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.

A big tip of the hat to James Fulford for bringing to my attention a Firing Line debate which shaped my opinions on this subject, the greatest domestic and foreign policy issue of our time, during my formative years. You can view the complete episode, divided into nine parts, on Ryan Kennedy’s Youtube channel. Proving yet again that the world’s most popular video-sharing website can be put towards a more nobler purpose than consuming the latest Taylor Swift music-video. 

1994 was an historic year not only because it saw the introduction of Proposition 187, which would prove to be the last major political effort to thwart the inexorable decline of the Golden State, but because it proved to be the beginning of the end for robust public debates about this subject. After the surprising success of Pat Buchanan’s second insurgent campaign for the Republican presidential nomination and the forceful prescience of Peter Brimelow’s seminal work, Alien Nation, in 1996, the voices of dissent were methodically stilled by the bien pensant gatekeepers of immigration dogma.

These days speaking uncomfortable truths about the cultural and political transformation of this country only guarantee you exile from the quarters of decision-making power, whether you be an intrepid, career journalist with impeccable liberal credentials-such as Mickey Kaus-or a dedicated civil servant and patriot like Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions. The case of Peter Brimelow himself is instructive, since it demonstrates that defying elite consensus in this arena is more injurious to your personal and professional status than holding any other perceived heterodox opinion. A respected financial/economic journalist, Mr. Brimelow today is disinvited from public forums with no connection to immigration policy simply because of his refusal to bend his principles in order to accommodate the mandarins of multiculturalism.

The public sphere in this country used to be a more robust thing. Unfortunately, those days are long past, however we can still watch what it looked like online. At least, for the time being. Kudos to Peter and Co. for hanging in there, and good riddance to Ms. Huffington!

As most you probably know, Edward I. Koch is no longer with us. After a protracted battle with pneumonia, among other ailments, the three term mayor of this city finally succumbed to the limitations of age. As well as being a career politician and often contrarian Democrat, Ed Koch was-as the photo above indicates-a decorated veteran of the Second World War.

One of the unfortunate legacies bequeathed by Mayor Koch was an executive order that gave de facto immunity to illegal aliens under the auspices of public safety, one which has been reaffirmed repeatedly by his successors in spite of its conflict with federal law. Although he was not the only New York politician to support inarguably harmful, counterproductive-and often lethal-policies, this part of his mayoralty did establish the precedent for city agencies flouting federal immigration law. A precedent that will inevitably be expanded upon if the current Democratic front-runner occupies Gracie Mansion this time next year.

That said, Edward Koch was a rational man-unlike so much of the governing class-and when confronted with inexorable facts he accepted them, which is why he vehemently opposed the Democratic Party’s wholesale amnesty push, and as late as this past November condemned the cretinous half-wits at the editorial page of the New York Times for  their craven attacks against those who support American sovereignty and law. Even though he couldn’t close Pandora’s box, his words and actions after leaving office demonstrate the depth of his humanity, something all but invisible to the current collection of vultures which populate Albany, Manhattan, and the nation’s capital.

As someone who cared about his country-and countrymen-Edward Koch is worth remembering.

Update: Thank you 9/11 Families for a Secure America for highlighting this entry on your Facebook page. Peter Gadiel-who lost his son James in the September 11th massacre at the World Trade Center-serves as an inspiration to us all for continuing to hold politicians’ feet to the fire on border and national security issues. Thank you, Peter. 

Sunday, as most of you who’ve followed the past few updates probably know by now, was the day when Occupy Wall Street demonstrators decided to link up with open borders advocates a few blocks from City Hall. Of course, a number of  speakers invited to the event were themselves illegal aliens, including the young girl sporting a disfigured American flag fashioned into a graduation gown. She was entreated to deliver a ten minute-long speech which-if the consequences were not so grave-would have been jaw-droppingly hilarious.

In addition to lamenting the misfortune that has befallen her family merely for consciously and premeditatedly breaking the law, she decried the injustice that made her at times ingest dirt. Yes, that’s right. In order to elicit sympathy from her audience-which was unnecessary, considering the crowd-she recounted an anecdote about being forced to eat cakes made of dirt. However, unlike the Haitians forced to eat dirt cookies in Cite Soleil, I doubt the veracity of her tale, not least because it would mean she didn’t avail herself of the free school lunch program in this city, that her parents somehow missed the lavishly funded network of Catholic services intended specifically for the benefit of illegals, and that everyone in her immediate family-including those proficient in the English language-ignored the dozens of open borders advocacy groups-at least half a dozen of which participated in this event-located in the Tri-State Area. 

The political exploitation of children was a recurring theme, as was the deliberate obfuscation of the issues, which shouldn’t surprise anyone who followed last year’s debate over Congress’s possible approval of the DREAM Act. There was even a “family” that dragged itself to Foley Square, although the integrity of parents willing to subject their kids to sub-freezing temperatures in order to be propagandized is questionable.

Left unasked was the question, “why should families be separated?” Apparently, these adults graduated from the Elvira Arellano School of Parenting.

I’m not quite sure what the pink, artificial flowers signified, but they were ubiquitous at the demonstration, as plentiful as the palm fronds at a previous, equally absurd demonstration opposing the concept of enforcing immigration laws.

It took a while for the crowd to fill out-perhaps some would-be participants were scared off by La Migra-but eventually 70-80 illegals, their supporters, as well as Occupy Wall Street stragglers, made their way into the area the NYPD had cordoned off beforehand.

The folks in the red arm bands-one of the speakers described them as “orange,” so perhaps I’m color blind-were ostensibly there in order to provide security and protect their “community.” Evidently, the 100+ uniformed police officers did not constitute a sufficient force to deter a few dozen aging Communists and inept soccer players.

It wouldn’t be an unfocused, left wing demonstration without a number of platitudinous, seemingly incoherent placards, and this day was no exception. The one below would seem to imply that diversity is a necessary prerequisite for a functioning society, although as Adam Carolla has pointed out, true diversity seems to be the last thing on the minds of people agitating for unfettered immigration.

The artistic dimensions of this protest were manifold, although aside from the more ardent defenders of Roman Polanski, who’ve been taken to task elsewhere, I don’t know of many people who would consider obeying the law an esthetic choice.

There was also, perhaps unsurprisingly in a post-OWS world, a marching band.

We will not be silent. A call to arms, or-considering the talent level of the musicians in question-an implied threat?

Some of the demonstrators even brought their pets along, including this daschund. I don’t think I’m being presumptuous by taking it as a given that she was one of the few present with legal papers.

The only possible response to this sign? Too late, pal.

There was at least one activist who made a passing reference to the May 1st Coalition, a militantly open borders organization that stages anti-American protests each May Day. This website, as well as NY ICE, has tangled with them in the past.

Again, the signs on display expressed sentiments that ranged all the way from utterly vacuous, to incoherent, to utterly inaccurate and ahistorical. The one below is just one such example. Apparently, dignity isn’t a state that you earn through deeds your fellow man deems worthy of esteem, it’s something that you demand of the people you’re imposing youself upon-in this case, illegally. One wonders whether this person thinks about the dignity and self-worth of the millions of Americans rendered unemployable by our government’s deliberate actions, or the people who have to bear the costs associated with its inability to pursue a rational immigration policy that revolves around America’s interests. Somehow, I doubt he has.

Another trusty standby, immigrants pay taxes. There are only two problems with this one.

1. Illegal aliens are not immigrants.

2. The taxes paid by the cohort of immigrants this country currently absorbs are vastly outweighed by the amount of taxpayer funds they consume in the form of costly social welfare benefits.

Other than those two minor quibbles, she presents an irrefutable, logically airtight argument.

Ironically, many of the signs on display simply reinforced the arguments that this website and its supporters have been making for years. The ones decrying workplace exploitation of illegal alien workers, for example, did not convey any concept that Roy Beck hasn’t articulated quite vociferously and eloquently over the past two decades.

The generic nature of some of the signage began to get tiresome after a while. The banner below serving perhaps as the apotheosis of vapidity. Immigrants represent a better future for whom? The utterly superfluous nonprofits and advocacy organizations that suck up taxpayer subsidies in order to justify their existence? The political elite  that cultivates them in order to remain ensconced in office and wielding power over the rest of us indefinitely? The media gatekeepers who intentionally squelch an honest debate about this issue? The beneficiaries of our current open borders policies were never specified.

The most obnoxious-to say nothing of historically inaccurate-sentiment expressed at this rally was the notion that “we,” the collective noun in this case referring to nonwhite Hispanics or Amerindians, were here first. The incandescent stupidity of this assertion was illustrated by a brief conversation conducted with the woman holding the sign seen below.

When I asked her who the referent was in the statement “we were here first,” after stammering for a few seconds she replied that it was the North Americans who were here before the Europeans. She averred that she was a Puerto Rican and that they had been there forever. Not quite satisfied by her answer, I pressed and was told that we referred to “brown people.” When I brought up the counterexample of Kennewick Man, who most assuredly wasn’t brown-unless the Ainu are now conidered members of La Raza- she demurred.

Unfortunately, her mistaken belief was echoed by many others in the crowd, including this woman, who seems to be operating under the misconception that there really is a North American Union.

This startingly incoherent banner expressed similar sentiments:

After glancing at the back of his oak tag, I realized that he was referring to the realignment of political cartography that resulted from this nation’s military victory in the Mexican-American War. Although the origin of the war between Mexico and the United States is an extraordinarily complex topic, and the political boundary between the two nations has been questioned by many since Abraham Lincoln served as a Whig congressman from Illinois, I don’t remember the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo including any mention of New York, current demographic trends notwithstanding.

The demonstrators attempt to play on the heartstrings of the overly emotional and credulous was consistent, as evinced by the banner below. Not surprisingly, the families torn apart by illegal aliens did not merit any sympathy among those in attendance.

Of course, the legality of enforcing any immigration law was brought into question by the protestors. Although it’s possible that she was referring to something else, “double jeopardy” in the context below means trying and/or deporting an alien because he or she was charged with a crime for which the defendent has already been acquitted. What puzzles me is why she went through the trouble of devising such a specific sign when in all likelihood she doesn’t believe any illegal alien-even those who have been subjected to fair legal proceedings-should be deported.

Note for the unitiated: La Migra, not to be confused with the Mexican grupera artists of the same name, refers to any immigration enforcement agency within the federal government, including ICE, the  U.S. Border Patrol, and Customs and Border Protection. A popular staple of pro-immigration art, including a somewhat clever gloss on a Ramones’ classic, the anti-migra spirit was pretty abundant this weekend, although how much illegals have to fear from la migra is open to debate, especially in light of this administration’s rather lenient record with regard to these matters and this city’s lackluster record of cooperation with federal immigration agents.

This was one of the more unintentionally amusing signs I spotted:

Although the analogy between explicitly discriminatory and unconstitutional ordinances targeting African-Americans and laws intended to punish people who’ve disobeyed the law-and usually have no constitutional right to remain in this country-has been made many times  in the past, this fellow must be commended for actually going to the trouble of drawing and inking two menacing looking crows, as well as a jubilant Rich “Uncle” Pennybags. Why a wealthy oligarch would be in favor of immigration enforcement is not delineated; Mr. Monopoly would certainly be an anomaly in that regard. There is a relationship between the corporate world and federal immigration enforcement agencies, although not in the way implied by this wholly misleading sign.

The Occupy Wall Street movement operated as the hinge of this protest, and there were a number of attempts to tie it to the open borders advocacy which was the ostensible reason for this event. The linkage between the two was made explicit by several demonstrators.

Although sectarian leftists and assorted Marxists attempted to monopolize the conversation, as they are wont to do. There were the Wobblies-yes, they still exist.

As well as Trotskyists hoping for a Fourth International.

The unconsciously ironic hipsters of the Party of Socialism and Liberation were also there.

And it wouldn’t be a full-throated, left wing NYC demonstration without a contingent from the brutally Communist, hard-line Leninist Workers World Party.

Some of the participants seemed eager to relive the halcyon days of the Contra wars of the 1980s, which-given their age-probably shouldn’t have been that surprising. However, unlike in past May Day rallies, I didn’t spot anyone holding aloft FMLN banners.

Our good friend, who henceforth shall be known as Button Man,  seemed to combine the two predominant themes of the afternoon, espousing support for unrestricted immigration and an adherence to doctinaire Marxism.

His vest expressing support for the left’s favorite executioner, Ernesto Guevara Lynch…

In addition to Fidel Castro’s quintet of bumbling spies, whom El Jefe’s American fan club view as political prisoners.

The fervor seen earlier in the day seemed to die down as the crowd marched towards Zuccotti Park, but I did manage to snap a few interesting pictures before calling it a day. This banner proclaims that we will die on our feet before we will kneel. Those of you more proficient in Espanol, feel free to correct any errors in translation.

One of the last shots is a photograph of a duo representing the Ecuadorian Socialist Party of New Jersey. Yes, there is an Ecuadorian Socialist Party of New Jersey. Why there isn’t one in New York City is beyond my ken.

No more capitalism! We are constructing socialism. Isn’t that a sentiment that all Americans can get behind? No? Really?

Although the demonstration gradually dissipated, law enforcement remained.

Perhaps to keep an eye on Santa?

American Rattlesnake would like to extend its most heartfelt congratulations to the new Congressman-elect from the 9th District, Bob Turner! After decades of rule by preening, career politicians like Chuck Schumer and Anthony Weiner, voters in Brooklyn and Queens decided to take a chance on a man who has spent most of his adult life immersed in the private sector. As he heads down to Washington D.C., we wish him the best in his battle to impart some common sense to an often irrational legislative process. Kudos to the Brooklyn Young Republican Club, which did yeoman’s work in helping to turn out the vote in Kings County. A drive that resulted in a crushing defeat for  David Weprin in my home borough. Along with my former assemblyman, Democrat Dov Hikind, as well as the good people of Queens, these political activists were responsible for sending an unmistakable message to the current administration.

I’d also like to extend my congratulations to the president of the Brooklyn YRs, Glenn Nocera, and his sister Donna Nocera, who both emerged victorious in races for County Committee slots. Along with Republican District Leader for the 49th Assembly District, Lucretia Regina-Potter, they’ll hopefully make some much-needed changes to the stultified political dynamic in their part of Brooklyn.

Yesterday New Yorkers proved once again that you can take on the system, and that if you’re dedicated enough you can even change it every once in a while. Let’s hope that the political revolution that has swept over neighborhoods from Howard Beach to Gerritsen Beach will envelop the rest of the country very soon.

I’d like to use today’s post to echo the sentiments expressed by our publisher yesterday. As someone who once lived within the confines of the 9th Congressional District when it was represented by Chuck Schumer, one of the most irresponsible, worst actors in our nation’s immigration debate, I can’t urge you strongly enough to go out and vote today! For those of you who are able to impact the outcome of today’s vote in Brooklyn and Queens, you have a momentous opportunity to change the course of this city’s stagnant political culture.

The fact that former Rep. Weiner’s seat might ultimately be done away with once New York State has completed its decennial redristing process only lends urgency and weight to your vote. Committed political activists of all political stripes have already demonstrated that many voters are willing to buck the tide of political complacency that has too often come to represent our city’s electoral process, as Mr. Evanchik’s post demonstrates. The next step is proving that average New Yorkers are willing to oust an inveterately corrupt political machine from power.

It’s up to you, New York! Show the rest of the country what you’re made of.

American Rattlesnake urges you to vote for Bob Turner, the Republican candidate.  While immigration has not been a key issue in this race, Mr. Turner has vocalized his opposition to both the DREAM Act and broader amnesty legislation during an interview with Brian Lehrer of WNYC. He has also spoken out vigorously against the Ground Zero Mosque.  He will caucus with the Republicans, who have generally been on the right side of the issue when it comes to illegal immigration.

His opponent, David Weprin, doesn’t even live in the district he wants to represent.  He was picked by the local Democratic Party boss, Joe Crowley, in a cynical attempt to cater to the Jewish vote.  David Weprin is a party hack who can be depended upon to toe the line whenever his liberal masters order him to.  Any Democrat dismayed by the ineffectual and corrupt leadership of their party can send no stronger message than to vote against a toady like Weprin.

Bob Turner is a successful television executive, born and raised in the 9th district, with a practical sense of right and wrong.

Please send a message to Congress and the Democratic Party that business as usual is not acceptable.  Vote for Bob Turner.

I have some incredibly disturbing news to report to you today that entails gutting an effective program involving the collaboration of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and the New York Department of Corrections. As many of you might know, one of the best means of apprehending and deporting criminal aliens is consistent cooperation between federal immigration authorities and local law enforcement agencies.

The programs that exist to effectuate this end, Secure Communities and the much more robust 287(g), have been the single best tool in our arsenal capable of frustrating the intentions of criminal aliens who repeatedly flout our country’s criminal statutes and exploit the generally lax enforcement of immigration law. They have prevented repeat offenders from foreign countries from further victimizing innocent American citizens, and have served as a deterrent to illegal aliens who might be planning on perpetrating crimes in the future.

The fact that New York State’s Department of Corrections has buckled in the face of threats by immigration lawyers and “civil rights advocates,” which in this case means open borders lobbyists such as the ACLU and would more accurately be described as members of the Treason Lobby, is yet more evidence that those in power do not take this threat seriously. Or at least, do not take it as seriously as the threat of potential lawsuits by petty drug offenders. Now, even though ICE has a liason working inside of Riker’s specifically to identify criminal, illegal aliens who are eligible for deportation, it will only be allowed to track those inmates who agree beforehand to be interviewed, which according to the NY Post article amounts to less than thirty percent of those aliens currently serving jail-time.

There are a number of aspects to this story that are exasperating to those of us who have followed the horrible sanctuary city policy instituted by former Mayor Ed Koch and reaffirmed by his successors in office, but I think the most troubling aspect is the fact that it allows criminals to determine whether or not they’re going to cooperate with this country’s law enforcement agencies. People who have willfully violated this nation’s laws, and whose first acts in this country were laced with deception, are essentially being placed on the honor system. I can’t think of a more bizarre state of affairs; it relies upon people whose chief means of survival in the United States is perpetual fraud and deception to be truthful and forthcoming with the federal immigration agency that seeks their removal from this country.

This change also confirms what most of us knew to be true from the inception of the phony debate surrounding measures like Secure Communities. Namely, that the opponents of law enforcement against criminal aliens do not want anyone to be deported from this country, even if the persons being targeted are criminals with an extensive violent history, up to and including assault, rape, and attempted homicide. The canard that ICE or state lawmakers are targeting “nonviolent” offenders whose only crime is being in this country illegally-which, incidentally, is a crime-should not hold any water after the decision made by the New York Corrections Department, which effectively amounts to a de facto amnesty for criminal aliens. The fact that the treason lobby has applauded a decision that will make our streets less safe, and endanger the lives of ordinary New Yorkers-among other American citizens-merely serves to illustrate their deeply skewed, rigidly anti-American priorities.

One final note: the difficulties we face in deporting criminal aliens who’ve overstayed their welcome in this country predate the current political climate. In order to get an idea of the scale of the problem, I highly recommend you check out The Deporter, a fantastic, yet horrifying, nonfiction work by someone who worked as a deportation agent in New Orleans during the first decade of this century. It will give you an inkling of how dangerous the criminal aliens we’re releasing into the general public are, and should serve as a reminder of how grave the threat posed by these lawbreakers is; the people we’re setting loose are not “hard-working” immigrants. In fact, they’re not immigrants at all, they’re violent, criminal aliens who should be treated as such. This is a mistake whose consequences we’ll have to live with for some time to come, although I doubt the fools who precipitated this decision will recognize the harm they’ve inflicted upon the American populace.

Here are some of the details for those interested in supporting Chairman King’s investigation into homegrown Islamic radicalism:

WHAT:  Standing Up for Homeland Security Action

WHEN:  March 6, 2011 (THIS Sunday) at 1:30pm

WHERE:  38th Street and 7th Avenue in Manhattan

For a more critical view of Representative King’s proposed hearings, you can read scholar Robert Spencer’s view of the proceedings at Jihad Watch.

For what it’s worth, my own personal view is that you should show up to this demonstration to speak out against jihadism, and to demand Rep. King focus his hearings on the threat posed by the radical wing of Islam embodied in such Muslim Brotherhood offshoots as CAIR, ICNA, and the Muslim Students Association, even if you don’t particularly care for the direction his congressional hearings are trending.

One of the first big-city mayors to embrace the concept of sanctuary city laws has a change of heart.

Read about it here: