I think people forget that they are illegal aliens.

Pretty sure the whole point of the march is that maybe they shouldn't be illegal.

Or are do you think that the aliens themselves have forgotten their legal status?

I just think its funny that people who broke the law think they can make demands.

Is Wonk talking about Tom Delay or immigrants?

This is so annoying. A bunch of high school and college students protesting about an issue that generally doesn't directly affect them, and that they hardly understand.

The real motivation? It's a nice day to ditch class and be outside. Bonus? "That hottie in the Mexican flag bandana and the Che t-shirt is TOTALLY into me!"

I agree Bubba; it's a far more noble thing to sit on your ass all day and make snarky blog posts than to participate in your democracy.

Well kudo's ghtx you just did it! I bet your ass is mucho grande del largo.

ghtx--

Ditching to take a walk in the 77-degree weather so that one can sit in a park and chant platitudes is hardly participating in democracy. Anybody that thinks it is has a troublingly vague comprehension of the concept.

No, ghtx, this is parlor-style protesting--where the primary outcome is a bunch of "revolutionaries" congratulating each other on their "show of force" as they drive home.

You want to do the hard work of "participating in a democracy?" You volunteer to register voters, work phone banks, and drive people to the polls. That's a lawn party outside the Cap, right now.

Every person at the protest was given postcards with instructions on how to send them to their congressmen and Senators - there were also about 2 dozen volunteers going through the crowd, registering people to vote.

"A bunch of high school and college students protesting about an issue that generally doesn't directly affect them"... I saw a poster that said "My parents immigrated here, I'm a law student, let us live the American Dream"

I'd venture a guess that a lot of those students would be affected by this legislation, and that the college students are fairly educated on the issue. Hell, I'd be affected because my pastor would be charged as a felon for giving food to an immigrant family.

The nice day was simply an added bonus, there were people braving the cold and rain weeks ago to do the same thing.

What the hell does it matter if someone wants to show support for issues that don’t “directly affect” them? Democracy is not supposed to be entirely self-serving. Or did I miss the memo?

Postcards. If they were soft enough, political office staffers would use them for toilet paper--they're about as plentiful, and read about as often.

2 dozen volunteers registering voters? I dispute that figure, but at least there's someone out there who knows what democracy is about. My guess about those newly registered voters? They'll be drunk, studying or both on Election Day this November. Yeah, democracy!

"My parents immigrated here, I'm a law student, let us live the American Dream" See my discussion about how it's a nice day to cut class.

"there were people braving the cold and rain weeks ago to do the same thing." Not in these numbers. Not in Austin. Not before the issue received national media attention, thereby becoming the latest cause celebre.

How very fashionable they all are! They are going to change the world with their style and sophistication!

You're absolutely right, caleselena. However, generally, people who are truly concerned about an issue are either a) directly affected or b) educated about the issue. My point is that the crowd outside the Capitol right now is overwhelmingly neither. Rather, they are a bunch of effete self-congratulatory lightweights.

Bubba.....I like you.

^tard

That was actually for Bubba, not Wonk. I like Wonk. He makes me realize I have to work harder.

I'm willing to bet a third of that crowd has no clue what the fuck their protesting.

I actually went down there to see all the hub bub. Bunch of yelling...the thing that really pissed me off was that some morbidly obese fat chick with a sports bra on was holding the U.S flag upside down.

So grande Rita is just an example of the morons on the lawn today.

Bubba got scared when all the 'Messicans' started chanting "Today we march - tomorrow we vote." Nonwhites voting in large numbers usually isn't good for his side.

".the thing that really pissed me off was that some morbidly obese fat chick with a sports bra on was holding the U.S flag upside down."

Wow...now I'm soooo not going down there. Ew.

the wizard--

If that's your idea of a witty reposte, Wonk's is only the beginning of a long list of people who must give you feelings of inadequacy.

wonk - i suppose it woudl have been ok if she had been a skinny blonde?

morbidly obese people don't suck. mean people like Wonk do.

i'll bet that fat chick knows the difference between they're and their.

so there.

And what's with flying the US flag upside down, or flying the Mexican flag, for that matter? Isn't this supposed to be a rally about how this country is excluding people who desperately want to belong? Burn Bill Frist in effigy, but don't degrade the primary symbol of the country you want to be a part of. Moreover, don't proudly wave the flag of a foreign country, and then demand concessions from another. Yet another example of how these people have no idea of what they're talking about.

Grande Rita?

Please don't eat me.

Actually, morbidly obese people do, in fact, suck. They:

a) Are unpleasant to look at, and
b) Increase my health insurance premiums.

Color me decidedly anti-obesity.

I'm completely turned around by Bubba, now. I'm voting Republican.

Well, that's better than "tard," but still pretty weak, Wiz.

there
their
they're

I'm so putting Wonk hearts Bubba on the wall of every bathroom stall in town

Truckstops dont count.

Bubba -

One question. How many beers do you knock back a day?

An upside down flag is a signal of distress. This country is in distress. Flying an Mexican flag is just free speech, not a declaration of war. Don't be scared of the brown skinned folks. They just want to get paid like everyone else.

I just came back from the rally in San Antonio and for you gun-toting, tobacco chewing good ol' boys.... there were 10 times more American flags proudly waving than Mexican flags. Hell, I saw an Irish flag but I think he just a holdover from St. Patrick's Day.

So, I'm curious as the assholes here grandstanding... did you actually get out there and try to help lead or give direction? register voters? anything else besides the bitching that's going on here?

it's a bit pretentious.

even if it was a circle jerk, what the bloody hell is this? you're stroking your egos. stfu, do something. stop bitching, help those folks then... give them a bit of direction rather than just bitch about it here.

for the love of god, how more stuck up can you get? 70% of voters are very malinformed for crying out loud.

we're the odd ones, we're the ones who actually listen to talk radio or cspan or what have you. we're the ones who need to help those folks who don't get it but it's not our place to bitch at them and say things like "they don't even know why they're out there." etc.

oh my fucking god dude. get off your god damn high horse and help matters.

i thought this was a progressive blog with liberal commenters, not a blog that's incessantly trolled by right wing nut jobs.

what was your point again?

mine: get off your ass and do something besides bitch and moan. lead, follow or get out of the fucking way.