"U.S. town turned into an open-air prison
Charles Lewis, National Post
Published: Friday, August 15, 2008
The town of Postville, Iowa, population 2,000, has been turned into an open-air prison. Jerry Johnson, who works at nearby Luther College, called it something out of a bad science-fiction movie or the kind of thing a 1930s totalitarian regime might have cooked up.
"This was not only a grievous injustice but a shame on the state of Iowa and the federal government," said Mr. Johnson. "These were good, decent people who were also the most defenseless."
On May 12, immigration officials swooped in to arrest 400 undocumented workers from Mexico and Guatemala at the local meat-packing plant, a raid described as the biggest such action at a single site in U.S. history. The raid left 43 women, wives of the men who were taken away, and their 150 children without status or a means of support. The women cannot leave the town, and to make sure they do not they have been outfitted with leg monitoring bracelets.
Sounds bad, but it is better than the treatment they got working at the plant (read on).
....
The plant was founded more than 20 years ago and it brought to this small Iowa town - a place settled by Norwegian Lutheran farmers - a community of Hasidic Jews. Eventually more than 1,000 workers were hired, bringing the population of Postville up to 2,400 residents.
The story of two such dissimilar cultures living side by side attracted the attention of University of Iowa journalism professor Stephen Bloom, who wrote a book about the town called Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America.
Prof. Bloom spent five years in the town doing research. He said it was inevitable that the plant would turn to undocumented workers because they were the only ones who would stay, and the locals were not interested in such gruesome work.
He also came to the conclusion that the Hasidic Jews did not make the best neighbours and were unwilling to co-operate with the rest of the town.
Yeah, people with the arrogance to think they are God's chosen people are usually assholes.
But Aaron Goldsmith disagrees with that assessment and thinks that many have made Agriprocessors the bogeyman in all this. Mr. Goldsmith, also a Hasidic Jew, does not work for Agriprocessors but runs his own business in the town. He came with his family 11 years ago from California and said they all fell in love with Postville.
He said at the beginning of the plant there was a clash of cultures, but much of that has settled down. He points to his own experience of being elected a city councilman, winning more than 60% of the vote. "And only 3% of the voters are Jews."
I do find it amazing how disproportionate the Jewish influence is in AmeriKan politics. In what other sphere of life does such a minority have such power?
He calls the company a good corporate citizen that did its best to document its workers and make sure conditions were acceptable. He said the plant was rated above average for the industry in terms of safety. The plant brought enormous prosperity to the region, Mr. Goldsmith said, which improved the lives of everyone. He said the plant is also helping the women and children with food baskets and other assistance.
Even Fr. Ouderkirk, a huge critic of the company, said that with people coming because of the plant, all sorts of new businesses opened up. "Business was booming and life was good."
This is really too much to take.
See: Kosher meat plant was Israeli drug factory
Owner of embattled kosher slaughterhouse charges allegations are a big 'lie'
And more:
"While federal prosecutors are primarily focusing on immigration charges, they may also be looking into labor violations. Search warrant documents filed in court before the raid, which was May 12, cited a report by an anonymous immigrant who was sent to work in the plant by immigration authorities as an undercover informant. The immigrant saw “a rabbi who was calling employees derogatory names and throwing meat at employees.” Jewish managers oversee the slaughtering and processing of meat at Agriprocessors to ensure kosher standards.
In another episode, the informant said a floor supervisor had blindfolded an immigrant with duct tape. “The floor supervisor then took one of the meat hooks and hit the Guatemalan with it.” So far, 297 illegal immigrants from the May raid have been convicted of document fraud and other criminal charges, and most were sentenced to five months in prison, after which they will be deported."
Which will keep them from testifying in the case, right?
Also see: The Family Business
Mr. Goldsmith calls what the government did the height of hypocrisy. "They arbitrarily enforce a law when it's a well-known truth that there are millions of illegal workers. They could step into Los Angeles tomorrow and pick up a million people."
Typical Jew reaction: POINT the FINGER SOMEWHERE ELSE -- like that ZIONIST BLACK-BAG JOB on 9/11!
He said the raid looked like something out of the war in Afghanistan, with helicopters circling above. He does not understand why the government could not have sat down with the plant and tried to work something out.
Instead, he said, everyone got hurt: the families of the illegal workers, the townspeople who now have to deal with transient workers instead of family people, and the school board, which lost many students who were starting to integrate into the town....
Yup, everyone is hurt when Jews are hurt, even if they are running a meth lab and sexually abusing illegal immigrants' children (where's the damn Boston Globe on that one)?!!
And THAT is how you ruin an American town!!!
