Jim Seaman – web log

Here are some seldom seen numbers … comparisons of immigrant crime rates vs native born American crime rates – and guess who’s better behaved!

The graph above and the article that is linked to below are actually from two different studies but cover the same subject. I’ve pulled out a few facts from the article but please read it for yourself: PDF from the website www.policefoundation.org.

Here’s the opening lines from the article: “The perception that the foreign-born, especially “illegal aliens,” are responsible for higher crime rates is deeply rooted in American public opinion and is sustained by media anecdote and popular myth.” … “Such stereotypes, reinforced through popular movies and television programs and fueled by media coverage of singular events, project an enduring image of immigrant communities permeated by criminal elements.”

The following facts and numbers are from the year 2000 census and other sources. Remember, the high point of illegal immigration was in 2000, before 9/11 occurred.

For all males 18-39:
Overall percent in jail = 3.04%
For immigrants only = 0.68%
For native born only = 3.51%
Immigrants are 4 1/2 times less likely to end up in jail than are native born Americans. And that isn’t anyone’s opinion – it’s a fact.

The National Organization for Marriage is challenging a Maine campaign finance law requiring it to disclose its donors. They have donated about $1.5 million to Maine’s Yes on One campaign, and are asking a federal judge to issue a temporary restraining order against Maine’s State Ethics Commission.

The group must believe that their fund raising efforts will be hurt if they cannot allow their donors to be anonymous and remain in the shadows. I think the group is right, their donors should be ashamed of their anti-gay sentiment. Most causes such as theirs can’t stand examination in the light of day.

The Church of Sweden has formally agreed to recognise same-sex marriages and conduct gay weddings and blessings. The Lutheran denomination said that it would begin marrying same-sex couples on 1 November 2009.

The change comes after the Swedish parliament legalised same-sex weddings earlier this year, changing a law permitting legal unions but not formal marriage. The church board voted 176-62 in favour of the change. Sweden’s Lutheran Church split from the state in 2000 but remains the country’s largest religious community.

“It is a question of being human. One of the Bible quotations central to the Lutheran tradition is, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’,” Archbishop Anders Wejryd said in September 2009 on Swedish public television. “This means that as Christians, we have a responsibility to think independently on the basis of what we believe is good for love, fidelity and equality, at all times.”

The United States was eliminated from consideration for the 2016 Olympic games in the first round of voting by the Olympics committee. In other words, we came in last. It was mentioned by a few that one of the reasons was the difficulties that are encountered by foreigners when trying to get a visa to enter the US.

Part of that is caused by our fear of terrorists (gee isn’t that exactly what they want … to cause fear and terror?). But part of it is also caused by our fears of illegal immigration. We really need total reform of our immigration system now! It is costing us in ways that we never imagined.