by John Hill
Stand With Arizona
The National Council of La Raza recently called for their boycott of Arizona over S.B. 1070 to end. There was a ton of media hype about this boycott last year, and the threat sparked some big “BUYcott” efforts by Stand With Arizona and others (here, here, here and many more) to urge like-minded Americans to support the state’s economy against what was expected to be a major coordinated attack.
Indeed, La Raza, the AFL-CIO, SEIU and others spent a ton of time and money to push their boycott. We pushed our efforts too. So how did it all work out? Well, SWA’s AZBuycott page and site has received over 8 million visits since it launched on May 15, 2010. We urged people to buy Arizona products and most importantly, to come to Arizona with their families, associations and businesses. We don’t know how much it helped, but we do know we got million of hits and tens of thousands of supportive emails.
So how much did La Raza’s high profile boycott hurt the state?
What boycott?
La Raza’s first high-profile objective: to cancel the MLB All-Star Game, was an epic failure. La Raza spent a lot of money and press trying to browbeat Bud Selig to yank the game from Phoenix. They even got 110,000 petition signatures signed, and dramatically tried to deliver them to Bud Selig and MLB owners. Result? Nada. The All-Star Game was held at Chase Field in Phoenix and was sold out.
La Raza’s next and biggest target was to pressure all its fellow left-wing non-profits, major corporations and associations to cancel their conventions in Arizona, and for cities such as L.A. and S.F. to cancel all travel there. Surely that must have had a big impact, right? Uh, not quite. Arizona’s tourism and convention business was worth $16 billion in direct spending in 2009, and almost $18 billion in 2010. And even at the peak of the boycott, the occupancy rate was higher in 2010 than in 2009, leading Barry Broome, president of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council to conclude, “fundamentally, the boycotts have been unsuccessful.”
And this year, the tourism industry in Arizona is experiencing growth. “While the nation and Arizona struggle to add new jobs, the state tourism industry may see as many as 20,000 new jobs in 2011. After two years of declines, more people are traveling and many of them are headed to the Grand Canyon State,” noted KOLD-Tucson in their report.
So, given that its attempt to damage Arizona’s economy has apparently failed miserably, what exactly does La Raza claim it DID accomplish with its boycott?
The National Council of La Raza said it was canceling its boycott because it successfully discouraged other states from enacting similar laws, and the boycott imposed a hardship on the workers, businesses and organizations it aimed to help.
“Successfully discouraged other states”? Oh, really. I guess La Raza missed the action this year in Georgia, Alabama, Indiana and South Carolina – all of whom passed Arizona-style enforcement against illegals, to one degree or another – with states like Kentucky, Louisiana, and even Pennsylvania taking up the mantle this fall.
Sorry to disappoint you, La Raza, but Stand With Arizona has activists and attorneys in 22 states lined up to push Arizona-style laws between now and the 2012 election. We have boots on the ground, and the ear of key legislators in state after state.
And if the results of your boycott is any indication, very few people are listening to you at all.
PLEASE CONSIDER A DONATION of $10.70 to Stand With Arizona in honor of SB1070, to help us continue to fight against illegal alien amnesty and push for Arizona-style enforcement laws nationwide: DONATE link. Thank you. |
As a Californian for nearly 20 years, I have been working the mean streets as a private investigator and as of today, I have never, ever seen it like this. It’s as if bad behavior and crime is now legal, and if one stands up and states what is really going on, we’re called a bigot, a racist, and more. My Scotch-Irish family came to the U.S. about 3 centuries ago, and most of my family on the Irish side of things was pushed down to Louisiana because we were thought to be less than gentlemen – because we were Irish. My family never complained about the work necessary for our survival and still fed the poor during the Great Depression. They never griped about it being too hot to work, too cold to work, and if we stubbed our toes, we didn’t go out on work comp, lawyer up and sue for $50,000.00. We never spat in our employer’s faces and respected true and genuine authority. Then, the United States of America was known as “The Land of the Free”, and emanated what our fore-fathers bled, suffered, and died for.
To La Rasa, “The Land of the Free” means “Everything is Free and for the Taking” and they are raping US by hijacking our legal system, which was originally built on good will and honor toward our fellow citizenry, something La Rasa does not comprehend. La Rasa and their followers will yell, scream, and curse US – “We clean your toilets and ….” Do they really think we have never, ever cleaned toilets or shoveled waste? The difference between La Rasa, their followers and US is that we don’t bitch, gripe and complain about the past, because we know that our own hard work, our own pride in our work is what moves US forward as one nation.
Make no mistake, these old arms and legs, this tenured mind has worked plenty of years, plenty of overtime, and over those years has strengthened and developed special skills in guarding the best interests of US; our people, our citizens, our Country. It is far more easy to complain than to earn respect for the work I have completed. If La Rasa keeps it up, we’ll just have to start cleaning house again, the old fashioned way; its what we do best after pushing the greedy aside.
I fear this eminent battle will not be fought on a far away land but in our own back yards, as we are now seeing in Southern California. If anyone has it right, its Arizona. Our U.S. Government is now in the position of taking care of everyone else but US, has exported nearly every reasonably paying job, and has left US no other choice than to take care of our own.
My wife is from Central (Latin) America and immigrated here the right way. She does not call her former Country “My County”; she calls the United States of America “My Country”. Like all of US, she cleaned plenty of toilets but does not have time to dwell on the pasts, because she is genuinely grateful for living her dreams in the U.S.
Last week, one of our Moreno Valley California City Council Hispanic Members reiterated the previous words of another Hispanic Council Member in stating that illegal immigrants should be able to vote on our current zoning redistricting plan, currently in play at the unclean hands of our local King. That’s right, we have a King and not a true democratically elected City Council.
We’re losing our Country folks; starting with Southern California. Additionally, shortly after California Law Makers boldly sent out press releases that they were in favor of boycotting Arizona earlier this year, most, if not all of those hippo-critical legislators, applied for concealed weapons permits because they stated they were in fear of the increasing threats to government officials. So lets see, its okay for them to arm themselves and protect their offices but its not okay for people in another State – Arizona – to secure their southern border from the widely publicized illegal drug cartels, human trafficking, kidnappings and murders.
Lastly, in 1969 I was held hostage with 13 Americans in the Middle-East for a short time period and was nearly killed by Muslim Fundementalists – close friends of Muammar Gaddafi and his good Friend Yasser Arafat. To the contrary, a moderate Muslem man sacrificed his own life to save mine and the lives of 13 Americans. In doing so, he bought US the two extra minutes that saved our lives – for Commandos backed by the US Marine Amphibious Assault & Rescue Squad aboard the US Sixth Fleet to save US in the end. So, my wife is Latin, I owe my life to a moderate Muslem who respected Christians, and I grew up in the diversity cultural of a US Military family; I am an American, a U.S. Citizen. In my 52 years, I have learned integrity, honor, discipline, and retain the innate traits of my Patriotic parents; WWI and Cold War Era veterans.
Tell me; am I a racist because I want our borders secure, because I want my family, friends, and neighbors safe, because I want US to take care of our own before taking care of everyone else but US? For 22 years I have served my Country in fighting fraud and abuse, and even matters concerning national security, fighting to keep our American way of life sacred – in the memory of those before and among US, who fought, bled, died, and live wounded at heart for US. I am an American first, and I will gladly – without hesitation – serve the best interests of my people – by whatever means necessary to honor those before US and those of US still in the arena. I stand with Arizona, with Sheriff Joe, and with whatever my Countrymen require of me.
Have we come to a point in the United States where we are forced to Conceal our Patriotism, to Harness our Love for Country, to Censor our Honor as we are pushed aside by our own leaders to make room for everyone else but US; must we spell it out – The United States of America? I believe its time we do so.
John Rupert
Moreno Valley, California
What an excellent expression of the feelings that so many of us have for our Nation. Hopefully, all of us will get out and vote come Nov 2012, just as the Silent Majority of the past did to take our Nation back.
Amen John… Well said
John, well stated!! You need to send this to the newspapers, there are more people like you out there. The “silent majority” needs to find their voices and learn to shout “no more”! Keep writing, if only so I don’t get discouraged.
So very well put, John Rupert. And like Lee said -”What an excellent expression of the feelings of most Americans.” PLEASE, go out and vote for the right person who will pull this great country back on her feet. I usually don’t vote for “the party”, I vote for the candidate best suited for the Presidential job. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!
Well said, John. This should be published.
Well said Jim, and thank you for what you’ve done, who you are and your heartfelt response. It is time that we as Americans look back to what our forefathers had in mind when they began building this great country of ours.
WE WILL PREVAIL!!!!
Very well said, John.
EARLY IN THE DAY ,THE SUN IS ON YOUR LEFT,AND IN THE EVENING THE SUN IS ON YOUR RIGHT ,THEN JUST KEEP WALKING ,YOU WILL BE HOME IN NO TIME ,AND IF I SEE YOU HEADED SOUTH I WILL GIVE YOU A RIDE ,BUT I WOULDNT BE HEADED NORTH AND WALK IN MY LANE
Awesome Mr Rupert, very well put. I respect ur opinion, i wish all these greedy, corrupt, politicians would get the picture. Time of reckoning is fast approaching, God help us.
John, you are a true American Patriot and I salute you Sir!
My wife and I have come upon very hard times because of what is going on in Southern California. I am a heavy equipment operator and was working on the 15 Freeway when I was hit from behind by a mexican gangbanger going 130 mph. He had a gallon plastic bottle of whiskey in the car that was almost empty and he was 3 times the legal limit. Thanks to God’s grace, I am alive and he is dead.I am now totally disabled after spending 7000 hours to train and went to school for 4 years to get an Engineering degree. Then his family had the nerve to try to sue me for wrongful death. Of course, that suit went no where but I live in pain everyday and I am 45 years old.
My wife worked for 7 years at a sod farm in the office and was “laid off” after all that time and was told it was because she did not speak Spanish. For 7 years she did not need Spanish and was never told to learn it. The girl who they replaced her with was not legal, they gave her less hours and no benefits. They hired illegals all the time and when they would call in to verify their social security card and it was declined, they would just go get another one under another name and the corporation knew it and approved of it. We did not turn them in as we live very near the farm and everyone knew us. We were afraid of retaliation, Last we heard the other two women int he office we let go and now she runs the whole office.
Because of all the stress from my accident, my wife now has diabetes, fibromyalgia. spinal arthritis and the doctors told her it was all brought on by stress. We had to fight every inch of the way for my work comp just to cover me and they basically did nothing for me. My wife was recently deemed disabled and she cannot even get insurance since her cobra ran out and they won’t give her medicare for 2 more years.
Anyway, if we were illegal, we could get free health care, food stamps, free college money for our kids here in California. But because we are white and worked all our lives, paid our taxes and tried to do what was right, we are told we would have to sell our truck, get divorced and when the money ran out then maybe we could get insurance from the county for my wife.
My father in law was a Border Patrolman for 40 years before he passed and he is turning in his grave from the way things are now, I am sure. I appreciate all who try to secure our borders and protect us from the criminals coming across the border. I have no problem if they want to apply for citizenship, like your wife. I respect them for doing so. It is just the criminals are rampant and I do feel that illegals are not entitled to any benefits. Like I said, we can’t even get any help and my wife and I have worked since we were 16 years and are going into debt due to her medical expenses. But I love and need my wife so we have no choice. God Bless you and Sheriff Joe and all thoses fighting for our rights, the president and others respect illegals more than they do us.
My apologies for the delayed reply – several months later – but after falling very ill just after my above post and back in the saddle working again for several months now, I wanted to share with you that I had the honor of being a part of Sheriff Arpaio’s security detail on this past May 5th in Apple Valley, California. To meet Sheriff Joe was truly a blessing. I should also share that Sheriff Joe’s presentation to the public was – as usual – innately genuine, and after his moving speech, he approached a male member of La Raza who was present protesting. Sheriff Joe. Sheriff Joe cordially approached the male and his La Raza associates in an effort to explain our position as American citizens, and Mr. La Raza was instantly disrespectful to the Sheriff, called him horrible names and then stated, “This is our country and we’re going to take it back.” The male and his gang-banger mentality La Raza associates instantly reminded me of what really happened to Geronimo; his story: Geronimo’s people were ravaged by the Mexicans, and the recurring attacks on his tribe’s women and female children were incessently raped and murdered by the Mexican military and their banditos-mercs, and who then stole the tribe’s livestock and food, leaving Geronimo and his few living people to slowly die off on their way to Turkey Creek. Our Native Americans were pushed and compressed from both sides – from the south it was the Spaniard-bred Mexicans brutalizing the Native-American tribes and stealing the Native American lands, and from the north, our US Army was pushing them one way, and finally escorted them to Turkey Creek.
What I love about our Country is that when we make a mistake, we cowboy up like men and make it right, as we continue to do with the Native Americans, while La Raza and their likeness will continue to ignore their bad deeds as Mexican nationals, who destroyed entire tribes just to steal this land. That is exactly how this land was once named as a part of Mexico; they ravaged the Native Americans who once lived here, then sold it to US, and now they want it back.
We love our Native American brothers and sisters, as they are a huge part of who we are as legal citizens – as Americans. Sheriff Joe equally respects US as a nation of legal immigrants, and given his southern Arizona border is the gateway to illegal immigration at the unclean hands of banditos and the cartels, his passion to protect and serve should be taken serious and should also serve US as the very best model for protecting Our Country. He’s a good man, with a great heart, and his interests lay solely in protecting the best interests of his Arizona citizens first. He has spent his life serving US; including at the federal level in the War Against Drugs.
My wife and I know plenty of good Mexican-born Americans who love and have served our County well. But La Raza has every appearance to be a front for the cartels, and more.
We stand for Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and for Arizona.
John Rupert