Death Of Nun, Sister Denise Mosier, Sparks Anti-Immigration Backlash In Virginia

[onehandle]

Source: Huffington Post

WASHINGTON — In Arizona, the shooting death of a rancher blew the lid off simmering anger over border security and helped solidify support for a tough new immigration law. A similar eruption threatens in Virginia following the death of a Catholic nun in a car accident involving a man in the country illegally and accused of drunken driving.

The Benedictine Sisters of Virginia tried to discourage using the death of Sister Denise Mosier as a "forum of the illegal immigration agenda" and pleaded for a focus on "Christ's command to forgive."

"The sisters' mission is peace and love," said Corey Stewart, chairman of Prince William County's Board of Supervisors. "My mission is law enforcement and the protection of public safety." Prince William County, about 25 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., stepped up its immigration enforcement in 2007 amid explosive growth of its Hispanic and immigrant populations. Under Stewart's leadership, the county implemented a local policy requiring police to determine the immigration status of all people arrested on suspicion of violating state or local laws.

Stewart rushed back into the immigration debate after the Aug. 1 accident, firing off a statement that President Barack Obama, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and members of Congress "all have blood on their hands."

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/08/death-of-nun-sister-denis_n_674783.html

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Because only the undocumented drive drunk and kill people?

[Downwinder]

3. Deport all DUI's?

Arizona can probably send some back to Virginia.

[pampango]

2. A world of both grace, disgrace is revealed in nun's death

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/07/AR2010080702553.html

We all knew the haters would froth when it turned out that the alleged drunk driver involved in a Prince William County crash that killed a nun was an illegal immigrant.

The marvel was the response of the victim's fellow sisters at the Benedictine convent in Bristow, near Manassas. It took them only a day to express forgiveness, and they did so directly to the driver's parents. They also pointedly urged the rest of the world not to exploit the tragedy for political purposes.

I'm in awe of the nuns' attitude of grace, but I'm not pious enough to follow their advice. The death of Sister Denise Mosier on Aug. 1 illustrates key issues in the immigration controversy so clearly that I feel compelled to write about it.

All sides in the immigration debate tried to use the dramatic details of the nun's death to push their own agendas. There are basically three contesting camps: Let's call them the demagogues, the whitewashers and the frustrated reformers.

The demagogues cited the incident partly to press for a new law in Virginia, similar to the controversial one in Arizona, to expand the police's power to identify illegal immigrants to be deported. Corey A. Stewart (R-At Large), chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, proposed such a bill in June.

The whitewashers said the case isn't about illegal immigration at all, but about the need to combat drunken driving.

The frustrated reformers -- including me -- say the case certainly does implicate illegal immigration, but not necessarily the way demagogues say. The problem isn't that the police lack powers but that the immigration courts are so overwhelmed and poorly managed that they can't handle the deportation cases they already have.

[dkf]

4. Obama is now responsible for every bad thing and cost every illegal immigrant does.

Really I believe the Federal Government should be responsible to recompense anyone adversely affected by an illegal immigrant. States should be able to be reimbursed for services, as should hospitals, school districts, and Individuals who have property stolen, or yes lives lost.

Obama has acknowledged that the Federal Government is solely responsible for illegal immigrants. They need to set up restitution funds to try to make Americans whole.

[underpants]

6. Even in the RW Richmond Times-Dispatch THIS appeared today

News accounts report that Carlos Montano was cited for reckless driving in 2006, for speeding twice in 2007, public drunkenness in 2007, driving an uninspected vehicle in 2008, and driving with a revoked license in 2008.

All the incidents listed above occurred during the Bush administration. The failure to enforce immigration law truly is a bipartisan one.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/oped/2010/aug/08/ed-immi08-ar-416577/

[a la izquierda]

7. To try to make Americans whole?

What the hell does that even mean?
I would like to know who's going to help me if I get hit on my bike by a legal immigrant without insurance. Huh? Who's going to do anything about that?
Your anger is misplaced, and disturbingly so.
I've had about enough of your BS, hateful immigration posts.

[SwampG8r]

11. true

[SoapBox]

5. Odd....

that all the illegal immigrant HUGE drama, takes place in two of the most
insane and hateful places...Arizona and Virgina.

Speaking of the death of that rancher...so what has happened? There was the HUGE breathless
drama...and then nothing.

[ORDagnabbit]

8. no...but if he had been deported the nun would be alive. n/t

[pinboy3niner]

10. And if an American citizen had killed an undocumented immigrant...

...it also would have been the immigrant's fault, right? :sarcasm:

[alp227]

9. I discovered this on the Wapo website while looking for the paper's secret intelligence story

It's this article

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/articles/a-hidden-world-growing-beyond-control/

And I posted it on GD last week

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8873576

I love it how conservatives use crimes like this one as an excuse to march on the streets and holler "Deport! Deport! Deport!" Hardly occurs to them that citizens drive drunk and kill people too. Where were the calls to send Bill Janklow to a desert island? Oh no, Janklow's a good ol' Republican US citizen, you can't boot him out! Janklow had a record of traffic violations yet served only 30 days in jail for speeding and fatal hit & run.