Resident ashamed of her city for first time
Advertisement
Text size: small | medium | large
Michelle Parker
Published: April 4, 2008
I have been a Manassas resident for over 20 years now. For the first time I am embarrassed and ashamed to be a resident of Manassas; worst of all of America. Many may think I am being unpatriotic, but from once being a child of the U.S. foreign service I have seen first hand how our government “civilly” treats people in other countries and now the same is being done in our own.
Yes, I am a Mexican-American and was born a U.S. Diplomat. It used to be hard for me to believe that someone with stature, such as Corey Stewart, could ignore all that is really important with our county (e.g. schools, our children’s futures, the mess over construction of unneeded buildings, thousands of trees being cut down which once made Manassas so beautiful). Instead Mr. Stewart decides to focus while using all of our costly time that WE pay him for and the money we no longer have in the Rainy Day Fund to suppress our immigrants — illegal or not. Mr. Stewart definitely has forgotten that our country was founded by such immigrants. (Mind you we also have Africans, Russians, Vietnamese and other immigrants here besides Hispanics!) I wonder which immigrants made up Mr.
Stewart’s family?
He has chosen to include ICE in this “problem” to take care of the illegal immigrants, right? Did he not know that most crimes are not done by immigrants but by our own Americans? I guess they are legal, so why would he care?
Even though I am an American by birth, his nonsense alienates and insults me! My tax dollars pay for this? Now he wants to tax everyone else here in Manassas to help him pay for an “idea” he was so sure he already had the money for?
How dare Mr. Stewart not ask us citizens what we really feel and think about his solution on immigration (In his meetings one only has three minutes for such a complex situation!), and having us foot the bill?
What happened to democracy? Now I am not surprised by his decision on immigration.
Heck! Why should Virginia move toward the 21st century? Mr. Stewart would rather us stay in the racist days of the good ol’ south.
He should be ashamed! He will never be good for Virginia unless he can prove that a person with such an attitude as his own is able to change.
MICHELLE PARKER
Manassas
Post a Comment
The commenting period has ended or commenting has been deactivated for this article.
Can't find what you're looking for? Try our quick search:
Reader Reactions
Posted by ( ribbit76 ) on April 08, 2008 at 12:25 pm
As for you Vic, the beginning of comment began to seem intelligent, but once you called them the ‘disease’ I just stopped reading and scrolled down to the next comment. ‘Filth and disease’, you sound like how the Irish were described during their immigrant wave back in the day in the USA. Now the Irish are not seen that way anymore, are they? To describe any race like that than your own is filthy and vile. Yes, Mr. Vic, I’m afraid you are vile. Good day sir!
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( ribbit76 ) on April 08, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Of course the racists come out of the wood work every chance they get. I know illegal immigrants that PAY federal and state taxes. They are given an ITIN number by the FEDERAL govt. And for MikeG, Mexico is not my adopted country. My mother is also a Mexican-American, her parents and their parents before them were Mexican. I have lived in the middle of two wars, I’m talking real wars in El Salvador and Liberia. Don’t you dare try to tell me something that you think I do not know, or try to tell me something about me that you know nothing about. I am tired of how people treat other people, and I do not have to leave this country to live in a “Communistic” regime. If we allow the Republicans to stay in power, that is what are govt. is slowly becoming. Aren’t we tired of such bigotry among us? Let’s legalize those who pay taxes and help those who are here to become legal. I didn’t open the flood gates of the border. Our govt. has a lot to do with that. Why doesn’t the authorities go after the Coyotes and the rest of the rats who smuggle people into this country? As far as I am concerned, it seems a lot of people have a problem with seeing more and more hispanics everywhere. These people can’t handle the culture shock. Trust me, I know culture shock very well.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( Vic ) on April 07, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Well, if understanding the American democratic process makes me a kook, then I’ll be one and proudly too.
Perhaps phdee should move (back?) to some Communist dictatorship or third world hellhole where everyone is obligated to vote, but the only choices on offer are an official slate of candidates who have been duly vetted and approved by the “proper authorities.“ Then she could claim 99 percent of the vote and a popular mandate from every member of the society.
Or could it be that phdee presumes to speak on behalf of the thousands upon thousands of illegal aliens in the county who cannot vote—because they are not citizens? No, that couldn’t be—that is, unless she has already polled all of them!
And as for your comments about Hitler, lies and propoganda, all that betrays is your own racism and stupidity. Just because I disagree with you, it doesn’t make me one of the good old boys.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( raywilliams ) on April 07, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Let’s look at the City of Manassas Republican Caucus held in I think February. This Caucus was open to all registered voters of the City with the only requirement one be pre-registered for the Caucus. In this Caucus, two hand-picked HSM supporters running for City Council were soundly defeated in the first round. Defeated so soundly they were outside the margin necessary for a second ballot. So why yes, in PWC the majority of VOTERS supported Stewart, in Manassas City the majority of VOTERS supported a moderate City Council. I will say I supported Stewart, not because of his immigration policy but because Sharon Pandak did such a HORRIBLE job as our past County Attorney and I could not imagine her in a Chairmans role.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( phdee ) on April 07, 2008 at 4:25 pm
You have to feel sorry for kooks cobra and Vic for their ignoranc3e. They must be products of southern schooling. Simple math says that if there are 350,000 residents, a “majority of residents” would be 1/2 that plus one. Stewart may have gotten a majority of the votes cast but it was only 16% of registered voters. That hardly constitutes a “solid majority”. You apparently read tea leaves to believe the rest of the population thinks similarly. Sounds like astrology readingS from the Reagan era. As for the Hitler remark, it is very appropriate - you kooks just don’t understand such - it refers to you good old boys repeatedly telling lies so long that, like Hitler’s propaganda minister said, the population would eventually come to believe it. I am sorry I am just only able “to tell you”, since “I can’t tell you much”. Understand?
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( cobra ) on April 07, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Only an idiot can bring the name of Hitler into the debate about illegal immigration. Go on down to the 7-11 PHDEE and hang out with your lawbreaking friends. What a Traitor. Nice job trying to spin the election results as if Stewart did not get the majority.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( Vic ) on April 07, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Dear phdee
Of those who actually cared to vote during the last Prince William County election (November 6, 2007):
Corey A. Stewart received 30,334 votes, and Sharon E. Pandak received 24,341.
Another 134 votes were cast for write in candidates.
It seems like a pretty solid majority to me. Further, I don’t see how you can presume that the non-voters felt any differently that those who actually took the time and made the effort to vote.
So I guess you know what you can do with your sour grapes—make whine!
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( phdee ) on April 07, 2008 at 12:26 pm
A couple of mkooks who said the “majority” rules and that Stewart did what the “majority of residents” wanted are full of bull. Stewart got 16% of registered voters who actually voted. Hardly a majority of residents (about 350,000). Our laws are such that the minority can prevail over the majority - happens regularly in court. The civil rightsmmovement (at last) was won by a minority. As Hitler’s propaganda chief said: “tell a lie long enough and people will believe it”.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( MikeG ) on April 06, 2008 at 9:45 am
Ms Parker, what a nice cabernet sauvignon article….you know, such a “fine whine”...about how ashamed you, such a “long term” resident of PWC, are of our county and indeed our country because of our abuse of your mexican heritage? Well, first, Ms. Parker, you being the “born” diplomat that you claim to be, I would have expected a little more diplomacy and tact, rather than another typical “I’m Mexican and proud of it” rant. If you’re so ashamed of the country to which you were born, and so in love with your country of racial origin, there is a very simple solution to your angst. Just being a foreign service brat doesn’t make you any more enlightened than being an army brat makes you a warrior. So you’ve seen a bit of the world; big deal. Who hasn’t, in this region? We’re all former diplomats, foreign service officers, or a myriad of other former roles that took us far and wide around this world, myself included. By your logic, because you’re so enlightened by your foreign experience, we should all be ashamed and embarrassed! Well, I’ve got news for you, sunshine. Not only is PWC, Corey Stewart, and others in positions of power in this region doing the will of the MAJORITY of residents of this county, but they are reaping the gratitude of a majority of “long time” residents of this county who have become increasingly alarmed at the burgeoning numbers of illegal immigrants stopping here, no matter WHAT country they are from. It might be true that your adopted countrymen (I mean, after all, you are an American citizen, are you not? You’re not a Mexican by birth, are you?) are not causing a majority of the crime in our area, unless, of course, you consider that every single illegal immigrant, by the very virtue that they are here illegally, are perpetuating a crime already committed. But every single illegal immigrant who gets caught up in the snare of the county’s resolution have only brought their pain upon themselves. If peoples from other countries are coming here to be free, then they should do so legally because to do otherwise only subjects them to a lifetime of living a lie by perpetuating a crime that could get them deported at any moment. What sort of freedom is that? Oh, you mean by free we should just open the flood gates to every person, anywhere, who suddenly decides that the grass is greener in the U.S.? By democracy you mean we should ignore our nation’s sovereignty and principles of law and learn to accept those who would flaunt those same principles as brothers and sisters in our communities? Unfortunately for you and your adopted countrymen, this issue isn’t going to go away, and it’s not going to end well for those illegals who decide to flaunt their status here. If you really cared for your adopted countrymen, and for this nation to which you were born, you would seek out ways of helping them gain legality, rather than crying about why we can’t all just be friends!
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( Vic ) on April 05, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Sorry you feel that way, Ms Parker, but I’ll tell you “what happened to democracy.“
It’s alive and well in Prince William County. But unfortunately for you, a good number of your fellow citizens disagree with you. And given your “diplomatic” upbringing, you should certainly understand that within a democracy, the majority rules.
So it came to pass that most of rest of us had enough already of the poverty, filth, lawlessness, diseases and numerous other problems brought about by the uncontrolled growth in the local illegal alien community. So at a County Board of Supervisors meeting conducted last July, we voiced our concerns and supported the efforts of county leaders to bring this festering problem under some semblance of control. And it wasn’t just Corey Stewart leading the charge. If memory serves, the vote in favor of this effort to was unanimous. Now that’s democracy in action for you!
Additionally, I would think that with your diplomatic upbringing, that you could tell the difference between immigrants and illegal aliens. There are some profound differences, of course.
Here’s one. While few American citizens will ever take exception to the positive contributions of true immigrants -– that is, those who have processed through our immigration system and proven themselves worthy and able to make positive contributions to our society—most American citizens (and even true immigrants) will tend at times to worry about and resent the unrestricted and uncontrolled invasion and growth of so many who don’t belong and won’t abide by the rules of our country, and generally take away ever so much more than they could ever contribute.
Now given your 20 years in Manassas, you more than most should be able to see what illegal aliens have done to what used to be one of the friendlier, prettier and more law-abiding cities in northern Virginia. Given your obvious concern for your community, I hope you elect to stay there, but will also understand fully if you don’t!
Report Inappropriate Comment