Sunday, May 02, 2010

El Uno De Mayo

Yesterday was May Day in America, but it got celebrated a little differently than the usual dance around the May pole and celebratory speeches of the left.

This time it was all about the racial profiling law that was passed in Arizona and signed into law. This is a law that is being decried from the left and, yes, even from the right, as anti-American. Thousands came out to protest this abomination.

Houston had its own mass rally that attracted a crowd of about eight thousand according to the Houston PD.

But Houston is what Houston is, a haven for nutjobs of the first order, and so the illegal search and seizure protest was met by a crowd of dozens who apparently favor illegal search and seizure. Here is a photo of their numbers and their hatred-filled signs.

The same crowd you see at tea party rallies. Same hand-lettered goofy signs.

And about in the same numbers, these days, as well.

An estimated 20,000 protesters turned out to the Dallas event.

But this, I think, is the quote of the day from a protester in the Houston rally, and it speaks to reports that Leo Berman and Debbie Riddle are going to file similar laws during the next legislative session:

“‘We're not surprised that there are now certain people who want to make sure that this law becomes a law here in the state of Texas,’ said march organizer Maria Jimenez. ‘This is the first step for us to continue to be visible within our constitutional rights.’”

That’s a conversation I want to see happen. When Hispanic and Latino Texans argue for the US Constitution, and aging white Texas lawmakers argue against it.

I remember it well the day John McCain announced his choice for his Vice Presidential running mate, Sarah Palin. I remember asking anyone who was around why he did that and did he not realize that he had just handed the presidency to Obama in that single decision.

I am reminded of that today as we see the rightwing in the Republican Party align themselves with some of the most despotic tyrannies in all of history.

Who ever thought the right wing would make it so easy?

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