Rescind the Resolution

At the risk of sounding like a broken record.

(Un)FAIR Hits the Radio Waves

By Pat Young
Program Director, CARECEN
December 28, 2007 11:02 AM

Last week I wrote about the huge influence the immigrant-hating Federation for Immigration Reform (FAIR) has on cable news shows like Lou Dobbs. Now the Des Moines Register reports that the organization founded by racists for racists is trying to become a major player in presidential politics. FAIR is funding hook-ups for right-wing radio talk show hosts who come to Iowa to spew about the caucuses. Their latest event in Iowa drew Fred Thompson and Ron Paul, hardly top tier candidates, but still…

FAIR was, of course, founded by racial theorist John Tanton, whom the Southern Poverty Law Center refers to as the puppeteer of the anti-immigrant movement. FAIR has always functioned as the three-piece-suited front for the dozen organizations Tanton helped form, but its mainstream pretensions are just a mask for the vilest hatreds.

Much of the current hatred of immigrants has been fostered by the talk radio industry. The immigration reform debate in the first half of 2007 uncovered a potent force to build listenership even at the expense of a sitting Republican president. Right radio did a lot to trample immigration reform, and it found new viability after suffering listener losses in the wake of its support for the discredited war in Iraq.

The direct alliance between right radio and anti-immigrant hate groups means that in 2008 the same folks who mobilized against same-sex marriage in 2004 will take the field against immigrants. The men and the moment are joined. God help us!

Response to a Letter to the Editor written by Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies entitled, The Case Against Immigration in the Washington Post.

How can ‘Center for Immigration Studies(CIS)’ claim to be ‘pro-immigrant’ when they write books entitled, - ‘The Case Against Immigration’ which are clearly anti-immigrant?  Largely the immigration debate today focuses on the ‘legality’ of immigrants but it’s very clear from your letter that the Federation for American Immigration Reform(FAIR) network including CIS opposes all forms of immigration.

In researching FAIR, one learns that all of the anti-immigration groups over a dozen in all have been created by and are connected to FAIR.  Additionally, the true motivating factors for FAIR are population growth control and the environment.  It just so happens that ‘illegals’ are the easiest ones to target but as your letter proves then legal immigrants will be addressed and lastly once FAIR has accomplished ‘immigration issue’ they will turn their attention to address the Catholics, Christians and others of faith to curb their reproductive ways. It reminds me of the saying by Martin Niemöller -

“First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak up for me.”

Let this serve as a warning for all people of faith, the motivation for the FAIR network is suspect and it’s time for us to speak up.

Why the calls of racism & xenophobia in response to the current explosion of interest in the immigration debate? Well, some people would like to dismiss them as baseless but there is a very clear connection.

Help Save Manassas Group worked in conjunction with Immigration Reform Law Institute(IRLI) to form Prince William County’s ‘Immigration Resolution.’  IRLI was created by Federation for American Immigration Reform’s(FAIR’s) Board of Directors as their auxillary organization for litigation and fund-raising purposes.  It is important to understand FAIR’s underlying motivation in the immigration debate.

In order to do so, one need to look no further than FAIR’s founder and current board member John Tanton.  In founding FAIR, John Tanton accepted over $1,000,000 from the Pioneer Fund which was performing research on the ‘genetic superiority of the white race.’  Tanton is editor and publisher of The Social Contract Press which has been designated a ‘hate group’ by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC/http://www.splcenter.org/).  Additionally, board members of FAIR have ties to the Council for Conservative Citizens(http://www.cofcc.org/) which opposes the ‘mixing of the races.’

In order to more fully understand Tanton’s idealogy it is insightful to read some of his early writings.  (Note:  The reference section at the end of this article has links to some of his early memo/writings.)

But, here is an excerpt from Tanton’s Memo to Witan IV attendees -

As Whites see their power and control over their lives declining, will they simply go quietly into the night? Or will there be an explosion?

Are our local officials and the general public aware of the connection between groups like Help Save Virginia, IRLI & FAIR? And do they fully understand FAIR’s ulterior motivation?  Certainly, IRLI has not been forth-coming in their relationship to FAIR. because anyone visiting their website, http://www.irli.org, will not be able to ascertain the organization’s origins.

One needs to consider, that Prince William County, has fallen into the hands of FAIR’s puppeteer John Tanton and has become part of the ’White Explosion’ that he envisions.

References:

• Residency Rules May Tighten in Pr. William
• Keeping America Empty by Christopher Hayes
• John Tanton’s Network
• Anatomy of the English-Only Movement by James Crawford
• Memo to WITAN IV Attendees from John Tanton
• Memo to FAIR from John Tanton
• The Puppeteer
• Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting
• Memo to FAIR from Roger Conner