Reid: If Republicans or Anyone Else Opposes DREAM Act Than They're Insane or Something

If you could get past all of the all-too nauseating fluff piece from the New York Times that all-but expressed their undying love for Senator Harry Reid, (I barely could. I throw up a little in my mouth. Umm...forget that I said that.) You would've found something: a very noteworthy quote from the Senate Majority leader, which they conveniently hid down at the bottom of the love letter....I mean the totally unbiased, right down the middle news article.....Yeah, that's it:

For his part, Mr. Reid predicted, “We’ll get some things done,” naming comprehensive immigration legislation as one possibility.

If Republicans’ vulnerability among Hispanic voters does not persuade them to compromise, he noted, “they have real problems with their mental capacity.”

So, basically, all those that disagree with him are insane, he is the sane one. Of course, what was I thinking?

Of course, the New York Times reporter glossed right over this and would rather tell you what a swell guy Reid is. I'm shocked....shocked. I tell you.

Breaking: DREAM Fails 55-41

It wasn't much of a surprise, but the DREAM Act failed to get the 60 votes needed to pass the bill:

A measure that would have offered provisional legal status to some adults who came to America illegally as children failed to advance in a Senate vote Saturday.

Democratic backers of the legislation fell short of the 60 votes to move the DREAM Act legislation forward. Democratic Sens. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Jon Tester of Montana, Max Baucus of Montana, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, and Ben Nelson of Nebraska voted against bringing the bill to the floor; Republican Sens. Richard Lugar, Lisa Murkowski, and Robert Bennett voted for it.

The vote was 55-41.

The DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act would have allowed illegal immigrants with a high school diploma or a GED to apply for conditional U.S. status if they are under the age of 30 and arrived the U.S. before the age of 16. After a long process -- including two years of service in the military or enrollment in college -- they would then have been eligible to apply for legal immigrant status.

Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions, who led GOP opposition against the legislation, called the measure “amnesty” and argued that it "incentivizes" illegal immigration. GOP opponents also noted that it would have allowed some illegal immigrants with criminal records to gain citizenship

Nothing about this vote was too surprising. It was close, and all of the likely suspects voted the for and against the bill. So, the DREAM should be dead, at least for this session of Congress.

Number of Bodies Found Along Tucson, Arizona/Mexico Border Rise to Highest Ever

This past year has seen more people being found dead along the US/Mexico near Tucson, Arizona than ever before:

The discovery of record numbers of bodies along the Tucson sector of the US-Mexico border suggests that border crossings for illegal immigrants are becoming deadlier as heightened security forces migrants into remoter and more forbidding areas.

In fiscal 2010, which ended Sept. 30, authorities reported fewer border crossings overall. But the 252 bodies recovered surpassed the previous record of 237 in fiscal 2007.

“People go through areas that are harsher, where a lot of people are getting hurt and dying,” says Raquel Rubio-Goldsmith, coordinator of the University of Arizona’s Binational Migration Institute.

A record-breaking heat wave last summer could also have played a role. Moreover, there are more border patrol agents on the ground, and some of these agents patrol more isolated spots, increasing the likelihood of finding bodies, Ms. Rubio-Goldsmith says.

Because the border is fortified with manpower and high-tech surveillance, smugglers do whatever it takes to get their human cargo into the country and collect profits – including going into far-flung regions. There, they sometimes abandon sick or weary border-crossers who can’t keep up with a group, says Colleen Agle, a border patrol agent in the Tucson sector, which covers most of the Arizona international line.

Why is this happening? It probably is a combination of factors. There was a huge heat wave this year in Arizona. People are going to more dangerous parts of the border, in order to get around the patrols. Patrols are going into these more dangerous areas more often than before and are finding bodies that may have been there a while but were in too remote of an area to have been found previously. Plus, coyotes are being more aggressive in their tactics in getting these people across the border as fast as they can, in order to make as much money as possible.

Many amnesty activists will use this as an example of how “cruel” our immigration laws are. However, what they don’t understand is that making them more lax would only make things worse, in the long run. With the drug war intensifying just across the Mexican border, we need to keep things tight on the border, so that the cartels won’t bring the war onto this side of the border.

We still need to protect our borders, though, to keep people that do intend to inflict harm on our citizens out, like terrorists and violent criminals. We must know who is coming into our country, in order to be able to protect all Americans.

What is needed is an easier way for people to come into this country legally. There needs to be less red tape and less waiting time needed before people can come into the US without jeopardizing our immigration officials’ ability to vet and run checks on these potential immigrants. If a legal path to immigration is made easier, then, people will feel less of a need to cross the border illegally, and less people will have to risk their lives to come to America to live the American dream.

Tennessee Seeking to Join Arizona, Florida: Considering Stricter Illegal Immigration Laws

Tennesse seems to be following Arizona and Florida's lead on the illegal immigration debate:

Tennessee’s legislators plan to consider a bill next year styled after Arizona’s SB 1070, even though the state already has strict laws targeting illegal immigrants.

State Sen. Bill Ketron and Rep. Joe Carr, both Republicans, are preparing a bill that criminalizes illegal immigrants and authorizes local law enforcement authorities to detain “any person” suspected of being in the country unlawfully.

“You can’t deny how [illegal immigration] is affecting us, from education to healthcare to the judicial system to incarceration, and more importantly the number of jobs it’s taken away,” Ketron said.

Like Tennessee, other nearby states, including North Carolina and South Carolina, have expressed an interest in starting out the new legislative session in 2011 reviewing measures similar to the law in Arizona, the first in the nation to criminalize being in the country unlawfully.

This is definitely gaining steam in most states, especially in the south and border states, where illegal immigration is causing huge problems. Also, public opinion is on the side of the new stricter immigration laws. Obama and his Attorney General Eric Holder seems to be fighting a a losing battle on this issue.

State of Arizona Gains Traction Over Immigration Bill Debate After Court Ruling Friday

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and the state of Arizona get some of its mojo back, after receiving a favorable ruling,yesterday, in US District Court:

After suffering a major legal setback in the summer, Arizona regained its footing in court Friday when a federal judge dismissed parts of the U.S. Justice Department's challenge to the state's new immigration law and rejected several claims made by Hispanic activists and Phoenix police officers.

U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton's ruling on Friday struck down the federal government's challenge to the portion of the law that prohibits the transport of illegal immigrants.

It also rejected a challenge from Phoenix police officers and an advocacy group called Chicanos Por La Causa who argued that the cops could be sued for racial profiling if they enforced the law or lose their jobs if they didn't.
Bolton agreed with Arizona that they had no valid claim of immediate harm.

Bolton also dismissed a lawsuit from the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders who were seeking an injunction preventing authorities from enforcing the law because the group argued federal law pre-empts state regulation of national borders.

"I am pleased with today's decision," Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said in a statement Friday. "I strongly believe that the citizens of Arizona will ultimately prevail in all of these legal challenges. My defense of the rule of law will continue as vigorously as ever.”

This is an important development in the impending court case that was brought by the US Justice Department, earlier this year. It will allow local authorities to be able to move prisoners and greatly lowers the chance of officers and police departments being sued for racial profiling, if the question and hold suspects for illegal immigration violations. The judge, also, backed the notion brought up by the Arizona governor that states have every right to protect their borders just as the federal government does.

However, the judge refused to reject the case entirely. Some of the more controversial aspects to the law are still able to be challenged in court sometime next year.

AZ Governor Blasts Obama Regarding Lack of Border Security in Latest Campaign Ad

In her latest campaign ad, the Arizona Governor blasted the president for not protecting our border especially in her state. Illegal immigration and the Mexican drug cartels have turned Southern Arizona into a “enter at your own risk” zone for Americans and, basically, ceded part of the state to the Mexican drug cartels. This spot is definitely a point-on criticism of the failure of Obama’s White House to protect its own citizens.

One might wonder why she’d spend her campaign funds on an ad that is going after the President and not her actual opponent in November, Terry Goddard (D). She must show that she is standing up to the federal government with this security issue. The violence at the border and throughout the state resulting from the drug cartels is very ranked high in among the most important issues that Arizonians are worried about this November. With this ad, she did a very good job here demonstrating her leadership in this issue.

Oh My: AZ Gov Brewer Argues Most Illegal Immigrants Are Drug Mules

Governor Brewer responded to questions on the illegal immigration bill saying that most illegals are drug smugglers:

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said Friday most illegal immigrants entering Arizona are being used to transport drugs across the border. Brewer said the motivation of "a lot" of the illegal immigrants is to enter the United States to look for work, but that drug rings press them into duty as drug "mules."

"I believe today, under the circumstances that we're facing, that the majority of the illegal trespassers that are coming into the state of Arizona are under the direction and control of organized drug cartels and they are bringing drugs in," Brewer said.

"There's strong information to us that they come as illegal people wanting to come to work. Then they are accosted and they become subjects of the drug cartel," she said.

While I agree with the law overall, this is a misguided attempt at explaining why we need border security. There is no doubt that there are some that are smuggling drugs into the country, and drug cartels are becoming an ever-increasing danger to American border agents, agents, and citizens around the border for some time. However, to use the blanket accusation that "most" are in danger is a bit too much. Most are looking for a better life than Mexico or other poverty-stricken country could ever provide them. The governor would be well-served to avoid overgeneralizations and demagoguery in the future.

Unfortunately, though, one bad apple ruins the whole bunch. We must know who's coming into our country because it only takes one suitcase nuke that terrorists could smuggle in to kill millions of innocent people. The border must be protected for the protection of us all. Both of the Bush and Obama administrations have let politics get in the way of our safety, and if the federal government keeps abdicating their responsibilities of guarding our borders, it must be up to the states and local governments to pick up the slack.

Despite Over 10% Unemployment Democratic Rep, SEIU Seek Amnesty For Illegal Immigrants

The Democratic party and Big Labor have, yet again, come together to throw away the rule in this country. With the passing of Ted Kennedy, Luis Gutierrez has stepped up to become a leader in the effort to make America's immigration laws obsolete:

Democrats on Tuesday begin their new push for an immigration bill, hamstrung by the image of legalizing millions of illegal immigrant workers at a time when the unemployment rate stands at 10 percent -- more than twice what it was the last time Congress tried to act.

"It certainly will confuse the debate a lot more, but at the end of the day what we have to understand is fixing this system will be good for American workers," said Eliseo Medina, executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union, which is one of the major advocates for legalizing illegal immigrant workers.

Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, the Illinois Democrat who has taken over leadership on the issue after the death of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat, plans to introduce an immigration legalization bill Tuesday, and backers are planning a strategy to avoid repeats of the failed attempts of 2006 and 2007.

To deflect from the conflict between amnesty and the issue of high unemployment, proponents of legalizing the illegal aliens have pushed the idea of legalization is needed in order for them to "pay their fair share" of taxes:

"In these difficult economic times, we must ensure that everyone contributes toward the recovery and prosperity of our nation," they wrote. "To this end, it is imperative that all individuals and employers pay their fair share in taxes."

This is a ludicrous statement. Illegal aliens do pay taxes income, sales, etc. The problem with amnesty lies the fact we are a nation of laws, and we need to enforce said laws, in order to for us to survive.

Is South Park located in Arizona? McCain Echoes Napolitano's Canadian Fiction

Did Arizona Not Receive 9/11 Commission Report? Did it get lost in the mail?

Has McCain not been paying any attention to the news lately? Did he not learn anything from Napolitano's mistake?

Arizona Sen. John McCain made the dubious claim Friday that Sept. 11 hijackers entered the United States through Canada -- just days after Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, the former governor of Arizona, said the same thing.

I guess not.

But when asked about the gaffe on FOX News Friday, McCain said: "Well, some of the 9/11 hijackers did come through Canada, as you know."

Just like with Janet Napolitano, Canada wasn't amused:

(McCain's claim) drew an instant retort from the Canadian embassy, which re-issued Canadian Ambassador Michael Wilson's public comments from Tuesday, in which he said: 

"Unfortunately, misconceptions arise on something as fundamental as where the 9/11 terrorists came from. As the 9/11 Commission reported in July 2004, all of the 9/11 terrorists arrived in the U.S. from outside North America. They flew to major U.S. airports. They entered the U.S. with documents issued to them by the U.S. government. No 9/11 terrorists came from Canada."

Way to go, John!

Texas, Arizona No Sanctuary Bills: Law Enforcement Will Actually Enforce Laws

Texas and Arizona are considering bills to ban cities from enacting "sanctuary policies" that discourage them from enforcing federal immigration laws.

Witnesses testified Wednesday before a Texas Senate committee for a bill aimed at "sanctuary cities" like Austin and Houston that tell police officers to avoid determining the immigration status of those they deal with, the Houston Chronicle reported.

That's a radical idea by those "extremists" in Texas and Arizona. The FBI needs to start an investigation on them. This is exactly the type of extremism that Napilitano was talking about. Imagine, law enforcement actually enforcing laws. That's unheard of in the Age of Obama. Stop them!

Oops! Sorry, Nancy Pelosi just invaded my body for a moment.

These bills would be a great step in curbing violence by criminals from south of the border. The Mexican drug cartels have brought the violence to our cites and neighborhoods. Maybe the Governator and Richardson will push for similar bills in California and New Mexico where illegal immigrant and drug cartel is, also, leaking through into the US as much as it is in Texas and Arizona.

Probably not. They're too beholden to the left to push for that.

I'm not against immigrants just the ones that break laws and endanger our lives. Both hearings had weighed in horrific crimes committed by illegals that the "sanctuary cities" wouldn't turn over to ICE.

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Missouri: Local Police Ignored Illegal Immigration Status of Murder Suspect

Mo. town outraged over killings, illegal immigrant
By JIM SALTER Associated Press Writer
Mar 20, 2:04 PM EDT

HANNIBAL, Mo. (AP) -- A Hannibal police officer was finishing up mundane paperwork on a quiet Saturday morning when Manuel Cazares walked into the station, blood splattered on his hands and shoes.

Cazares put his hands out, crossed them, and told the officer to arrest him.

"I killed two people," he allegedly said.

Details surrounding the allegations are far too common: an abusive relationship, a jilted lover, a sudden attack.

But some in this Mississippi River community of 17,000 best known as Mark Twain's hometown aren't just outraged by the violence. They also question why Cazares was in Hannibal at all.

Cazares admitted after his arrest that he is an illegal immigrant from the Mexican state of Michoacan. The 32-year-old had several run-ins with law enforcement before the homicides, but officials had never questioned his legal status.

Now he is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the Feb. 28 deaths of his ex-girlfriend, 27-year-old Amanda Thomas, and 25-year-old Carl Patrick Epley.

"I don't know how this happens," said Tina White-Masengill, Thomas' sister. "My stepdad told police many times, 'I don't even think the guy's a legal citizen.'"

During his three years in Hannibal, Cazares managed to avoid detection, despite a few traffic violations and a property damage conviction after an arrest for allegedly beating up Thomas and tearing up her home. Thomas had a restraining order against Cazares, who got probation in the property-damage case.

Police say his name wasn't in a database maintained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Police and Cazares' boss also say he had authentic-looking identification, including a Social Security card. And police noted that Cazares speaks fluent English.

Cazares' attorney did not return phone messages seeking comment. Cazares is being held in lieu of $1 million bond.

Hannibal police declined several interview requests from The Associated Press, but said soon after the killing that they had received several angry calls, some with racial overtones.

Days after the killings, rocks were thrown through plate-glass windows at the Mexican restaurant where Cazares worked. The FBI decided against opening a hate-crime investigation after concluding that it was vandalism, not retaliation.

Hundreds of messages related to the case were posted on the Hannibal Courier-Post Web site, with several questioning why authorities hadn't been able to determine Cazares' legal status before. One suggested police should conduct raids to seek out other illegal immigrants.

"Of course we have folks who say that's unconstitutional and racial profiling so we have to ignore the problem until this sort of terrible tragedy takes place," the posting read. The newspaper eventually took down the postings.

At a news conference, police Capt. James Hark told reporters that tracking illegal immigrants is a federal responsibility. He said the department is sympathetic to the victims' families, "but, in retrospect, there's nothing in the system that would have prevented this from happening."

ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok said the agency seeks to work closely with local police to uncover illegal immigrants.

"When local law enforcement suspect that they have arrested an illegal alien on criminal charges, we encourage them to forward those suspicions to ICE, where we will make the appropriate determination whether that person is in the country legally or illegally, and whether he is deportable," Rusnok said.

The relationship between Cazares and Thomas had long been rocky, with Thomas seeking restraining orders in 2007 and again early last year. Marion County prosecutor Tom Redington said the first order was dismissed when Thomas failed to appear at a court hearing; the second was dismissed at her request.

Thomas made a third attempt around Thanksgiving and obtained a restraining order that was supposed to keep Cazares away from the small brick duplex where she lived with their 20-month-old son and a 7-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.

Yet neighbors said they often saw Cazares in the area.

"We pulled up one night and he drives up the street with his car lights off and just sits there watching her house," said neighbor Charles Thomas, who is not related to the victim.

In early February, Thomas told police she thought Cazares was stalking her. White-Masengill said her sister played cell phone messages for police, including one in which he said, "No one can love you like I do."

Redington said he didn't have Cazares arrested immediately because of the "on-again, off-again nature of their relationship." He asked Thomas to obtain records that would show that Cazares had been calling her, but she never got the records.

According to court records, Cazares offered the following account of the killings in his confession:

Despite the restraining order, he and Thomas had spent the night of Feb. 26 together after she called him. He thought they would be together again the next night.

Instead, Thomas went out. At some point she met up with Epley, a friend from her nearby hometown of Monroe City.

Cazares fumed when a friend told him he saw Thomas outside a bar. He stayed up late drinking beer, then went to Thomas' home the next morning and found her with Epley.

Cazares said he went to the kitchen, found a knife and stabbed Epley before turning the knife on Thomas.

He then drove around in Thomas' car before using her cell phone to call his mother. He told her "that I loved her and that I did something that was not right and for her to take care of herself."

He said he considered suicide, but instead quietly turned himself in.

© 2009 The Associated Press.

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My Thoughts

Why did the police after repeated warnings about his illegal status in this country ignore them? He should have been deported a long time ago. The amount of cases involving violent crimes committed to illegal aliens like this one and the Chandra Levy case are increasing rapidly. Even though, they are largely ignored by the mainstream media.

Pelosi Calls Enforcement of Immigration Laws "Un-American"

Pelosi Tells Illegal Immigrants That Work Site Raids are Un-American
The speaker of the House told a group of both legal and illegal immigrants recently that  enforcement of immigration laws in the United States is "un-American."

By William Lajeunesse

FOXNews.com Wednesday, March 18, 2009

EXCLUSIVE: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently told a group of both legal and illegal immigrants and their families that enforcement of existing immigration laws, as currently practiced, is "un-American."

The speaker, condemning raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, referred to the immigrants she was addressing as "very, very patriotic."

"Who in this country would not want to change a policy of kicking in doors in the middle of the night and sending a parent away from their families?" Pelosi told a mostly Hispanic gathering at St. Anthony's Church in San Francisco.

"It must be stopped....What value system is that? I think it's un-American. I think it's un-American."

Pelosi said she was invited to the church by Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., as part of his 17-city, cross-country tour called United Families, which he says is intended to put a human face on the immigration debate.

"We think that families are the cornerstone of our society and our nation, and an immigration system should preserve those families, not destroy them," Gutierrez told FOX News Capitol Hill Producer Chad Pergram on Tuesday.

The congressman is collecting petitions that ask President Obama to "stop the immigration raids and deportations that are tearing our marriages, families and children apart." He is expected to present those petitions when Hispanic members of Congress meet with the President Wednesday.

On Saturday night, Pelosi joined Gutierrez before a cheering crowd at St. Anthony's chanting, "Si se puede," or "Yes we can."

Referring to work site enforcement actions by ICE agents, Pelosi said, "We have to have a change in policy and practice and again ... I can't say enough, the raids must end. The raids must end.

"You are special people. You're here on a Saturday night to take responsibility for our country's future. That makes you very, very patriotic."

"I was embarrassed by what she said," said Rick Oltman, with Californians for Population Stabilization, an anti-illegal immigrant group. "Exhorting illegal aliens for taking responsibility for our country's future.... In fact, sitting there in the audience.... I really resented that comment."

"I think it was pandering to the crowd but also insulting to American citizens who consider themselves to be patriotic, who obey the rule of law," said Oltman, who shot a video of the rally.


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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/18/pelosi-tells-illegal-immigrants-work-site-raids-american/

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My Thoughts

Since when is going after criminals "unpatriotic"? Maybe we should stop arresting people for theft or trespassing, too. That might be construed as "unpatriotic" by Pelosi as well.

People can come into this country legally. Why is so hard to just follow the law?

New York Times Wakes Up From Their Liberal Fantasy Land

The Times Clears Up a Misunderstanding
March 5, 2009 Posted by John at 8:05 PM

The New York Times has long been an advocate for illegal immigration. Today we got some insight, perhaps, into what has motivated the Times' editors, via the paper's corrections section:

"An editorial on Feb. 22 stated incorrectly that unlawfully entering the country is not a criminal offense. It is a misdemeanor for a first-time offender."

It's quite remarkable: until today, the Times' editors believed that illegal immigration was legal!

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My Thoughts

I know that they were pushing their open borders ideology on their readers, but I never knew that they were delusional.

Update: Individual's Property Rights Upheld

Jury: Rancher didn't violate migrants' rights By ARTHUR H. ROTSTEIN Associated Press Writer © 2009 The Associated Press Feb. 17, 2009, 6:07PM

TUCSON, Ariz. — A federal jury found Tuesday that a southern Arizona rancher didn't violate the civil rights of a group of illegal immigrants who claimed that he detained them at gunpoint in 2004.

The eight-member civil jury also found Roger Barnett wasn't liable on claims of battery and false imprisonment.

But the jury did find him liable on four claims of assault and four claims of infliction of emotional distress and ordered Barnett to pay $77,804 in damages — $60,000 of which were punitive.

Barnett declined to comment afterward, but one of his attorneys, David Hardy, said the plaintiffs lost on the bulk of their claims and that Barnett has a good basis for appeal on the two counts on which he lost.

"They won a fraction of the damages they were seeking," Hardy said.

All six plaintiffs are citizens of Mexico, five of whom are living in the United States with visa applications pending, and the sixth resides in Mexico but was allowed into the U.S. for the trial, said Nina Perales, an attorney with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. She declined to say where in the U.S. they're residing.

Perales called the outcome "a resounding victory that sends a message that vigilante violence against immigrants will not be tolerated."

David Urias, attorney for the plaintiffs, said, "Obviously we are disappointed with some aspects of the verdict. But I think that overall this was a victory for the plaintiffs."

For years, Arizona has been the busiest point along the Mexican border for illegal immigrants entering the United States.

For more than a decade, Barnett has been a controversial figure in southern Arizona. He's known for aggressively patrolling his ranch property and along highways and roads in the area, often with his wife and brothers, on the lookout for illegal immigrants.

The plaintiffs alleged that Barnett threatened them with his dog and told them he would shoot anyone who tried to escape.

Barnett's lawyers argued that his land was inundated with illegal immigrants who left trash on his property, damaged his water supply and harmed his cattle.

Barnett's wife and a brother were dismissed as defendants; in addition, another 10 people initially named as plaintiffs were dropped from the proceedings.

Barnett has been known to wear a holstered 9-mm pistol on his hip and upon coming across groups of migrants, to flash a blue and gold badge resembling that of the highway patrol, with the wording "Barnett Ranch Patrol. Cochise County. State of Arizona."

The Barnetts detain and turn over those whom they encounter to the U.S. Border Patrol. In 2006, Barnett estimated that he had detained more than 10,000 illegal immigrants in 10 years.

His actions have resulted in formal complaints from the Mexican government against what it considers vigilante actions, and in several other lawsuits, including one stemming from an October 2004 incident.

In that case, a jury awarded a family of Mexican-Americans on a hunting trip $100,000 in damages, later upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court.

Barnett's 22,000-acre ranch, about five miles north of the Mexican border, includes private and federal lease holdings in addition to nearly 14,000 acres of state-leased land.

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My Thoughts

This is a good news, bad news ending. On one hand, most of the lawsuit was deemed frivilous as it should have been. On the other hand, they still did make him liable for too much.
It still could give people pause whenever they are in a situation where they must defend themselves, family, or property.

Overall, it is a good day for all Americans. If the verdict would of went the other way, it would have been endangered the everyones ability defend their own property and family.

He was found liable for assault and going overboard on the threats he shouted at the plantiffs. If he did kick the woman as MALDEF claims, it was the right decision. There wouldn't have been any excuse for assaulting them.

On the other hand, no real harm came to them because of the threats. That should have been a non-issue. After all, Mr. Barnett was a victim of a crime that was committed by the plantiffs as well.

There could be some appeals made by either party. I'll keep following this story as it develops.