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March 13, 2008

Advocates: Take hate out of immigration discussion

A group of advocacy organizations is meeting today to discuss ways to tame the language being used in the debates surrounding immigration in Rhode Island.

A statement released by the Center for Hispanic Policy and Advocacy said the organization is calling the meeting in response to an incident reported yesterday in the Providence Journal.

In the incident, a business owner asked a customer, an American citizen, to show his Social Security card after hearing the customer speaking Spanish in the store.

According to the statement, CHisPA , the local affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, and any interested groups and individuals will meet to develop “a strategy to ending hate speech in the immigration debate.”

The meeting is set for today at 11 a.m. at the CHisPA office, 421 Elmwood Ave. in Providence.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson  at 10:22 AM | Permalink

Comments

Here's a start. Stop calling those of us that want the nation's laws enforced and borders regulated 'racists'.

Greg | March 13, 2008 10:26 AM link

Enforce what laws? The two gentlemen were legal citizens of the U.S. Just because people are bi-lingual doesn't mean they have no right being in the country. Talk about a RACIST assumption!

Nicole | March 13, 2008 3:40 PM link

I'm sure the only language they want to tame is from those of us against illegal immigration.

Tom | March 13, 2008 3:51 PM link

Someone should talk to the "men of God" about hate. They are calling to cause suffering to the store owner. I guess only those who are calling for the enforcement of our immigration laws are required to turn the other cheek. How come the "ministers" are not calling for everyone to sit down and discuss the problem? These "spokespersons" for the Latino community have made their position clear. They want an investigation followed by an arrest and then a guilty verdict. If they don't get what they want they threaten civil unrest. Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? I thought that meant everyone. Apparently not in RI.

Chris | March 13, 2008 7:12 PM link

OPPOSE ILLEGALS AND YOUR A RACIST??? THE ONLY REPLY?? NO ONE KNOWS HOW MANY IN R.I. COST ESTIMATED TO BE $200 MILLION TO $500 MILLION TO TAX PAYERS. SUPPORTING ILLEGALS COULD BE DANGEROUS WHEN A $500 MILLION BILL HAS TO BE PAID. MANY AREAS OF CONCERN. AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR OUR CITIZENS AND A $30 MILLION CUT FROM THE BUDGET..SOLUTION...DEPORT ILLEGALS AND THERE WILL BE A SURPLUS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WOW.. JUST SAVED $30 MILLION.

SAL | March 13, 2008 9:45 PM link

yes I am latino legal in this country I am from honduras and I am not scare to tell you,,, so why you got to ask me for paper,first you are not an enmigration officer , second this is the land of the free,what is that means I have the right to speak any lenguage I want in this country,,so stop being ignorant you have to understand this is the land of the inmigrants,,I only speak english and spanish but when someone speak another lenguage I dont like it but what I am going to do "just get use to it"

selvin mejia | March 13, 2008 11:36 PM link

The store owner did not have the right to ask those men for their social security cards. However, if the laws against illegal immigrants in this country were enforced, then ordinary citizens would not feel compelled to take the law into their own hands. There are an estimated 20 million or more illegals in this country. Think about that. So yeah, we probably are encountering them every day in our day to day lives. This is not about immigration. I don't know anyone who is against immigration. We are against ILLEGAL immigration and the constant disregard for our laws as a country.

Chris | March 14, 2008 8:42 AM link

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