Coleman’s dead father, which I thought has to do with the anti-war movement.

Now tell me, is it kind of ironic that the neo-cons would read a fair, accurate description on what was going on that day, and therefore misinterpreted it as if members of the lame duck DFL party was out there, trashing the old guy’s coffin?

I’m just pissed because my mexican roofers never showed up to do my roof. Someone must have called the INS.

Big G, I love your crazy ass.

We need some interpreters on this site.

“See, the advantage of being a democrat politician is that your opposition, though they vehemently oppose your positions, are mature adults who recognize that the way to counteract your power in government is to vote for your political opponent.”

No, the Democrat’s opposition simply bribe their way to power.

All y’all are illegals as far as I’m concerned.

Tru dat. but we helped you put up those big barbed wire fences and concrete walls along what we call a border sos you could create your empire — sheesh.