The man you see (indistinctly) in the photo above is Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., who spoke before a packed crowd at the Women’s National Republican Club last night on a variety of subjects. Although the invitation I responded to billed the evening as a discussion of sanctuary cities, Vance did not address the topic until prompted by an audience member during the question and answer session, approximately 40 minutes or so after he began speaking.

I can’t say I was surprised by his reluctance to address the subject, despite its topicality. The New York County District Attorney’s office is charged with the prosecution of those who violate the laws of New York State. Those who violate federal law are prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York-a point Mr. Vance emphasized when I pressed him on a recent decision to release a violent, self-declared member of MS-13 who was in this country illegally from prison.

That said, his office does occasionally come into contact with illegal immigrants through their encounters with the New York Police Department, which he implicitly acknowledged when he spoke of protecting the status of those who had been victims of crimes while residing in this country illegally. Putting aside the circular logic of this argument, i.e. aren’t predatory criminal aliens, such as the illegal day laborer who murdered acclaimed actress and director Adrienne Shelly, protected under the same umbrella sheltering domestic abuse victims, there is another objection to be raised. Namely, there is already a federal program, known as the U Visa, which ostensibly protects these individuals.

The idea that New York City needs to codify policy which directly conflicts with federal law in order to protect the safety of those in this country illegally is the height of absurdity. To the contrary, these directives actually imperil the lives and safety of those they ostensibly seek to protect-as well as the lives of American citizens-as those criminal aliens who abuse and terrorize their partners and children are given blanket immunity for crimes which would otherwise place them in the deportation pipeline and out of the reach of those whose lives they have destroyed. In fact, after Mr. Vance’s talk had concluded, a (legal) immigrant shared a personal anecdote with me about a hairdresser whose husband had attempted to suffocate her to death, but was allowed to remain in this country-illegally, naturally-even after being brought to the attention of the relevant authorities.

It should be said in Mr. Vance’s defense that he stated categorically that illegal aliens who had committed violent crimes should be deported, which is a far cry from Mayor De Blasio’s stance. However, it’s worth noting that the Manhattan DA is a political post, which is dependent upon the will of the voters, which in this case happened to be a group of New York Republicans. Just as his avowal of support for stop and frisk might have been downplayed before more progressive venues, it’s possible that he might have temporized even more on this subject if speaking to a group like the National Council of La Raza, or the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus.

Overall, the audience was surprisingly receptive to DA Vance’s message, which in retrospect probably shouldn’t have been that surprising. The Republican Party of New York City, but particularly the desiccated husk of a party which still exists in Manhattan, is run primarily by the Rockefeller and Lindsay Republicans who once exercised real power in this city and state. Adele Malpass, who delivered some introductory remarks before Cyrus Vance stepped up to the podium, praised the District Attorney’s efforts to kill a bill which would have prevented the arrest of innocent New Yorkers carrying gravity knives. I’m sure the GOP mainstay who asked him later in the evening what he was doing to crack down on gun dealers appreciated this bold stance against individual rights, but I was left rather unimpressed.

For what it’s worth, I thought the event was worthwhile, despite my many disagreements with Mr. Vance, including his apparent belief that compulsory voting, along the lines of Australia, could serve as a civic inducement. Having a public official willing to submit himself to cross-examination, however circumscribed, by the public is increasingly rare and worthy of praise. Hopefully, the officials responsible for some of the problems we encounter in this city on a daily basis will embrace this willingness to engage the public, but I won’t be holding my breath.

This past week brought news of yet another innocent American life taken at the hands of a criminal alien. In this case, one who had been deported on five separate occasions. The brutal murder of Kathryn Steinle can be laid directly at the feet of contemptible, hispandering politicians like Gavin Newsom, who have made San Francisco into a sanctuary for violent-in many cases, homicidal-offenders who surprisingly do not abide by this country’s immigration laws. The death of Steinle would be horrific enough were it not part of a consistent pattern of criminal behavior being ignored by government agencies more interested in placating certain ethno-political constituencies than protecting the lives of American citizens.

It’s a story that’s been repeated ad nauseam for years, and yet there is still no action to prevent future needless deaths. Just as Adrienne Shelly, the brilliant independent actress and filmmaker pictured above, was murdered by a man who should never have been in this country, so too will countless others die at the hands of illegal aliens because of our government’s criminal negligence. We need to remember these lives which have been stolen from us by that callous disregard, but we also need to ensure that these Americans will have not died in vain, and commit ourselves to action that will prevent innocent citizens from having their lives taken in the future.

Today is All Souls’ Day, when we pray for the deceased, particularly those close to us-family and friends-who’ve passed. It also marks the fourth annual National Day of Remembrance for the those who have lost their lives at the hands of illegal aliens. From New York’s own Adrienne Shelly to the young scholar-athlete Jamiel Shaw Jr. of Los Angeles, the promising lives which have been snuffed out by our government’s cosseting of these criminal aliens are legion and continue to grow, as even the open borders fanatics at the New York Times acknowledge.

Arizonans, as well as those throughout the nation, are planning on commemorating the lives lost as a result of our ostensible leaders’ gross negligence, even as they demand that these crimes not be visited upon more innocent Americans. We would urge you all to participate in today’s remembrance, even if only to offer up prayers for those murdered in cold blood by aliens who’ve transgressed all law and notions of morality.

A list of memorials taking place nationally.

In between its Fourth of July break and its month-long recess in August, the unyielding worker bees in Congress will try to shepherd one of the most ill-conceived, potentially disastrous pieces of legislation into law. I’m speaking, of course, about the Gang of Eight travesty. During the Senate’s abbreviated debate on the bill there was almost no discussion of the victims of our government’s open borders policies, despite the fact that a dozen Americans die every single day at the hands of illegal aliens.

That’s why Jamiel Shaw’s interview with The Blaze is essential viewing. Americans need to see for the themselves the horrific consequences of our government’s decision to give aid and succor to criminal aliens. As difficult as it is to listen to these stories, they must be told. We need to make our purported representatives realize that they serve at our behest, not the special interests representing criminals and scofflaws. I urge you to watch Jamiel Shaw Sr. explain in his own words how his government has failed his family, and the families of thousands of others who have been victimized by illegal aliens who’ve been given sanctuary.

There is no sanctuary for the families of those Americans whose lives have ended prematurely because of our government’s criminal irresponsibility.

Another cause that Mr. Ostroy has been intimately involved with is promoting the work of young, aspiring female directors. To that end, he created the Adrienne Shelly Foundation, which awards grants that help these filmmakers bring their artistic vision to its intended audience. Today-starting at 5 PM-marks the beginning of a celebrity auction, which runs through December 13th, the proceeds of which will be dedicated to fulfilling the mission of this foundation.

I urge anyone who knows someone interested in film, the arts, or simply giving to a worthwhile cause, to take a look over the foundation’s eBay page, which includes some amazing gifts for donors. Including a VIP audience with acclaimed New York folk artist Dar Williams.

Although Adrienne Shelly is no longer with us, her spirit persists, both in the family and friends she loved, and in the beauty of her work, which continues to inspire young artists throughout the world of cinema.

Update: Here’s a link to a story our good friend at The Silent Majority No More wrote describing a vigil NY ICE held on the first National Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Illegal Aliens. Scroll down for video footage of the event. 

Today is the second annual National Day of Remembrance for those who’ve been killed by illegal aliens living within the United States. As we were reminded recently by the death sentence given to Pedro Espinoza, the criminal alien who murdered Jamiel Shaw Jr., the victims of our government’s negligent immigration policies are numerous. From San Francisco to our very own city, the toll these perpetrators have taken is truly staggering. Illegal aliens continue to act with reckless indifference and little fear of detention, let alone punishment, justifiably so in most cases. We’ll just have to wait for the obituaries that will inevitably result from this callous disregard.

This commemoration of the forgotten victims of America’s open borders policies was   introduced by Congressmen Steve King, one of the few members of Congress willing to acknowledge the tremendous cost our government’s adamant refusal to address this problem exacts from the American people. The victims of illegal alien crime are many, but the public officials willing to stand up for their memory are few and far between, as this occasion demonstrates.

Let your voice be heard for the voices that were silenced forever.

Or your son, daughter, brother, sister, cousin… It happens to thousands of Americans every year-Jamiel Shaw’s son simply being one of the most famous victims of a criminal alien crime wave that afflicts every state in the union. The thoughts of Jamiel Shaw Sr. reflect the sentiments of someone whose life was torn apart by the willful negligence of his city’s public officials, who are more concerned with pandering to ethnic constituencies than enforcing the law.

Whether it’s a bright student-athlete in L.A. cut down by an illegal Mexican gangbanger, or a brilliant independent actress-filmmaker murdered by an Ecuadorian day laborer employed by Bradford General Contractors, the human carnage wreaked by this nation’s policy-makers is incalculable. So long as our politicians are intent upon electing a new people, events like the murder of Jamiel Shaw Jr. will continue, tragically.

We at American Rattlesnake  would like to wish all of our followers a very contented and happy Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, there are many Americans who are pained by the absence of loved ones this holiday, including the family of Marizela Perez. More than eight months after this vivacious, precocious University of Washington student disappeared from her campus in Seattle, she remains missing. Michelle Malkin has a deeply moving meditation on the trauma, frustrations, and unexpected blessings that her family has experienced in their search for her cousin, which I strongly recommend reading. I also urge everyone to visit Find Marizela, a website dedicated to documenting the ongoing search for Marizela Perez. 

It can’t be forgotten that on this day of giving thanks there are many who won’t be able to celebrate with their flesh and blood because their brother, or sister, or mother, or aunt, or uncle, is no longer with us. The family of young Dustin Inman, a sixteen year-old cut down by an illegal alien with a Matricula Consular ID, will have one less place setting this Thanksgiving.

Andrew Ostroy, the husband of the late filmmaker and actress Adrienne Shelly, has a daughter who will never get to celebrate with her mother on this day. Why? Because an unscrupulous construction company named Bradford General Contractors’, although by now probably operating under a different name, employed an illegal alien from Ecuador named Diego Pillco. Someone who would murder Mrs. Shelly in cold blood, then attempt to pass her death off as a suicide-a mendacious ploy that would have succeeded, had it not been for the tenacity and unyielding love of her husband. 

The father of the late Jamiel Shaw Jr. will never be able to celebrate another Thanksgiving with his son, a young man who had limitless potential, who was murdered by an illegal alien gang member released onto the streets of Los Angeles, the first major metropolitan area in this nation to declare itself  a sanctuary city. 

These are the names you should remember when ignorant politicians grasping for yet more power, who have hardened their hearts to the pain and suffering that Americans have experienced because of their indifference, accuse you of being “heartless” for caring about the lives and well being of your countrymen. For those of you who are of a faithful bent, I would also suggest saying a prayer for the families who are missing loved ones this Thanksgiving, including the many who I simply do not have enough space to list here. Unfortunately, there are many of those. 

Even so, there is much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. As Michelle writes,

To find a way, with the help of God, family and friends, to count our blessings even (and especially) in the midst of great angst. Because in the end: “All will be well.”

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!

Today is the National Day of Remembrance of Victims of Illegal Aliens which is an opportunity to spotlight the scores of lives that have been prematurely ended through the wanton disregard for this nation’s laws by our ostensible representatives. Sponsored by the Patriot Coalition, Victims of Illegal Alien Crime Memorial, as well as dedicated public servants like Representative Steve King, this day serves not only as a commemoration of the precious lives that we’ve lost to open borders dogmatism, but also a call to arms for those of us who want to see an America where our sovereignty and the lives of our citizens are placed above the narrow interests of the political elite. 

New Yorkers will mark this solemn occasion by holding an event in Manhattan in front of the New York ICE field office and immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza. I urge all of those who want to maintain the integrity of this nation’s laws to join NY ICE members in demonstrating solidarity with those Americans who have been victimized by the callous attitude of government officials who refuse to enforce the law. Here is a video demonstrating just what we have lost through lax enforcement of our immigration laws.