tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post5817726155353245291..comments2023-10-17T22:56:42.784-04:00Comments on Only in The Republic of Amherst: No Harm, No Foul?Larry Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02614645831526190536noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-22467272460425965932008-03-06T10:22:00.000-05:002008-03-06T10:22:00.000-05:00That's another thing that bugs me about His Lordsh...That's another thing that bugs me about His Lordship's Folly: he specifically cites low-end, low-paying (under the table no doubt) jobs illegals perform as a reason for this bylaw. According to 3/4 Daily Hampshire Gazette:<BR/><BR/>For Weiss, illegal immigrants are not criminals, and in fact many local businesses, for better or worse, have depended on their employment, often hiring them for jobs that no one else wants.Larry Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02614645831526190536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-39206942657157574492008-03-06T09:38:00.000-05:002008-03-06T09:38:00.000-05:00The downside of local police not being involved is...The downside of local police not being involved is that when ICE conducts a raid, they come down like a paramilitary raid and people can get unnecessarily endangered. The raid in New Bedford resulted in children getting lost, because the federal officers knew nothing about the community and how to ensure that no kids were abandoned in empty apartments.<BR/><BR/>The main issue of enforcement is enforcing the laws in regard to employers. From what I have seen, when people can't work, they go home.Xenoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07102195851970595827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-49072871023981906052008-03-06T07:37:00.000-05:002008-03-06T07:37:00.000-05:00Yeah, well, in the People’s Republic of Amherst we...Yeah, well, in the People’s Republic of Amherst we specialize in political posturing (99% of the time). <BR/><BR/>No, I don’t want our police force to become immigration officers--but neither do I want them restricted from enforcing any state or federal laws should they come upon a violator “incidentally.”Larry Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02614645831526190536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-9096682853021719332008-03-06T07:18:00.000-05:002008-03-06T07:18:00.000-05:00This whole line of argument about police departmen...This whole line of argument about police departments enforcing immigration laws is a lot of posturing by left and right, and ignores the fundamental realities of the situation -<BR/><BR/>1. Sanctuary city designations are a lot of bull - immigration enforcement is a matter of civil law, not criminal law, so local police are never supposed to get involved except incidentally;<BR/><BR/>2. Right wing hysteria about the failure of local police departments to enforce immigration rules is also a lot of bull, since local police departments are not in the business of enforcing federal administrative law.<BR/><BR/>There may be some good arguments for criminalizing immigration violations, and there are some very sound reasons why it is not a matter of criminal law. Meanwhile, fussing over the role of the police is 99% political posturing.Xenoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07102195851970595827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-70076642933409727522008-03-05T11:51:00.000-05:002008-03-05T11:51:00.000-05:00Remember, this is the town that last year passed a...Remember, this is the town that last year passed a resolution saying the US would never attack Iran. I asked town meeting that night what would they do if President Ahmadinejad (the guy who wants to “wipe Israel off the map") had a missile warming up in a silo aimed at Israel with nuclear or biological materials on board?<BR/><BR/>Obviously Ahmadinejad appreciated the resolution as one of his “ambassadors” sent us a Thank You card. Yeah, just the guy I want to be buddies with.Larry Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02614645831526190536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-48382575345134440312008-03-05T09:22:00.000-05:002008-03-05T09:22:00.000-05:00I can't believe the thinking in this town. Who is ...I can't believe the thinking in this town. Who is running this circus and why is it being allowed to happen??? But wait, this is the same town that would allow a convicted felon to work with school aged kids so why should harboring illegal immigrants be a surprise. I'm ashamed to say I'm from Amherst. God help us all.Clarsparhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08836178230303095476noreply@blogger.com