S.B. 1070 was signed into law by the Republican Governor of Arizona. This legislation requires police to question people about their immigration status if they suspect they're undocumented.

I read a painful article that was filled with right-wing stupidity and teabaggery... on FoxNews.com. Of course.

 Here is a mix of some of the comments from that article: Click here for the full article

"Look around. Isn't there a mexican/asian restaurant on every corner? How about the non-english speaking neighbors who just moved in next door. Check out your public school if you don't already have kids at one."

"This bill reminds me of the Schindler's list. Where is the United States Laws?" <- smart reader

" Illegal aliens should have been rounded up and deported by U.S. Immigration Dept.long ago" (sound familiar? JEWS! JAPANESE! GAYS AND LESBIANS! WWII INTERNMENT CAMPS)

"Boy we are on a slippery slope. Being a vet and puertorican while in uniform i was stop because i looked like a wet back and just might cause trouble. Miami, 1979. so i'am good enough to serve my country but not walk the streets. get real people, if it happened to me it can happen to you."

"If your REAL goal is to stop illleagal immigration you would punish the employers who create the huge demand for these workers. But you won't. You still need someone to keep your country club beauitflly manicured, Maria to take care of little Trevor while your at the spa. Your husband needs them to finish the McMansion he is building for the congressman because he won the low bid using illegal workers. WAKE UP!!!! It's Y'all who are causing this. I hope you are sucssfull at stoping illegal immigration, maybe them I'll start making a living wage and be able to live in YOUR neighborhood!"

"I want ALL of the illegal invaders kicked out regardless of what race they are. All illegals need to leave immediately because the free ride is over!"

"If you are here illegally you are and ILLEGAL ALIEN not and UNDOCUMENTED! If you want to come to our country-... WE did not ask you to come here, so if you don't like paying for licenses, taxes, VISAs, etc... you may leave at any time or you do NOT have t come here. We have enough problems on our own without adding you to the mix!!!"

Wow on this next one... #wtffail

"I am a lifelong democrat, and all I can say is thank god for the republicans. Someone has to look out for the American people, and in this case, the good people of Arizona. I have felt for some time, and continue to feel, that there is going to be much violence and bloodshed over this issue. I think that this is a good start to remedy the problems, and hope more states will follow."

"So arrest these wet backs and either keep them in jail or ship them back. Or better yet, sell them to China as slaves. Why not. They want to cut lawn and do laundry. Put them on a boat. Good Job AZ"

"It is the job of any soveriegnty to discriminate! Otherwise there would be need for a constitution. The constitution exists soley to discriminate between our country and others. Not only is it legal, but it is demanded. WE must discriminate based on nationality. Race is inconsequential and at best coincidental. Good for you Arizona! Well Done!"

The Republican/Teabagger party platform...

"As a vet, and former Arizona land owner my border solution is simple and low cost. Unroll some wire and mine it! The vultures will clean up as needed."

" I am sick and tired of our politicians voting for special interest groups instead of for the citizens. Join numbersusa and you can send free faxes and get notices when amnesty issues come up. Harry Reid seems to think he has enough votes to pass amnesty-well not if we shout loud enough. Please dont let this happen to our nation."

" Passing a bill about illegal immigration has absolutely nothing to do with Martin Luther King, so what if someone does not want to celebrate that "holiday". African American people have their own schools, holiday, month. If white people had those things, we would never hear the end of how racist we are. Totally ridiculous"

"My husband was stabbed in broad daylight by an alien in a store parking lot."

The just got worse from there... I have taken my stand against #AZRacism, will you?

April 10th, 2010 was filled with chants of "Si Se Puede" (Yes we Can!) and "Reforma Inmigratoria, el tiempo ya llego!" (Immigration reform, the time is now!), each of these phrases perfectly embodied the atmosphere around Downtown Las Vegas. It was a beautifully sunny day as I was talking towards the rally, you could see the cars on Las Vegas Boulevard lining up to park for the event, you could hear the chants already echoing through the Downtown area, and the excitement was bubbling.

As I approached the main stage area, I was handed a sign that read "Reform Immigration For America" and I took it proudly. Activists and speakers took the stage for the first hour of the demonstration, riling up the thousands of people in attendance. Stories of hardships, of struggle, and of tragedy are the usual suspects when you think of immigration reform, but at this rally it was something different. The speakers and activists that took the stage spoke instead of their determination to fight for equality and justice rather than present their cases for pitty before the jury of the people; making their stories even more powerful.

One story that truly made waves with the audience was that of a young girl as she retold the story of how she would help her mother clean houses in order to pay the bills after her family was torn apart by the deportation of her father. It spoke to the core of what that day was really about, keeping families together through the passage of CIRASAP (Comprehensive Immigration Reform As Soon As Possible), legislation in the House that would place immigration reform on the center stage. Another young girl made an amazing case in explaining her sense of activism, she told a story of marching with the late leader, Cesar Chavez with her mother when she was just a child. She then went on to thank her mother and every other mother and father in the audience that was brave enough to fight for what they believed in. One delightful note was the many ordinary people that came to support the day's demonstration, neighbors shaking hands and talking about how everyone that they know was there at the rally. The sad part is that those stories won't get published in the papers, they never do.

A woman that I knew was there at the rally who's husband had been deported last year while they were still living in California, I'd met her a few months ago at a different event in the city. She was there with her young child wrapped in the American Flag and shouting at the top of her lungs "Si Se Puede"! I ran into another man who had came to stand next to me, I greeted him and we got to talking. His name was Jose Barrios, a naturalized citizen from Los Angeles, he had driven to Las Vegas to support the rally. He told me that his wife was caught in a raid and deported whie being 8 months pregnant, he then told me that he hadn't seen his wife in two years and in turn that he had never met his now two year old son. He told me that it's important for people to understand that our immigration system is tearing families apart, and that even after going through the proper channels, he has still gotten nowhere. He let me know that he was waiting for his son to be a little older before he tried to buy their passage through a coyote or people smuggler. He said the trip was too dangerous for his son to make until he was older.

It was nice to see the several different union groups out in support of immigration reform! It was also great to see the Stonewall Dems Chair, Derek Washington, at the demonstration in support of the movement. I'm going to tell you honestly that I was a little disappointed that I didn't see the usual suspects/Democrats out at the rally. I can understand that it's hard to rally behind a cause if you don't feel that it directly affects you, but I wish people would understand that if they can do it to one of us, they can do it to all of us. Although I noticed the lack of those strong Democrats, I was overjoyed to see my dear friends, Sandy Eddy and Simone Simpson wearing candidate apparel (Paul Murad t-shirts), and then I also met up with Paul Murad as I was walking away from the stage. I had friends at my side and I became energized and ready for the rally!

Then Ruben Kihuen took the stage, letting people know that his success story was one that everyone in the crowd could be proud of, being the first Mexican immigrant to be elected to the Nevada legislature. Another young man took the stage right after Ruben, but this young man had an even more powerful story to tell. He was an Iraq-War Veteran, having served his country, having to return from duty as a permanently injured soldier. He told the crowd that it gave him great pride to fight for the people of Iraq and the United States, but that he couldn't understand how he could be asked to lay his life on the line for a country that won't let him vote because he was an Indian living in America, not an Indian-American/American citizen. Michael Flores from RIFA was on the stage most of the time leading the masses in cheers and chants, warming them up for the real heavy hitters that were getting ready to take the stage. Being Southern Nevada's favorite Congressional Representative, Congresswoman Shelley Berkley came onto the stage and shared the story of her grandparents being immigrants to this country, not being able to speak english. It's always great to hear her speak because you never know what she's going to say! Then she created a buildup for the next speaker, however a slip of the tongue lead to the Congresswoman introducing CongressWOMAN Luis Gutierrez, a mistake that she immediately tried to correct, LOL. The crowd ate it up and laughed right along with her and the CongressMAN. He took the stage with grace and won the crowds over with his pledge to fight for immigration reform.

Then we hit the main event, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took the stage, and the thousands in attendance went wild! With cheers of "Harry! Harry! Hary!", Senator Harry Reid was greeted by an overwhelming fanfare. Reminding those in attendance that immigration reform will happen this year, that he will continue to be a champion on this and many other issues, siting comparisons between the recently passed and embattled healthcare reform legislation and immigration reform that has yet to reach the Senate. Calling the case for immigration reform was as much a fiscal responsibility question as it was a moral question. Immigration reform is the right thing to do for our country, and Senator Reid assured us that he was going to fight and win for us! The Senator let everyone know that he only needed a handful of Republicans to cross the aisle in order to get the legislation off the ground, and that it was the responsibility of those in attendance to help Senator Reid acheive that.

Senator Harry Reid left us all with high hopes for a better year, he left us with a new sense of urgency and determination for the case of immigration reform. With shouts of "Se ve, se siente, el pueblo esta presente" (you can see it, you can feel it, the community is present) and the timeless "Si Se Puede" wrapped up the day's festivities and encouraged everyone to go home and work harder for reform.

Everyone that was present had their own reasons for attending, some had a husband or wife torn from their side by hideous raids that criminalize hard-working people, others had mothers and fathers that suffered the same fate, but I was there representing my cousin who was recently deported. His residency status was revoked after being accused of a crime that had no evidence against him, I was at the rally for his wife and his newborn son, because no family should be torn apart like that. A thought that will stay with me was the thousands in attendance representing the millions in the shadows.

Nevada needs comprehensive immigration reform, The United States needs comprehensive immigration reform, doing nothing is not an option.

Hello Senator Reid's staff,
My name is Leo Murrieta, I am a strong supporter of Senator Harry Reid. I always defend the Senator when I get the opportunity, because I know that he has done many great things for Nevadans.

I'm writing you because I ask that the Senator encourage jobs in Nevada by becoming a supporter in the Senate for the Employer Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Nevadans need his leadership with this bill that would retain jobs for Nevadans, strengthen our local economies, and provide stability to the rising unemployment figures in our great state.

The LGBTQ citizens of Nevada strongly support the Majority Leader, and were adamantly overjoyed at the passing of the Matthew Shepard and William Byrd Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act. However, the great and presing matter at hand in our state is not a case of equal rights, it is simply and purely, jobs.

Senator Harry Reid, please continue representing Nevadans in the U.S. Senate. Please continue being a leader behind job creation, please become a champion of ENDA.

Your supporter,
Leo Murrieta

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hello Senator Ensign's staff,
My name is Leo Murrieta. I am a registered Democrat, but I strongly believe that job creation in Nevada should out-weigh partisanship. Please do not write me off.

I'm asking that Senator Ensign please support job creation and retention in Nevada. I'm asking that Senator John Ensign show leadership and the U.S. Senate and support the Employer Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).

Nevadans need leadership with this bill that would retain jobs for Nevadans, strengthen our local economies, and provide stability to the rising unemployment figures in our great state.

Job creation is a bi-partisan issue. Creating and retaining jobs is what Nevada's crippled economy needs in order to recover.

I ask that Senator John Ensign please support job creation in Nevada. I ask that Senator John Ensign please stand up for Nevadans, I ask that Senator John Ensign please support legislation that would strengthen Nevada's economy.

Thank you,
Leo Murrieta