We are a blog, not an agency of the government

I wish I didn’t have to say this again, but we have been getting more and more requests for us to help people get into the US.  Prospective immigrants/refugees even send us their case numbers and other personal facts.  We have stated clearly on this page that we are a news disseminating publication only.

Just before one signs in to comment we have this statement prominently displayed:

We are not a refugee resettlement agency, do not appeal to us for assistance in getting in to the US!

In addition, we have placed a notice to the same affect across the top of RRW which when opened says this.

Sorry, we do not publish any comments that are appeals for help.   Frankly, that is the UN’s job and the US State Department’s job.

Australian blogger questions media policy to suppress reports of ethnic violence

A blogger writing at Afbluemountains from Perth, tells us more about violence between newly arrived ethnic groups in Australia and questions whether the policy of media silence on the immigrant angle actually causes the problem to fester.  He begins:

When violence is reported in the Australian mainstream media, rarely is ethnicity mentioned, due to a self-policing media code of conduct that is premised on claims the reporting of ethnicity risks inciting racism. The Australian Journalists Association code of conduct on this reads:

“2. Do not place unnecessary emphasis on personal characteristics, including race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation, family relationships, religious belief, or physical or intellectual disability.”

This seems sensible in order to prevent prejudiced reporting and inciting racism. However, this code has been recently abandoned by the mainstream media in the cases of recent violence against Indian students, probably in an attempt to highlight the particular racial problem. [We have reported on the Muslim immigrant vs. Indian immigrant crime here—ed]  But indeed, the media highlighting of this problem has snowballed into an international political hot potato, resulting in Australia’s Prime Minister flying to India and consequential increased policing in Melbourne and funding to deal with the problem. As a result, there has been a notable reduction in reported violence against Indian students in Melbourne. Politicians were embarrased into dealing with the problem, that the Department of Immigration had left to fester.

But otherwise reporting of ethnicity and race is suppressed. Read any report in an Australian newspaper about a violent incident and find mention of ethnicity or race obvious by omission. This is not to say that most violence in Australia has ethnic causes, but there is a lot that is yet remains suppressed from the mainstream public. the frequency of the problem is of course known to police and to the locals that live in what have become ‘psuedo’ ethnic ghettos.

And so Australia’s problem of ethnic tension is suppressed and allowed to fester until someone dies. The death last night of a man at Mirrabooka in Perth’s inner north is a case in point.

Read on about the murder and other cases of violence between groups of immigrants.  Blogger, John Marlowe, wraps up with this question:

Why suppress ethnic tension and violence when to do so does nothing but allow it to fester into murder and social division?

I think I know what he is saying, everyone gets angrier and tensions build when the truth is not reported.  Also, it’s ludicrous to think one could find solutions if the problem is not identified.

I don’t think we have it quite as bad here although to be sure, political correctness does keep the media quiet on the ethnic angle of a crime.  If a murder is involved we usually learn something about who the suspects are and where they came from, but I have laughed on many occasions when I read fraud stories (food stamp, medicaid, other welfare fraud) that the perps are not identified (sometimes even their names are not mentioned) as immigrants.

To the now spluttering critics who are fuming and wanting to throw things at me and saying ‘white people commit crimes too.’  Of course they do, but that is not the subject of this blog.  I recommend you start your own blog and call it something like—white people are bad.  I’m fine with that.  Ha! Ha!  But, how many readers would the blogger have, because we hear everyday from the media about how bad, exploitive and racist white people are?  It is everywhere in the news, one doesn’t need a specialized blog.

New readers may not know that one of the reasons that I write this blog is to balance the mainstream media and its gushy one-sided reporting on the joys of multiculturalism, and the insistence of most reporters (not all!) to report the ‘diversity is strength’ myth.  Indeed, if the mainstream media started to write and report  fairly about the good, the bad, and the ugly on immigration and refugee issues, I could retire.  But, they won’t anytime soon because in order to write fairly about immigration they would have to question their own deeply held (Leftist!) world view.

For more on Australia see our ‘Australia’ category here.

Going out of town!

I’m leaving to spend a few days with Mom.  Unfortunately she isn’t on the internet so it looks like I won’t be able to post or answer your many e-mails until I’m home again on Wednesday.

In the meantime, check our categories in the left hand column and I feel sure you will find topics of interest.  Incidentally, we have written 3057 posts to date!

If you are new to the refugee program, I especially direct your attention to the category, ‘where to find information.’    Also, use our search function for whatever you are looking for.  For example, type in ‘Somalis’ and you will get hundreds of posts on that topic.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Top Posts widget is very interesting and informative!

One of the many features our blog has to offer is the “Top Post” widget in the right hand side bar.  We have written nearly 3000 posts and it’s very interesting to me to see what posts readers are visiting on any given day.   Check it out now, does anyone know what the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Mark Potok is up to these last few days?  Note that an old post I wrote about Potok a year ago this month is the top visited post today.  Why? 

Additionally, one of the nice things about being around for awhile is that we find ourselves near the top of the list on certain google searches which is very gratifying.  Clearly lots of people are googling Potok.

I’ve been away!

Update February 15th:  And, on top of that, we lost our power today!  Behind the eightball for sure now!

Thanks to all who have sent story ideas and e-mails over the last couple of days.  I’ve been away!  So, give me another day or so to catch up.  I definitely want to read and answer everyone’s messages!   Ann