MAY DAY: A DAY WITHOUT LATINOS

In Milwaukee, today is the second annual "A Day Without Latinos" march.

The march coincides with demonstrations across the country.

Organizers of the second annual "A Day Without Latinos" regional march and boycott expect thousands of people to participate in today's rally in Milwaukee.
The march will begin at noon at 1027 S. Fifth St. and will go to First Street and then north to Wisconsin Avenue, east toward Lake Michigan and closing with a rally at Veteran's Park from 1 to 2 p.m.

Last year, a crowd estimated at 70,000 people marched in the May 1 rally, which focuses on a National Day of Action for Fair Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

"This is a critical moment in the civil rights struggle for immigrants. The people are sending a strong message that we need and want a law passed this year that will address an outdated and discriminatory immigration system that is hurting and terrorizing working class families through raids and the politics of hate," said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, director of Voces de la Frontera, which is organizing the march.

That's a very poor choice of words.

The U.S. government is "terrorizing working class families through raids and the politics of hate."

I'm not saying that we don't need immigration reform, but to suggest that upholding our laws is akin to a terrorist act doesn't win me over.

From the Associated Press:

Demonstrators demanding a path to citizenship for an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants rallied around the nation Tuesday, hoping to spur Congress to act before the looming presidential primaries take over the political landscape.

From Phoenix to Detroit, hundreds of people carried American flags in the streets.

Organizers say immigrants feel a sense of urgency to keep immigration reform from getting pushed to the back burner by the 2008 presidential elections.

"If we don't act, then both the Democratic and Republican parties can go back to their comfort zones and do nothing," said Angelica Salas, director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. "They won't have the courage to resolve a major situation for millions of people."

Hours before the march was set to begin in Chicago, dozens of demonstrators began arriving carrying American flags, signs and placards, including one that read "We may not have it all together, but together we can have it all."

...Democratic Party Chair Howard Dean was scheduled to speak in Miami to a coalition of immigrant groups, while Ricardo Chavez, the brother of famed agricultural labor leader Cesar Chavez, was expected address crowds in Milwaukee.

America is a nation of immigrants. It's also a nation of laws.

These protests are about ILLEGAL immigrants. The U.S. doesn't owe the privileges of citizenship to people here ILLEGALLY.

I found these photos from demonstrations in Chicago to be interesting.

Demonstrators hold a wooden cross filled with nails, each representing a family or family member affected by immigration reform, that were driven into the cross during a demonstration in downtown Chicago on March 7, 2007. The debate over immigration reform has heightened and there is mounting evidence that even sanctuary cities like Chicago aren't such safe havens anymore. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed a record 187,513 undocumented immigrants from the country in 2006, a 10 percent increase from the previous year, the agency reported. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Using the Christian symbols of the cross and nails isn't a powerful representation of the lawbreakers. It's offensive.

And what's wrong with a 10 percent increase in removing ILLEGALS from the country?

That's a good thing.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is doing its job, upholding the law.

Undocumented immigrants are by definition here ILLEGALLY.


Demonstrators protest outside the offices of Immigration and Custom Enforcement in Chicago, Illinois in April 2007. Thousands of activists were due to march across the United States on Tuesday to demand immigration reform, but the rallies were expected to be smaller than last year's huge protests.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Scott Olson)
"NO BORDERS FOR WORKERS"???

A sovereign nation has the right to make and enforce its laws.

We have a right to patrol our borders.

This photo from California caught my attention.


Day laborers Lorenzo Organista, right, and Aura Ovando, left, both recent immigrants, hold up an American flag at the Day Workers Center of Mountain View in Mountain View, Calif., Tuesday, May 1, 2007 as they prepare for an immigration demonstration later in the day. Demonstrators demanding a path to citizenship for an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants rallied around the nation Tuesday, hoping to spur Congress to act before the looming presidential primaries take over the political landscape. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

We're equal, but we aren't all American citizens.

I can't go to another country and demand that I be granted all the same rights and privileges granted to its citizens.

American citizenship is not a birthright of the world's 6,592,345,738+ people.

Look at this pic from a protest in LA.


Demonstrators rally downtown Los Angeles, Tuesday, May 1, 2007. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
These protesters want to end the War on Immigrants and the war in Iraq.

They're multi-tasking!

No wonder Howard Dean and the Dems are pandering to ILLEGAL immigrants. At least some ILLEGALS are on the same page as far as the Democrats' retreat and surrender U.S. foreign policy goes.

And this photo reveals a pattern that I'm seeing from demonstrations around the nation.

There's much more AMERICAN flag-waving than last year. These American flags aren't defaced or flying upside down. They're proudly flying.


Moises Cruz Joaquin waves an American flag attached to a caulking gun during an immigration reform rally in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday, May 1, 2007. A crowd of about 500 people showed up for the rally. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

It's just like the 4th of July, minus the fireworks of course.

OOPS!!!

These protesters didn't get the memo to leave the Mexican flags at home this year.


Gabriel Callejas waves an American and Mexican flag as he marches around Lake Eola Park with about 500 other protesters during an immigration reform rally in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday, May 1, 2007.(AP Photo/John Raoux)

A protester holds up a Mexican and an American flag during an immigration reform rally in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday, May 1, 2007. A crowd of about 500 people showed up for the rally. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
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Updates from the Milwaukee protest.

The first of the thousands of participants in the "A Day Without Latinos" march are now reaching Veterans Park on Milwaukee's lakefront.

Once the rest of the marchers arrive - officials are giving varying estimates of 30,000 to 60,000 involved in the march - a program will begin and will feature Ricardo Chavez, leader of the United Farm Workers Union and brother of the late Cesar Chavez, along with religious, union and community leaders.

Here's more.