Barack Obama and John McCain with their Implications on Immigration and Latin America

INTERVIEWER: "You voted for the construction of the wall between Mexico and the United States...

"JOHN MCCAIN: "I didn't vote for an...I am not sure what you are talking about, but we can secure...our borders with walls and/or fences in urban areas, and then virtual fences, vehicle barriers.

INTERVIEWER: "But, you did vote for the wall.

"MCCAIN: "I didn't vote for an...I don't know what you are exactly what you are referring to."--Interview with Univision, Sept. 15, 2008.

Trolling for the votes of Hispanic Americans, John McCain distanced himself this week from plans to build a 700-mile wall along sections of the 2,000 mile U.S.-Mexico border. He suggested that he preferred a "virtual" electronic wall, with actual physical fences only in urban areas. But that claim misrepresents his vote back in September 2006, when he helped pass the "Secure Fence Act."The FactsAs a leading proponent of immigration reform, the Arizona senator long took the view that action designed to stop the flow of illegal aliens into the country should be combined with offering a path to legal citizenship to those that were already here. But he changed his position in 2006 as he prepared for his presidential bid, and voted for a law that was focused almost exclusively on keeping illegal aliens out. The law stipulates that a large stretch of the new wall would be built in McCain's home state of Arizona.Most of the top presidential candidates, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, joined McCain in voting for the "Secure Fence Act," which passed the Senate by 80-19.Questioned by the Spanish language television station Univision about his support for the fence, McCain claimed that he did not know what the interviewer was talking about. But the language of the legislation is very clear. Section 3 of the Act orders the Department of Homeland Security to oversee the construction of "at least 2 layers of reinforced fencing, the installation of additional physical barriers, roads, lighting, cameras, and sensors" along five sections of the border, totaling 700 miles.In the meantime, the Obama campaign has also put out a television adaccusing McCain of "lying" to win Latino votes while supporting hardline Republican policies on immigration and other matters. The advertisement attempts to link McCain to the conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, who appears on screen along with quotes like "Shut your mouth or get out."As several bloggers have pointed out, here and here, the Limbaugh quotes have been taken out of context. The attempt to link McCain to Limbaugh is also unfair, given the fact that the radio host has frequently criticized McCain, particularly on the issue of immigration reform.The Pinocchio TestBoth McCain and Obama have taken liberties with the truth in seeking the support of Hispanic-Americans, who are emerging as a crucial voting bloc in the presidential election. McCain had a politically convenient memory lapse in forgetting his vote for a physical wall along long sections of the Mexican border, while Obama incorrectly suggested that his rival shares Limbaugh's ideas on immigration.

While the USA is building walls alone the US-Mexico border, Latin America is now building diplomatic walls to keep the USA from meddlings in their internal affairs. It's a tit for tat situation. Just look at the expulsion of USA ambassadors and the hostile effects on others USA diplomats assigned to Latin America.The fact is clear, this will be a Hispanic century throughout the Americas. The fact remains that both the USA government and it's citizens are now some of the most hated of individuals throughout Latin America. Years of supporting Neo-fascists right wing governments and undermining civil and human rights in Latin America with obsolete weapons to keep the fascists in power is now coming to haunt the USA and it's entirety. The centuries old ignorance and arrogance the USA has for it's Western Hemisphere neighbors has added fuel to the distrust most Latin Americans have for the USA. China and Russia have now taken the lead in cultural exchanges, interactions, economic and trade in Latin America. It can now be said with certainty that the sun has set on the USA, not only throughout Latin America, but the rest of the civilized world. Pity. It's going to take a long time, perhaps hundreds of years, for the USA to be viewed or trusted throughout the Western Hemisphere. It's going to take much more than Obama (much less McCain) to change the hatred and mistrust Latin America has with the USA. The next ten-twenty years will tell the story.

Let's all contribute... we can't get ahead if only a part of the country is committed. Some think that the greatest generation has something to do with war. The greatest generation has everything to do with Americans of all ages, races, and genders coming together as one, in understanding that each one of us can and must make a difference, and most importantly in believing that the price for freedom is always worth it.

U.S. Detention Centers a Nightmare.



The Horrible and miserable conditions in U.S. Detention Centers violating civil rights for detainees.

Again ignorance goes beyond History and reality from Another Republican representative. The U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite said that Puerto ricans are foreign Citizens. Does she means Puerto Ricans are not U.S. Citizens?


Apparently she forgot The Jones-Shafroth Act (1917), also known as the "Jones Act" or "Jones Law" for Puerto Rico, amended the "Organic Act of Puerto Rico" created by the Foraker Act of 1900. (This "Jones Act" applies only to Puerto Rico.

This act applies to the grant of citizenship to all citizens of Puerto Rico. The 1917amendments to the "Organic Act of Puerto Rico," amended the Foraker Act of 1900.
Many Puerto Ricans served in the United States Armed Forces beginning in World War I.

The comments by U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite that Puerto Ricans living on the island are “foreign citizens” who should not receive the benefits of the economic stimulus plan that Congress is considering have touched a firestorm.

Even the government of Puerto Rico, a United States territory since 1898 whose people have U.S. citizenship since since 1917, issued what is sort of a reprimand letter to Brown-Waite on Thursday through Eduardo Bhatia, its representative in Washington, D.C.

Bhatia told her: “your comments … published in the Orlando Sentinel complaining that Puerto Ricans are ‘foreign citizens’ and should not benefit from the federal economic stimulus plan were not only wrong but also highly insensitive.”

He wondered if her comments “stemmed from sheer ignorance about Puerto Rico” and listed some helpful facts for the next time Brown-Waite decides to comment on island issues.

“One would assume that someone like you who was born in New York and represents a district in Florida — two states where over 2 million Puerto Ricans reside— would know that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens and have been U.S. citizens for close to a century,” Bhatia’s letter stated.

Puerto Rican activists in metro Orlando —where the population that traces its heritage to the island surpasses 220,000— are livid. Many have written letters of protest or discussed the matter in the airwaves of the region’s Spanish-language media, even speaking of a protest and offering to teach Brown-Waite some history and geography lessons.

“She is an ignoramus,” said Emilio Pérez, president of the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida. “I think we should make an example of her. Puerto Ricans should unite to support whoever is running against her in the next election.”

Some activists in the Orlando area were ready to march on Brown-Waite’s office, if necessary, to get her to apologize for what they saw as a disrespectful characterization of all Puerto Ricans.

“Are we going to continue tolerating the constant insults to the Puerto Rican heritage and our rights and responsibilities for this nation?” asked Zulma Vélez Estrada, a Kissimmee activist, in a letter to the community. “Are we going to consent to this nonsense or are we going to stand for our dignity and demonstrate our place in history, and in this community?”

Armando Ramírez, an Osceola activist who had been calling for a protest, said the community would wait before organizing a protest to see if Brown-Waite would apologize.
Sam López, who chairs the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Melbourne, said he has heard from many Puerto Ricans willing to participate in a protest. He blames the congresswoman’s comments on anti-Hispanic sentiment that has rubbed off from the immigration debate.
“This is basically a continuation of a Republican Conservative agenda, demeaning Hispanic people,” Lopez said. “