I was so ashamed and embarassed today....

[wellstone dem]

I was in the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services office and I sat with my client--who is an immigrant, with a staff person from our office--who is an immigrant, surrounded by people from Asia, from Africa, from Europe, and from the Americas--all immigrants and all (except our staff person) waiting to take their citizenship test. And as I waited I saw people exiting after their interview with huge smiles on their faces, one man who had entered when we did turned and waived at us and gave a giant grin. (He had come in alone, and had no one else with whom to celebrate.) These people were so happy to know they would soon be American citizens.

And as I sat there, a picture came up on CNN which was playing in the waiting area which showed a man wearing a t-shirt that said, "Immigrants are like sperm, millions get in and only one works." And my joy turned to shame and embarrassment.

I wish, I wish there were more kindness in this world.

[lonestarnot]

1. I am sorry WD.

:( :hug:

[NJCher]

2. a nation of dickheads

Really it is. Very ignorant people. Be thankful it was just one jerk on TV today because there are millions more just like him.


Cher

[seabeyond]

8. dickheads... and isn't that appropriate with lack of appropriateness of the tshirt. nt

[Jamastiene]

9. Nation Of Assholes

http://web.archive.org/web/20070118051926/http://www.disenfranchisedmusic.com/

http://web.archive.org/web/20070118051926/http://www.disenfranchisedmusic.com/mp3/noa.mp3

You are so right.

[OnionPatch]

3. And isn't it ironic that they accuse us of being elitists?

[Qutzupalotl]

52. Good point!

Elitism is exactly what this is.

[Beartracks]

61. ^^^ Best post of the day!

Irony and karma are completely lost on dickheads.

------------------------

[mysuzuki2]

4. The only ones entitled to wear a shirt like that are Native Americans

[gateley]

12. You're so right. I think of that every time these jerks cry "I want my country back!".

[Dr.Phool]

25. I was vacationing in Myrtle Beach, SC a few years ago.

We were walking through the tourist shops in the old Pavilion area, and the redneck owner of a t-shirt shop was telling us how he was the only "Real American" with a shop down there any more.

I looked at his lily white face and said, "You don't look like an Indian to me". His face just kind of slipped into neutral.

I used the term indian, because "Native American" would have confused him too much.

[gateley]

67. He would have said, "Hell yes I'm a native American!". I recently lived in

North Carolina and I asked one of the guys what his heritage was (thinking he might have Italian roots because, like a friend of mine, just going to and from his car he'd get soooo tan). He said "Clayton, NC". I said no, I meant your ancestors. He said "we've been in Clayton since the beginning". I tried again -- I mean your European ancestors. He looked at me like I was crazy. "European????"

It's frightening, sad, and infuriating. This is OUR country dammit!

[southmost]

20. and its so ironic and a shame..

that its mostly the descendants of the indigenous from the rest of the 'americas' which are the victims of most of this anti-immigrant sentiment

the more 'indian' you look, the more likely you'll be treated as a wetback

[Swamp Rat]

5. More than embarrassing

:dunce: :patriot: :dunce: :patriot: :dunce: :patriot: :dunce: :patriot: :dunce: :patriot: :dunce: :patriot: :dunce:

[crikkett]

64. Great image!

more relevant now than in 2005 even!

:hi:

[Divine Discontent]

6. a lady in a store was talking about this & laughing, I just glared at her ignorance.

glad you do your job, don't let 'em keep you upset for long - you know you're in the right and a good person. If someone's here legally, there should be joy in their success!

[MedicalAdmin]

36. For goodness sake, don't just glare.

Do something. Ask a question like, "are you mean to all people, just brown people, or do you just put down those who aren't there to defend themselves?"

[krabigirl]

39. If i heard that, I would go ballistic. My dh is an immigrant and he employs many Americans.

If he went back to France, there goes their jobs. Lol. He even tries to hire the unemployed whenever possible. Idiots.

[seabeyond]

7. I wish, I wish there were more kindness in this world. nt

[Bigmack]

10. Dumb fucking one-liners... that's all they got! nt

[spanone]

11. why do the despicable assholes get on teevee? cause they're despicable assholes & media loves 'em

they are the minority

[Bonobo]

13. Reminds me of the day we executed Saddam.

I was in an international terminal at O'Hare going to Japan.

There were plenty of Indonesian muslims in the terminal.

We watched the US flunkies execute a former US flunky.

It was a shameful moment. I felt like crawling under a seat.

[BadGimp]

14. They are small, you/we are Legion

[SecularMotion]

26. Exactly

We are not a nation of "dickheads" or "assholes". They are a small minority which is being magnified by our corrupt media.

[hamsterjill]

57. That's right.

I just hope the new citizens mentioned in the OP know and understand that most of us are very happy for them, despite what they may see or hear from the media!

[SargeUNN]

15. K&R

[peacetalksforall]

16. Somehow, I 'sense' a change. The souls of many people are being exposed.

I am surprised at their nationwide self-exposure of hate - that they have come out to the degree they have to express this hate for 'Mexicans' and Muslims.

Those who are expressing this hate have actually been relatively quiet until now. They have let leaders and pundits speak for them, while they talked at the gas station or cafe or ball games or while on coffe breaks. Through all their years of hating Blacks, liberals, hippies, Japs, Commies, Vietnamesee (depending on their geography), they have taken to the streets and parks with really vile in-your-face messages. I would say they are exploding on the scene with their version of Christian faith hate.

There seems to be an awakening sensitivity by those who are more tolerant and extra tolerant. By protesting the haters, they/I/we have solidified the side we want to be on. There even seems to be that hesitancy period where people who know each other just a little or people who first meet are feeling each other out - as in a Presidential election - or waiting for a sign to know whether thay can feel comfortable or not.

I see a lot of minds being made up. There are plenty of people out there who have taken lessons from history and know what to do. Those who learn and teach civic duty. Who hang on to things they learned to appreciate as kids - the idea that we are a melting pot. That we are rich in work ethics and creativity. We are answering to something differently. We are experiencing a different kind of awareness. We have been so focused on the leaders.

If viewed as a triangle - we have a ruling elite of military, corporate, religious, media, banking, lobbyists, politicians, foundation heads, multi-national conglomerations,IMF, World Bank, Tri-Lateral Comm and Council on Foreign Relations groups, Bilderburger Groups heads at one of the points. This group leans on the second group at the second point to expand and grow and they provide their own media for the job, plus funding and strategists for planting all the hate while maintaing and growing a voting bloc. At the third point of the triangle is all the rest of us - some extremely caring, worried, active, vocal citizens along with those we associate with who are politically numb, uncaring, cynical, bitter about politics, but who do get important issues that can't be avoided. Some of them do the right thing without talking it to death. We are the group that hosts the great artists, writers, cartoonists, comedy writers who provide the ammunition and the drive to survive this hate movement. And we have each other.

Floating around we have too many of the politicians - trying to cater to all three points. But, some of them stand with us and have stood with us from the beginning.

[red red red]

17. This would be great to email...

my bro-in-law - I believe in what you said - Thanks - brings hope

[SusanaMontana41]

22. A beautiful and necessary post. Thanks. n/t

[krabigirl]

40. The backlash against this will be extreme.

[a la izquierda]

70. My neighbor exposed her bigoted ass yesterday.

I was dumbfounded. Her husband apologized to me today for the obvious offense.
I'm not even Mexican (I live part time in Mexico and I study Mexican history). But she made a comment to the effect that she ought to call INS on the Oklahoma State Fair for honoring the bicentennial of Mexican Independence on Thursday.

[pacalo]

18. The last time I had one of those find-me-a-hole moments was when one of my pre-school sons said

something really embarassing.

This country is losing its common sense & good judgment. So sorry this happened, wellstone dem. :hug:

[Enthusiast]

19. Kindness is out!

Jesus no longer wants kindness. He wants mean spirited outrage and hatred. Right?

[peekaloo]

21. viewed by some as a "weakness"

pull yourself up by your jack boot straps and grow a pair 'Murka!

:sarcasm:

[krabigirl]

42. No, it isn't.

[Vinca]

23. I remember how moved I was at my husband's naturalization ceremony.

I sat in the back of the room and watched, as you did, the joy in the faces of people from all over the world. It made me teary eyed. Now I'm teary eyed about the hatred.

[dmr]

73. Your posts reminds me of the movie "Crossing Over"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_Over_%28film%29

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0924129/

Excellent movie. Painful & joyous.
:hi:

[Vinca]

83. I'll check it out. Thanks!

[surrealAmerican]

24. Wait a minute ...

... I thought their main problem with immigrants was that immigrants "take our jobs". If they insist that immigrants "don't work", doesn't that nullify their main argument?

[MedicalAdmin]

37. If you expect logic and consistancy from hater...

You will be expectant a LOOOOONNNNNGGGGG time.

[lunatica]

27. Looking for kindness to the media who loves to cover teabaggers is futile

Don't let Angry White Hatriots make you ashamed. There is plenty of kindness in this country. For one thing most Americans are immigrants and the offspring of immigrants. Go to any little Italy neighborhood or Vietnamese neighborhood or Chinatown in any city.

The US isn't populated mostly by Angry White Men. They really are a minority. Even in their strongest rallies they number mere thousands.

[MedicalAdmin]

38. Hey - I'm an angry white man!

Of course I'm pissed off about other angry white guys like the teabaggers, which leads me incontrovertably to the realization that I actually am a self loathing liberal.

This makes me think that I'll have to stop loving myself now, which will lead me directly to hating everyone which will lead me straight to some tea bagger group therapy session complete with misfelling (mispellling?) and other idiocy.





...




Kill me now.

[valerief]

28. Leave it to CNN aka Fox Lite. nt

[bertman]

29. K & R for more kindness in this world.

[paparush]

30. Graphic of Illustration of Extremism

[Javaman]

31. We do suffer from a kindness deficit. nt

[rasputin1952]

32. The media alows crap like this, and it seen the world over...

and people wonder why we are seen as idiots...:wtf:

[krabigirl]

44. To be fair, nativists in many countries are vocal and idiotic.

[Fuzz]

33. My parents and in-laws are immigrants, so stories like this hit me hard.

Both my wife's and my families came here just one generation ago from Europe and Asia and worked really hard and hell, I'll say it: They could buy and sell most of these idiots. There are probably more advanced degrees in these two families than in the entire teabagger movement. So fuck them.

[krabigirl]

43. Same here. Husband is an immigrant, and this stuff burns me up.

[femrap]

34. Too bad that

the man wearing the t-shirt wasn't aborted.

That is one of the most disgusting sentences I have ever read. The divisions that are developing in this nation are truly alarming. Sometimes I think it would be best if the nation did in fact divide. Let the bigots have their land and the progressives can have theirs. Hell, give a state to Palestine while we're at it.

[HillbillyBob]

50. Unfortunately the nuts are spread around ..now if we round them up and

give them say Ga, SC(I want a tall fence between SC and NC. I live in NC),Al and Ms..i think we could crowd them all in that area..they will fight over everything and thin out the ranks.

[femrap]

55. Good Idea!

I've always said I won't go to AL or MS....I'm afraid I'd say something and end up in jail.

I didn't want to go to TX either...but I made it. Just kept my mouth shut.

[enuegii]

59. Yes, Alabama is full of loud-mouthed, opinionated assholes

but there's always room for one more.
Come on down!

[femrap]

63. Nope....

I'll end up in jail. Plus you call me 'yankee.' Next thing, I'm surrounded. No way. I don't want to be around loud-mouthed, opinionated assholes.

ETA: After reading your profile, you don't sound like you like it there very much.

[Duval]

68. OK, but could we include one little area in TX?

[WoodyM]

77. Yes, I would like a tall fence between SC

and NC (I live in SC). It would fence SC off from a state where the former speaker of the house is in prison. Where the former Governor is under investigation for graft and numerous other things. Where the present Governor is facing questions about the use of airplanes and not reporting it in her campaign. Where the State Bureau of Investigation is total incompetent and utterly biased. Where the State Highway Patrol looks on sex in the patrol’s cars as a fringe benefit.
At least our governor was just a woman chaser even if I did not agree with his policies.

[pasto76]

35. Your average dumbshit american

spoken by one of the most liberal men Ive every known. also one of the smartest, most dedicated and charitable. One of the largest influences on my life. I am a better friend, husband, father, soldier, leader and public servant because of his influence.

And he hit the nail right on the head. The point that his family were once immigrants is lost.

sgt pasto

[krabigirl]

41. As the wife of a naturalized citizen, i am there with you. I hate those kind of people.

Especially since my husband is a business owner and employs many Americans. Idiots, all of them. And i am not afraid to get in their faces and tell them off.

[4lbs]

45. "Millions get in and only one works." Yeah, umm, I guess that man has never seen the back of any

restaurant, whether it be a regular one, or fast food.

Or looked at all the nation's taxicab drivers.

Or looked at all the people working in fields picking the fruits and vegetables.


I'm pretty sure neither of them are full of young white males.

[Lorien]

47. Yep. The one freeper type I know who says the same kind of crap hasn't worked in eight

years-and he's still in his 40's! Meanwhile, the Mexicans, Cubans and Haitians who put on my new roof worked like maniacs in the hots sun for something that probably wasn't too far above minimum wage. Freepers are projecting.

[abelenkpe]

46. CNN and most news stations are irresponsible

broadcasting the ugliest minority of hatemongers. I wish the FCC would slap a fine on stations that encouraged such bad behavior.

My hubby's family immigrated here from Ireland. They are all hard workers and honestly I sometimes feel appreciated this country more than the fools born into it.

[DirkGently]

48. We've been better Americans individually of late than en masse

And that's too bad.

Great post.

[savalez]

49. Don't worry about what t-shirt some idiot lucky enough to be born here wears.

The folks who are preparing to take their citizenship test are tough as nails and are willing to leave their homelands to come to America in spite of boneheads like that. They don't give a rats ass about him.

[brewens]

51. Republicans and Teabaggers will fix it. If they have their way

we'll see a drastic reduction in people that want to come here. Why would anyone want to come to the kind of country they'd like to have us be?

[stuntcat]

53. I bet I know exactly how that guy votes!

If he bothers to vote I mean :p

Yeah, that's how I roll, putting everyone in the Good bucket or the Bad bucket. It has never failed me.

[Deadgnome]

54. Hmmm

It kind of reminds me of the bumper sticker I saw the other day in the parking lot at my place of employment. It said, "I believe in truth, not tolerance." Honestly I don't even know what that means. My guess is though, the man wearing that shirt that screams "I'm a retched piece of shit," probably would agree with that bumper sticker that makes absolutely no sense.

[Raoul]

56. oh yes

and mercy teacups...
Sorry to burst your bubble of hope but the world is a cold, lousy place. And there are millions of people only interested in their own self interest. Those of us born on the 'wrong side of the tracks' are painfully aware of this..

Welcome to reality 101..

[LuckyLib]

58. There is no damned reason for FAUX and CNN or any other junk to be broadcast

in public areas or medical offices. Turn that @#$%@ off! Whatever happened to folks sitting quietly or reading/chatting? Our society seems to need to be anesthetized by TV 24-7.

[HughMoran]

60. K&R

Don't let the angry people get ya down.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

62. Pretty sickening that the goddammed media features this crap, with NO rebuttal

there IS a place for judgement, and this is it. The false equivalencies broadcast to the public (the incurious, poorly educated public) make it seem that this outrageous immoral behavior is acceptable.

It is not.

[madmax]

65. Too much attention focused on assholes in front

of cameras. Media = BIG FAIL.

K&R :hug: wellstone dem

[Duval]

66. How awful! Our media=how tragic for our country.n/t

[Bluzmann57]

69. My wife is an immgrant

I love her dearly and those pieces of dog crap won't say anything to my face. But there has been a time or two that I overheard some righties ripping immigrants when they thought I wasn't around. The last time it happened I had to walk away because I have no particular desire to go to jail. I was on the verge of separating one guy's head from his shoulders and stuff it up his ass. Then people could literally say that he had his head up his ass.

[totodeinhere]

71. There is no need for you to be "ashamed and embarrassed" as long as you yourself don't hold those

attitudes. Don't let a jerk like that get to you. That's what he is trying to do and if he does get to you then he has accomplished what he set out to do.

[Dorian Gray]

72. Holy cow

that's so obnoxious. What the hell was happening on CNN where someone was wearing that? Was it some sort of Tea Party craziness?

[Drale]

74. Man

it seems CNN wants to be Faux news little brother as of late.

[defendandprotect]

75. Unless "man" on CNN was a Native American, his shirt seems to be referring to himself--!!

[BrklynLiberal]

I would li ke to think that those idiots are a small minority..just a very noisy one...

but a VERY SMALL minority of Americans...who can be kind and goodhearted, and overcome the manipulation of the MSM and the repuke scam artists.

[BrklynLiberal]

76. I would li ke to think that those idiots are a small minority..just a very noisy one...

but a VERY SMALL minority of Americans...who can be kind and goodhearted, and overcome the manipulation of the MSM and the repuke scam artists.

[underpants]

78. "Illegals" pay more in taxes than they use in public resources

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/underpants/27

AND NOW the big question

Do they drain social service resources MORE than they contribute?

The CATO Institute (yes them) says:

Myth number four: Immigrants impose a financial burden on taxpayers. Immigrants do make somewhat heavier use of means-tested welfare programs than natives. There have been especially flagrant abuses by immigrants of particular welfare programs, such as Supplemental Security Income. But because immigrants tend to come to the United States during the start of their working years --between the ages of 18 and 35 -- they make very large net contributions to the two largest income transfer programs: Social Security and Medicare. When the payroll tax contributions of immigrants are taken into account, the Urban Institute found that the foreign born constitute a net fiscal windfall to the public sector of some $20 billion a year. To the extent that welfare use by immigrants is a problem, this can be addressed by restricting the welfare eligibility of immigrants, not by keeping immigrants out.
http://www.cato.org/dailys/4-22-97.html

PBS (yes THEM) says

Immigrants pay more in taxes than they receive in public services in their lifetime?

REALITY: Welfare use among non-refugee immigrants is lower than among U.S. native-born citizens in the same age group (15-64). The 1990 census reported that 20.4 percent of immigrants were on welfare, compared with 26.2 percent of U.S. native-born citizens. In 1997, immigrants paid an estimated $133 billion in federal, state and local taxes. A typical immigrant and his or her offspring pay an estimated $80,000 more in taxes than they will receive in federal, state and local benefits over the course of their lifetimes.

http://www.pbs.org/itvs/thecity/immigratio...

[wellstone dem]

79. Thank you so much for your kind replies.

Especially the reminders that those who simply live good lives, with kindness, do not get on TV. I'm glad each of you lives in this world with me.

[Historic NY]

80. Aren't we all just immigrants?

[flvegan]

81. ...and it's sad that the one from his dad that worked, did so.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

82. wellstone dem

This may sound a little weird, but THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!

You helped one person enormously live out his dream. You and your client are what is truly best about this country.

:applause: :patriot: :patriot: :applause:

[wellstone dem]

84. Thank you for saying that, but I have such a great job.

I get to help people who think no one wants to help, and as a result I learn every day about courage.