Like What You Did There
Posted on August 5, 2008 at 11:34 amThe Tennessean promote the denunciation of collective bargaining in Shelbyville by a national organization named “English First”:
“Already we have been told by Barack Obama that it is the duty of our children to learn Spanish,” said Jim Boulet Jr., executive director of English First. “Now, an American holiday has been replaced by a Muslim religious festival.”
“A new immigrant to America, legal or illegal, enjoys more rights than taxpaying American citizens,” Boulet said. “The notion that immigrants should adapt to America is being destroyed one bilingual education class, one ‘press one for English,’ and one ACLU-approved Muslim foot-washing bath at a time.”
This organization, of course, is not connected to Eric Crafton’s petition drive but the article doesn’t make that clear, either way.
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Labor Day Linkgate: The Saga Continues
Posted on at 7:03 amKatie Allison Granju comments on a reporter from her hometown paper accusing a blogger of bias:
First of all, bloggers don’t have to be objective. Second of all, this is pretty ironic, coming from a guy who - as a straight news reporter - covers the Muslim beat for a newspaper while at the same time writing incredibly biased, anti-Muslim rhetoric on his personal blog, and as a poster at sites like Free Republic.
Given what Mosely clearly believes personally, and has expressed publicly about the hot-button issue of immigration. I continue to find it absolutely incredible that he has been given this beat to cover. It’s a sensitive issue, and it needs to be covered with extreme thoughtfulness and sensitivity.
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Reporter Catches Fire For Linking To Blogger’s MySpace
Posted on August 4, 2008 at 9:07 amThe controversy over a Tyson Foods plant swapping out Labor Day for a Muslim holiday in deference to the Islamic presence in its work force took an interesting turn over the weekend.
Blogger Christy Frink, who took issue with a newspaper story on the subject and the accompanying comments beneath it, was “outed” as an employee of Catholic Charities of Tennessee by the reporter for the Shelbyville Times Gazette covering the story.
In an extensive blog post on the controversy and his experience covering related issues, reporter Brian Mosely, attempting to turn charges of bias on him around to his critics, used Frink’s MySpace, where she listed her employer, to call into question her objectivity on immigration issues.
The blogosphere was not pleased with the tactic.
The Times-Gazette is doing a fine job of reporting on this issue, but I’d advise Mr. Mosley to lay off the personal redirection and speculation. I get the impression he’s imagining he’s on the cusp of some pulitzer-winning expose of a grand conspiracy of charities to bring refugees into this country. Or something. He’s either doing so out of ignorance to the economic complexity and sheer magnitude of the situation or he’s being willfully naive in order to, as Christy suggested, stir up controversy with the local yokels (which he certainly has).
Stick to calling for reform, avoid insinuating vested interest and conspiracy on behalf of the organizations trying to help these people. Someone might mistake you for an insane person.
Given that a reporters’ claim to objectivity is his or her ability to interview and to portray meaning or facts as close to the subject as possible, it might have helped Mr. Mosley to have done an interview with the blogger about her work before jumping to the conclusion that the vocation of social work itself engenders blinders.
First of all, I have worked in Social Work myself. I wish that Mosely had linked to that site instead of her MySpace page, but that’s just me. He obviously took the time to dig around about Christy, but he linked to the wrong page if you ask me. That didn’t set well with me at all but he made his choice and put his name on it. He should have linked to the site he referenced regarding her employment. That way it would have validated not only her but him. She might have information that he doesn’t. See where I’m getting at.
It should be noted that the reporter in question, Brian Mosely, was a “victim” of what could be seen as a similar “outing” back in January when WBIR blogger Katie Granju linked up to Mosely’s personal blog to call into question his objectivity in his previous reporting.
Labor Day Down: Somali Presence At Tyson Leads To Holiday Swap
Posted on August 2, 2008 at 7:31 pmThe blogosphere is one fire with the news out of Shelbyville that Tyson Foods has swamped out Labor Day for a holiday recognizing Eid al-Fitr out of respect for the significant Muslim Somali presence in their workforce. Below are samplings from the chatter.
From an investment standpoint Tyson foods is sucking wind, having posted a 92% drop in profits due to rising feed costs. That would be why Claymore Advisors Llc dropped all of their Tyson stock.
THE SOMALIS ARE COMING!! NO ONE IS SAFE!! GUARD YOUR CHICKEN!!
When people qualify to enter the US with refugee status, they actually take out a loan from the government for their plane ticket to get here. They have four months to hang out before they have to start paying it back. As for everything else, they get a little bit of help with a lot of strings attached–within 10 days of being enrolled in the resettlement program, they’re required to meet with a case manager about actively looking for a job unless they’re under 18 and in school full-time. If they have kids at home, they find someone else to watch them. If they can’t speak English, they’re placed in English immersion courses. If they don’t have transportation, they take the bus. If they don’t meet the requirements or haven’t found a job in a couple of weeks, they’re cut off. And if they have found a job at, say, Tyson… they’re still cut off. The goal is self-sufficiency, not dependence.
There are plenty more examples of Somali’s forcing their culture on the rest of us. There’s the Somali Target cashier who refused to touch a package of pork in Mpls. Target of course bowed to political correctness and established a policy allowing a Muslim cashier to call in a replacement. The creeping Dhimmitude in the Twin Cities is well established. With Tyson importing Somali’s to work in their plants in Shelbyville expect the Somali population to expand quickly.
On one hand I’m torn. A private business should be able to give everyone 365 days off a year if they want. On the other hand, replacing Labor Day for a holiday to placate the most violent, intolerant, misogynistic religion on the planet may not be the greatest idea. And while it shows a politically expedient gesture to their employees where the company has financially given up nothing, it may not play as well to their customers.
So they want to exchange one totalitarian based holiday for another. Big [expletive deleted] deal.
This is a frightening example of incrementalism, the process by which groups achieve partial means to an ultimate end. For those who believe that the current fight in the Middle East is religious in nature, this concession by Tyson brings us one step closer to accepting Sharia Law as the law of the land in the U.S.
But what about the non-union employees? They’ve effectively had a federal holiday taken from them at the expense of a religious holiday. Seems that could leave some a little upset, especially those of the non-faith persuasion. Should any decide to see a lawyer or three that could be fun to watch.
Though, if you want funny, just think on the outrage of these fine Conservative Americans pissing and moaning because Tyson won’t be celebrating Labor Day–which was a commie holiday to begin with.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I look at this story and I see the true spirit of Labor Day come to life. The workers preferred to work on Labor Day and instead have a day off a month later. Through their union, they negotiated the change with the company. It may seem like a small change, but one that was extremely important for the workers. Isn’t having a strong enough union to be able to effect such changes what Labor Day is all about? I look at this and think that the founders of Labor Day would be proud.
One of the things I have always treasured about this country is that we are a safe haven, a beacon of hope, to those suffering in poverty and strife in other parts of the world. Not, apparently, in Tennessee.
Enjoying The Fruits Of Labor
Posted on August 1, 2008 at 1:08 pmKatie Allison Granju explains why Somali immigrants getting the day off from their jobs at Tyson on a Muslim holy day, rather than Labor Day, is a good thing:
[T]he holiday switch was apparently negotiated as part of a new collective bargaining agreement by Tyson’s labor union. So although these Somali immigrants may not actually celebrate Labor Day, they certainly are benefitting from the hard work and advocacy of the organized American labor movement - the movement that which Labor Day honors and recognizes.
Unlike a lot of the critics who will gnash their teeth and wail bitterly about what this holiday switcheroo represents for America, I suggest that it’s actually an example of America at its best.
SEE ALSO: David Melson
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