Adios Lou Dobbs

After months of relentless campaigning by Presente.org's Bastadobbs and DropDobbs.com we can finally claim victory. In what was a completely unforeseen move and after months of escalating conflict within the network, Lou Dobbs announced yesterday evening that he was leaving CNN for greener pastures.



Click to watch.

Although there was a joyous celebration yesterday throughout the pro-migrant community we should not breathe a sigh of relief just yet. It is a definite triumph that we were able to prevail over a huge network like CNN. But sadly I don't think good ol' Leprosy Lou is quite done selling his oh so special brand of anti immigrant hate. If you have time you want to waste you can read the transcript of this address here
He is clearly hinting at future plans of "active advocacy". NPR's All Things Considered mulls about the possible reasons behind his ouster and the direction he might take. Not an enormous stretch since we know he has close ties to the far right wingnut groups, i.e. birthers, FAIR, et. al. , and they thirst for the credibility they (misguidedly) believe he might grant.
Definitely we should celebrate.But we should take advantage of the momentum built and the lessons learned and pull together and use to propagate positive information about the need for immigration reform. And I predict CNN will be giving Latinos in America endless replay, to make up for the viewers they lost during the Drop Dobbs campaign.
I hope we can figure out a way to make that work for us. And Lou?
I'ma be watching out for you.

Remembering Marcelo Lucero

His last name means star. By all accounts he was a quiet, hardworking man, younger looking then his real age of 37. But his light has been snuffed out. Most of a year has gone by since Marcelo was viciously murdered by seven young men for no other reason other than the color of his skin,and his being Hispanic. In what is supposed to be a safe suburb.
In America.
"Why? How can it be?" some have exclaimed. Others will question the upbringing and background of his killers, blame the parents , blame the schools,wring their hands, blame the system.
They will all be wrong.
This happened because we let it happened. This is the America that is emerging, because we do not stand up and hold accountable those who have fostered this climate of suspicion and blame and hate. Where seven bored kids can feel free to hunt down another human being and beat and stab him to death. Where a county executive has no qualms dismissing a heinous murder as a "one time event" while adopting policies that foster hatred towards immigrants.
For SHAME.
One of his killers has seen fit to plead guilty to his crime. But Patchogue County, NY still does not feel like a safe place for its Hispanic residents. Or a welcoming one.
We need to change our ways, America.
If you do nothing, if you do not speak up, Marcelo's life is rendered meaningless.
And you stand with the haters and the killers.
Speak up. Act now.
Remember Marcelo.