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O'Reilly alleged immigrant protest "organizers" have hidden "hardcore militant agenda" to take back American Southwest

May 03, 2006 3:43 pm ET

Bill O'Reilly said that the "organizers" of the May 1 nationwide immigrant protests have a "hardcore militant agenda of 'You stole our land, you bad gringos.' "

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On the May 1 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Bill O'Reilly said that the "organizers" of the May 1 nationwide pro-immigrant protests have a "hardcore militant agenda of 'You stole our land, you bad gringos.' " O'Reilly said that the "slogan" of the demonstrations' organizers was "[W]e didn't cross the border, the border crossed us" and that this meant that the organizers believed that Americans "stole [their] land." The organizers' hidden "agenda underneath," said O'Reilly, was that "now, we're going to take it back by massive, massive migration into the Southwest."

O'Reilly joins other conservative media figures who have claimed that the immigrant leaders' true agenda is to reclaim the American Southwest, which the United States acquired as part of the treaty ending the Mexican War (1846-48).

From the May 1 broadcast of Westwood One's The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly:

O'REILLY: And then there's the hardcore militant agenda of "You stole our land, you bad gringos." This is the organizers of these demonstrations: "The border -- we didn't cross the border, the border crossed us." That is their slogan. That you stole our land, and now, we're going to take it back by massive, massive migration into the Southwest. And we're going to control those places, because you stole it from us, and that's the agenda underneath.


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    • Author by Yellow Bird (May 03, 2006 3:46 pm ET)
         

      or debunk whether the protest leaders said anything of the sort that Billy boy claims?

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      • Author by pete592 (May 03, 2006 3:54 pm ET)
           

        O'Reilly is 'fair and balanced' so it must be true. Isn't that enough to ease your doubts? LOL

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      • Author by snoopy (May 03, 2006 4:30 pm ET)
           

        but these are extremests, not the true organizers. Fox news makes a habit of blurring the lines so they can denigrate at will.

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      • Author by deeznuts (May 03, 2006 8:21 pm ET)
           

        He got it from the BBB.

        Bureau of Bill's Butt.

        (High-five to the coiner of that delicious phrase. I use it often.)

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    • Author by pete592 (May 03, 2006 4:12 pm ET)
         

      Who owns California?

      American holdings make up the majority, but California also leads the nation in foreign investment.

      According to 2002 statistics from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, The U.K. is the leader in California investment, followed closely by Japan. Mexico came in a distant ELEVENTH.

      [link to www.ppic.org]

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    • Author by rusty shackleford (May 03, 2006 4:30 pm ET)
         

      The immigrants left "dirtbag" (per Glenn Beck) Mexico, where they can't make a living, to come to the American Southwest, where they can make a living, so that they can take back the Southwest and make it part of... Mexico? And not be able to make a living all over again? So... confused...

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    • Author by defkon_4 (May 03, 2006 4:31 pm ET)
         

      Michelle Malkin has been screeching non-stop about this radical "reconquista" element within the immigration demonstrations. But like any movement or demonstration, these radical groups represent the FRINGE, or the vocal MINORITY.

      To say that the majority of immigration protestors support any type of "hardcore militant agenda" like this is a gross overgeneralization of the pro-immigration community. O'Reilly and Malkin and engaging in political cherrypicking to try to paint relatively mainstream protestors a radical and militant color.

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    • Author by dave (May 03, 2006 5:10 pm ET)
         

      ....is wrong here. Illegal immigrants want to keep the borders as is. They prefer to enter the US under a cloud of darkness as close to the current border as possible. Why would they want to travel further north? So a note to Bill, its not the land, its the benefits, silly.

      As a side note, it seems that "National Criminal Awareness Day" did nothing to cripple the US economy, IMHO.

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      • Author by right ON (May 03, 2006 5:24 pm ET)
           

        great name for it, and you are right. it was a dismal failure that barely registered a blip on anyone's radar, except the 24 hour news channels. fact is, where i live the traffic was lighter, the emergency rooms were empty and life was a breeze this past monday may 1. when is the next one?

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        • Author by tmcc (May 03, 2006 5:27 pm ET)
             

          Have your own boycott to protest illegal immigration. I'm sure the nation will be really hurt when ignorant jerks don't show up for work.

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    • Author by tmcc (May 03, 2006 5:25 pm ET)
         

      Funny how the Right is perfectly willing to impart the beliefs of the fringe to the masses when it suits them, but will cry like babies if someone did the same to them. For instance:

      "The true agenda of the anti-immigration people is to ensure a white majority." This is most certainly true of many people on O'Reilly's side.

      "The true agenda of the Bush administration in Iraq is to secure the Iraqis oil for American exploitation." Could anyone honestly disagree that at the very least there is a minority of people in the Bush administration who consider this an important goal?

      "The true agenda of the anti-abortion crowd is to use abortion as a wedge issue to motivate their followers to put the US on a slippery slope towards a state religion." Once again, can anyone deny that there are many who oppose religion and who believe that this country's laws should be based on their version of Christianity. "Furthermore, the anti-abortionists support terrorism to advance their goals." Once again, true of a minority, not of a majority.

      "The true agenda behind tax cuts is to bankrupt the federal government so that it will be unable to carry out social programs conservatives despise and instead will have to spend all its money on repaying the debt and funding defense."

      Each of these positions can be defended on Bill O'Reilly's level of thinking, that the views of a minority can be used to characterize the views of the majority.

      Isn't it possible that the people who marched actually believe that immigrants are not the source of every problem in this country and should not be scapegoated as such? Isn't it possible that they merely wanted to draw attention to their many contributions to this country, such as the $50 billion they have paid into Social Security but will never collect?

      No way! they obviously are nothing more than an advance guard of the coming Mexican invasion. Sure, Bill. And while you are ever vigilant of the immigrant threat, be sure to watch out for the UN's black helicopters that are abducting our cattle and citizens for testing, you paranoid nutjob! It'll be no time before he appears on television with a tin foil hat.

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    • Author by dave (May 03, 2006 5:47 pm ET)
         

      ... Isn't it possible that they merely wanted to draw attention to their many contributions to this country, such as the $50 billion they have paid into Social Security but will never collect?

      Maybe if they became legal citizens (and I 'm not saying your number is not correct) they could get some of that back. We, on the right, are not against immigrantion, just illegal immigration. If my country club fees go up and I have to pay more for lettuce, so be it...that's capitalism. Wouldn't be in their best interest to become legal so they could get some of that money back?

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    • Author by jpark (May 03, 2006 6:45 pm ET)
         

      Is the right really a bunch of lily-livered panty-waists? Everything that comes out of their mouths is that they are afraid of something. Cowards, all of them.

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    • Author by robrob (May 03, 2006 6:50 pm ET)
         

      Of course he has ZERO evidence - not that that ever stops him from ranting in the first place. Maybe he read it in the Paris Business Review?

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    • Author by deeznuts (May 03, 2006 8:38 pm ET)
         

      Scary wolves are comin' to getcha'!

      Be afraaaaaiiiid of the scaaaary wolves.

      (Anyone remember that GOP ad from the 2004 election? Sheesh, talk about "terrorism".)

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