EDITORIAL: Pro-immigration violence escalates

EDITORIAL: Pro-immigration violence escalates
by THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Blatant falsehoods about Arizona's new immigration law keep piling up. Not only is the substance of the law grossly distorted, the liberal media is demonizing anyone who supports the reform and minimizing any wrongs by those opposing it.

Compare the media's hostile treatment of peaceful Tea Party protests to the sometimes violent leftist demonstrations against Arizona's law. No Tea Party demonstrators have been arrested during anti-government gatherings, and none has thrown rocks or broken bottles at police. This pacifist Tea Party track record spans multiple national demonstrations with crowds ranging from 300,000 at the April 15 Tax Day protest to around a million at September's demonstration against Obamacare.

The number of leftist agitators against Arizona's new immigration bill are far smaller. Yet, from the very first demonstration in Phoenix when the bill was signed on April 23, liberal protests have been marked by violence and arrests. In Chicago last week, the local Fox station reported that "police clashed with demonstrators" and protesters blocked vehicles; 24 were arrested. A Sunday march in Santa Cruz, Calif., damaged 18 businesses, with repair costs reaching an estimated $100,000. In San Francisco, three people were beaten by protesters, with two arrested. During a pro-illegal-immigration protest outside the White House on Saturday, 35 were arrested. The list goes on.

The same media bias comes into play when charges of fascism are bandied about against political opponents. In August, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tarred Tea Partiers as fascists because - she claimed - they were "carrying swastikas and symbols like that." The charges were broadcast by media nationwide. But when pushed for evidence to back up her claim, Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami provided The Washington Times with a single picture of a Tea Partier carrying a poster of a swastika with a line drawn through it, clearly signaling that fascist policies should be banned, which was the opposite of Mrs. Pelosi point.

Leftists are dusting off the old Nazi slur to use against their opponents in this new immigration debate. A Google news search found more than 900 news stories for "Arizona immigration law Nazi." A review of the articles found very few cases where charges of racism were questioned. Disgraced Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony "compared Arizona to Nazi Germany," according to the Los Angeles Times. A Houston Chronicle headline informed that "Signs depict [Arizona] Gov. [Jan] Brewer as Nazi at Dallas rally." KNX radio in Los Angeles reported signs labeling Mrs. Brewer as "the next Hitler." Cindy Lugo, a Long Beach City College student, ranted, "I think what [Mrs. Brewer is] doing in Arizona is similar to what Hitler did in Germany." It's a safe assumption Cindy isn't a history major.

Amidst all this hate-filled rhetoric by liberals and Democrats across the country, President Obama went on the attack against conservatives for criticizing government. "But what troubles me is when I hear people say that all of government is inherently bad," the president said. "It can send signals to the most extreme elements of our society that perhaps violence is a justifiable response." Mr. Obama knows violent extremist elements pretty well - they currently are his most vocal supporters.