(San Francisco, California)
A shocking tragedy in the wonderful "City by the Bay" may finally put the illegal immigration issue on the national radar screen. And it's about time! Most of the Presidential candidates largely ignored it this year; and - now that we are down to McCain and Obama - they are still ignoring it. The press needs to start insisting on answers, and not just accepting the "policy position handouts" that all campaigns are guilty of. Running the country by "press release" on immigration or any other issue simply won't work.
Just ask Danielle Bologna, of San Francisco. Today she is a widow with two dead sons, thanks to Washington's utter indifference to illegal immigration and to San Francisco's blatant flouting of immigration law. San Francisco turned a blind eye towards a criminal alien, and now three family members are dead. That's an outrage.
Here's what happened: On June 22, a man named Tony Bologna was shot to death near his San Francisco home. His son Michael, age 20, and another son Matthew, 16, were shot to death as well. The violence appears to have been precipitated by some type of road-rage incident.
The murder suspect now in custody is 21-year-old Edwin Ramos of El Salvador, who was convicted of two violent felonies as a juvenile, but was never deported as an illegal immigrant. Why? Because, for some reason that defies explanation, San Francisco has a policy of not deporting violent illegals who are juveniles. San Francisco is a self-proclaimed "sanctuary city," meaning it does not obey or enforce most federal immigration laws. Cooperation between federal agents and city police is nil (much to the dismay of many honest SFPD cops, who take their pledge to enforce the law seriously, but aren't allowed to do so).
By the way, lest you get the impression that Mr. Ramos was a petty juvenile delinquent, here's what he was convicted of doing. The first conviction was when Ramos and some known gang members beat a man mercilessly on a city bus - a beating which, thank God, was captured on the bus's security video camera. Ramos's second crime is even more unspeakable. He attacked a pregnant woman on the street and tried to steal her purse. For this he gets sanctuary?
So by this time, after two violent felony adjudications, you'd think someone would have called the "feds," but no such luck. According to the County of San Francisco's Juvenile Probation Department, "Probation officers shall not discriminate in any fashion against minors based on their immigration status."
By the way, for all those who love to constantly beat up on the news media, I hope some will tip their hats to the "San Francisco Chronicle" and reporter Jaxon Van Derbeken for unearthing this shocking story. It's Journalism 101 at its finest, all too seldom seen anymore in the world of "infotainment" that media executives claim is "news." But I digress.
In any case, I hate to use a cliche, but this story is just the tip of the iceberg. No one is really talking about illegal immigration policy on a serious level, especially in the Presidential campaign. Much of that lack probably stems from the illegal immigration bill that died in Congress last year. The bill was widely criticized by liberals as too tough on border enforcement, and it was widely attacked by conservatives who thought it provided "citizenship through amnesty" for too many illegals. So, both ends of the political spectrum are to blame for stopping a possible solution. It wasn't a perfect bill by any stretch, but doing nothing is hardly good public policy on any issue.
Of course, with any policy crisis we always get the quick fix. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has now rescinded the policy (which, fair to say, he did not create); and city leaders have told the "Chronicle" that ten juvenile offenders have been referred to immigration agents for possible deportation. For Danielle Bologna that will likely provide little comfort as she buries her husband and sons. Mayor Newsom has officially "closed the barn door, after the horses escaped." American politics always seems to run "a day late, and a dollar short" these days. The response to Hurricane Katrina from the state, local and federal level was a case study in that inadequacy three years ago. Today, San Francisco takes this year's prize for inept government.
Hopefully, there will be a lot of debate over illegal immigration this year as the campaign heats up. There will be talk of border fences, guest worker programs and "paths" to citizenship. That's all well and good, but any bill that Obama or McCain signs into law should have one clear provision: ALL illegals, adult or juvenile, with felony convictions must face mandatory deportation. Cities, such as San Francisco, which ignore the law should have federal funds withheld. That might get their attention.
As Danielle Bologna tearfully pointed out to Greta Van Susteren during a TV interview tonight, fixing the law won't bring her family back. And, as for illegal immigrants in the U.S, "They have more rights than we do," Bologna said.
It is hoped that illegal immigration will be up for serious discussion at both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions next month. I will be in Denver and St. Paul to report. Check in at www.MarkCurtisMedia.blogspot.com.
Get fantasy football with free live scoring. Sign up for FanHouse Fantasy Football today.
No comments:
Post a Comment