Sneakeasy's Joint

Sending a Message 6: My Father, the Legal Immigrant

On Friday ( Begin With Chapter 1 ) I went to a rally against the ACLU to represent my Father, on Father's Day Weekend.

In this last post in this series I want you to meet a man who LEGALLY immigrated to the United States, and is my answer to all those who have gotten, and will continue to get, angry over my views on ILLEGAL ALIENS.

Gorge Kundurdziev was born in a small town in the Macedonian part of Yugoslavia, in 1923, immigrated to the United States in 1951/2, had his name involuntarily Americanized to GIorgio Kundurazieff in the process, married, in 1957, fathered a son, and 2 daughters, developed the Mental Illness known as Paranoid Schizophrenia ( a chronic mental illness. ), in 1969, and died, in a hospital, in Los Angeles, in 1988 ( What happened to him, in the end, was not easy to watch happen, and we could only wait for the  final act, knowing he was beyond communicating with us. ).

In between he lived a complicated, and difficult, yet mostly happy life.

The 2 photos here are the oldest family photos our family has of him.

The bottom one is of him, and his Bulgarian Army buddies, early in WW2 ( That's him in the back row, on the left. )

The top photo was taken at an Eastern Orthodox Church, in Glendale Ca., in about 1953.

Dad never talked much about his life before America. The memories were too painful, I suppose.

Mom always said he was in the Bulgarian Airforce, then in the Macedonian Underground, against Tito ( America's Commie of Choice in Europe at the start of the Cold War. ), and that he lost his left eye blowing up a railroad.

She said that when his unit was betrayed he fled the country and spent a few years in Refugee Camps before immigrating to America.

He never saw his parents, and sisters, in person, again, and they apparently spent some time in Concentration Camps because of him.

When he died, in 1988, I was able to get his complete Immigration Files thru a Freedom of Immigration Request.

What I learned there was startling, and intriguing.

While his Immigration was LEGAL there is a mystery in the details that confuses the issue of the life he led during, and immediately after, the war.

He spent time in at least 2 Refugee Camps between 1947 and 1951, and apparently made quite an impression on some people, somewhere, because he eventually gained a sponsor for immigration to America.

The sponsor was part of the American Friends Society, a Quaker Relief Organization.

While Dad never made it into High School, he was fluent in the languages of his country, and even knew some Greek, Italian, and German.

Thus thru his paperwork, I know what day, and year, and who, in what camp, Americanized his name. ;-D

Not knowing any English, he just went with the flow, apparently. ;-D

I know the boat he came over on, and where he went once he got here, and why he ended up in California.

When you supposedly fought in the underground against a country supported by the people you hope will take you in, I suppose being completely upfront, with the US Displaced persons Commission, about your recent life wouldn't be, um, prudent. ;-D

Dad hated Communism, and was a proud Macedonian Nationalist and, as was shown in the 90's life, in the now broken up Yugoslavia, is all bound up in matters of history, culture, ethnicity, and religion.

All Dad knew was that Freedom , and the chance to rebuild his life, lay in America, and death lay behind him.

This 1st page details the story he gave fighting in the Bulgarian Army, spending time in a Forced Labor Concentration Camp, in 1945-6, where he lost his eye, beign transported to a hospital, then  home to recuperate, then making for Greek and Italian, Refugee Camps in 1947, and 1948.

As the 2nd page, attached to this document, states:

"The Commission further states that assurances have been given to the Commision on behalf of the principal applicant by: Mrs. W. M. Storey, Old Mill Farm, Lexington, NY.

That these assurances are in accordance with the requirements of the Act and Regulations, have been approved by the Commision, and bear the Commision Number A-8751.

That the Principal Applicant will be employed as a FArmhelper in NY., that he will reside at Old Mill Farm, lexington, NY, and...

That the Principal Applicant will execute the oath of affirmation required under Section 6 of the Act prior to issuance of Visa.

Based upon the foregoing findings, the Commision determines, and hereby certifies:

That the the Principal Applicant is a displaced perosn, and an eligible displaced person, eligible for consideration for admission into the united States under Section 2(C) of the Act, and that such admission would be in accordance with the regulations of the Commision;

That the Principal Applicant is entiled to: The 1st preference under section 6 (A) of the US Displaced Persons Act of 1948, as amened, because of the nature of his employment.

Therefore in accordance with the regulations of the Commision, this report is submitted to the Officer of the US Foreign Service at Naples, Italy, for consideration in connection with the Principal Applicant's application for an Immigration Visa."

Unlike more than 12 million folks, who shall remain nameless, since 1986, my Dad jumped thru all the LEGAL hoops he was required to to come to The Promised Land, The Land of Opportunity, The Land of Freedom, and Democracy.

Sending a Message 5: Signs of the Times

On Friday ( Begin With Chapter 1 ), I joined in the sign waving, and slogan chanting, with enthusiasm, and the messages being sent by the signs were intended not just for the ACLU, but for our leaders in all levels of Government who seem intent on ignoring the concerns of the average American Citizen with regards to the issue of Illegal Immigration, and securing our borders from intrusion by Illegal Aliens, whether they be workers, criminals, or terrorists.

A Rainbow Coalition, Standing United, came together to Push our leaders in government to stand up to the ACLU NOW, and get a Move On with regards to seriously doing something about our too Liberal Open Borders, north, and South, and treatment of Illegal Aliens.

As the uproar over the current "Illegal Alien Amnesty Bill" shows, the smell of discontent among Conservatives, and other concerned citizens, is in the Air of America, and one would think the people running for offices, from City Council to President, would pay heed... 

Yesterday I found another one of those "Census Documents" the Political Parties send out that are intended to make you think you are specially being singled out for opinion, but are really just thinly disguised pleas for money.

So here I am "among a select group of Republicans who have been chosen to take part in the official 2007 census of the Republican Party".

Why is there only 1 question about Illegal Immigration?

Are they serious? Do they REALLY need to even ask THIS question?

Of course I damn well agree that WE MUST STOP ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION!!

The Party is seriously divided, on this issue, and the Liberals are loving it.

As the Police kept watch to make sure we didn't get all rowdy-like, and didn't step over, or wave anything across, the barrier separating us from impeding the flow of traffic, we stood around chanting, and waving, slogans, and waving the American Flag as well.

Sending a Message 4: One Event, Many Voices

As Politically Correct Joe, the charming "Elder Statesman" who owned the truck, drove back and forth, on Friday ( Begin With Chapter 1 ), I joined in the sign waving, and slogan chanting, fun.

I saw a Black man, a bit older than me, and approached the Minute Man Project member with a smile.

I asked if he was one of those Ku Kluxers I'd heard was standing watch on the border, and he laughed with me at the very idea that a cause that brings Americans of all ethnic, and racial backrounds together could be considered racist.

It was then that I learned about one of the efforts in the African-American Community to bring attention to the affects Illegal Immigration has upon it.

I was introduced to activist Ted Hayes, he of the Dome Village Project in Los Angeles, and learned about Choose Black America, an effort to educate the Black Community about the threat to its future that is Illegal Immigration.

In his chat with me, and his passionate interview with the reporter from KFI Radio, I learned a few things:

Mass illegal immigration has been the single greatest impediment to black advancement in this country over the past 25 years. Blacks, in particular, have lost economic opportunities, seen their kids’ schools flooded with non-English speaking students, and felt the socio-economic damage of illegal immigration more acutely than any other group. ...

On May 23rd, 2006, the new group sent out a Press Release that announced that "many Black Americans oppose Illegal Alien Amnesty, and  urged passage of an Enforcement Only Bill in the Senate because Amnesty will hurt all Americans, and Blacks the Most" ( Read the whole thing. ) ( Watch the Press Conference on YouTube. ).

In July they held a rally to make the case that "Amnesty for Violating U.S. Immigration Laws Is Not a Civil Rights Issue". ( Read Press Release. )

As an effort in co-operation with the Federation for American Immigration Reform, Choose Black America has a Website of its own where you can learn more about their effort, and those folks behind it.

I was told by Ted that they are encouraging all Bloggers to ask the Congressional Black Caucas why it is silent on the danger of Illegal Immigration to the African-American Community?

A very good question, indeed.

Sending a Message 3: Small Turn Out, Huge Support

Friday ( Begin With Chapter 1 ) I was among about 50 Patriotic Americans of all shapes, and sizes, and different ethnic, and racial, backrounds, young, and old, who gathered for a part of their day, to give the ACLU a piece of their mind.

I only live about 2 miles away, and so walked along the Santa Ana River Bike Trail to Chapman Ave. and then after breakfast at the nearby Burger King, headed off to find the Gathering.

When I arrived at a parking lot next to  the offices of a Union Local ( Hee, hee! ), to the east of the building that houses the Office of the Orange County ACLU, there were a few people co-ordinating arrivals, and preparation, including the guy with the sign adorned truck that would be driven back, and forth along Chapman during the time of the protest.

I introduced myself, and chatted with a few people, discussing why we were there, and what message we hoped to send the ACLU, and any passers-by.

As more people arrived we mosied on over to the sidewalk in front of the office of the ACLU, which was located on the 2nd floor of the building, with its curtains  closed.

With a podium, and a microphone, for the speechifiers, the OC Register, and  KFI AM 640, on hand to report on the event, and the Cops to make sure all sides made nice, we all sort of hoped the ACLU would come out of hiding to chat, and discuss the issues, all friendly-like ( Or at least step out on the balcony, smile, wave, and brandish a sign or 2 giving us serious "What For" ).

As of the time I left all the brave, and outspoken, ACLU could bring itself to do, was peek out the window, chat with the OC Register, tell us not to park in "their" parking lot, and try to cause a stink about where people parked in the near-by staging area.

The reaction to our presence, from the general public, walking, and driving by, was much more enthusiastic. ;-D

Lots of horn honking, and calling out of support, made us smile, wave our signs, and yell our slogans, all the louder, and enthusiastically.

The occasional hateful catcalls, and middle finger waving, didn't faze us in the least, and just made us laugh, and shake our heads, at their blindness, and ignorance, about the issues at stake.

I have been reading a number of books, and visiting a lot of websites over the past year and a half, on the issue of Illegal Immigration  ( See Right Sidebar for Immigration related sites. ), and am currently reading MINUTEMEN: The Battle To Secure America's Borders by Jim Gilchrist and Jerome R. Corsi.

Imagine my surprise  when I turn around, and find myself face to face with the outspoken patriot himself! ;-D

There he was, all decked out in his Sunday Best, and I stuck out my hand, introduced myself, told him of my Blog, and how I occasionally write about the issue of Illegal Immigration, have links to efforts such as his, and was busily reading his book.

When I took it out to prove it, he smiled and offered to sign it for me.

To The Mad Macedonian,

Keep up your great work!

Thanks for supporting The Minuteman Project.

United We Stand!

Jim Gilchrist :-D

How cool is THAT! ;-D

I will not finish reading the book in the presence of food, and drink, so as not to risk damaging something that will be a treasured member of my Book Collection. ;-D

When people say that we can't control our borders, can't severly curtail Illegal Immigration, and thus have to keep giving Amnesty, and other privileges, to people who break our laws to get here, and break our laws to stay here, I say BULLTACO!!

It CAN be done! We can change things, and control things.

If we, the people, have to continue to speak out until our leaders listen, then we must do so.

Proceed to Chapter 4 of 6: One Event, Many Voices.

Sending A Message 2: OC Reg Gives Only Part of Story

Yesterday ( Begin with Chapter 1 ) I was among about 50 Patriotic Americans of all shapes, and sizes, and different ethnic, and racial, backrounds, young, and old, who gathered for a part of their day, to give the ACLU a piece of their mind.

If you read the OC Edition of the Los Angeles Times, this morning, you would have had no clue that the event even occurred.

If you read this mornings OC Register, or checked out the story, its 3 photos, and Video, Online, you would have gotten a very incomplete picture of what occurred, and who was there.

I was there for the 1st 90 minutes, and though I missed all the speechifying,  I guarandamntee you that the report I will be presenting here, over the next few days ( I work every day, except Tuesday, so be patient!  ) will have more pics, and more information.

While the Lake Forest Case may have led to this event being set up, by the Campo Minutemen, there were other groups represented with reason to take issue with the ACLU.

Reading the OC Register, though, you would not learn any of this, and that is disgraceful.

I have been Blogging the issue of Illegal Immigration, the War Against Terror, problems with the actions of the ACLU, and more, off, and on, for 5 years now, and have important links in my sidebar that I hope my reporting on this event will encourage my fellow citizens in the OC, and beyond, who read my stories, will check out, and learn from.

Proceed to Chapter 3 of 6: Small Turn Out, Huge Support.

Sending a Message to the ACLU in Orange County

Before I go to work this afternoon I will be putting in an appearance, for about 90 min., at an effort to send a message to the ACLU:

On June 15th, Californians have a golden opportunity by uniting in a show of strength outside the offices of the ACLU of Orange County. The picket and protest were originally organized by Lake Forest residents in response to litigation the ACLU filed against the city in February but has been expanded due to ACLU actions locally and across the state.

"Cities, counties, states and even private businesses and persons are relentlessly targeted by the ACLU in pursuit of deconstructing America's moral infrastructure and creating a godless society", states Nedd Kareiva, director of the Stop the ACLU Coalition. "When someone or a city dares to resist the ACLU, it is frequently bullied into submission to its will, often with threats of costly lawsuits".

California is a state hard hit by the ACLU, both policy-wise and in taxpayers' wallets. The ACLU successfully sought removals of crosses on the seals of L.A. County, the city of Redlands and a makeshift steel one at the Mojave Desert and nearly succeeded in removing the Mt. Soledad cross in San Diego. They sued the city of Escondido for seeking to curb illegal immigration while threatening other communities seeking to do similarly. And with its pursuit of assisted suicide and same sex marriage in California's legislature, the ACLU seeks to overturn previously enacted voter referenda.

ACLU policies and lawsuits have affected California children. Its faithful defense of Planned Parenthood has thwarted prosecutions of child molesters and prevented parents from knowing when their teen girls sought abortions. And its support of homosexual teaching and activities in public schools and unrestricted pornography has gravely hurt many families.

"The ACLU has met its match in the courts with legal groups like the Alliance Defense Fund, and Liberty Counsel taking them on", says Kareiva. "However, outside these excellent firms, Americans have had little say-so against the ACLU until recently. The Coalition represents God-fearing Americans by raising massive public awareness of ACLU policies and positions and organizing more rallies like this one. Only when huge numbers of Americans mount sustained resistance of the ACLU's agenda will America truly be kept safe and free."

Who: Stop the ACLU Coalition, Jim Gilchrist's Minutemen Project, FIRE Society and numerous American patriots and groups.

What: Protest outside the offices of the ACLU of Orange County.

Where: 2140 W. Chapman, Orange, CA.

When: 12-3 PM

Why: To expose and oppose the ACLU's dangerous agenda for America.

I got this heads up thru Earned Media, and made plans to show my support of the effort, and the organizations listed above.

***UPDATE -- 5PM***

Just a quick note to say that, from Noon to 130pm,this afternoon, I spent an enjoyable time with the nicest bunch of Patriotic Americans you would ever care to meet.

Pale Colored, Brown Colored, and just plain Colored ( Or even DARKER Brown, to be Un-PC about it, because the NAACP won't believe me anyway, hee, hee! ) Folk, all coming together for a common cause!

I have plans to do this report up in style, over several posts, so I hope the curious will stick around in coming days.;-D

***END UPDATE***

Proceed to PART 2 of 6: OC Register gives incomplete picture of event.

Parents have absolutely no say so in what a school can teach?

So claims the ACLU in a Friend of the Court Brief it has filed:

David Parker was arrested and jailed in Lexington in April 2005 over his request – and the school's refusal – to notify him when adults discuss homosexuality or transgenderism with his 6-year-old kindergartner. That despite a state law requiring such notification.

The incident made news around the nation and even Gov. Mitt Romney agreed with Parker.

However, in April 2006 the same school presented the book "King and King," about homosexual romances and marriage, to second-graders and again refused to provide notification.

Parker and other parents followed with the federal civil rights lawsuit, alleging school officials and the town were refusing to follow state law.

The ACLU and several gay groups are now filing a friend of the court brief to stop his civil lawsuit stating parents have absolutely no say so in what a school can teach.

What are schools thinking when they set out to teach about these things to kids so young?

Middle School is soon enough to find sensible, constructive, ways to bring the subject up in appropriate classroom settings.

Parents have the right to know what their kids are being taught.

Stop the ACLU has more on the story.

Lesbians and ACLU Attack Boyscouts In 9th Circuit

The ACLU says...

"This is about punishing the Boy Scouts—and anybody who associates with them—for winning [the right to maintain moral values]."

Okay... So the ACLU is trying to use the Scouts' victory against them by claiming that their court-won right to preserve moral standards makes them "religious"—and therefore, they don't have the right to exist in the secular realm.

More here.

Stop the ACLU Blogburst 2

The Stop The ACLU blog and BlogBurst have been founded with the goal of bringing public awareness of the Anti-American activities of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Let me share with you, this week, some stories currently in the news that you may not be aware of:

1. ACLU compares MLK to terrorists.

The ACLU recently put out a full page ad using the legacy of MLK to further their anti-Bush campaign over NSA.  They took the history of how MLK was illegally wiretapped, and compared it to what Bush did with NSA.  The ad is very disrespectful, and I found the wording interesting, how they automatically called the terror suspects under NSA surveillance innocent Americans, and assume Bush automatically guilty.

No matter how we view MLK, we all know he was against violence as a means of achieving political goals.  Opposite that of the terrorist the ACLU defend, and compare him too in this ad.

Here is the full story, and the AD in question.

2. ACLU sues the NSA.

Is the ACLU in contact with terrorists overseas? Well, of course they are! Now it seems they are paranoid of getting caugt! They now plan to sue!

"Saying that the Bush administration’s illegal spying on Americans must end, the American Civil Liberties Union today filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against the National Security Agency seeking to stop a secret electronic surveillance program that has been in place since shortly after September 11, 2001."

Full story here.

Stop the ACLU Blogburst 1: Communist Roots of ACLU

I recently threw my support behind folks dedicated to watching the ACLU and reporting on their antics: Stop the ACLU, the Blog, and the Coalition Website.

Did you know THIS about the ACLU?

We at the Stop The ACLU blog and BlogBurst have been founded with the goal of bringing public awareness of the Anti-American activities of the American Civil Liberties Union.

The fact is, the only thing about the ACLU that is American is the first word in the title of their organization. And this has been true since their founding. We have been focused on the two prominent co-founders Roger Baldwin and Crystal Eastman; but the truth is that there were 7 others. People like Upton Sinclair and Clarence Darrow just to name a couple. But the most notorious of the founding "fathers" of the American Civil Liberals Union (no I didn't spell that wrong) was Elizabeth "Gurley" Flynn.

Ms. Flynn was the co-founder who ended up being the National Chairman of the Communist Party in the US. A devout Communist who made several trips to the Soviet Union after the denunciation of Communism by Roger Baldwin in 1940. A move which had motives other than those publicized. The public appearance of the denunciation was to give the illusion of distancing active members of the Communist party from the ACLU. When in fact it was a statement meant to be felt by Josef Stalin. Stalin enjoyed the support of people like Baldwin in the United States before the outbreak of war in Europe. Baldwin and Eastman being the strict pacifists that they were, had a total opposition to the Soviet Union entering the war. But they also saw the Soviet-German non-aggression treaty as a crime against the good Soviet people. So Flynn expulsion from the Executive Committee was a farce.

Flynn was indoctrinated into the Socialist mindset by her parents. At the age of 16 she gave her first speech on socialism entitled "What Socialism Will Do For Women." A speech which subsequently got her expelled from high school. At the age of 17 Flynn became an organizer for the International Workers of the World (IWW) and her career as a full time Socialist began. In 1920 she joined forces with Roger Baldwin, Crystal Eastman, Upton Sinclair, Clarence Darrow, Norman Thomas, Jane Addams, and John Dewey to form what we now know as the American Civil Liberties Union. In 1936, Flynn joined the Communist Party in the United States.

To be honest this even suprised ME when I 1st read it.