Mel Gibson's Arrest

Now we know the true nature of Mel Gibson. He was arrested for drunk driving going 87 mph {the speed limit is 45} on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, and was previously stopped for reckless driving two other times in Malibu. Aside from endangering himself, he certainly could have killed others. You can read the story about his arrest at http://www.tmz.com/2006/07/28/gibsons-anti-semitic-tirade-alleged-cover-up.

He made many offensive statements, and one’s inhibitions are lowered when inebriated, but the core feelings he expressed must be the core of who he is as a man.

The report says Gibson launched into a barrage of anti-Semitic statements: "F*****g Jews... The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world." Gibson then asked the deputy, "Are you a Jew?"

A law enforcement source says Gibson saw a female sergeant and yelled, "What do you think you're looking at, sugar tits?"

Isn’t it a shame you can’t judge a book by its cover? The first movie I saw him and was called Gallipoli. He definitely stood out as a fine actor and a great looking man. I didn’t watch the Lethal Weapon, Road Warrior or Mad Max series, but did enjoy his work in Maverick and What Women Want. He had a nice light comedic touch.

His last movie, The Passion of the Christ, from what I read, seemed to show an anti-Semitic side. While promoting that movie, he was asked about his father being a holocaust denier. He said he “didn’t want to go there” and I wondered at the time if he was respecting his father or did he harbor similar feelings.

With the news of this recent arrest, it’s clear to see he is an anti-Semite. I’m offended by the statements he made and am also offended that the Malibu police did not handle this properly. I don’t feel that stars should receive a free ride.

I wonder how Mel Gibson’s former co-workers, producers, directors, writers, et al feel about his actions and attitude. It’s disgusting to know that this successful actor, a multimillionaire, has gained his money from people that would never approve of his prejudice.

I sincerely hope that people do not have a short memory about this arrest. This man is no Christian. If he understood the origin of his religion he would never say bad things about Jewish people. I can’t begin to tell you how hurtful this is.

My sister visited recently and reminisced about our childhood in North Carolina. She remembered being eight or nine years old walking with me, three years younger than she. We stopped in a store we had frequented many times before, but this time my sister was wearing her Star of David necklace. The owner said “Can’t you read?” to which my sister replied “of course I can”. He pointed to the sign that said “We reserve the right to refuse service”. My sister was puzzled until he pointed to her Jewish star and said “we don’t serve Jews”. As a smarty-pants adult hearing this, my first thought would be to say “that’s OK, I don’t eat Jews”, but children don’t speak that way to adults and I am sure we were very shocked.

I did not remember this incident but do remember others: the words that were said, the way I was treated, and the looks shot my way.

I’m not offended by a lot of things, but prejudice and discrimination do offend me and I’m not taking it lightly.

I wonder how Mel Gibson’s former co-workers, producers, directors, writers, et al feel about his actions and attitude. I feel that it’s possible for this man to change but he has to really want to change. The released the statement of apology seems to have been written by a PR rep. I need to see acknowledgement from Mel Gibson that what he said was wrong and that what he did (drinking& speeding) was wrong and dangerous. {And by the way, couldn’t this guy afford a chauffeur or taxi if he wants to drink?}

If I see recognition of his wrong-doing and personal change I might reconsider my opinion about him but until that time I don’t care what movie he releases, he will not receive one thin dime from me. There are other actors to support, other movies to see.

Illegal Immigration: Hiring, Penalties, Solutions

If you read my previous post, you know that I’m alarmed at the number of illegal immigrants living in the United States.

THE MAGNITUDE

Part of the reason it’s shocking is the magnitude of the problem: anywhere from 10-14 million people with most people guessing 12 million people here illegally.

The 2005 Census indicated the entire state of Pennsylvania, including large cities such as Philadelphia, Pittsburg and Harrisburg totaled 12,429,616.

Here are some state population listings from the 2005 Census:
Illinois 12,763,371
Pennsylvania 12,429,616
Ohio 11,464,042
Michigan 10,120,860
Georgia 9,072,576
New Jersey 8,717,925
North Carolina 8,683,242

THE NEW HIRE PROCESS

I work in Human Resources and when we make a new hire, we have 3 days in which to complete a Federal form, the I-9. You can see this form at http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/files/i-9.pdf. There are specific instructions and the company must view documents indicating the person has the legal right to work in the United States. You can read about the process and penalties at http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/services/employerinfo/EIB102rdln.pdf.

The Employee signs “Under Penalty of Perjury” that she/he is: “A citizen or national of the United States”, “A Lawful Permanent Resident” or “An alien authorized to work until {date}”.

The Employer, usually represented by a Human Resources professional, must sign under the following statement:

“l attest, under penalty of perjury, that to the best of my knowledge, this employee is eligible to work in the United States, and if the employee presented document(s), the document(s) l have examined appear to be genuine and to relate to the individual.”

Page 3 of the I-9 provides a list of acceptable documents for certifying work eligibility. This list offers three columns of possible documents, and you can use something from Column A or one from Column B and one from Column C. Column A lists “Documents that Establish Both Identity and Employment Eligibility”, including the US Passport, a Certificate of US Citizenship, and other federally issued documents. Column B lists documents that establish identity such as a Driver’s License. Column C lists documents that establish employment eligibility such as a US Social Security Card or other items.

Penalties for misrepresentation, for providing or accepting on the I-9 are serious. You can read the penalties at http://www.immigrationlinks.com/news/news1113.htm. and http://www.immigrationlinks.com/news/news1113.htm

Using forged or counterfeit documents are punishable by law, and soliciting people to work who do not have the right to work in the United States is also punishable. The Social Security site lists penalties for abusing their system, and you can read about it at http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/ssact/title02/0208.htm. If you use a forged, altered, counterfeit, etc. Social Security card, you “shall be guilty of a felony and upon conviction thereof shall be fined under title 18, United States Code, or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both.”

There are severe penalties for false US Passports as you might imagine. One website, http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/false-passport-application.html, noted:

"Those found guilty of making false statements in the application and use of a passport can face:

1. Fines
2. Incarceration (jail or prison): up to 25 years for using the false statements in connection with international terrorism, 20 years for using the false statements in connection with trafficking drugs, or 15 years for other uses, or
3. Both a fine and incarceration"

QUESTION ABOUT THOSE FORGED DOCUMENTS

If a worker provides a Social Security number for the I-9 and payroll, and this is a fraudulent document, the money paid by the company to the Social Security account is being credited to someone else’s retirement funds. The Social Security Administration sends reports to you regarding the money you’ve deposited through your payroll. Check it carefully.

Let’s assume there’s a hot market for documents and a crime ring needs to get a whole lot of ID’s at once – names and Social Security numbers. Wouldn’t it be a great black market to get some of the stolen laptops we keep hearing about? Identity theft takes on additional ramifications.

TEMPORARY OR GUEST WORKER VISAS

I’ve heard this discussed as if it were something new. It isn’t. There is a temporary visa process if you are an agricultural worker, for example, and that is an H-2A. You can read about it at http://faq.visapro.com/H2A-Visa-FAQ2.asp. There are many other types of visas, but when politicians talk about the “value” of illegal immigrants in our economy, about doing jobs that other people don’t want, agricultural and janitorial work are the only types of jobs I think they are discussing. Believe it or not, there are people here legally who can and will do this work, and a visa such as the H-2A can take care of the agricultural needs. The key is that it must be enforced.

HEARTBREAK GOES BOTH WAYS

Let’s also address the dangers people face while sneaking into the country. If coming in from Mexico, you can run across the border, sometimes through miles of desert. Another option is to come in through the underground tunnels, facing miles of darkness, rodents, and many difficulties. In 2005, 516 bodies were found in the desert, and according to one CNN report I saw, the total number of dead bodies out there may be 1,000 or more.

There are stories of individuals and families with heartbreaking reasons for coming to the USA, and many of these people are hardworking, honest, and reliable, just wanting to get a chance to feed themselves and their families, educate the children, have a decent life. That said, it would be a mistake to lump all people into the same category. It’s very clear that a percentage of illegal immigrants are tying up our law enforcement resources, our justice system, and our jails.

On the June 15, 2006 CNN website, they stated that since May 26, 2006, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement {aka ICE} has arrested nearly 2,100 illegal immigrants across the country. “Officials said the raids are aimed at child molesters, gang members and other violent criminals, as well as people like Da Silva who sneaked back into the country after a judge threw them out.” Da Silva was a Brazilian arrested in 2002, deported, but returned to the USA. He now faces up to 20 years in prison.

More from the CNN site: “The operation has caught more than 140 immigrants with convictions for sexual offenses against children; 367 known gang members, including street soldiers in the deadly Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13; and about 640 people who had already been deported once, immigration officials said. The numbers include more than 720 arrests in California alone.

More than 800 people arrested already have been deported.”

The radio reports indicated that we had illegal aliens working in sensitive positions in airports. Stunning, but not surprising considering the Keystone Cops approach to law enforcement in this area.

“There are more than 500,000 "fugitive aliens" who have been deported by judges and either slipped back into the country or never left. There is often a disconnect between local and state prisons and the federal government that allows illegal immigrants to serve time and be released without being transferred to federal officials for deportation.”

OUR OWN GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REPORTED AND RECOMMENDED…

Our U. S. Government Accountability Office released GAO report number GAO-05-646R on May 9, 2005: “Information on Certain Illegal Aliens Arrested in the United States”. You can find the report at http://www.gao.gov/htext/d05646r.html and this includes specific data of arrests, crimes, and incarcerations. Read it and weep. I mean it. Recommendations were made and apparently ignored.

MY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NOW, AND I AM SURE TO THINK OF MORE LATER

If we took our laws seriously and enforced them, this issue would partly take care of itself.

A company that is determined to have gone out of the way to find, hire, utilize illegal immigrants - put the CEO and CFO or business owner in prison. Publicize the heck out of it and more companies will think twice about this practice.

If it’s found that an employee has used forged, altered, or counterfeit documents to secure work, punish that person as prescribed by our current laws and again, publicize this widely in every language.

Illegal immigrants who happen to give birth in this country do not automatically have a child who is an American citizen. The parent or parents are here illegally and are to return to their home country, and the child is a citizen of that country. Until their return to the native country, any bills for medical care, schooling, and other measurable expenses will be charged to that person and deducted from aid we send to that person’s home country. I am not talking about people visiting the country on a visa who happen to give birth here but return home.

Criminals who are illegal immigrants can either be deported or the costs of their trials and incarceration can be deducted from aid to the person’s nation of birth. For example, the USA currently provides around $30M/year in aide to Mexico. If the US costs for handling and housing criminal illegal aliens from Mexico total $15M/year, we deduct that money from our aide to Mexico. Mexico would have added incentive to fix their own economy for their citizen’s well-being and monitor their northern border. {I realize singling out Mexico seems very unfair, but you must review the statistics. I could also have said Uzbekistan, but their numbers are substantially smaller.}

We need a national identity card with biometric prints to cut down on our false documents. This issue goes beyond our current topic and into national security.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Want to read an interesting article covering some of the same topics with additional links? Take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_immigration_to_the_United_States.

SUMMARY

This is a serious problem we must face without fear of being politically incorrect. As a sovereign nation, we have the right to protect our borders, to enforce our laws. I lead workshops about preventing sexual harassment and I know that many people will find ways to break or bend the laws, but the more we educate and enforce, the high penalties, mandatory education, and adverse publicity can lessen the numbers of problems. We should do the same for this issue.

I am honestly surprised at the strength of my own emotions about this issue. Again, as always, I invite your considered opinion. If you just want to rant, please don’t do it here; I really want your opinion, even if you disagree. If you agree, please let me know and pass along this blog site. One of the reasons I have written this much is my own frustration with our elected officials. Contact your representatives, attend their meetings, call their offices, and be heard. Don’t let their only contacts be either insiders or lobbyists.

Illegal Immigration

I used to live in Los Angeles. It’s huge: spread out over a large area, densely populated, heavy-duty traffic jams. According to a 2004 estimate, there were about 3.5 million residents including all the cities incorporated and unincorporated, in the County of Los Angeles. The entire county of Los Angeles has 10,179,716 residents (as of July 2004). You can read more data at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_County%2C_California

There is another census page listing countries by population, mid-2005 estimates http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004379.html.

Chad 9,826,419
Hungary 10,006,835
Tunisia 10,074,951
Czech Republic 10,241,138
Belarus 10,300,483
Belgium 10,364,388
Portugal 10,566,212
Greece 10,668,354
Serbia and Montenegro 10,829,175
Senegal 11,126,832
Angola 11,190,786
Zambia 11,261,795
Cuba 11,346,670
Niger 11,665,937
Malawi 12,158,924

Why would I bring all this up? Illegal immigration.

I’m positive this will be a controversial posting and I’m inviting you to think and read and reach your own conclusions. I have read that the number of illegal immigrants in the United States has grown to as many as 12 million, and they now account for about one in every 20 workers.

It’s completely shocking to me to see that there are that many people who have snuck/stayed in this country. I do not think that any other country in the world would allow this. In my naïve way, I thought there may be a few thousand illegal immigrants, and was stunned to learn that with all of our concern about security and patting down old ladies and babies in airports, we have millions of people here who should not be here.

I've worked with many great people from all over the world and when the bubble burst in 2000, most of them had to return to their countries.

My father’s grandparents came to this country in the 1800’s and obeyed the laws to get here. My mother’s parents were also immigrants in a time that Jewish immigration was limited. Her father came from Poland, worked and saved money and sent for family members, one by one. The ones who chose not to come or it was too late – they were murdered by Nazis. Mama’s mother was from the Ukraine and, as a child, witnessed countless horrors in the Pogroms. As a young woman she fled to save her life. Because of immigration restrictions, stayed in England for about two years before coming to the States. She spoke English with a Russian/British accent. She also sent for family members, and the ones who did not come...many were murdered, a few survive.

My family came to the United States to be free to practice their religion and not be persecuted and they had heard America was a wonderful place.

The Center for Immigration Studies “is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit research organization founded in 1985. It is the nation's only think tank devoted exclusively to research and policy analysis of the economic, social, demographic, fiscal, and other impacts of immigration on the United States.” You can find their website at http://www.cis.org.

In a study “The High Cost of Cheap Labor“, they note “Based on Census Bureau data, this study finds that, when all taxes paid (direct and indirect) and all costs are considered, illegal households created a net fiscal deficit at the federal level of more than $10 billion in 2002. We also estimate that, if there was an amnesty for illegal aliens, the net fiscal deficit would grow to nearly $29 billion.” Please take some time to read the article explaining how they reached this conclusion http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html.

Some people claim that no Americans would do the work that illegal immigrants do, and I don’t believe that for a moment. There are many places in the USA where high school kids, part-time workers, college students, and many others do exactly the same work and have done so for years. There will always be a percentage of the population that may be uneducated, undereducated, unmotivated, or completely satisfied by the work that is available.

I don’t know the magical answer to the 10-12 million people who are here illegally. This is not a racist issue, and I think a lot of people do not speak publicly for fear of being labeled as racists. I have sympathy for people who are seeking a better way of life.

And I also have to think of our country.

What do you think? I invite you to share your opinions if you can do it without flaming people, and please back it up with personal experience and facts. Just mull it over BEFORE you post as once you do post, you and I can't remove it.

Music: “Nessum Dorma”

Here's something a little different for this blog, something not so serious.

Do you like music? Are you open to listening to different kinds of music, trying it at different stages of your life?

When I was growing up, my father was a salesman by day, musician at night. He played piano, organ and accordion and was in a jazz combo in North Carolina playing clubs, weddings, any gig that came along. He was a wonderful musician and could take any song, change up the tempo, rhythm, interpret it differently each time. He loved jazz, pop and show music, and seemed to be open to any kind of music. My mother enjoyed this, too, and she also listened to opera and classical.

I loved my father’s music, but I also loved rock. Opera was just not for me. Not until a few years ago.

I saw the Three Tenors on public television and just loved their sound. It didn’t matter that I did not understand the words. Brian Boitano’s winning skate in the 1994 Olympics was performed to “Nessum Dorma”, an aria from Puccini's Turandot. The music was so moving I could not get it out of my head. Many skaters have used this aria – Meno and Sand, Sarah Hughes, and now Shizuka Arakawa in the 2006 Olympics, again a winning skate.

Interested in learning more about this aria? You can read an article putting the aria in the context of the opera.

If you click here, you can read a little more, read the translation, and hear the aria.

Amazon has a couple of free downloads of this aria.

Many famous singers have recorded Nessum Dorma, but an out of left field singer was Aretha Franklin substituting for an ailing Pavarotti at the Grammy Awards a few years ago. The crowd gave her a standing ovation and I had chills. What a singer, what an aria!

I realize her version wasn’t for everyone, but I consider music as living, breathing, open to interpretation.

Give it a whirl, try the links I’ve provided, and let me know what you think of the music.

Helping Others

My philosophy is that we, as human beings, are obligated to help others however we can. This has nothing to do with leadership and everything to do with the way we choose to live our lives.

You can help others in small or large ways. I don’t think any of us are multimillionaires, but do you know that even $5 can mean that a parent won’t have to skip a meal so the kids can eat? Or maybe you have a job lead so that another person can find a position and help him/herself.

We have many people in the Silicon Valley who are living on the edge. A few years ago, in the depths of our Depression, I was in a networking group through a local top MBA program. One of the participants had been a highly paid individual who did save money but also admittedly lived “high on the hog”, treating himself to many dinners out, expensive vacations, and very expensive clothing. When we met he had been out of work for over two years and literally sold every CD and DVD and extra items he owned via eBay and Yahoo. He was eating once a day and making soup last a long time. He turned the heat down and slept in sweatshirt and pants. He economized in every way. This was a highly educated professional who was scared about the next step – seeing if he could move in with his parents. He had done “survival jobs” he could but it really isn’t enough to live in this area, especially if you live alone. He was very honest about his situation. Thankfully he was able to find his new position via networking. And he learned a huge lesson about how to save money for the rainy day, as you never know when it will storm.

There are many people who are still living on the edge and I have to say that as someone who was born in the USA and used to think we were the greatest superpower, I find it shocking to think about this. I’m not trying to be political at all right now. I’m just saying that I used to think of people in this position as having some reason: mental illness, drug or alcohol abuse, people who have just dropped out of our society for some reason. That really isn’t the case now. There are plenty of people who are working but it’s so expensive to live here and healthcare is through the roof, they are suffering.

InnVision is in need of donations: cash, clothing, electronics, computers, food, or other contributions are greatly appreciated. If you’d like to volunteer or donate directly, please go to http://www.innvision.org/.

We have many job seekers who have posted resumes on our bulletin board at http://www.ourhrsite.com/cgi-local/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=NeedAJob. If you have an opening, please think about going there and reviewing the postings. We have some GREAT people looking for their next opportunity. If you’re seeking work, remember that many companies choose not to post positions but do search through our board for free resumes.

If you have an open position, HR or otherwise, please post on our board. Our site averages over 2,000 views each day, the board is free, and you never know who the readers know.