The law required Rosa Parks to sit in the back of the bus. She didn't. She defied the law. It was a bad law. America has been saddled with MANY bad laws. A good citizen is obliged to defy bad laws. It's an act of patriotism. Have you ever heard of the Boston Tea Party? Activists disguised as Indians destroyed a valuable shipment of imported tea. It was a protest against an unfair tax law. It was a bad law. Defying it was an act of patriotism. Then there's good old Prohibition. It was a bad law. It turned millions of Americans into criminals. Some people want to do the same kind of thing again. Don't forget the crazy Sunday "Blue Laws." Christian fanatics made it a crime to buy a pot, get a shave or watch a movie on Sunday; bad laws. Patriots defied them. America has had MANY sincerely bad laws. Defying them is an act of patriotism. Now comes the so-called "immigration laws." Much is made of the fact that some immigrants are "illegal." The immigration laws are bad laws. They should be defied. Better yet, they should be repealed. People can't be "illegal." Acts are illegal. The only thing close to the anti-immigrant mania was the infamous "Fugitive Slave Act." There are many similarities between the penniless slaves fleeing across state borders and peons fleeing across international borders. Both sought better lives. What's so bad about that? Then and now, there was a war on the poor and the helpless. Rich folks have no problem getting into the United States. They don't have to risk their lives to do it. The war is against the poor peons, the helpless laborers. Why does the American government like to pick on the poorest and most needy people in the society? The conservatives want to enslave the immigrants. They want them to be like old-time indentured servants, to pay reapportions, to have no rights and to be victimized. Republicans want to strip the immigrants of their cultures and their languages. Conservative extremists have good reason to be concerned. Their days are numbered. Within a few years the peons will hold the power. How are the conservatives going to like getting back the abuses they've dished out? The conservatives want to force English on immigrants. English isn't supposed to be a punishment. First generation immigrants seldom learn much English. Think of the famous Yiddish theater, newspapers and literature. Visit Chinatown. Remember the thousands of Italians, Germans, Irish, Poles and each of the other waves of immigrants. It's the second and subsequent generations which learn English. They vote, too! The conservatives want to revive the "literacy tests" which were used to hold down Afro-Americans in the South. They want English to be the test for what constitutes an American. Did the Pilgrims speak Algonquian? Immigrants learn English because it's to their advantage to learn it, not because of bad laws. The conservatives are afraid. They realize that they're going to lose their control. They realize how hard it would be for them to learn some Spanish or any of the technical argots. What they should fear is Mandarin. The Democrats are also scared, but less scared. Democrats have always adjusted better to change. They don't want a new "Dred Scott" case. The fact is that there are perhaps 15,000,000 "illegal" Latino immigrants in America. They're having children. They're having lots of children. They're hard workers. They're willing workers. They pay taxes. They pay billions in taxes. They build families. They buy homes. The laws against them are bad laws. They should be defied. The so-called Magan Laws and the drug laws are also bad laws. Americans love having a THEM to hate. Immigrants are the present THEM. Conservatives have learned how to exploit and inflame the fear and hatred of THEM. Conservatives are haters. Their entire politics is built on hate, hate and fear. Hate the queers who want to get married, hate and fear them. (What, do you think you're going to catch it?) Hate and fear the immigrants. They'll take your job. (You pick apples, right?) They'll speak some foreign language. Hate those black folks. They'll rape your women and rob your bank. Hate the perverts. Hate the dopers. Hate anything new and different. Conservatives love only money and power. They worship money and power. People don't matter much. One out of every ten gallons of our oil is imported from Mexico. The Republicans want to put the army on the border to keep THEM out, THEM the people, not THEM the gallons of oil. Oil is good. People don't matter much. What, exactly is the use of borders? City borders and state borders were once a big deal. You can see how much trouble was caused by ignoring those borders. What's the fear about simply opening the Mexico and Canada borders? What's so scary about people coming and going? Oh, right! "Terrorists!" They're the biggest THEM of all. You don't even know what a "terrorist" is. It's a boogeyman. It's an invention. It's a spook used to keep you so scared that you'll surrender your freedoms to dictatorial conservatives. "Terrorists?" don't you believe it! Don't let the conservative fear-mongers paralyze America. The politics of fear is simply a conservative devise to hold on to power. Make friends instead of enemies and there will be fewer foreigners trying to hurt Americans. Treat people decently and there will be fewer people trying to take revenge on America. There have always been a few people who have wanted to harm us. There's no need to exaggerate the dangers. There's no need to eavesdrop on Aunt Tilly. The conservatives even have you afraid of ducks and robins. Geese have become a THEM. The "avian flu" will get you if you don't watch out! What garbage. The real risk is that bird flu kills birds. Birds eat insects. Insects eat crops. Bird flu may result is some food shortages. Quit exaggerating every little worry. Don't fear ducks. Fear SUVs. They're real killers. Oh, right! Cars are the babies of big business. Big business is the darling of the conservatives. They wouldn't want you to fear big business. Maybe big oil companies would stop pumping millions into their campaign coffers. Of course, Mexico could simply shut off the oil when the army shuts off the people. Rebecca's Bargain Antiques Collectible Vintage Photos Fine Prints - Old Maps Sheet Music - Old Books Elegant Antiques and Collectibles "Wake up! It's time to die." Brion James in Blade Runner, 1982 You are welcome to use or republish any of our material. Please give www.prisoners.com credit as the source. Return to the New and Interesting Items Menu Return to the Public Enemies Menu Return to the Bad Laws Menu Return to the Main Menu. Go to our site's Search Engine Send us Your Comments or Input.