Thursday, November 11, 2010
Rep. Todd Compares Children of Illegal Immigrants to "Rats"
Posted by Jackson Baker on Thu, Nov 11, 2010 at 6:43 AM
A wire service report by Lucas Johnson of the Associated Press from Nashville indicates that State Rep. Curry Todd,, a Collierville Republican whose District 95 includes parts of Metropolitan Memphis, compared children born within the United States of illegal-immigrant parents to multiplying rats.
During a meeting Tuesday of the legislature’s Fiscal Review Committee on the state’s Cover Kids health-insurance program, discussion turned to the issue of eligibility for pre-natal care. Todd asked if children of illegal immigrants were covered and was told that, if born in the U.S., they were automatically citizens and could not be denied.
According to the AP story, Todd then interpreted that to mean that illegal immigrants could “go out there like rats and multiply.”
Todd was quoted as saying later, “I was wrong, and I actually admit when I’m wrong,” and said he should have used the term “anchor babies,” itself considered objectionable by some.
The legislator continued to insist that proof of citizenship should be a requirement for participation in any state-run aid program.
Though not as well-publicized as some of his legislative colleagues, Todd has a reputation for being outspoken. He earned headlines some years ago when he clashed on the floor of the House with Brian Kelsey, a Shelby County colleague, now a state senator and then a state representative.
The issue was Kelsey's disinclination to accept his share of district-by-district allocations of what were being termed "community enhancement grants" from state surplus funds. Kelsey called them "pork," handing then House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh some symbolic slabs of bacon in an envelope.
Todd rose to protest, challenging Kelsey to give back his PAC campaign contributions in that case and accusing him of "grandstanding...to draw media attention to your stuff up here."
It is probably a fair assumption that, in the case at hand, Todd would just as soon that "media attention" to his own remarks would go away.
Comments (35)
Showing 1-35 of 35
like
dislike
Sorry, I agree with him...you must not have to live around all the illegals that are slowing taking over with thier "drop" babies. Open your eyes...they are every where...maybe not in your "hood" yet...but my "hood" which I have lived in for over 40 years is Mexican speaking, drug runners, gang members thugs with women walking around with babies..not one, two or three...4 and five in diapers..in which you and I pay for...they all have food stamps..free health care..they drive cars with Mississippi tags, they live 4 to 5 families to house .....trash every where...cars parked in yards..Code enforcement will not touch them....it goes on and on
Oh, I don't know. Lot of publicity for him, leading to more name recognition.
All the holier-than-thou posturing makes me sick. Narrowing the "acceptable" parameters for his speech narrows them for yours. But then, you don't have anything worthwhile to say anyway.
And I'm not referring to JB.
WM: you're right; no one should criticize racist, bigoted, intolerant speech because then racist, intolerant bigots might be discouraged from spewing their bile, since, as we all know, they're so sensitive. Using your "logic," there is no room for criticism of any kind in intelligent discourse, which, of course, would totally silence you. Do us all a favor and abide by your own principle.
When Rep. Todd compared babies born to illegals to rats he only said what too many Americans think. We do have a major problem with illegals coming into the country. The fact is its our elected officials in Washington who refuse to address the issue. There is a war going on just yards away from our southern border. While we are fighting two wars thousands of miles away. This war spills over into America. Some of that spillage is people fleeing to obtain a better life for themselves and their children. We have a choice. We can dehumanize illegals while allowing employers to hire them. We could create a state force to check citizenship status of those we believe are in the country illegally,since the folks in Washington don't seem capable of doing it. Of course there is another way. We could pray for Rep. Todd and for those seeking to give a better life for their children. After all we are a Christian nation and we live in the "Bible Belt". There are hundreds of chuches in the Mid-South. I wonder what their pastors and members think on this subject. I do know what Jesus said.
Illegal Immigrants are a problem for the country, no question. But when somebody takes it out on some kids that have no control over where they're born or to whom they're born, we might as well say that Mr. Todd's kids are filthy little Republican Teabagger traitors who have no right to breath the same air as a free-thinking person.
See?
And my statement is easily as accurate in principal as his.
And you're exactly right, Eyes....
Jesus would slap the teeth out of Todd's head if he were here.
Good to see you again. :)
I am so MAD over this he is talking about my CHILDREN and MY FAMILIES CHILDREN HE CAN GO TO HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I AM SO MAD ...HE IS TALKING ABOUT MY CHILDREN AND MY FAMILIES CHILDREN HE CAN GO TO HELL!! RAT ASS BASTARD!!!
Too bad he didn't say this about a year ago. The tea party would have swooped in and backed him for Congress.
I guess he's just already campaigning for 2012.
The cost of this program doesn't even represent a fraction of a percent of the state budget, and Tennessee has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the developed world. If Rep. Todd truly gave a damn about the sanctity of life, he would not permit any fetus to go without proper medical care anywhere within the borders of Tennessee, regardless of the sins of their fathers (or mothers).
Sometimes I am tempted to move to Germantown just so I can vote against this idiot. Is there a spot in Shelby County where you are represented by Blackburn, Kelsey and Todd? It might make leaving Midtown worthwhile.
My new motto is "I don't mind pressing '1' for English."
The act De-humanizing is not a poorly chosen word, it is a reflection of how his mind thinks. Less than human like Rats. Joseph Goebbels first films started off with pictures of Rats, then Jews... then Rats .... then Jews. Makes it easier to kill when "extermination Time comes".
This is not an innocuous statement, it is showing where we are heading if good people don’t stand up.
Excerpt from a paper written to the German People from Goebbels:
The bourgeois era with its false and lying idea of humanitarianism is over. We are in the middle of a hard century. It will be won not by good nature, but by manliness and strength. The world is divided by love and hate. To be on firm ground, one must know whom to love and whom to hate. There is only one thing that is objectively incontestable for us: We must win. That must guide us!
Sounds familiar doesn’t it?
Illegal-immigrants are human beings. So are Liberals, conservatives, ex-cons, people on food stamps, drug addicts, homeless, CEO’s, Bankers etc.
Immigrants have been a problem in this country for over 500 years. While I'm sure DeSoto had some honest hardworking companeros, the net effect on the honest hardworking locals was negative.
Certainly Rep Todd is an ass, but the overall issue of immigration, legal and otherwise, is legit and definitely merits debate.
A primary topic is why the leadership of this country, left and right have done nothing about it, ignoring existing laws, quietly profiting. The Reagan years did see millions of illegals legitimized, which is probably the only solution to come from Washington.
Immigration 500, 160, 100, 10 years ago always hurt the native working classes, as it does today, depressing wages, which even most liberals have to give a grudging admission. It's a natural fact of supply and demand. Just ask the Mexicans who attack the Guatemalans slipping across their border.
Characterizing immigrants as somehow more criminal, venal or lazy is absurd to anyone who knows or works with them. If employers were subjected to existing laws about hiring illegals, the economic pyramid that has been building since the Reagan years would begin to topple. How many of us are willing to live with those consequences?
Personally, I couldn't live without my illegal nanny/housekeeper/cook/schlepper. Without her I'd have to raise my own children, clean up after myself, pay living wages, totally deal with this whole snot nosed, hungry, dirty, world without commas and forward slashes. In short there would not be the successful liberated woman you see before you today.
B, unfortunately that perfect storm of a spot is exactly where I live. Mute, you're as full of shit as a Christmas turkey. Every immigrant group in this country's history has been demonized by nativists, starting with Germans in the late 1700s.
I say let's put some teeth in anti-illegal immigrant laws. Start with, if Tyson gets caught with any illegal immigrants at their chicken plants, throw their Board of Directors in prison. No f#$%ing excuses.
Curry Todd is the kind of Christian Gandhi was talking about. Jesus would throw Tood out of the temple in righteous anger.
To: adamssusan
Are you serious?!?! Unless you are a Native American, you and your family are also immigrants! Your attitude's sickening.
re: cali
regardless of adamssuan's comprehensions, your comment is an example of one side's fractured logic.
My family has been on this continent longer than the Lakota have been in the Black Hills. And we're immigrants? A few years ago most people born in this country, whose parent weren't, would have bristled at being called anything other than an American.
This whole issue began with examination of birthrights. To label everyone as immigrant whose ancestors didn't immigrate across the Bering Straits is silly. If you want to throw out the whole concept of immigrant, fine. Just lay off the we are a nation of immigrants hooey.
The new immigrants we get from Mexico create a lot of competition among the Mexican restaurants. This creates lower prices and more variety. I myself am sick and tired of the same ole menus. Viva la Mexico.
CL, you're exactly right that the issue of immigration merits debate and thought. What it doesn't merit is demonization by ignorant buffoons like Curry Todd.
Comparing children to rats?
To what could we compare Mr. Todd? A piece of shit, perhaps?
Packrat:
"CL, you're exactly right that the issue of immigration merits debate and thought. What it doesn't merit is demonization by ignorant buffoons like Curry Todd."
Actually, it's outrageous comments and behaviors that bring uncomfortable issues to the fore. Certainly the Democrats and Republicans would like to sweep this under the table, or rather have someone sweep it for them.
I question whether Tea Partiers fully appreciate their assumed historic reference, since they seem to have an overall myopic sense of history, but the original outrageous act and the like had more of an impact in the citizenry than all the well penned opinions of our founding fathers.
The issue of immigration is about class, wages, and a cohesive work force, all of which threaten an elitist establishment of any nominal political bent.
Subsequent posts to yours evidence that the "progressive" response, while somewhat less offensive, is no less petty.
This is from the shithead who brought us guns in bars. He clearly has a penis the size of a pimple and a brain smaller than a nut. Oh, little man, let's hope one of those rats grows up and todds your curry while you're drooling on yourself in a high chair in the skilled care wing at the Collierville Nursing Home.
So it's late and I'm a little bored and you know, curious. So I type in dickhead and penis in the Memphis Flyer search bar, and what do I get.
pay for prenatal care and respect life, or pay for neonatal intensive care later. immigrant or not. for every dollar spent on prenatal care about 100 is saved in post natal care.
hey even better, Mr todd can pay for abortions for illegal immigrants so there wouldnt be more rats err anchor babies err whatever. people who would deny prenatal care are the same as people who would use abortion for birthcontrol. Mr Todd only values white life.
@ADAMSSUSAN so where you come from it's called speaking mexican?not spanish.one can only assume you are the kind of person that thinks all brown skinned people are mexicans.and all mexicans are wetbacks.so all these people are on foodstamps and welfare?how do you know that?i believe that if you look into a mirror what you'll see is a bigot.you don't happen to be related to mr. todd by chance?and if you are how did i know that.pathetic!!!!!!!!!!
Top Commenters
THIS WEEK'S ISSUE
SPECIAL ISSUES
