Who remembers the Mexican killer bee sketch on Saturday Night Live in the mid-80s? John Belushi and companions dressed in costumes of yellow and black bands of cloth, sombreros (with antennae) and six-guns. Belushi proclaimed, “ We don’t need no stinking badges! We’ve got GUNS!”
Fast-forward 40 years to ICE. “We don’t need no stinking warrants! We’ve got GUNS!”
Our courts have ordered ICE to take off their black and yellow killer bee costumes off and afford people due process. An intolerable order. One of President Trump’s advisors has said that Donald is “seriously considering” using his made-up invasion as grounds to suspend habeas corpus. Without habeas corpus there is no due process, and we Americans would have no legal rights.
I can hear all the people saying it is only illegal immigrants… ICE is secretly revoking visas and arresting people (we don’t need no stinking warrants), whisking them out of state, and locking them up. That they have done nothing wrong is irrelevant. They are residing in our country and we want their alien butts out (interestingly, we have just welcomed a boatload of white guys from South Africa suffering “racial discrimination” at home). It is the height of foolishness to imagine that, if President Trump is successful in suspending, essentially, all our civil rights (Bill of Rights, we loved you), that any of us would be immune. If we cannot say to a court, “I didn’t do it,” or say to a court, “He robbed me,” we have very big-time problems. One of the certain outcomes would be, here in Mississippi, an assault that would make Jim Crow look like gentle paternalism.
Bill Gillmore
Columbus
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
