Illegal aliens started some of the AZ fires

[Platapus]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/19/ari...tml?hpt=po_bn1

McCain blames some Arizona wildfires on illegal immigrants

U.S. Sen. John McCain is blaming illegal immigrants for starting some of the wildfires that have scorched hundreds of thousands of acres in Arizona.

"There is substantial evidence that some of these fires have been caused by people who have crossed our border illegally," McCain, R-Arizona, said Saturday at a press conference. "The answer to that part of the problem is to get a secure border."


The Arizona senator, however, did not say what the evidence is, prompting a swift rebuke from Latino civil rights advocates.


"It's easier to fan the flames of intolerance, especially in Arizona," said Randy Parraz, a civil rights advocate who ran unsuccessfully against McCain as a Democratic candidate in 2010.


Parraz called McCain's remarks "careless and reckless" but not entirely surprising given the political climate in Arizona. The Latino advocate is co-founder of Citizens for a Better Arizona, a group trying the recall the legislator who authored the state's controversial anti-illegal immigration law.



Parraz said McCain "should know better" than to make such an accusation without presenting any facts.


McCain said that illegal immigrants set such fires either to send signals, keep warm or distract law enforcement agents. But he did not specify which fires allegedly had been started by illegal immigrants, nor did he identify his sources or provide details of the "substantial" evidence he cited.

Firefighters are currently battling five wildfires that have burned a combined 732,427 acres in Arizona, according to InciWeb, an online interagency database that tracks fires, floods and other disasters. The fires are under investigation and suspects have not been named. However, local media outlets have reported anecdotal cases of fires breaking out in areas where illegal immigrants have been known to cross the border.


Parraz said it is particularly distressing that immigrants are being blamed for destructive fires at a time when many are also being targeted given the state's unemployment, foreclosure and other economic issues.
"People are looking for someone to blame," he said, claiming it is too easy and convenient to target what he called one of Arizona's "most vulnerable populations."


Angelo Falcon, the president of the National Institute for Latino Policy, criticized McCain for what he called "increasingly blatant" political opportunism.


"The degree of irresponsible political pandering by Sen. McCain has no limits," Falcon said in an email to CNN. "With the lack of evidence, he might as well also blame aliens from outer space for the fires."

There you go. Straight from the horse's........mouth?

[August]

The headline should read:

"Arizona senator blames illegal aliens for fire - racist organizations protest"

[yubba]

I'm surprised that's not all what's going on down there, with the so call failed ATF operation called Fast and Furious.

[Oberon]

Damn those aliens:

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Damn those aliens:

I didn't know Horsell Common was in Arizona.

"Arizona senator blames illegal aliens for fire - racist organizations protest"

Translates as ....arizona politician in an election cycle jumps on espousing silly rumours that have started since day one of the fires with magical mystyerious evidence that is impossible to verify-its them that always object and them is racist because it is them.
August, bringing balance to US politics because its always them
I suppose the "liberal media" had it off pat with....."The degree of irresponsible political pandering by Sen. McCain has no limits," Falcon said in an email to CNN. "With the lack of evidence, he might as well also blame aliens from outer space for the fires."
In case you are not up to date on the story August look back and see these silly accusations right from the very start of the bushfires....Its mexicans I tell ya or maybe guatamalans but whichever bloody foriegner they be they don't do be real americans

[Castout]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Damn those aliens:

That one is perfectly legal

I realize tribesman has a wealth of experience in the backcountry of NM and AZ, compared to someone whose principal recreational activity is hiking here in NM

That is funny tater, I do realise that I really need to be in your location and to be a hiking enthusiast to understand that the border fire you link to didn't even start in the US.
BTW if illegals are such a cause of wildfires why is so much of that link on current fires taken up with fires in north eastern Texas?
I take it the Alaskan wildfires are just some latinos who got really lost?

you can see clusters of fires historically along the US-Mexico border in smuggling routes over the years with this viewer:

Thats a rather dishonest claim, giving half a picture isn't presenting a real case at all.
However working off your link why are there so few? Surely if illegals are a worthwhile factor in this wildfire problem then their smuggling routes would dominate the map instead of being by the relatively fire free areas.
So lets get this straight , you are basing your claim on local knowlege backed up by information you provide which shoots great big holes your claims.

Amazing isn't it, how your local expertise can be trumped by simple experience as in.....arizona politician in an election cycle jumps on espousing silly rumours

@Platapus

I find it distasteful when a politician (all politicians) uses a disaster in which people's lives and livelihoods are being destroyed in order to further a political agenda.

Sadly I just find it normal, distateful yes, but such a run of the mill event it is fully expected.
However what I do find really distasteful is people jumping up to support that politician using the disaster.

[tater]

BTW, you can see clusters of fires historically along the US-Mexico border in smuggling routes over the years with this viewer:

http://www.geomac.gov/viewer/viewer.shtml

The clusters north of the border are national forest areas (vs other areas with less to burn). The clusters on the border (the NM bootheel as well) are known smuggling areas.

In the last few years, no one goes there except illegals, it's too dangerous because of them. I hiked down in the boothell in the 90s, but wouldn't consider it any more (even if I was carrying). Even in the 90s there were signs of illegals.

[Platapus]

I just wonder why Mr. McCain did not mention that some of the fires may have been started by white anglo judeo-christian families being careless while camping? Or has it been demonstrated that fires are never caused by white Americans (quick, notify Smokey the Bear!)

If he is truly interested in identifying all the potential causes of these fires, why limit it to undocumented aliens?

You don't think this Senator would be making this statement in order to further a political agenda? No, that would be wrong.

I find it distasteful when a politician (all politicians) uses a disaster in which people's lives and livelihoods are being destroyed in order to further a political agenda.

Expecting honour among politicians is like expecting virtue among whores.

[tater]

Fires started by Americans are a problem, and possibly even criminal.

Still, there is nothing you can do about that.

Foires set by people that should not be here in the first place are a different matter. Just like murders, rapes, etc caused by illegals, they are 100% preventable crimes. Seal border, and all those victims are not victimized. All those crimes are "excess" crimes, in other words. COuld people still be victims of crimes? Of course.

A kid was raped in a gym (day care facility in a nice gym here) a while back. The perp was an illegal. That kid would not have been raped if the border was secure. Being against better border enforcement is being FOR that crime (and all others done by illegals).

[Freiwillige]

Yea those fires are in areas that are heavily marked for Americans to stay out of do to the dangers of illegals and drug runners but I am sure it was 1955 American family camping that started it since they didn't get the memo