Illinois HS basketball team trip to Arizona scrapped

[Peaches]

From the Chicago Tribune comes this gem:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northnorthwest/ct-met-arizona-trip-canceled-20100512,0,7753920.story

From the accounts I've read, this decision was made by the assistant superintendent of that school district. If that's the case, she's making her political point at the expense of these outstanding students and their parents and coaches.

She should have checked her facts before handing down this decision. The school district didn't have a problem when students traveled to China and other parts of the world.

[lmam88]

From the Chicago Tribune comes this gem:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northnorthwest/ct-met-arizona-trip-canceled-20100512,0,7753920.story

From the accounts I've read, this decision was made by the assistant superintendent of that school district. If that's the case, she's making her political point at the expense of these outstanding students and their parents and coaches.

She should have checked her facts before handing down this decision. The school district didn't have a problem when students traveled to China and other parts of the world.

Sounds very fishy to me. Where is all the money going that the students and parents raised for the trip? Parents and school board need to band together on this issue. It's getting totally insane...

[mdarling]

And what's with the "superintendent"? Is he that big a weenie that he can't take responsibility for decisions in his own school district? He makes it sound like this decision was made totally by the assistant superintendent. The only ones being punished here are the girls and their parents who have invested a lot of time and energy getting funds together for this trip. Shame, shame!

[Peaches]

And what's with the "superintendent"? Is he that big a weenie that he can't take responsibility for decisions in his own school district? He makes it sound like this decision was made totally by the assistant superintendent. The only ones being punished here are the girls and their parents who have invested a lot of time and energy getting funds together for this trip. Shame, shame!


I e-mailed my thoughts to him at gfornero@dist113.org I said the following:

"Dear Dr. Fornero,

I wanted to take a moment to clarify something for you and your staff, particularly the person responsible for making the decision to halt the team's trip to Arizona because of that state's adoption of federal immigration law.

First, please be aware that states that border with Mexico understand the issues caused by illegal immigration. It creates a great deal of danger not only for the residents north of the border, but for those who are victimized by people who profit by providing illegal passage into our country. We call those people "coyotes". They have been known to take money from their victims, and then leave them locked in scorching hot transport units packed so tightly the passengers couldn't even sit down. We have to get a grip on this situation.

Please take the time to understand Arizona's Illegal Immigration Law. It mirrors the US Federal Immigration Law. In order for State Agencies to have the authority to enforce a Federal Law, that state must first adopt that law as State Law. (Local and State agencies cannot enforce Federal Law.) That is what Arizona has done. (That fact has been poorly stated by mainstream media.)

This law gives Arizona Law Enforcement Officers the power to enforce laws that already exist. They are not going to go and seek out illegal immigrants. They are going to have to follow the rules of "probable cause" before they can stop and detain a person.

Your girls basketball team shouldn't be used as a means of protesting this Arizona Law, especially considering the fact that there seems to be a great deal of misunderstanding about the law and its intended effect. Those young ladies have worked hard at winning, and they've worked hard at raising money for this trip. They deserve their opportunity to shine.

Suzan Hebson should find another way to address her political concerns - such as writing letters to those with whom her opinion differs. Her actions, without apparent knowledge of the facts, is an embarrassment for your school district. I hope you will reconsider this position and do the right thing."

[tonigking]

How is it possible that supposedly intelligent people can read, if they did, the Arizona law and misinterpret it so erroneously?

First of all States Rights are being violated by outside interference.
Ignorance is hurting an already damaged State and busibodies who take it upon themselves to stick their noses in other people's business will be the ruin of this whole Country.

Make them all walk a mile in an Arizonian's shoes. Or Texan's for that matter.

If Perry doesn't wise up we will be looking at a democrat for Govenor !

Last poll I saw 71 % of Americans approve of Arizona's actions and I for one would like to see the same thing in Texas.

I wish Arizona the most prosperous tourist season ever and with their new law it may even be the safest place to visit.

I am sick of being dictated to by left wing minorities , but I am also sickened and saddened by the apathy of the right wing majority!

[KINGCHIP]

Sounds very fishy to me. Where is all the money going that the students and parents raised for the trip? Parents and school board need to band together on this issue. It's getting totally insane...


Sounds almost fraudulent to me. If I had donated money expressly to help fund said trip, and someone changed their mind, I would have to wonder where the money went. It must have been an approved trip to have allowed the fundraisers, so how do you change your mind.

If the sup won't man up, I would be after the school board.

[tarheel]

I can not verify the authenticity of the following, but it certainly rings true. People in Illinois simply have no idea how bad it is. If they did, I doubt they'd feel quite the same way.

The situation in Arizona is much worse that what the media reports. Received from an NYPD retiree living in Arizona .
What you might not have heard.

I was just in Sedona , AZ until Apr. 25 and this was big news there. In AZ
70 % of the people are in favor of the bill the AZ Gov. Just signed. It is
Hard to believe that the Pres. Calls it irresponsible and that the news
Media is playing up the racial profiling when the problem there is huge! AZ
Has nearly 1/2 MILLION ILLEGALS in the state and the crime rate is un
Believable among them in Phoenix and Tucson and even worse along the border
In the border towns. The people in the worst situation are those who live
In the isolated ranches and farms, they are facing a losing battle with
Little or no federal aid. They are out gunned, out manned and by all
Accounts we are being invaded by the cartels.

Subject: Mexican Assassins

As you know, Bob Krentz, one of the local ranchers was murdered in Douglas
recently. I received three messages similar to the one
below from different officers within the Rangers and law enforcement.

Yesterday afternoon I talked to another rancher near us who is a friend of
ours and whose great grandfather started their ranch here in 1880. These
are good people. He told me what really happened out at the Krentz ranch
and what you won't read in the papers. The Border Patrol is afraid of
Starting a small war between civilians here and the drug cartels in Mexico

Bob Krentz was checking his water like he does every evening and came upon
An illegal who was lying on the ground telling him he was sick. Bob called
The Border Patrol and asked for a medical helicopter evac. As he turned
To go back to his ATV he was shot in the side. The round came from down
And angled up so they know the shooter was on the ground. Bob's firearm
Was in the ATV so he had no chance. Wounded he called the Cochise County
Sherriff and asked for help. Bleeding in the lungs he called his brother
But the line was bad so he called his wife but again the line was bad.

Several ranchers heard the radio call and drove to his location. Bob was
Dead by this time. The ranchers tracked the shooter 8 miles back towards
Mexico and cornered him in a brushy draw. This was all at night. The
Sherriff and Border Patrol arrived and told them not to go down and engage
The murderer. They went around to the back side and if you can believe it
The assassin managed to get by a BP helicopter and a Sherriff's posse and
Back to Mexico . So much for professional help when you need it.

One week before the murder Bob and his brother Phil (who I shoot with)
Hauled a huge quantity of drugs off the ranch that they found in trucks.
One week before that a rancher near Naco did the same thing. Two nights
Later gangs broke into his ranch house and beat him and his wife and told
Them that if they touched any drugs they found they would come back and
Kill them. The ranchers here deal with cut fences and haul drug deliveries
Off their ranches all the time. What ranchers think is that the drug
Cartels beat the one rancher and shot Bob because they wanted to send a
Message. Bob always gave food and water to illegals and so they think they
Sent the assassin to pose as an illegal who was hungry and thirsty knowing
It would catch Bob off guard.

What is going on down here is NOT being reported. You need to tell people
How bad it is along the border. Texas is worse. Near El Paso it's in a
State of war. 5000 people were killed in Ciudad Juarez last year and it's
Over 2000 so far this year. Gun sales down here are through the roof and I
Get emails from people wanting firearms training.

Something has to be done but I don't hold out much hope. These gangs have
groups in almost every city in the US . This is serious business. The Barrio
Azteca and their sub gangs are like Mexican
Corporations and organized extremely well. If this doesn't get dealt with
down here you guys will deal with it on your streets.

[lmam88]

Very sobering article Tarheel. It is not confined to AZ or even the El Paso area though. I have family still in S. Texas and hear how it is getting worse all the time.
I have some good memories of growing up down there and it is sad how things have gone so bad! Family use to have good friends who owned taverns and businesses across the border. We would go across to shop and celebrate special occasions. The people back then were very friendly, courteous and the ones that did come across were very rarely violent! They were most grateful...
My family has told me that is not just the Mexican decent that pose a threat anymore. A lot of other decents are using that country as a back door into the U.S. and they out number and out gun our law enforcement and B.P.!
We need to stop playing politics and start standing behind the states and people that are trying to solve the problem...no matter whose toes may be stepped on!

[Peaches]

I suppose it would be "irresponsible" to suggest that these illegals who commit such crmes are a threat to our national security. They go around breaking into homes, threating and killing people, and smuggling drugs - but they're not hurting anybody. tisk, tisk, tisk.

[whiteorchid]

It makes me furious that some of these states and people who are boycotting Arizona seem "Anti-American Citizen" to me. In my opinion, the citizens who live, work, and pay taxes in the USA - their safety should come first. It seems treasonous to me that people from another country who pillage our countrymen are given precedence over our own citizens.

Have people lost their minds? This border insecurity is dividing our country except that a majority of people agree that AZ has the right to patrol its borders. I'm sick of these Latino political action groups having too much power. It's all about money and the Latino vote and I'm sick of it. So glad that AZ is not rolling over and is finally doing something.

What good does it do to boycot Arizona? I personally wouldn't go there because of all the crime coming from the illegals. It's so not worth it. If AZ doesn't get a handle on immigrant crime and drugs then no one will want to spend any money there.

[mdarling]

What really bothers me is that none of these bozos seems to have read the Arizona law, including Eirc Holder who wants to file a lawsuit, and Janet Napolitano--head of Homeland Security. Yet, they all want to criticize Arizona for what they haven't read!

[tarheel]

What really bothers me is that none of these bozos seems to have read the Arizona law, including Eirc Holder who wants to file a lawsuit, and Janet Napolitano--head of Homeland Security. Yet, they all want to criticize Arizona for what they haven't read!

I guess that is just par for the course. None of them read the socialized medicine bill before they voted on that either. Holder said that all he knew was what he had heard in the media.