Update: You can also read coverage of the event by the Staten Island Advance.

The events of the past week have prevented us from discussing an issue dear to the hearts of many of our followers. Namely, the continuing, deliberate assault by public officials upon the intrinsic liberties of Americans. Specifically, the right to defend our lives and property from unprovoked aggression. We know what happens when citizens surrender their individual rights to the state; the burning fields in Mexico and the  inferno in Sweden illustrate why entrusting your security to the guardianship of the state-which in many cases is responsible for placing you in peril in the first place-is such a monumentally foolish idea.  

Unfortunately, that is precisely what public servants-who almost never serve the interests of the public-across the nation have embraced as a response to the most recent, horrific mass shootings. The most widely publicized attempt to circumscribe our right to self defense has been New York’s SAFE Act, a hastily-written, arbitrary, and capricious bill that was stampeded into law under the most questionable of circumstances and with virtually no debate.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that resistance to implementation around this state is widespread and growing. In addition to district attorneys who refuse to prosecute individuals who have run afoul of this unconstitutional, ex post facto law, there are numerous counties which have called for its repeal. In addition to these tangible demonstrations of opposition to Governor Cuomo and the legislature, there have been mass rallies, demonstrations and marches staged across the state rejecting the notion that New Yorkers who choose to exercise their constitutional rights are no better than common criminals.

One such protest was held in Eltingville, Staten Island this past weekend by Gun Rights Across America and the Richmond County Tea Party Patriots, a local counterweight to the drearily statist political forces that dominate both the borough and city.

As you can see, the rally took place in the midst of a monsoon. Nevertheless, the inclement weather was not an impediment for the several dozen Second Amendment supporters in attendance, nor the Tea Party leaders who took the platform in order to describe why the SAFE Act must be repealed.

Bobby Zahn, president of the Tea Party Patriots, was the first to address the crowd. He began his speech by describing the application process his organization went through in order to obtain a permit to gather that day. Unsurprisingly, they were initially denied by city bureaucrats, whose superiors have repeatedly attempted to thwart New Yorkers from exercising their 1st Amendment rights. Notwithstanding the fact that we live in a city that was once the nation’s capital, there is probably no city or town in this nation whose elected officials and bureaucrats are more implacably hostile to expressive speech.

A perfect illustration of this antipathy to one of the most indelible aspects of our constitutional republic can be seen in Governor Cuomo’s reaction to law enforcement officers and county sheriffs who pointed out the impracticality and unenforceable nature of the SAFE Act. Instead of meeting with them and asking for suggestions on how to modify this law, he told them to shut up. This is why resistance to Cuomo and the legislature’s actions is so vital; once we’ve yielded to assaults upon one of our inalienable rights the entire covenant of liberties is imperiled. The reason the Bill of Rights exists in its current form, a charter of enumerated rights, is to prevent our freedom from being litigated in the court of public opinion, or subjected to curtailment and/or revocation by a democratic majority.

While Mr. Zahn rightly condemned the pusillanimity of our representatives-who, with one exception, voted to send this bill to Andrew Cuomo’s desk-his speech left me questioning the viability of his strategy in seeking redress for this gross violation of our rights. Yes, we are law-abiding citizens, but that doesn’t mean that we are compelled to submit to laws that are clearly violative of the Constitution. After all, what is a law? If it’s simply a decree that we must submit to-regardless of whether or not it’s consonant with basic Constitutional principles-then what’s the point of political participation of any kind?

As Edmund Burke declared, All human laws are, properly speaking, only declaratory; they have no power over the substance of original justice.

As part of its mission statement, the Tea Party Patriots pointedly reject the notion of majoritarian rule; which is good, because as Mr. Zahn declared throughout his speech, people who share our beliefs are in the distinct minority in this state. As welcome as Andrew Cuomo leaving office might be-and as necessary as building opposition to his policies is-that doesn’t mean we should abdicate responsibility for defending our innate rights. Launching legal challenges to blatant encroachments upon our Constitutional rights is an important safeguard of our rights, as civil rights attorney Alan Gura has demonstrated  repeatedly, and needs to be part of any movement intent on thwarting statutes like the Safe Act.

However, nullification-whether on a statewide or city and county level-can’t be taken off the table. To the contrary, moves to nullify these laws-like the anti-SAFE Act resolutions passed by many counties in upstate New York-should occupy a prominent place in any political strategy designed to thwart their implementation. Fundamentally, this is a debate over whether the state is able to deprive you of your natural rights; whether these inerrant rights are subject to rescission by a majority of legislators.

It comes down to the question of whether we should yield to laws that are unjust and unconstitutional by their very nature.

That’s why the speech by Louis Adimando-who is arguably more knowledgeable of the law than those responsible for drafting the SAFE Act-was so refreshing. He contextualized Governor Cuomo’s attack upon the Second Amendment into the broader assault upon civil liberties and rights we’re currently enduring. The attempts by the Obama administration to undermine the 1st Amendment, including  freedom of the press, as well as its sustained assault on the 4th Amendment, pose no less of a threat than efforts by Cuomo and his fellow governors to deny individuals the ability to exercise their right to keep and bear arms.

That is what the debate, such as it is, over the SAFE Act boils down to. There are rights enjoyed by mankind which predate the creation of governments, and which were incorporated into the text of this nation’s founding documents because they are inalienable, i.e. incapable of being surrendered. Regardless of  how politicians interpret the Constitution, the words of that document represent real rights, not artificial constructs that are only intended to diminish the scope of our freedoms. These are rights that are universal, not delimited to uniformed officers, be they active duty or retired.

I have to commend Dino Longueira for not only urging people to join the National Rifle Association-which has a well-deserved reputation as a lobbying powerhouse on Capitol Hill-but smaller, grassroots gun rights organizations like Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership and Gun Owners of America. These organizations, although underfunded, are the first line of defense in the war to preserve our civil liberties and civil rights. These groups constitute the hemoglobin of a thriving republic’s bloodstream, and to the extent that the NRA resists temporizing its principles, they are responsible.

The right to defend your life, property, and liberty is a fundamental right, and it’s not simply a matter of keeping your guns. As long as tyrannical governments have existed, there have been attempts to disarm the population. The same arbitrary distinctions between ordinary citizens and those deputized by the state were invoked in past weapons bans having nothing to do with firearms. Even today, restrictions imposed upon the possession of defensive weapons can be found in nations across the globe, including the United Kingdom, which has some of the most draconian penalties for violating these restrictions on the planet, although I doubt the Lee Rigby’s family finds much solace in that.

The man who drafted the Declaration of Independence was correct when he wrote, 

The natural progress of things is for liberty to yeild, and government to gain ground.

However, that does not mean we can not and should not resist the impulse by the Cuomos and the Malloys to arrogate more power to the state even as they attempt to strip us of our liberties. The widespread and spontaneous resistance to the SAFE Act, as well as other attempts to erode the protections of the Second Amendment, is a sign that Americans are not as pliant as our authoritarian leaders and their political apparatchiks believe us to be.

For a transcript of the remarks at this rally by the Tea Party Patriots, Molon Labe by Legal, Political Processes, and to see a few of the (much better) photos taken by my friend Virginia Ross, check out this thread on Free Republic.

In summary, DUMP CUOMO and stick to your guns!

The depressingly familiar “debate” we’re having over the aptly named Gang of Eight’s amnesty plan has covered a lot of territory, most of it found within well-maintained Potemkin villages created by a barely credible fourth estate. We, along with others of a similar disposition, have already explained the stupendous innumeracy-to say nothing of intellectual bankruptcy-of the Republican Party’s volte-face on illegal immigration. In the future, we’ll explore how the open borders left has succeeded in framing this debate, which-as Mark Steyn points out-consists to a large degree of ruling contrary opinions-or even established facts which contradict their dogma-illegitimate. 

Today we’d like to bring you the story of a reader who went through the arduous  process of  naturalization-with its attendant bureaucratic nightmares-and has a decidedly different perspective on those illegal aliens who’ll be rewarded for their dubious life decisions and questionable character traits by our Congress. Read Paul’s story after the jump. 

When I first arrived in America in 1998, I was not sure if I was going to like it here, but at the request of my future wife, we decided to give America a try before we made a firm decision on whether or not to stay in America or return to Ireland.

After getting over the initial culture shock (like driving on the wrong side of the road!), I grew to like it here more and more and to appreciate everything America had to offer. I then decided to begin the process of changing my status.

As I began this process, I was amazed at the costs involved. Each form had to be accompanied by a check. In addition, my wife and I were required to take many trips back and forth to the Charlotte INS office (now under the auspices of the Dept. of Homeland Security) because there is no office available to serve the Asheville area, despite there being many illegal Aliens in this area.

I went through so much paperwork; you cannot believe. It has taken me over 6 long years, and thousands of dollars, to get to where I am today. One form alone from the INS (ICE) in 1998 cost $470.00 to submit for consideration.

This was particularly hard on my wife and I as I was prohibited from working and earning a wage until all of these forms were approved and I was issued a permit to work, in spite of the fact that we were required to file our taxes jointly. I actually had to pay taxes before I was allowed to work and earn wages to pay taxes on!

When the time came for me to submit to my INS physical, the closest INS doctor was in Greenville, SC, which required two trips so that my TB test could be read a week later, in addition to the $300 costs of the physical and x-rays.

Also, were it not for the intervention of then-Senator Jesse Helms, I would have been required to repeat this process (and pay for it!) a second time, because your INS (ICE) physical is only good for two years.

During this entire process, I had to prove to the authorities by signing a sworn statement that I would not be accepting any sort of local, state or federal government assistance in any way. This would include food stamps, unemployment, health care, etc. Essentially, my wife had to become my “sponsor,” and had to submit her own affidavits showing her current wage, length of employment and anticipated length of future employment.

She basically had to prove that she could provide for the two of us so that at no point during the entire process would I ever become a burden to the United States government, regardless of whether I contributed to our household income or not. However, once I received my green card and my status was changed to a Resident Alien, I no longer needed her sponsorship, which was a relief to us both. 

To dare think illegal Aliens should obey the law here!

During this entire process, I had to depend on my wife to be my official “sponsor” and had to prove to the authorities that I would not be a burden on the state, by accepting any form of welfare, food stamps, unemployment compensation or free health care.

NO ILLEGAL ALIENS  GO THROUGH THAT.

I was required to have a work permit, which cost me in 1998 $195 for every year prior to my being issued my green card.

NO ILLEGAL ALIENS GO THROUGH THAT.

I had to prove that I had a Social Security number before I would be issued a N.C. driver’s license.

NO ILLEGAL ALIENS GO THROUGH THAT.

I had to pay in 1998/99 $135 for a travel permit in order to leave and re-enter the country in case of a family emergency.

NO ILLEGAL ALIENS GO THROUGH THAT.

I had to demonstrate a basic knowledge of the English language before being granted citizenship.

NO ILLEGAL ALIENS CAN GO THROUGH THAT.

I had to demonstrate a basic knowledge of U.S. history before being granted citizenship.

NO ILLEGAL ALIENS CAN GO THROUGH THAT.

I had to wait until I became a U.S. citizen, before I was allowed to vote in an election.

NO ILLEGAL ALIENS HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT.

I had to undergo a complete Federal Background Check, several times over.

NO ILLEGAL ALIENS EVER GO THROUGH THAT.

I had to be fingerprinted on six separate occasions, despite the fact that fingerprints do not change over time.

NO ILLEGAL ALIENS HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT.

I had to demonstrate my fitness to be a U.S. citizen by upholding every law.

NO ILLEGAL ALIENS CAN DO THAT, BECAUSE THEY HAVE ALREADY VIOLATED THE LAW BY BEING HERE ILLEGALLY IN THE FIRST PLACE!

Do you think it’s right to award illegal aliens the same rights as American citizens when they have already broken the law, by stealing American’s identities and doing jobs that LEGAL Americans would do? 

Do you think it’s right for illegal aliens not to learn the English language, or not to assimilate? English is the language of America. English is the language of business, English is the common language that unites us all as a people.

Bi-lingualism or multi-linguilism is causing the destruction of the American way of life, because if people cannot communicate in a common language it leads to segregation.

Do you think that we as a people, should have no problem with the fact that illegal Aliens be deported, or that businesses that employ those illegal Aliens should be fined or put out of business. Impose similar penalties on those who provide them with housing? 

Stop providing our schools with bi-lingual teachers whose only function is to assimilate the children of US citizens to the Spanish language.

Change the laws regarding “anchor babies,” and return them and their parents to their country of origin, only allowing their return upon their eighteenth birthday.

In North Carolina alone, there are 500,000-700,000 plus illegal aliens that are putting an untold burden on our legal and social welfare system.

For instance, why is it that as a U.S. citizen I am not entitled to free health care or education, yet the illegal Aliens that live in my county and State and New Country are?

I haven’t gotten anything handed to me, and to be honest with you I don’t want anything handed to me.

The whole idea of America is that the opportunities are there for us. That’s what’s great about America and the system we got here. 

When are the representatives of the people going to uphold the law by detaining and deporting all illegal aliens? 

And when are we going to hold their feet to the fire, or VOTE them out? 

North Carolina is already a very expensive state to live in, due mainly to the illegal immigration problem. When is enough enough?

I resent so many of my tax dollars being spent to support illegal aliens that have not gone through the same effort as I have to earn their place in this great country.

America is not without its faults, but without a doubt, it is still the greatest country in the world. It is the last bastion of freedom and liberty, the shining City on the Hill.

While citizens of other countries are quick to criticize us, I would bet that given the opportunity, they would all trade places with me in a heartbeat.

Yes, it was a long and difficult process to become a citizen, but I am grateful for the opportunities and the bounty that is America. I am grateful to all of my American family and friends, for making me feel like a member of the American family. I will always be proud to be Irish, but I’m very, very proud to be an American.

Remember security on the border is not a Democrat or Republican issue. It’s an American issue and we, as citizens, need to speak up!

One of the most frustrating aspects of the debate over illegal immigration is the inescapable sense that we’re watching the performance of an ever-recurring, yet interminable and tedious, play. The proponents of amnesty regurgitate a series of formulaic talking points that we’ve become inured to, beginning with the specious assertion that “we’re not going to deport 11 people,” and usually concluding with the declaration that we need to grant all of these illegal aliens American citizenship. Opponents feel compelled to respond with well-reasoned, amply documented rebuttals that are blithely dismissed by open borders advocates, if they’re considered at all.

Mark Krikorian has noted the groundhog day-like quality to these discussions, and Mickey Kaus has explored on more than one occasion the intellectual incoherence-or insincerity-of amnesty advocates who purportedly believe that we should begin enforcing immigration laws after the latest batch of illegal aliens is legalized and enfranchised. It worked swimmingly the last time it was tried, if I’m not mistaken.

Our good friend Anthony Bialy has a fantastic piece which explains once again why an old, bad idea remains a bad idea, even repackaged. I highly recommend reading it in its entirety.

h/t Anthony Bialy.

Thanks, Karol!

Monday night I had the honor of attending a tribute to the late Andrew Breitbart held in Hell’s Kitchen. I’m not sure what I was expecting from the evening, but what happened is something that can’t quite be put into words, although I’ll try my best. Over the course of three hours, over a hundred people filtered into a cramped, slightly raucous Manhattan bar that-as one of my friends remarked at the time-Andrew himself might have enjoyed. After all,  he spent more than a few pages of Righteous Indignation cataloguing the extracurricular activities he engaged in while matriculating at a university in the heart of the nation’s party capital, New Orleans.

This was not a party, of course, nor could it have been given the circumstances. Yet, you couldn’t help but feel the joy-however subdued-present in that room filled with friends, followers and comrades-in-arms of the man who revolutionized how grassroots activism and citizen journalism were practiced in this country. No one was more dedicated to altering the status quo of society, a state he termed default leftism, or educating the public about their power to illuminate (deliberately) hidden truths than Andrew Breitbart. He was driven by a passion for truth and justice; not justice as conceived of by society’s levelers, nor truth filtered through the prism of an historically marginalized gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation extolled by critical studies departments in order to diminish our national heritage, but common sense, bourgeois, patriotic, universal values that were instilled in him as a child and which were shared by millions of Americans who feel disenfranchised by what they see on the nightly news and read in their daily newspapers.

This passion was leavened by a richly sardonic vein of humor familiar to anyone who read his work or heard him speak. That’s why the witless postmortem attacks on Andrew-which, as Mickey Kaus points out, have nothing to do with his combative persona-need to be put into their proper context. Breitbart was an individual who reveled in the contempt of the institutional left, and embraced the slanderous broadsides of his most febrile stalkers for what they were, i.e. proof that he was doing his job! The hatred he attracted was, in a perverse sense, a compliment. It was a testament to Andrew Breitbart’s skill at exposing the malefactors in government, the mainstream media, and bottom-feeding political factions like ACORN that earned him this bile. That is why one of the most rabid, obscure left wing talkers is positively overjoyed at his death. If Andrew could see some of the reactions to his passing by his avowed enemies he would impishly grin-and probably retweet some of the more bilious attacks-while being discomfited by the startlingly civil reaction by Media Matters for America, his notorious bete noire.

The gathering in Manhattan commemorating his legacy was necessary, but it was also edifying in the sense that it illustrated how broad Breitbart’s reach was, how unifying his message was-notwithstanding the libelous attacks upon his character-and why his death is such a profound loss, not just for his widow, his four children, and his father-in-law Orson Bean, but for all of us. In that small, cramped bar there were white, black, and Asian friends and admirers of Andrew’s that were there to pay tribute to the man who brought them together.  Mormons, Catholics, Jews and people of no particular religious affiliation mingled amiably while focusing on our commonalities, not their religious or philosophical differences. Neoconservatives, libertarians and anarcho-capitalists, as well as everyone from brilliant policy wonks to the self-described “morons” who form the online community known as Ace of Spades interacted  with each other and debated various issues without a hint of reproach or acrimony.

This sort of ecumenism is something that would never have come about had Andrew Breitbart not been willing to join the cultural maelstrom that many traditional conservatives have either ignored or consciously abandoned. He not only engaged in a war with the left-successfully refuting nostrums that it long ago stopped defending on empirical grounds-he defeated the left on its own territory, inspiring new generations of conservative, patriotic activists who are using the model he devised. Breitbart refused to cede the moral high ground to people whose fundamental philosophy was immoral. He was a happy warrior, but a warrior all the same, a dichotomy epitomized by his orgy of truth-telling at the Netroots convention, a forum that provided him with the opportunity to not only expose the hypocrisy of his ideologically blinkered detractors, but also to engage in a surprisingly substantive debate with one of the “progressives” willing to listen to his point of view. For all the talk of Breitbart being a provocateur, he probably engaged in more robust, legitimate debate with those who disagreed with him than any of his perennial critics, who continue to misrepresent what he stood for, even in death. That’s because he believed that the best means of changing this country for the better was through open and honest intellectual combat. The theatrical trappings Andrew Breitbart assumed were merely intended to emphasize fundamentally sound principles he sincerely believed in.

That’s why honoring him this week was so important. Karol Markowicz-who, along with David Bernstein and Robert George, did a fantastic job of successfully orchestrating what was by necessity a last-minute event-spoke for many of us when she gave an impromptu speech that touched upon both the tremendous personal tragedy represented by this evening, but also the tremendous loss Andrew Breitbart’s absence represents for both the immediate and distant future of the conservative movement. She vocalized the thoughts of many of those gathered in that bar room-most of whom are either in the same age cohort or slightly younger than Andrew was when he left us-by reflecting upon the fleeting nature of life, as well as the necessity of capitalizing upon our short time here, a concept no one was more aware of than Andrew himself.

Pamela Geller, of Atlas Shrugs, picked up on that theme as she spoke to the crowd, emphasizing the necessity of continuing the fight that Breitbart began, and of not letting America’s critics monopolize the public sphere simply because one of conservatism’s most resonant voices has been prematurely silenced. Pamela demanded that we all be Breitbart, as she pointed to the suddenly iconic gravatar that has come to symbolize the movement he spearheaded during his tragically brief life. She recounted how Andrew came to her defense even when other conservatives abandoned her out of self-serving “prudence” and fear of the potential repercussions to their own careers. Then she brought the discussion back to the present, invoking the unyielding guerilla campaign by the left to silence Rush Limbaugh, the most widely-heard and popular conservative voice of the past two decades. She averred that Rush “wasn’t controversial,” but that it was Katie Couric and the drive-by media-which form the consensus of elite, Beltway opinion-which should be viewed as controversial and beyond the pale.

It should be noted that this crusade doesn’t merely involve a relentless campaign to mau mau sponsors and syndicators of Rush’s program-which, though perfectly legal, serves as a rough indicator of the left’s tolerance of dissent-but a concerted effort to use extraconstitutional arms of the government to suppress his First Amendment rights.

Pamela made the trenchant observation that Andrew would have been the first to defend Rush from the Gramscian left, which not only wants to compel you to pay for their “choice,” but wants to prevent anyone who disagrees with this policy from voicing his or her objections in the public arena. This Catch-22 was something with which Breitbart himself was intimately familiar, as followers of the numerous boycotts initiated by official grievance mongers against Andrew’s presence anywhere will recall. He would have not taken the sustained propaganda campaign against another conservative icon lying down, but would have instead fought tooth and nail to debunk the lies and half-truths being propounded by Rush’s antagonists. Breitbart would not have relented until the truth outed.

And that is what we must keep in mind as we recall Andrew Breitbart. He never slacked for a moment when he saw good people’s reputations besmirched, or when the media narrative of a news event contradicted reality. His intensity was not a pose or an affectation adopted for the cameras, it was a fire born of genuine conviction and the knowledge that life is permanently impermanent. The best way of honoring and perpetuating the legacy of Andrew Breitbart is by continuing it in his spirit, and standing up for what we know to be right while we still have the privilege of doing so.

WHAT: NY ICE Counter Protest of Illegal Alien Advocates

WHEN: THIS Sunday, December 18, 2011, at 1:30pm

WHERE: Foley Square in Manhattan.

(They plan to eventually march from Foley Square to Zuccotti Park) Bring copies of the NY ICE flyer, if you have it. Bring signs that are anti-amnesty for illegal aliens!!! Short and sweet, sound bite-driven signs written in big, bold capitalized letters work best. Bring a camera if you can. Bring prepared sound bites for the press, especially about how you will address being called part of the “1%.” (See earlier e-mail) Note: If travelling by subway, you can take to #4, 5, or 6 subway to the “Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall” stop and you will be at Foley Square.

Let’s have some fun!!!

Speaking of Michele Bachmann, she’s released a comprehensive immigration plan that would incrementally deport the estimated 11 million illegal aliens currently living in the United States. In addition to implementing a policy of enforcement through attrition, she would construct a border fence along the Mexican-American border, mandate that English be this nation’s official language, and do away with birthright citizenship. In a must-listen interview with Laura Ingraham, she also takes Newt Gingrich to task for his amnesty lite plan, which couldn’t differ more starkly from the Bachmann platform.

In disturbing news, the House of of Representatives has rubber stamped a bill that would exacerbate one of the most damaging aspects of our current immigration policy, i.e. chain migration. While the useful idiots in the mainstream media have attempted to portray this bill as benefitting high-skilled immigrants from China and India who want to remain in the United States, the true beneficiaries of this-should it be enacted into law-will be thousands of distant relatives from countries like Mexico sponsored by newly minted American citizens. Any time you hear the word “bipartisanship” your attenae as American citizens should go up, and this is no different. When the leader of the National Immigration Forum-one of the legal and political spearheads of the open borders movement-and Chuck Schumer support something, it’s usually a good idea to oppose it. Unfortunately, that’s not what the Republican-led Congress did, and we’re so much the worse for it.

In a shameful example of the depths to which the fifth estate will stoop in order to promote their open borders agenda, the tragic suicide of a young man named Joaquin Luna is being manipulated by the mainstream media in order to promote the DREAM Act, which has been repeatedly and emphatically rejected by Congress since it was first introduced over a decade ago. The good folks at Newsbusters have an astute analysis of the despicable manner in which just one media outlet-in this case, CNN-has attempted to politicize this personal tragedy.

One of the real tragedies of the immigration debate-such as it is-that we’re having in this country is the distortive effect the media has when it comes to prioritizing issues. Instead of focusing on the potential illegal alien recipients of taxpayer largesse, why aren’t we discussing the amount of carnage illegals are cumulatively inflicting upon our society? Jim Kouri has a must-read piece highlighting a buried government report that examines the damage they have caused by creating some of the most destrutive forest fires in our country’s southwest, particularly Arizona. It’s rare that I compliment John McCain, but I agree with The Blaze’s assessment that the GAO report vindicates previous public statements he’s made on this matter.

In news closer to home, a New Jersey judge has ordered the deportation of a woman who is allegedly being targeted by a Guatemalan gang called Valle del Sol while allowing her sister to remain the United States indefinitely. The extent of gang influence in Latin America is staggering, demonstrated once again by the open declaration of war on American and Mexican authorities recently issued by Los Zetas, perhaps the most feared narco-cartel in the country of Mexico.

In a case eerily similar to Operation Fast and Furious, the United States government is now facing calls for investigation into a money laundering operation undertaken by the Drug Enforcement Administration in an attempt to find patterns among Mexican drug trafficking criminal syndicates.

Staying in Mexico, we find a claim by Mexican authorities that they’ve foiled an international conspiracy by one of the late dictator Mouammar Kadhafi’s fugitive sons to escape Libya through illegal passage into Mexico. This story would be worthy of mockery if the impact of Mexican illegal immigration-facilitated by the Mexican government itself-weren’t such a grave matter.

In yet more news of immigration fraud that endangers our nation, a woman living in Rancho Cucamonga  has been arrested for bringing in unauthorized foreign students to train at her flight school under fraudulent visas. For those of you who are regular followers of American Rattlesnake, this story will sound very familiar. Apparently, our government has learned very little from September 11th.

In contrast, the government of Israel seems to be learning very rapidly how much damage an open door policy can inflict upon a nation’s sovereignty. That’s why Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai has come out publicly and stated that African economic migrants-from predominately Muslim nations like Eritrea and Sudan-will no longer be welcomed with open arms by the Jewish state. The national identity of Israel may very well be imperiled by overly generous asylum policies, a lesson that we in North America  have yet to absorb.

Last but not least, we’re pleased to bring you another incisive, amusing take on the skewed priorities of our federal government, courtesy of Anthony Bialy. Even as this administration waves the white flag on illegal alien border jumpers, it continues its war against hippie drug paraphernalia. Only in America, and only under the Obama administration.

One of the more intriguing aspects of New York City is the confluence, and at times, confrontation of different ideas and individuals that occur on a daily basis. Today I found myself observing and photographing this phenomenon in lower Manhattan, which has been the staging point for the protests staged by Occupy Wall Street for the past two weeks. 

Zuccotti Park has become the center of what is now a multi-city protest movement led by people with differing demands. At points I saw those arguing for the wholesale redistribution, an increase in the highest tax rates, the abolition of the Internal Revenue Service, and/or the abolition of capital punishment. The organizers have created a broadsheet, and are providing entertainment for the assembled, of varying quality. 

One of the chief themes of today’s protests was a denunciation of the mistreatment activists feel they’ve experienced at the hands of the New York Police Department, although I did notice signs expressing sympathy for the rank and file of the NYPD at other points in the afternoon. 

The lack of media coverage of Occupy Wall Street-at least during the first week of the protests-was a recurring theme.

Recently, some large local labor unions have come on board, and I did notice members of SEIU-1199 and the Professional Staff Congress-one of the chief foes of Andrew Cuomo’s proposed budget reforms in the past-as well as other politically influential unions milling around throughout the day. Interestingly, a member of the Working Families Party was critical of Occupy Wall Street’s overall strategy, faulting it for what he saw as its lack of concrete policy prescriptions and unfocused political mobilization.

One of the most puzzling encounters I had occurred when I spoke with someone from WikiLeaks, which had a van stationed across the street from Zuccotti Park throughout the day. I asked him why an organization ostensibly devoted to disclosing classified information, especially from government institutions, e.g. diplomatic cables, enjoined legal documents, etc., would be at a public demonstration. His response was that he was there to “support” the people behind Occupy Wall Street. He then proceeded to decry the “hierarchical bullshit” at play among certain members of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Take from that what you will. 

Believe it or not, this was the badge the WikiLeaks employee (volunteer?) used in order to enter the park. Although I’m by no means a paleontologist, and this is purely speculation on my part, I doubt that dinosaurs sounded like lions if/when they were angry. Still, pretty amusing nonetheless. 

The Mesozoic Era was to make another surprise appearance  later in the day.

Even though there were some common points of agreement I could identify, e.g. an opposition to corporations and corporate welfare-a point upon which they and the Ron Paul supporters you’ll see tomorrow would agree-there were so many other political causes being championed that it was difficult to single out a single agenda item that took priority over others. There were also outliers; tracts and people I didn’t expect to see represented. This poster seems to be a strange amalgam of traditional paleoconservative views and conspiracy theories relating to President Obama’s birth. 

And speaking of conspiracies, there was even an Alex Jones fan in the crowd.

As well as people representing a more mainstream perspective. In this case, a man who is a Chinese dissident and was there to call to account the repressive Chinese regime. Unfortunately, he did not speak English and I was unable to ask him to elaborate. 

The spectrum ranged all the way from committed Bolsheviks: 

To avowed socialists: 

To progressive Democrats. 

There were people disenchanted with the health care system: 

And there was an abundance of signs, as this sign points out: 

Some boastful, 

Some used clever wordplay: 

And some were crafted by people who are utterly oblivious to Godwin’s Law.

There was an interesting dichotomy to how Barack Obama was viewed among those gathered at Zuccotti Park yesterday. While some had obviously become disenchanted with the President, 

Others continued to support his political platform:

Towards the end of the day, the protesters decided to march from the park across the Brooklyn Bridge.  

Tomorrow, Ron Paul gets his due, and some of the more lighthearted photos I didn’t include in this photo-essay.

One of the great things about American Rattlesnake is that it gives us a vehicle to promote good ideas and good writing. In that vein, today I’d like to introduce you to an astute political observer, great writer, good friend, and not infrequent commenter on this website. No, not Andrew W.K., but the man standing next to him in the photo above, Anthony Bialy.

When he’s not having his photo taken with piano rock/heavy metal musicians, you can find Mr. Bialy writing for numerous online publications, including Conservative Commune, Pundit League, and the Buffalo Bean. I heartily encourage you all to peruse his writings, which are remarkably cogent for someone who remains a dedicated fan of the Buffalo Bills to this day.

Update: My good friend was also at at the May Day events and has some fantastic video footage, which you can find at The Silent Majority No More. The rest of her coverage can be found at her website as well. More video from the day’s festivities can be found on Youtube.

As promised, today I will present the conclusion to American Rattlesnake’s May Day coverage, including the robust, sustained-and to our country’s enemies, deeply irritating-counter-protest staged by this website’s editor-in-chief in collaboration with New York Ice.

As you can see by the photo above, our critics-in this case, the feral, reflexively violent antifa thugs who met us at Foley Square-were not eager to be photographed. Whether that was out of concern for being identified by NYPD officers the next time they attempt to assault a peaceful assembly of dissident voices, or out of respect for the hundreds of visitors who would be forced to look at their faces in the following days is something I’ll  let you decide.

Fortunately, there were a few “anti-fascists” who I was able to detain for a brief snapshot. This young woman, for example, evokes memories of a young Faye Dunaway, perhaps after being hit with a tire iron. An arresting image, nonetheless.

This zaftig Mexican girl below was particularly aggrieved by my unobtrusive photography that day, although I can’t for the life of me discern why. After bombarding me with some choice expletives for several minutes, she was gently escorted beyond police barricades by some NYPD officers and asked to remove her  jaunty black bandana/face-mask.

At this point, the street theater they were attempting-by ripping signs from the hands of counter-protesters, showering us with abuse, and generally acting like ignoramuses-descended into farce, as the well-fed IA began to weep like a  young child whose favorite plaything has been ripped from her arms.

Even though these photos might lead you to  believe there was a sarin or mustard gas attack upon Foley Square, the truth is that the nose-holding and face-covering is merely part of the theatrical element antifa crybabies brought to the fore during their ridiculous posturing that day. I think you can judge its effectiveness by the look on the face of the Muslim man pictured below.

As entertaining as the black-clad anarchists were, there was also much amusement to be found throughout the rally, including on stage. The African-American gentleman in the background is, ironically enough, named Clarence Thomas. Leader of the radical International Longshore & Warehouse Union-Local 10, he was joined on stage by the afternoon’s emcee, who spent the better part of two hours explaining why her organization had decided to hold two separate rallies which were both ended prematurely.

I AM ASKED WHY WE DECIDED TO HOLD TWO RALLIES, AND MY ANSWER IS…BECAUSE…!

The last declamation was followed in short order by a tangent having absolutely no bearing on the ostensible reason for staging this rally. In other words, even the people who organized this event had absolutely no clue why they were there in the first place. I wish I could say I was surprised by this revelation.

There were also some festive people in Indian, or as the politically correct stewards of speech would say “indigenous,” dress doing a rain dress which was strangely ineffective.

And of course, what illegal alien friendly event would be complete without someone spouting completely inaccurate, misleading statistics that are easily debunked?

Thankfully, on this day the masses of pro-amnesty, anti-American, revanchist reds were confronted by a group of Americans, some of them immigrants themselves, who saw the need to assert their views amidst the cacophony of stridently anti-American voices. Although initially outnumbered, we stood our ground and endured to the end, even outlasting the loud, obnoxious, but morally bankrupt forces that had tried to colonize Foley Square that afternoon.

My favorite part of the day, bar none, was when a group of hostile illegal aliens and socialists attempted to heckle us into submission but were silenced once we withdrew our driver’s licenses and photo identification. When we asked them where their papers were, accompanied by the chorus to the great 1980s Genesis tune, Illegal Alien, we were greeted with shame-faced silence and dumb stares. A small victory, it was nevertheless an  extremely gratifying moment.

Joanna Marzullo, president of New Yorkers for Immigration Control and Enforcement, expresses her point of view. You can find video coverage of her part in the counter-demonstration on Youtube.

Even in the Big Apple, there are people who stand with Arizona, as this past May Day demonstrated.

The lesson to be drawn from this event, IMO, is that no matter how outnumbered you might feel when fighting the hordes of radical, open borders crusaders, there are always people willing to stand by your side when you defend basic American values.