AP's One-Sided Immigration Story from Mexico on America's Proposed "Berlin Wall"

December 21st, 2005 3:05 AM

Almost immediately into the story titled "Mexico Retaliates for Border Wall Plan," written by Associated Press staff writer Mark Stevenson, it easy to see where the AP's sympathies lie, and that is squarely with law-breaking illegal aliens, or what the AP calls "migrants" or "migrant workers."

The piece is an out and out condemnation of the House of Representatives recent bill that passed just last week that will employ tough new immigration deterrents, among them a 700-mile security fence, and an end to the 50,000 per-year diversity visa lottery.

The meaning of "migrant" is: "one that migrates: as a person who moves regularly in order to find work especially in harvesting crops."

This is the persona that the Associated Press and the mainstream media in general, wish to present to the American public when talking about what is patently obvious to the rest of the country: That the term "migrant" is the politically correct or culturally-sensitive claptrap for "Illegal alien."

The AP gives many quotes within the story from Mexican officials, including no less a figure than Mexican President Vicente Fox, who denounced the U.S./>/> measures, passed by the House of Representatives on Friday, as "shameful."

Mexico/>/>'s foreign secretary, Luis Ernesto Derbez, stated that the proposed wall was "stupid."

Accordingly, the AP then tries to present the human side of the issue--that these dastardly and devastating U.S./>/> policies will destroy and destabilize families. Fernando Robledo, 42, of the western state of Zacatecas, says the proposals could stem migration and disrupt families by breaking cross- border ties. "When people heard this, it worried everybody, because this will affect everybody in some way, and their families," Robledo said. "They were incredulous. How could they do this, propose something like this?"

Imagine that; America/>/> having the colossal nerve to protect its borders. But the AP never once says this, instead opting to go for the "stem migration and disrupt families" angle, and getting to the real meat and potatoes of the article the U.S./>/>' "anti-immigrant sentiment."

There is so much to anger one in this story, and little to feel sorry about. Here are just a few examples: "We learned to believe in the United States/>/>. We have a binational life," he said of Zacatecas, a state that has been sending migrants north for more than a century. "It isn't just a feeling of rejection. It's against what we see as part of our life, our culture, our territory."

So, the U.S./>/> is now the “binational” state of Mexico/>/>, which openly claims U.S./>/> territory as "our life, our culture, our territory." Some also said that this policy would "unleash conflict within the United States/>/>." One wonders if these statements--including those that allude to possible violence--are meant to make Americans feel sympathetic. Hardly.

Currently, there are some 11 million illegal aliens within the borders of the United States/>/>, with the vast majority of them being Mexican. The Mexican government’s response to the problem of illegal immigration has been, at best, non-existent, and at best, politically militaristic:

"The government is scrambling to fight on two fronts. On Monday, it announced it had hired Allyn & Company, a Dallas-based public relations company to help improve Mexico/>/>'s image and stem the immigration backlash. Mexico has also said it is recruiting U.S. church, community and business groups to oppose the proposal."

"And the government has stepped up its defense of migrants, airing a series of radio spots here aimed at migrants returning home for the holidays."

Mexico/>/> has even thought to employ that "great American pastime" against the U.S./>/>--litigation. "Had a labor accident in the United/> State/>/>? You have rights ... Call," reads the ad, sponsored by Mexico/>/>'s Foreign Relations Department, which has helped migrants bring compensation suits in the United States/>/>.

Finally, after associating the proposed 700-mile wall to keep law breakers out to the infamous Berlin wall which kept the wretches of communism locked in, The AP insults us one final time in this, one of the most incredibly slanted pieces on the righteousness of illegal immigration I have read, compounded further by what I can only describe as a methodical and deliberate attempt at debasing one's own government:

Writes Mark Stevenson: "Mexicans are outraged by the proposed measures, especially the extension of the border wall, which many liken to the Berlin/>/> Wall. Some are urging their government to fight it fiercely."

"Our president should oppose that wall and make them stop it, at all costs," said Martin Vazquez, 26, at the Mexico City/>/> airport as he returned from his job as a hotel worker in Las Vegas/>/>. "More than just insulting, it's terrible."

Well Mr. Vazquez, I could not have said it better myself. More than you and your country's insulting attitude and behavior toward American law, it is terrible that you should have such advocates as the Associated Press to promote in what some respects has become a law-less land led by a law-less government.