Lou Dobbs and Immigrant Hate Groups Put Fear First, Leave Solutions Behind

When did extreme become mainstream?--That's the question immigrant advocates, labor leaders, civil rights groups, and Latino organizations are asking in a full page ad in Capitol Hill newspapers this week as supporters of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) march into the offices of Congress, demanding an impractical and hateful agenda of mass deportations, worksite raids, and other expensive and ultimately ineffective approaches as part of their "Hold Their Feet to the Fire" gathering.

The September 10 broadcast of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight program will further stoke FAIR's flames as it airs live from the site of the annual "Hold Their Feet to the Fire" event, along with dozens (or so FAIR claims) of radio hosts from across the country. Hateful extremism is a difficult challenge and sad reality that our nation faces. However, its appearance in mainstream politics and media marks a disturbing social regression for the United States as hate groups and extremists are allowed to define the debate on immigration.

Controversy over FAIR's extremist ties dates back to its founder, John Tanton, who started FAIR with funds from the Pioneer Fund, a foundation committed to the belief that some races of people are genetically and intellectually superior to other races. Tanton, a pioneer of the anti-immigrant movement and avid supporter of eugenics, continues "defining the debate on immigration" as leader of FAIR and member of its board of directors. The Southern Poverty Law Center has named FAIR a "hate group." The list of other groups which have earned this distinction from SPLC include: the Ku Klux Klan, American neo-Nazi groups, and the Aryan Nations.

These are the voices which the media is allowing to penetrate the immigration debate with spokesmen like Lou Dobbs to serve as megaphones for their message. Meanwhile, Dobbs is showing his true colors and affirming critics who describe his slanted immigration reporting as being marked by misinformation, extreme rhetoric, hateful attacks, and data from organizations linked to white supremacists. In an extensive report on immigration and cable news, media watchdog--Media Matters Action Network--defined anchors such as Lou Dobbs as overflowing with a "series of myths that feed viewers' resentment and fears, fostering hostility toward immigrants."

Dobbs and his allies in FAIR should worry less about holding lawmakers' feet to the fire, and work instead on getting their heads out of the sand. Immigration policy in America is a pressing domestic priority deserving of sober analysis, not hateful hype. FAIR's policy agenda is anchored in rounding folks up and keeping them out. An organization so short on policy solutions and so long in stirring intolerance should be getting a cold shoulder, not a warm embrace from CNN and other media outlets.

Comments

[EstCst70]

Don't know much about the group "FAIR", but I do know it is not fair to continue to try and label anyone that respects the laws of this country and for enforcement as "unfair" nor "racist" simply because the criminals affected (illegal immigrants, the people who hire/do business with them, and harbor them) happen in large part to be of the same decent.

When did it become "mainstream" to think if enough people break the same law that makes it "ok". I'm sure our citizens sitting in our jails for breaking our laws would love to make the same argument. Illegal entry, tax evasion, identity theft, fraud, etc are legitimately identified as crimes and as such have repercussions for committing them.

Deportation isn't hateful - it's a legitimate repercussion. Citizens who break the law go to our jails. Foreigners who break our laws get deported. That's how it works throughout most of the world. Crying that deportation isn't fair and is hateful is a criminals argument.

Having a legal system and maintaining prisons are a financial burden - should we just do away with them? Of course not. Mass deportation isn't hateful anymore than a single deportation is and while it may be difficult or costly - this problem will cost our citizens either way. It's time we start investing in what is right, instead of throwing our money at what is easy.

We need to stop painting criminals as victims - we need to stop advocating corruption for personal

[Beris]

Lou Dobbs should work for Fox News and not CNN. He is so ultra that is not even funny. I can't stand his constant, never ending, mockery of Obama on everything, where it belongs or where it doesn't. He is an obvious supporter of McCain, and yet he still call himself Mr. Independent. What a joke. Strong words. Mr. Independent. Worse, CNN approves that self-pronounced title by repeating it (announcing him as such).

Lou is so blatant in his anti-immigration position that it's increasingly scary. He hides it from time to time by repeating how he supports legal immigration, but from his words and his statements you can sense what he really feels about anyone who is not born in US.

His mockery of Obama, of Latino immigrants, of European and rest-of-the-world's opinion on issues (as all of us are really global citizens), are becoming increasingly troublesome. He is a very strong right winger, who dares to call himself Mr. Independent. Independent my butt.

[wombystar]

Obviously no one opposed to "illegal" immigration wants to be labeled as a racist, but xenophobia does lie at the center of the fears harbored by these people. Fears begin with assumptions about the motives, customs, habits, etc of undocumented persons, which - when you make any such generalizations about a group of people - is pretty damn near the same thing as racism.
ttmatthe says that America is not homogenous - and neither are the millions of people who are caught in a broken, unfair, and inhumane system with nowhere to go. We need to stop thinking of these people as different from us, and instead realize that all human beings need to be afforded rights and dignity.

[lilyb]

BrianSDCA,
There is a big difference between wanting to "stop illegal immigration," (which we all support!) and what FAIR's extremist leaders are on record saying.
Would you agree that we have to stand up against positions like these?
"As Whites see their power and control over their lives declining, will they simply go quietly into the night? Or will there be an explosion?" - John Tanon, FAIR Founder and Board Director
"Should we be subsidizing people with low IQs to have as many children as possible?" - Dan Stein, FAIR President
I think we can all agree, that these views by FAIR's Founder and President have no place in the important, critical debate on how we're going to find practical solutions to fix our broken immigraiton system.

[ttmatthe]

I don't know much about this fair, but I do know I'm heavily opposed to illegal immigration. And no, it has nothing to do with the race of people coming across the border. I do think it's ludicrous to approach illegal immigration from a racist view, considering America isn't exactly the most homogeneous country.

[JohnKelly]

Lou Dobbs is a one note bigot at times. He has become another O'Reilly type of blustering bully. Not too long ago he actually read emails that disagreed with his views. He used to listen respectfully to those that disagreed with him. Not any more. He and his little reporter/puppets recycle stories designed to outrage the morons who are all too willing to believe the worst of other peoples. His comments about left wing media bias are just the latest in a string of unsubstantiated crap from him. His constant drum beat for those border guards who shot an unarmed man and got jail time is the worst sort of crap. He does not care about any of the thousands of people in prison who are tortured, raped and murdered, after being under represented in our justice system. There is plenty of injustice to go after, but he focuses only on these border guards. This tells the whole story of his bigotry.

John

[BrianSDCA]

Angela,

Is it too much to ask that our laws be respected, illegal immigration stop and that if you are opposed to illegal immigration that you are not labeled a racist hater or associated with the KKK?

Lou Dobbs is not a racist or a hater, but he is apposed to out of control illegal immigration as are many other Americans.