Holy Saints Patrick and Joseph and other immigration news
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By Cynthia Needham, Journal State House Bureau Even a topic as weighty as immigration deserves a little levity. So here's today's dose. Rhode Islanders frustrated that the Assembly did not pass a single immigration proposal this year -- either cracking down on the state's policies towards illegal immigrants or providing protections to those here illegally -- can take heart. A new report released yesterday by the National Conference of State Legislatures declares that Rhode Island did in fact pass more than half a dozen immigration-related bills. Confused? According to the national organization, Rhode Island made the list because it okayed a series of resolutions this spring commemorating Rhode Island's favorite saints: The Italian Saint Joseph and Ireland's Saint Patrick. That's right, the two saints. Anyone familiar with State House traditions knows that the annual "the two saints celebration" is one of the favorites on Smith Hill and also one of the oldest. The gastronomic bonanza of zeppoles, corned beef and ziti is the strongly Irish and Italian legislature's way of paying tribute to two of the state's best-know heritages while poking fun of each other. So a party landed us at the forefront of immigration reform, you ask. According to the NCSL, resolutions were included in their roundup because in some states they are considered no different than full-fledged laws and often signal a shift in focus towards one particular immigrant group. New Jersey made the list for celebrating the Jews, while Illinois earned a spot for celebrating the Czech.
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Mes amis, don't ever forget that the French have been celebrating Saint Jean-Baptiste day in North America for 400 years, and over 2,000 years elsewhere!! June 24 is a national holiday in Quebec, which celebrates its 400th anniversary this summer. Take advantage of all the festivities and visit this year, while you still don't need a passport to enter Canada!
Read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%AAte_nationale_du_Qu%C3%A9bec.
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Lately it appears that any liitle article that can be thought up, supporting the total disregard for the enforcement of illegal imigration continues to appear in the Providence Journal. A paper that is obviously being led by the nose of the city officials. I have been a long term fan of the Providence Journal and am sad to say, I will be switching to other local papers as The Boston Herald, The New York times and even more important U.S.A today. What do they all have in common you ask? They are aware of why enforcing illegal imigration is so much more important on a world level than insulting thier readers intellegence with articles singling out Irish and Italian saints. To educate you many latinos have many saints which whom they bow and prayer to. Why are you, as a newspaper spending so much time avoiding the real issue. Legal or illegal,pretty simple don't ya think. At least I would tend to think that most of our officers working to protect our borders many of those who have died thought and those that continue think. Come on PJ your a better newspaper than that, to be participating in Politics as usual in R.I. correction politics as usual in PROVIDENCE. Yours Truly, one who has the upmost respect for those Latinos which are friends and even those whom I have met.
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