* A partial transcript of Santa Clarita City Councilman Bob Kellar's speech at the Minuteman Rally on Jan. 16:
I'm telling you, this is serious. And if I sound like a radical, thank you, I consider that a compliment.
Right here, a moment ago, I mentioned what Teddy Roosevelt said, and he was right on: "One flag, one language."
You know, I brought that up and I read that, that comment by Teddy Roosevelt, at one of our council meetings here a couple of years ago. I said, "Folks, this is important."
You know, the only thing I heard back from a couple of people is: "Bob, you sound like a racist."
I said, "That's good. If that's what you think I am because I happen to believe in America, I'm a proud racist. You're darn right, I am."
What people are saying
"I don't believe that establishing ‘one flag, one language' is necessarily racist. I do believe that it doesn't correspond with the reality of the America we live in now."
- Jorge Mario Cabrera, spokesman for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles
"Bob Kellar is not a racist. Bob Kellar is an American who abides by the rule of law and asks our government to do the same."
- Roger Gitlin, leader of Santa Clarita Valley Minutemen
"Shame on elected representatives who don't have the intestinal fortitude to address the issue. I will not deviate that illegal immigration is wrong ... That's the way I feel, that's always the way I feel and will continue to feel."
- City Councilman Bob Kellar
"He doesn't represent us well talking that way, and I don't think he should continue to hold office. He's an embarassment to the city."
- Local activist Bruce McFarland
"I believe that each of us individually are responsible for the way we conduct ourselves in office. The public will ultimately decide if our actions or words are appropriate or not."
- City Councilwoman Marsha McLean
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Posted: Jan. 23, 2010 8:16 p.m.
A Santa Clarita city councilman's fiery speech at a rally against illegal immigration has drawn praise and criticism from those on either side of one of the most divisive issues in national politics.
Councilman Bob Kellar and his supporters said his words reflected his passion for the rule of law.
Others called his words overblown rhetoric and an embarassment to the city.
At the rally last weekend, Kellar gripped a microphone and told a crowd he agreed with former President Theodore Roosevelt's philosophy: This nation has room for only one flag - the American one - and one language - English. He said he once voiced that opinion at a City Council meeting and people told him he sounded like a racist.
"I said, ‘That's good. If that's what you think I am because I happen to believe in America, (then) I'm a proud racist. You're darn right, I am,'" Kellar said.
Those at the rally against illegal immigration cheered the words of the councilman and retired Los Angeles police officer.
But his words, captured on video and posted on YouTube, shocked some residents and made his fellow City Council members uneasy.
The speech also appeared to put him at odds with a section of the code of ethics for city employees, which requires officials to state explicitly they are not representing the city when advocating a personal opinion. But city officials said any ethics code violation was doubtful.
In interviews last week, Kellar said he stands by his words but hopes others don't take them out of context.
He said he is not a racist and never meant to say he was - rather, he used a rhetorical device to say opponents' name-calling wouldn't change his views.
Kellar said he does not believe expressing his personal views violates the code of ethics he and other council members approved in 2008.
He said he personally feels illegal immigration is ruining the nation economically and culturally.
"Sure, it sounds radical to many folks that don't believe like I do," Kellar said. "I was raised by my family and taught that this is America.
America has one language and one flag."
Reaction
Kellar's words echoed far beyond their intended audience at the impassioned Valencia rally organized by local Minutemen and conservative "tea party" groups.
Some found Kellar's statements at the rally disturbing, regardless of what he meant.
"I was shocked. I couldn't believe it," said Bruce McFarland, a local Democratic activist, who added Kellar's latest YouTube appearance has been a hot topic in e-mail discussions.
"Here's a guy who is supposed to be representing the city of Santa Clarita, and does represent the city of Santa Clarita - whether or not he says he's expressing our opinion," McFarland said.
"He doesn't represent us well talking that way, and I don't think he should continue to hold office. He's an embarassment to the city."
Roger Gitlin, leader of the Santa Clarita Valley Minutemen and rally organizer, said he was proud of Kellar for stepping up and speaking.
"Bob Kellar is not a racist," he said. "Bob Kellar is an American who abides by the rule of law and asks our government to do the same."
However, Gitlin said it seemed Kellar might have been "over-rhetorical."
"I think Bob probably got a little ahead of himself with his words," he said. "He is not a racist. He judges people by their deeds, not by the color of their skin or by their ethnicity."
Others who disagreed with Kellar acknowledged the councilman's opinion about illegal immigration alone doesn't make him racist.
A spokesman for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, which helped suspects arrested during a local immigration raid last year, said Kellar's views, however, may be outdated.
"I don't believe that establishing ‘one flag, one language' is necessarily racist," said coalition spokesman Jorge Mario Cabrera. "I do believe that it doesn't correspond with the reality of the America we live in now."
Jorge Garcia, a Chicano studies professor at California State University, Northridge, said most immigrants, regardless of where they come from or what language they speak, try to learn English.
He scoffed at Kellar's attempt to portray his own views as radical.
"He's not a radical - he's a reactionary," Garcia said. "A reactionary wants to go back to some mythical time where everybody speaks English. It's never been that way."
City officials react
City Councilwoman Laurie Ender said she does not share Kellar's opinions.
"I thought what he said was shocking and I hope he is able to clarify his comments," she said.
Councilman Frank Ferry, a former U.S. history teacher, said during times of economic turmoil people often attack poor and disenfranchised groups.
"In my eyes, Bob Kellar and others at the rally are attacking the undocumented worker," Ferry said. "(Kellar's) rhetoric is very loud and strong, and it will definitely offend a group of people. ... But Bob doesn't care. He's not going to change his position."
Councilwoman Marsha McLean said illegal immigration is a polarizing issue that elicits strong rhetoric from both sides.
"I believe that each of us individually are responsible for the way we conduct ourselves in office," McLean said.
"The public will ultimately decide if our actions or words are appropriate or not."
Mayor Laurene Weste declined to comment.
Ethics
The city's code of ethics states, in regard to advocacy, that "when presenting their individual opinions and positions, (City Council members and other city officials) shall explicitly state they do not represent their body or the city of Santa Clarita, nor will they allow the inference that they do."
Kellar, who was mayor when the City Council approved and enacted the code in May 2008, was introduced at the rally as a city councilman and referenced what he had said about one flag, one language at a City Council meeting. On the YouTube video, he did not explicitly say he was not representing the city.
City Attorney Carl Newton, who would investigate any breach of the city's code of ethics, said Thursday he thought it was clear Kellar was giving his own passionate opinion and did not violate the code, citing the First Amendment.
"He did not say he was speaking on behalf of the council or speaking in an official capacity, so I don't think he has violated any policy," Newton said.
Ferry agreed, and other council members declined to comment about the matter.
"We have five different opinions," Ferry said. "He didn't do anything on behalf of the council."
Newton said his office has never been called to investigate an alleged breach of the code, and the consequences of a violation are unclear.
Kellar's views
Kellar said he supports immigrants who are learning English, but he is disturbed by immigrants who do not choose to learn English and assimilate.
"At the Rose Parade a few years back, I saw more Mexican flags being waved around the crowd than American flags," Kellar said. "What is that? That is disturbing to me. This is America; this is not Mexico."
"If they want to be a proud American, they should learn the English language like our forefathers did."
"I care about America," Kellar said. "I recognize we are a melting pot. We all are, including me. But we are now Americans.
"We have one flag; we have one language. That is a piece of the big puzzle that makes this nation great."
Kellar said it is the responsibility of every elected official to speak out about the issue of illegal immigration.
"Shame on elected representatives who don't have the intestinal fortitude to address the issue," Kellar said.
"I will not deviate that illegal immigration is wrong."
He added: "If there are people out there who differ with me, then so be it, because we are Americans."
Signal staff writer Tammy Marashlian contributed to this report.
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January 24, 2010 - 11:27 AM
"Sure, it sounds radical to many folks that don't believe like I do," Kellar said. "I was raised by my family and taught that this is America.
America has one language and one flag."
Such a small minded little man. Yeah Bob, we ALL grew up just like you!
To quote one of the teabag protesters, MORAN!
January 24, 2010 - 11:48 AM
Standing against ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION is now racist? Are you people mad? Bob Kellar expresses what so many of us LEGAL residents of this country (many of us from other parts of the world) think. Witness the illegal immigrant gang-bangers MURDERS and CRIME! Have a look at the ILLEGALS gathered outside the social services offices! See the Section 8 housing for the poor and the elderly in need being used up by multiple families here ILLEGALLY! Have a look at some of the schools and see the 80% children of ILLEGALS and watch the teaching standards go down!
That is NOT America! That is NOT the law and order tradition of America! That is NOT respect for all! That is an INSULT to the millions of other LEGAL immigrants who came here and RESPECTED this country, her laws, her language, and her institutions.
I've HAD IT with the PC crowd apologists who helped contribute to the destruction of my city and these attack dogs that trash the messenger but are nowhere to be found when ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIMINALS create destruction and chaos in Santa Clarita.
January 24, 2010 - 01:05 PM
When it comes down to it he called himself a "racist." As a resident for 27 years, that is not okay.
Lastly, the destruction of our city was done by our city council. They have approved hundreds of housing developments. Yet, they don't look at the fact that our infrastructure cannot support it.
January 24, 2010 - 01:14 PM
I support Mr. Kellar and understand his frustration. I am proud to live in a city where one of our politicians has the backbone to be honest and stand up for what he believes. Mr. Kellar provided a clear explanation for the words that he used and I am content with that explanation. City Attorney Carl Newton made the correct desion not to investigate any city code violation.
January 24, 2010 - 01:29 PM
I enthusiastically support Kellar and his statement.
January 24, 2010 - 03:45 PM
Abraham Lincoln's quote still resonates through the ages, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Our country is--collapsing from the inside-out--because our legislators are completely oblivious to the interest of citizens and legal residents. California the SANCTUARY STATE, with Arizona, Texas and all border States are beginning to sink in a financial quagmire, because of the occupation and the pandering of Liberal-Democratic-Extremists, whose main believe is tax and spend. CALIFORNIA--the once vibrant state is turning into a third world society in hundreds of communities. If we don't enforce the immigration "Rule of Law" our country great heritage will dwindle away into the immigration crisis, that many European countries whom are now teetering on the edge of fiscal and cultural collapse.
Until the US government summons the courage to provide massive penalties for anybody found as accomplice to assisting illegal aliens staying in America. Until businesses are fined $50.000 to $100.000 dollars for knowingly hiring each illegal immigrant, with an immediate passport to jail for any employer with no clemency. Or going straight to prison for at least one year on the first offense, for aiding and abetting foreign nationals. This type of rigid law will never happen, because immigration is just lip service to the public to show that Washington is superficially doing something. For decades, any kind of serious enforcement has always been trampled into the mud, by pandering politicians. If immigration laws were serious--they would have made trespassing into our country a mandatory felony as other countries, instead of a pathetic slap on the wrist. 20 to 30 million Illegal immigrants have been allowed to occupy our nation, because our lawmakers have been corrupted by the special interest lobbyists. Even the original design of the Southern border fence, was superseded by one single length instead of two, with vehicle surveillance lanes in between. More fencing and additional Border Patrol agents will not be sufficient to protect America because every one of our international airports is part of our border. Tom Tancredo previous Congressman for Colorado warns us that over 140 million international travelers passed through our 20 busiest international airports in 2008. Foreign students from the Middle East are bringing their wives and girlfriends here to have their babies in American hospitals, children who become instant American citizens – and "anchors" for their parents' future green-card applications.
January 24, 2010 - 03:47 PM
Large bankrolls have changed hands by wealthy corporate concerns, adding copious incentives to party campaigns to trample new laws. This has been illustrated by Sen. Harry Reid, Majority Speaker Nancy Pelosi and even head of our Homeland Security Janet Napolitano trying to collapse E-Verify. As Part of the SAVE ACT, E-Verify is one of our strongest tools, to eject illegal workers out of American jobs. E-Verify was nearly comprised by the Liberal Democrats, but it surfaced and came to the attention of the public and anti-illegal labor bloggers. Any enforceable law such as E-Verify, 287(g) local police detainment, ICE arrest have been secretly undermined by the legislators. Not completely, but enough to make them almost worthless. Today, more than ever before--we cannot trust our government, who supposedly take this oath office to protect the United States citizenship.
May be there is a light at the end of the tunnel, with the stunned expressions of Democrats when Scott Brown, beat Martha Coakley in the Massachusetts special election. State Sen. Brown has stated he is against any kind of AMNESTY or as its called by open border zealots Comprehensive immigration reform. The Senator also said that we are encouraging more illegal immigrants to come, by awarding AMNESTY. Just as millions more are expected, if the doors remain open before President Obama should sign into law this new act. You cannot stop a deluge with just a thin line of US Border Patrol agents. This is where we must--DEMAND--stringent fines and hefty prison sentences for business owners--with no exceptions. The new second generation well-funded E-Verify will make a giant difference, that will rid this country of illegal workers and those criminal businesses that believe they are above the law. The new E-Verify upgrade will whittle away at the estimated 8 million illegal workers in our country, with their only option to go--HOME?
Rep. Nathan Deal (R-Ga) is the principal author of H.R.1868, which repeals "birthright citizenship" by limiting citizenship to children born of citizens and legal permanent residents, not Tourists, foreign students, temporary workers or illegal aliens. Rep. Phil Gringrey (R-Ga) H.R.878 would end chain migration by limiting the relatives who qualify for "family reunification" to only immediate family members. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va) bill, H.R.2305, will end the "diversity lottery" through which 55,000 green cards are awarded annually to people who are exempt from sponsorship and job-skill requirements. (Over 1.5 million legal immigrants enter America every year.) Rep. Marsha Blackburn's (R-Tn) H.R.2406 will strengthen local law enforcement's role in immigration enforcement, for example in extending the reach of 287(g) agreements between local police and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
January 24, 2010 - 03:47 PM
TAXPAYERS HAVE BEEN SHINED-ON THROUGH MANY ADMINISTRATIONS OVER MANY YEARS. AMERICANS HAVE UNKNOWINGLY BEEN TAXED, TO SUPPORT INSTANT CITIZEN CHILDREN OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT MOTHERS, EDUCATION AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT AND FILLED OUR PLACES OF IMPRISONMENT. MASSIVE DOLLAR AMOUNTS CANNOT BE COUNTED, BUT CERTAINLY RIVAL THE APPROPRIATIONS FOR OUR WARS. Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and asked for your Senator or Congressman. In addition bombard your State Representatives to enforce state laws. GET INVOLVED AND LEARN THE TRUTH AND NOT OPEN BORDER PROPAGANDA AT NUMBERSUSA AND JUDICIAL WATCH. STOP UNSUSTAINABLE OVERPOPULATION IN OUR FUTURE.
January 24, 2010 - 08:10 PM
Illegal immigration is dividing this country more than anything else to date.Mr.Kellar is just expressing what alot of us are concerned about.At least he has the guts to tell it how it is,unlike the spineless wimps Laurie Ender and Frank Ferry.Mcfarland keeps his head in the ground and lives in his own little world.He to is spineless.We are no longer a melting pot,we are a powder keg waiting to explode.TICK.TICK.TICK.BOOM!
January 25, 2010 - 12:27 AM
I support Councilman Bob Kellar and will gladly vote again for him! ILLEGAL immigration is killing this country.
(I am the US born daughter of LEGAL immigrants to this country who waited their turn under the quota system and after several yrs immigrated back in '54... LEGALLY)
January 25, 2010 - 01:26 AM
Bob Kellar is not racist. I stand by him and support what he said. By the way, I am a LEGAL immigrant. The illegal aliens are ILLEGAL. I'm all for legal immigration, but illegal is wrong.
January 25, 2010 - 02:42 AM
Do you really want to know the context of Councilman Kellar's remarks?
Read on...
On SCVtalk.com, there is an article titled: Kellar Doubles Down on “Proud Racist” Comment
Written by Jeff on January 23rd, 2010
Mike made the following comment...
mike says: January 24, 2010 at 10:34 am
Interesting that Bob is crying for context. Let’s put his speech in the context of the event. He considered it a privilege to speak at this event, but if you watch all the videos, this was an extreme far-right event, consisting primarily of speakers that don’t live in this valley. The invocation suggested that illegal immigration is “of the Devil…sent straight from hell” which in the context of an invocation, is about as hateful as you can get. We’ve already seen the sign that said “God Damn Obama” and the man that introduced Kellar spoke just minutes before, calling the President a Communist and joked that he invited the President to the event but that he and Michelle were busy hiding his Kenyan birth documents.
Never mind that this was a Minutemen-affilated event, a group that has a certain amount of overlap with white supremacist organizations. Not all minutemen are racist, nor were all the people at that rally, but anyone with a shred of sense knows that some of them are. He spoke to an extremist crowd like that and told them that the racist label is nothing to be ashamed of.
Any elected official, anywhere in this country, should have left that event on the basis of the hateful and distasteful words being spoken. After seeing it for what it was, Kellar should have left. He shouldn’t have been in attendance. It was worse still to speak, worse still to call it a privilege, worse still to leave the hate speech un-refuted, and worst of all to justify it and tell them it’s all right to be called a racist.
Kellar has to go. I’m proud of the three members of the council that had the guts to criticize him on the record in the morning’s Signal, and of TimBen calling him here on this site. I’m surprised that both David Gauny and Laurene Weste have declined to comment publicly. Gauny still proudly advertises Kellar’s endorsement on his website. We’re now a week into the controversy, and I think we can see what these two candidates are made of.
*** end of post ***
Since the Friends of Bob have invited the Minutemen (and others) to stage a demonstration at the Tuesday eve. City Council meeting, and have invited prominent TV stations to cover it, will the good and decent people of Santa Clarita be labeled as 'proud racists'? Media does not do nuance.
John Q has questions...
January 25, 2010 - 08:05 PM
How can you NOT be against Illegal Immigration? How can it possibly be good for our country, nor our state. Sure we are a country of immigrants, but until the mass migration over our Southern border it has been legal immigration, and controlled, and absorb able. What we are dealing with now will end up being the ruination of our country and our way of life.......not to mention what the economic negatives are from health care alone,add to health care the cost of increased law enforcement and it's impact is disastrous.
January 25, 2010 - 11:24 PM
Johnq:racist are in every walk of life in this country.To say that some of the Minutemen are racist is no different than Cops,Firefighters,Lawyers ETC that have racist elements.Racist are in all occupations,organizations ETC.When people throw around the race card it only lessens the meaning of the word.In todays day and age being called a racist does'nt have the sting or stigma it once did.Also racism is a two way street as there are Black,Latino ETC racist.Racism knows no boundaries as far as color is concerned.Farakan,Sharpton,Jackson are examples of racism also.It's time to get into the real world of thinking as racism is and always will be apart of our country no matter what.If anything Illegal Immigration will make our country worse in race relations.TICK.TICK.TICK.BOOM!
January 26, 2010 - 06:00 PM
PS -- immigrants of the past ASSIMILATED to their new chosen homeland.
They didn't look at the US as a CASH COW/CASH REGISTER, with their allegiances to their country of birth.
Unlike immigrants of today, my parents in 1954 came with 2 suitcases, less than $100, a sponsor guaranteeing they would not be a burden to the US, never went back... and saw this as their new homeland. We were raised as AMERICANS loving this country... waving the US flag, not the flag of another country.
January 27, 2010 - 12:32 AM
City Council Candidate TimBen Boydston Addresses Santa Clarita City Council Meeting Regarding Controversy Surrounding City Councilmember’s Remarks
Agency members,
I am Former Councilman TimBen Boydston and in the interest of full disclosure I am a candidate for City Council in our April election.
When I was on the City Council in 2007, I worked very hard to establish a Code of Ethics for our City. This very Council with the exception of Council Member Ender who was not yet elected, passed our Ethics Code. A violation of our City’s ethics code is a serious matter. This code dictates the way that you, as representatives of the people, are to conduct yourselves while serving the citizens of our great City.
On January 16th Council member Kellar exercised one of the great freedoms that we have in America, The Freedom of Free Speech. While I disagree with some of the things that Mr. Kellar said, I stand in his defense for his right to say them. In fact while serving my country in the military, I pledged my very life to preserve this freedom, as did Mr. Kellar when he served.
However, during our term as City Council Members, we are not allowed to advocate, without declaring, that we are not speaking for the City Council. The Law is very clear on this and there is no ambiguity. I quote “[members] shall explicitly state that they do not represent their body or the City of Santa Clarita.” In watching the video of the January 16th event, this statement is never made. Council member Kellar was introduced as a public official from our City. It was his responsibility to state that He was not representing the City.
As to the contents of Mr. Kellar’s speech, I believe that Mr. Kellar did not intend for his remarks to come out the way they did. The assertion that Mr. Kellar made using the term racist is not appropriate in any context. It is inflammatory. The persuasive device used “if this then that” failed miserably. I appreciate that Mr. Kellar said in an interview with KHTS that he wished he had not used that word.
A simple apology for the use of that phrase, and for an unintended breach in our ethics code would be all that would be needed to put this turmoil to rest. I call upon our honorable City Council to ask for that simple apology.
As to the illegal immigration issue, that discussion does not belong in a forum of shouters in an outdoor park, but rather here in our representatives’ chambers.
Illegal immigration is a Federal issue but our Federal Government has failed to address this issue, and it impacts all of us.
So I recommend that the City Council form a citizen’s task force made up of all of the diverse elements of our great City to study this issue, and bring forward recommendations to the City Council of ways in which we the people of Santa Clarita can encourage and help our State and Federal Government to solve this problem.
May God Bless the City of Santa Clarita, and May God Bless America.
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