Issue in Edmond

What is the issue?

The question is whether the city should allow businesses to have digital signs, also known as EMC displays. Digital signs meaning electronic signs that have a range of messaging capabilities including full-color digital options that quickly scroll from one image to the next. Some businesses in Edmond have approached the City Council for permission to have them.

The Edmond Neighborhood Alliance recently debuted a video on its website urging residents to call their City Council representative on the matter. 

What are the debates on this issue?

There are two sides of this issue. Some Edmond businesses want these digital signs to promote their business more. They want to attract people's attention and advertise in a whole new way. The other side is that a local neighborhood group advocates against this because they are worried for the safety of drivers. They believe electronic signs that are constantly changing will distract drivers and could cause more accidents. They believe it is a distraction issue and a safety issue.

Media coverage on this issue:

There is an article written by Lisa Shearer on the Edmond Sun about this issue. 

Here is the link: http://www.edmondsun.com/local/x811211058/Neighborhood-group-advocates-against-road-spam

Also, here is a video made by the Edmond Neighborhood Alliance against EMCs. 

 

Public Officials Views:

ENA (the Edmond Neighborhood Alliance) President Tonya Coffman said she has several concerns about updating the city’s code to allow the signs.

“My primary objection to the digital signage is the distraction that it causes when people are driving and trying to read the signs at the same time,” Coffman said.

“I live very near where the 471-square-foot digital sign was recently approved atop the grocery store that is going in on Covell. I am extremely concerned about the safety of students coming from Cheyenne Middle School, which is directly across the street. If something happens to a child while 

someone is trying to read the sign, will the additional tax revenue be worth it then?”

Also, former Edmond Mayor Saundra Naifeh says that  “EMC displays have potential to do irreparable damage” to Edmond’s image.

Also, Dan O’Neil, a former Edmond mayor and a longtime ENA member says, “The issue for the community is do we want the distraction, the city cannot control content. It’s a quality of life issue, a distraction issue and a safety issue.”

Overall, the media and public officials views influenced this issue by portraying the two different sides. The video above made by the ENA really influences your view on EMCs and how they should not be introduced in Edmond businesses. The ENA does a really good job in voicing out their concerns on this issue and proving their point. With all this strong opposition, I believe the city of Edmond will not approve Edmond businesses to apply EMCs. 

Letter to the mayor of Edmond regarding this issue

Dear Mayor Charles Lamb:

My name is Sidra Mesiya, and I am a resident of Edmond. Just recently I have heard about the debate over whether or not Edmond businesses are allowed to use EMCS. I can't believe the city council is even considering it. I believe that businesses should not be allowed to use such digital signs because they can distract drivers and cause accidents. It will jeopardize the safety of Edmond residents! I strongly urge you, Mr. Mayor, to take a stand against the use of EMCs alongside me and the Edmond Neighborhood Alliance. I assure you it is the right thing to do and that it is in the best interest of the Edmond residents' safety and wellbeing.  

                                                                                 Sidra Mesiya

As a Citizen of the U.S. 

MY RIGHTS:

• Vote in federal elections
• Serve on a jury
• Bring family members to the U.S.
• Obtain citizenship for child born abroad
• Travel with a U.S. passport
• Run for federal office
• Become eligible for federal grants and scholarships
• Freedom of speech, press and petition
• Freedom of religion
• Right to assemble 
• Trial by jury
• Equality 
• Miranda Rights

MY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Support and defend the Constitution
• Serve the country when required
• Pledge allegiance to the U.S.
• Respect and obey all laws set by the government, local, state, and federal
• Paying taxes
• Giving back to society
• Participate in the Democratic process
• Respect the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others
• Participate in the local community
• Educate yourself

BENEFITS:

• The Right to Vote
• A Chance to Reunite Families
• A Way to Protect Children's Right to Remain in the U.S.
• Protection in Cases Involving Illegal Activity
• International Travel Made Easier
• Cannot be Deported
• Full Rights
• Protection
• Public Services: Medicare, Social Security, etc.
• More Job Opportunities 

Other Immigration Bills around the Nation

Florida SB 2040:

• It requires the police to make a reasonable effort to determine the immigration status of people they arrest and jail.

Indiana SB 0590:

• It requires most Indiana businesses to check immigration status of new employees
• It forbids distribution of state aid to illegal immigrants
• It prohibits local governments from refusing to abide by federal immigration law. 
• This bill has been passed both by the Senate and the House and is now awaiting Governor Mitch Daniel’s signature.

Alabama SB 256 and HB 56

• They require police to question the immigration status of anyone they reasonably suspect is in the country illegally
• They make it a crime to knowingly house, give a ride to, rent to or employ an illegal immigrant.
•  SB 256 has been passed by the Senate but still needs House approval. 
• HB 56 has been passed by the House but still needs Senate approval. 

Tennessee SB 1141 and HB 670: 

• Mandates every jailer in state to inspect the immigration documents of every person arrested 
• Requires city and country jails in the state to report any person who may be in violation of immigration laws to the U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement 
• Includes similar clauses from Arizona's SB 1070 but are less harsh
• HB 670 has been passed by both the House and the Senate, and it has been signed by Governor Phil Bredesen

Arizona SB 1070:

• Makes it a state misdemeanor crime for an alien to be in Arizona without carrying the required documents 
• Requires that state law enforcement officers attempt to determine an individual's immigration status during a lawful stop, detention, or arrest when there is a reasonable suspicion that the individual is an illegal alien
• It bars the state and local officials and agencies from restricting enforcement of federal immigration laws
• It cracks down on those sheltering, hiring, and transporting illegal aliens
• It has been passed by the Senate and the House, and it has been signed into law by Governor Jan Brower but controversial provisions were blocked by a preliminary injunction issued by a federal judge

Utah HB 497:

• Includes similar clauses to those from Arizona's SB 1070
• Allows for state based-guest based worker programs.

Oklahoma House Bill 1446 Scorecards: State Representatives and Senators

House of Representatives 

YEAS:   85

    Armes              Fourkiller         McNiel             Roberts, D.        

    Banz               Glenn              McPeak             Roberts, S.        

    Bennett            Grau               Moore              Rousselot          

    Billy              Hall               Morgan             

    Blackwell          Hardin             Mulready           Sanders            

    Brumbaugh          Hickman            Murphey            Schwartz           

    Cannaday           Holland            Nelson             Sears              

    Casey              Hoskin             Newell             Shannon            

    Christian          Inman              Nollan             Stiles             

    Cockroft           Jackson            Ortega             Sullivan           

    Condit             Jordan             Osborn             Terrill            

    Coody              Joyner             Ownbey             Thomsen            

    Cooksey            Kern               Peters             Tibbs              

    Cox                Key                Peterson           Trebilcock         

    Dank               Kirby              Pittman            Vaughan            

    Denney             Kouplen            Proctor            Watson             

    Derby              Liebmann           Pruett             Wesselhoft         

    DeWitt             Lockhart           Quinn              Wright             

    Dorman             Martin, Sc.        Renegar            Mr.Speaker         

    Enns               Martin, St.        Reynolds           

    Farley             McCullough         Richardson         

    Faught             McDaniel, R.       Ritze              

NAYS:   7

    Hamilton           Scott              Shumate                  Williams           

    McDaniel, J.       Shelton            Virgin          

   

EXCUSED:   9

    Brown              McAffrey           Sherrer            

    Hilliard           Morrissette        Shoemake           

    Johnson            Roan               Walker             

Oklahoma Senate

YEAS:   37

    Aldridge          Burrage           Jolley            Shortey           

    Allen             Crain             Justice           Simpson           

    Anderson          David             Marlatt           Sparks            

    Ballenger         Ellis             Mazzei            Stanislawski      

    Barrington        Fields            Myers             Sykes             

    Bingman           Ford              Newberry          Treat             

    Branan            Garrison          Nichols           Wyrick            

    Brecheen          Halligan          Reynolds          

    Brinkley          Holt              Russell           

    Brown             Johnson, R.       Schulz           

NAYS:    8

    Bass              Eason Mc          Laster            Rice              

    Coates            Johnson, C.       Lerblance         Wilson            

EXCUSED:    3

Adelson           Ivester           Paddack 

Oklahoma HB 1446 passed in the House by 85-7. It was also passed in the Senate by 37-8.

          

Immigration Bill Right Here in Oklahoma

Oklahoma House Bill 1446: 

• Anti-immigration law
• Copycat of Arizona's SB 1070
• Relating to the unlawful transport of an alien; making the smuggling of human beings unlawful
• Allows local law enforcement to question people about their immigration status in certain circumstances
• Allows the seizure of vehicles used in human trafficking 
• Makes it a crime for illegal immigrants to seek employment 
• Passed in both the Senate and the House 

IMMIGRATION: 

Why is everyone making a big deal about it?

Have you heard any talk about immigration these past couple of months? If you haven't, then you must be completely out of it! Immigration is one of this year's hot debates so everyone probably has heard of it, but if you haven't, read this post as an introduction to what this whole immigration thing is actually about.

The Hot Debate on Immigration : Dating back to the late 19th century, illegal immigration has been a problem in the United States, especially in the latter half of the twentieth century. Basically, illegal immigration is when immigrants enter the United States without any legal papers or documents or a legal status. Examples of this situation is when someone from Mexico crosses the border without any legal documents and starts a life in the U.S., or when someone from Pakistan applies for a visiting visa to the U.S., and is granted one, he or she stays and lives in the U.S. even after the visa expires.

So you might ask, what is the big deal? People are just coming to the U.S without a couple of papers, and that's why the government is making such a big deal about it? That is why so many law and legislatures are being passed regarding this issue? Because they don't have pieces of paper that make it legal for them to be here? Well, here are some of the main points supporting each side of the debate: 


Stance: Supporting illegal immigration

• Some of the most intelligent and ambitious individuals, who are unsatisfied with their own countries, bring their skills to America.
• It increases the diversity and expands the culture of the country.
• Immigrants often taken the low-paying jobs (like food service & hotel cleaning) that most Americans don't want to do at such low wages.
• Decreasing or eliminating legal immigration will inevitably create more incentive to come to the country illegally, which leads to less assimilation and fewer taxpaying, law-abiding citizens.
• It improves the overall image of America internationally, as it is seen as an open, welcoming country; and immigrants who return home or maintain contact with family back home have a true image of America, not the one propagandized in much of the international media.
• Adding an additional group of cheap labor adds to the flexibility of business, leading to cheaper prices, better quality products, and higher profits.
• It gives struggling people all over the world an opportunity for a better life. This country was built on immigrants who sought opportunity, political & religious freedom, etc.

Stance: Opposing illegal immigration

• More immigrants means more opportunity for terrorists, drug dealers, and other criminals to enter the country.
• Immigrants, especially the poorer ones, consume a high amount of government resources (health care, education, welfare, etc.) without paying a corresponding high rate of taxes.
• The national identity and language is disappearing. The great "melting pot" is being replaced by divisive multiculturism.
• The emigration to the United States hurts the home country, as much of the male population, workers, and top intellectuals often leave their country.
• Less-skilled American citizens earn less money and have fewer job opportunities because they must compete with immigrants in the job market.

http://www.balancedpolitics.org/immigration.htm

After reading this, I believe that both sides make equal amount of sense. Personally, I compare the situation the U.S. is in with the time before America was even created. Americas was created when people from Europe and Britain left their countries and old lives behind and came to the Americas. But, here in the Americas, they were already people residing and living their own lives: the Indians. We all know what happened after that, the immigrants took over and killed so many of the Indians that they almost went into extinction. Now, the tables have turned. Americans are the residents, and they are scared of being taken over by the immigrants. But, people have to remember that America, to many people, is a land of opportunity. Just like it was for those immigrants centuries ago. But, that doesn't mean that people can just enter a country and use up its resources without giving anything in in return.

Media Coverage 

Wash. State Muslims Ask for Probe of FBI Bias (CAIR)

On Monday, October 3, the Washington state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-WA) joinED a coalition of community groups at a news conference in Seattle to express concerns about persistent reports that FBI agents are trained to view mainstream American Muslims with suspicion and to view the faith of Islam itself as the source of terrorism and extremism.

FBI Asked Agents to Read Anti-Islam Books (CAIR)

Through the Freedom of Information Act, The American Civil Liberties Union has obtained teaching materials used by the FBI to instruct new recruits about Islam. Included in a 62 page slideshow is the FBI's recommended reading list which introduces the" Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Islam," "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam." The author, Robert Spencer, runs the jihadwatch.com blog. Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller are co-founders of the Stop the Islamization of America campaign which was cited 64 times in the manifesto of Anders Behring Breivik, (Anders Berring Breiveek) who carried out the recent massacre in Norway. Breivik's writings present him as a right-wing nationalist fueled by a combined hatred of Muslims, Marxists and multiculturalists. The Oslo perpetrator, in his manifesto quoted extensively from the writings of European and American bloggers - including Spencer and Geller. The FBI says Spencer's book is no longer being recommended to new recruits, But CAIR wonders what impact that will really have, considering the group says, Robert Spencer is still a trainer at the FBI. The FBI says it is now encouraging agents to seek out a variety of viewpoints and that the learning material obtained by the ACLU was a rudimentary version used for a limited time.

FBI halts anti-Muslim training

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has said it has discontinued a lecture that taught counter-terrorism agents that mainstream Muslims were violent. 

The move comes after leaked documents revealed the controversial elements in the FBI's training manuals.According to the FBI documents: most American Muslims are likely to be sympathizers to "terrorist" groups like al-Qaeda. Spencer Ackerman, the journalist who broke this story for the website Wired dot com, told Al-Jazeera why the FBI teachings are "constitutionally dicey". "There is still a real ignorance and to some degree a real fear of Islam that has found a surprising home in the FBI," he said."If they spend their time and resources going after indicators of violent behavior based on the amount of religiosity a person displays, then first of all they are not going to get actual terrorists, but innocent people."

FBI's Anti-Muslim Training

Spencer Ackerman from Wired's Danger Room has acquired a course handbook used to train FBI counterterrorism officers at the FBI training ground in Quantico Virginia. The course focuses solely on the threat of terror from Muslims, and encourages trainees to focus on a Muslim's religion as the sole factor in determining if they might be a terrorist. What's worse, use of the word "radical" isn't even a focus in this handbook because according to these teachings, even mainstream Muslims are terrorist sympathizers. So basically, every Muslims likes terrorists according to them.

Public Officials' Views 

• Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky challenged the anti-Muslim training and even questioned the FBI director about the allegations. 

• FBI Director Robert Mueller tries to defend FBI policies regarding their training materials. 

• US Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday told lawmakers that FBI counterterrorism training that painted practicing US Muslims as likely extremist sympathizers was "flat-out wrong" and dangerous.
  "That can really undermine the really substantial outreach efforts that we have made and really have a negative impact on our ability to communicate effectively, as we have in the past, with this community," said Holder.
  He is completely against the use of anti-Muslim training materials.

• Democratic Senator Dick Durbin quoted FBI training that tarred Islam as "a highly violent religion," said "mainstream American Muslims are likely to be terrorist sympathizers" and called traditional Muslim attire, growing facial hair, and frequent mosque or prayer group attendance danger signs. He completely against the use of anti-Muslim training materials.