Jessica:
The Brawler was amused by your piece about the Journal Sentinel saying state Republicans are relying on immigration as a way to rile up the knuckledragging base in this election. While the Brawler thought the story didn't do enough to delve into Republican hypocrisy or outright dishonesty on the issue, you were appalled that the reporters might see this as a cynical ploy.
It has to be tough saying that with a straight face, given that it was clear, more than a year ago when Fox News started hammering it, that this was going to be the wedge issue of choice in 2006. It had all the trimmings: attacking brown people! attacking liberals! highlighting wasted tax dollars! and a great big, utterly impractical solution -- deporting millions of people -- that everyone could forget about the next day.
In the story you challenge the reporters to write about illegal immigration in a multi-faceted way, not just as a political issue.
Here's the challenge for you, Jessica. Could you please provide any stories you wrote during your time at the JS about the problem of illegal immigration and how it was driving up crime in Milwaukee?
(Crickets)
For months now you've run story after story on your blog about illegal aliens who committed crimes in this country to "balance" stories that, in your words, talk about " illegals working on dairy farms and marching at the lakefront."
Yet, when the Brawler trolls through the archives, he can't find a single story you wrote about the "costs" of illegal immigration from a law-enforcement perspective. You covered crime for five years. Certainly if it were an issue for the cops you would have heard about it -- that is, if you were half the reporter you tell your students and listeners you were. Or let me guess: The big expose you wanted to write was killed by liberal editors who want to hide the truth and possibly return Aztlan to Mexico?
If you could provide those stories, the Brawler would be much obliged.
It might go a small way toward supporting your claim that the Republicans' yammering about illegal immigration is something more than a cynical election year ploy.
BFF!
BCB
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