I don’t know about you folks, but I am sick to death of every day hearing from the Queens local politicians on this whole immigration thing that got opened up badly by our don’t know shit president and while Trump started this bullshit with that asinine travel ban on countries that have never caused a terrorist attack on the USA, these asshole local politicians, especially from Queens, need to give it a FUCKING REST. Many of us are tired of hearing it, especially from this blogger who came from immigrants (legally). First off these assholes, who just want to make sure they get these votes, seem not to make a difference between immigrants who came here legally and those who didn’t, lumping all immigrants into the same barrel.
But my gripes are several. Long before there was Trump, way before him, where were all these so-called “caring” elected officials when it came to all the human trafficking that happen in places like Flushing and other communities, I mean this is a very big issue and gets slid under the carpet. Where are they when some immigrants are taken advantage by their own kind and placed in illegal conversions where dozens of people are crammed into small rooms with many bunk beds and worked to death. Where the hell are they, especially in Flushing, where a lot of this kind of shit takes place. I mean if you care so much where have you all been on these issue for decades.
And where are you with ALL OF US, not just immigrants, with the getting shittier by the day quality of life in Queens and NYC for that matter. You do know that quality of life issues affect everyone, including the immigrants that you say you care so much about.
But see, they don’t really give a shit, what they give a shit about are VOTES. And this whole immigration issue is a hot button topic and one they have little control over and cannot do much about except stand outside with a sign, I mean they don’t have to do any heavy lifting or hard work like the quality of life issues that plague are communities from garbage/litter and illegal truck driving on residential streets to illegal conversions and auto shops making a mess of our sidewalks and streets. Those issues they can do something about, each one of them in their own communities, but see, that takes work, hard work that they do not want to do. Plus those issues don’t pull at the heartstrings or are hot button topics that gets lots of media attention and photo-ops.
But you Democratic politicians want to keep pulling people apart, keep us at each other’s throats, ignoring the majority of your constituents and quality of life, putting people like Trump in office, keep up this bullshit, because you are certainly going to piss many people off in the “world’s borough of crap” with your latest pet project that solves NOTHING but does get you votes but really causes a fire shit storm and anger.
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From Queens Times Ledger:
Flushing pols to set barriers to Trump immigration policy
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Photo by Mark Hallum
State Sen. Toby Stavisky, MinKwon Interim ED James Hong, Koream Americans for Political Advancement President Bright Limm and Assemblyman Ron Kim spoke out about the Trump administration’s immigration policy.
By Mark Hallum
Korean community leaders and elected officials stood in solidarity against immigration policies imposed by the Trump administration last week at a news conference in Flushing led by the MinKwon Center for Community Action .
Many claimed that the new policies are making a bad immigration situation worse and said they would introduce legislation to keep the federal government from meddling in the affairs of newcomers in New York.
Proposals such as building a wall along the Mexican border and defunding sanctuary cities were topics of discussion at the Feb. 2 event, but the most profound injustice to the speakers’ vantage point was the executive order banning the entry of people from seven Muslim majority countries for 90 days and refugees for 120 days.
State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) spoke as well as state Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Flushing), who announced an attempt to make New York a sanctuary state.
Kim said the government picking and choosing which immigrants it accepts is not only susceptible to xenophobic mindsets, but is counter-intuitive to creating a prosperous nation. He called for all Asian communities to stand strong with the Muslim community.
“President Trump ran on the platform of creating jobs. Why doesn’t he go do his job and focus on economic growth and creating more jobs instead of kicking people out of this country who are providing the work force?” Kim said. “So, come Monday, we’re doing a large push-back in the state Assembly to officially announce our state as a sanctuary state. We’re going to be introducing a whole list of policies in the Assembly that we’re going to pass to send a strong message to the entire country that here in New York state, we welcome all immigrants from all backgrounds.”
The following Monday, the state Assembly passed the DREAM Act, allowing undocumented students to qualify for financial aid, and the New York State Liberty Act, which ensures that legal status cannot be used against a defendant in immigration court.
Stavisky said she hopes to pass roadblocks in the Senate to protect undocumented students and make it law for the Port Authority not to enforce what she called “hideous” federal immigration policy. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey oversees the three New York City area airports.
“No. 1, is preventing the Port Authority from helping the federal government in any way in this climate to control the immigration issue,” Stavisky said. “Secondly, one that I’ve been very involved with and that involves the public colleges and universities in New York State. There was a floor amendment to prohibit colleges from reporting students. Quite frankly, the immigration status of students is not the concern of our public colleges and universities. Their purpose is to educate students, not check their immigration status. And I’m working on legislation to enact this into law.”
MinKwon Center Interim Executive Director James Hong spoke about how the immigration policy change does not address the real issues and only tears apart the pieces of the system that work.
“These executive orders do not help to fix the currently broken immigration system and only aggravate the problem by adding confusion and human tragedy,” Hong said. “ Mr. Trump has reinforced hatred against immigrants under the false notion of national security, and continues to pursue policies that create even greater division in our country. Along the way, his administration is literally breaking the law, setting very dangerous precedents of disregarding the checks and balances between the judicial, legislative and executive branches of government.”
He urged immigrants to get their citizenship as soon as possible and said lawyers with MinKwon can help free of charge.
Among other organizations represented at the news conference were the Korean American Association Greater New York, Korean Community Services, Koreans Americans for Political Advancement and the Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York.
From Times Ledger:
Museum of Moving Image shuts anti-Trump exhibit to protect public safety
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Photo by Gina Martinez
City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer backed the museum’s decision to close the controversial exhibit.
By Gina Martinez
The Museum of the Moving Image has closed the anti-Trump exhibit called “He Will Not Divide Us” after the museum deemed it a public safety hazard because of violent threats and many arrests.
The art project was started by actor and activist Shia LaBeouf and two collaborators. It was a 24-hour live stream that began the day of Trump’s inauguration and was set to run for the next four years, or as long as Trump was president. LaBeouf invited people to repeat the phrase “He will not divide us” into a camera to protest Trump’s presidency. The exhibit attracted individuals who identified themselves as neo-Nazis and white supremacists on camera and wanted to disrupt the project.
LaBeouf himself was arrested Jan. 26 and charged with misdemeanor assault after an altercation with another man. It was not known what provoked the altercation
The museum said the atmosphere deteriorated after LaBeouf’s arrest at the site of the exhibit and ultimately led to the decision to shut down the installation.
“The installation had become a flashpoint for violence and was disrupted from its original intent,” MOMI said in a statement. “Over the course of the installation, there have been dozens of threats of violence and numerous arrests, such that police felt compelled to be stationed outside the installation 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
The museum, located in Astoria at 36-01 at 35th Ave., said it put a priority on the safety of visitors and community members.
“We are proud to have launched this engaging and thought-provoking digital art installation, which was experienced by millions of online viewers worldwide,” the museum said. “Until public safety concerns overrode the intent of the installation, “He Will Not Divide Us” generated an important conversation allowing interaction among people from many backgrounds and with different viewpoints. However, ending our engagement with the installation is the most prudent path forward to restore public safety to the museum, its visitors, staff, and the community.”
LaBeouf tweeted an image Thursday that read “The museum abandoned us” with the hash tag #HEWILLNOTDIVIDEUS
City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) sided with the museum’s decision. The councilman recently led a rally denouncing the influx of white supremacist disrupting the exhibit. He said over the last few week’s constituents who lived near the exhibit have complained that they felt unsafe. Officers from the 114th Precinct reported dozens of threats and made multiple arrests at the installation as well, Van Bramer said.
“Needless to say, I was also shocked and outraged by the hateful symbols and rhetoric used by far too many at the exhibit,” Van Bramer said in a statement. “I witnessed racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, sexism and unabashedly pro-Nazi symbols and remarks on this live feed. I’m proud to have led a rally at the site to denounce such hatred.”