Senator: Newspaper 'Crossed Line'

WXIA-TV ATLANTA ^ | 3/23/2006 10:13:29 AM | Keith Whitney

[Sharks]

controversial measure under the Gold Dome, dealing with illegal workers in Georgia, is causing an huge uproar after a local Hispanic newspaper published a story about the bill’s author on Wednesday.

Senate Bill 529 has no shortage of angry critics, who feel the measures unfairly targets members of the state’s rapidly growing Hispanic community -- many of whom are now afraid to send their children to school or to seek medical attention.

Senator Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) is the lawmaker behind the bill, which would penalize companies using illegal workers.

“They've called me a racist, they call me anti-Christian, they say I hate children, they've used every name in the book to try to intimidate me and stop me from what the people clearly want me to do," Rogers said.

Now Rogers and many of his colleagues are furious about an article that appeared on Wednesday in a Hispanic newspaper.

The story itself was run-of-the-mill. But it was the picture of his house, and the map showing exactly how to get there that was the problem.

“To take a picture of my house, and to put a map on the front of the paper to try and intimidate me to stop this is beyond any responsible journalism," said Rogers.

Even Rogers' political opponents in the Senate agree, the article was over the line.

“In my case, I’ve certainly been the subject of many, many serious threats. So when Senator Rogers felt some sensitivity about having his home published on a website, I responded. I agreed with him,” said Senator Sam Zamarripa (D-Atlanta)

Zamarippa has asked the publisher to pull the article.

“I don't know if we have any legal recourse, but I would hope that the citizens of this state would recognize that those who want to profit off the use of illegal aliens for labor would stop at nothing to continue to profit," Rogers said.

11Alive News has honored Senator Rogers’ request not to name the newspaper, citing concerns for his family’s safety and the availability of the map.

Despite repeated attempts for comment, the paper's publisher, so far, has not responded

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

the measures unfairly targets members of the state’s rapidly growing Hispanic community

If the illegal shoe fits...

[ncountylee]

Democrat thug tactics. Hope the Senator is locked and loaded, illegal vermin may be coming.

[Echo Talon]

I'd be p***ed off if I were him! oh man. go get'um!

[mhking]

Indeed. I was busy with this one last night --- I do have a copy of the map in the event we may need to use it (or if the paper's publisher -- Cox Enterprises/Atlanta Journal-Constitution decides to deny they did it).

The newspaper in question is called Mundo Hispanico.

[gunnedah]

I think it is time to picket the members of the press. We need to find their addresses and attack their homes with eggs and embarrass their wives and children. Lets get fanatical like these slobs.

[gunnedah]

I think it is time to picket the members of the press. We need to find their addresses and attack their homes with eggs and embarrass their wives and children. Lets get fanatical like these slobs.

[gunnedah]

I think it is time to picket the members of the press. We need to find their addresses and attack their homes with eggs and embarrass their wives and children. Lets get fanatical like these slobs.

[LauraleeBraswell]

“They've called me a racist, they call me anti-Christian, they say I hate children, they've used every name in the book to try to intimidate me and stop me from what the people clearly want me to do," Rogers said.



Now that's Integrity.

[raybbr]

“They've called me a racist, they call me anti-Christian, they say I hate children, they've used every name in the book to try to intimidate me and stop me from what the people clearly want me to do," Rogers said.

Unfortunately he'll never be called a "new American".

We are now one of the largest Spanish-speaking nations in the world. We're a major source of Latin music, journalism and culture.

Just go to Miami, or San Antonio, Los Angeles, Chicago or West New York, New Jersey ... and close your eyes and listen. You could just as easily be in Santo Domingo or Santiago, or San Miguel de Allende.

For years our nation has debated this change -- some have praised it and others have resented it. By nominating me, my party has made a choice to welcome the new America.

As I speak, we are celebrating the success of democracy in Mexico.

George Bush from a campaign speech in Miami, August 2000.

You can read the speech here.

Here is an excerpt of a good critique of that speech:

In equating our intimate historic bonds to our mother country and to Canada with our ties to Mexico, W. shows a staggering ignorance of the civilizational facts of life. The reason we are so close to Britain and Canada is that we share with them a common historical culture, language, literature, and legal system, as well as similar standards of behavior, expectations of public officials, and so on. My Bush Epiphany By Lawrence Auster

[Fledermaus]

I'm confused. According the LIE the Congress and Reagan sold us in 1986 when we actually DID GIVE AMNESTY to illegal aliens, they PROMISED to crack down on EMPLOYERS of illegal aliens. They even gave us the useless I-9 form to facilitate our compliance (the most worthless document ever created).

Oh wait - they were politicians...how silly of me to take them at their word.

[manwiththehands]

Even Rogers' political opponents in the Senate agree, the article was over the line.

There's a first.

[ladyinred]

- many of whom are now afraid to send their children to school or to seek medical attention.

Well that makes ALL of us. Welcome to America.

[wrathof59]

The only effective thing to do is deport them

[msnimje]

Did I miss it or do they conveniently leave the name of the newspaper out of this story?

[upchuck]

For some time I have been advocating tough penalties on employers who hire Criminal Aliens.

My thinking has been that since the vast majority of these sleazbags come here for jobs, if we can work to take the jobs away they will most likely go home or maybe not come here in the fist place.

But my problem has been that I had no way of proving my thought was correct.

My sincere thanks to Mundo Hispanico for proving me right. And especially to Senator Chip Rogers for having the cojones to do the right thing.

[WatchingInAmazement]

Unfortunately this kind of intimidation seems common practice for pro illegal alien pushers. A university professor lead a bunch of illegals to Jim Gilchrist's home last year. They even approached and tried to convince his neighbors that he was a "vigilante".

[zerosix]

"Give us your tax dollars or else, we'll terrorize your home, call you a hate monger, anti-Christian, etc."

Sounds like Pres. Bush's call for "civil discourse" is only meant for the anti-illegal alien groups, not the racist, pro-illegal alien groups.

[sergeantdave]

Right idea, wrong strategy.

Never attack the wife or children of these people.

Instead, ostracize them.

Get a picture of the jerk and circulate it to businesses. Tell them not to sell him gas, food or clothing. Businesss can refuse service to anyone.

If he's refused service, he needs to travel to the next town, making life very inconvenient and downright miserable. Eventually, he'll discover that people don't like him and he'll leave.

Oh, wait. This is the liberal hellhole Atlanta. He's probably a hero.

Disregard everything I said.

[Restorer]

According to an official Mexican government website, "Immigration laws provide that no foreigner may be accepted for work, unless it is shown to the entire satisfaction of the immigration authorities, that there is no Mexican national available for that type of job."

Why not apply a similar standard here?