I received an email this morning containing an alleged transcript of “Jim Moore’s interview with an illegal immigrant.” The immigrant’s name – Juan, naturally.
The “transcript” was damning and outrageous – exactly what you’d expect if you were expecting a ultra-conservative Republican Nativist (his label, not mine) to email you items on immigration.
However, the exchange seemed so unrealistic, I decided to check it out.
According to Snopes, authenticity is undetermined; however they strongly suspect the interview was concocted. The Texas station where Jim Moore worked, KHOU-TV never aired the interview. Jim Moore, the former Austin Bureau Chief, hasn’t worked for the station since 1999.
Moore is the same reporter who raised questions about Bush’s service in the Texas Air National Guard, noted suspicious leaks in the Waco incident and co-authored Bush’s Brain, an unflattering biography of Bush’s political Einstein, Karl Rove. He later penned Bush’s War For Reelection: Iraq, the White House, and the People.
Jim Moore, however, never conducted this interview.
Of course, fabricated drivel floats around the internet constantly. No big deal. But this particular sender is the very same, whom upon receiving warnings about “rat poop on Coke cans” or “underwear from Taiwan containing flesh eating bacteria which will eat off your boy parts” sends everyone in his address book (a) a copy of the hoax, (b) a Snopes link and (c) a strongly-worded reprimand for “perpetuating false information.”
So, let me see if I’ve gotten this straight.
Outrageous emails about detached fingers found in French fries or deadly maxi-pads = bad. These should be killed at your inbox.
Emails intended to garner support far-right sided arguments through use of contemptible satire and/or bogus information = good. Don’t bother checking sources: just mass distribute.
Okay. Got it.
Apparently, if you are a Ultra-Conservative Republican Nativist the rules for “perpetuating false information” are slightly different (or this could be part of a twisted plan designed to make all Republicans look like rabid numnuts.)
Umm, I received this from a Liberal friend and asked me to verify it. The overall dislike of the immigration bill lies within both parties.
The interview truly is funny. I am responded here just to address “Rat poop on the soda can”.
Despite what Snopes tells you, the hanta virus on a soda is entirely plausible.
Soda cans in the “stock room” of a grocery store are not covered and so a rodent could be crawling on the top of the can.
Anyways, thanks for posting about Jim Moore, these types of things need to nipped in bud, when there is no verifiable evidence.
And to think they call me weird because I insist upon wiping the tops of the cans before eating or drinking contents :>) I’ve always worried about roaches and stock boy germs. Here is yet another item to add to my list of “Reasons Why I Need to be Obsessive Compulsive.”
I figured this was an invention when I saw the words “here is a REAL INTERVIEW” in the first lines of the communique. The really sad part is that most of the Mexican illegals DO feel just the way the interview states. I say this because I have worked with them for over 20 years as their supervisor. The businesses I have been in use a good deal of immigrants (albeit mostly legal). Sadly they do think they have a right to be here and send all the money they make back to where ever they came from.
Mr. Handy:
You stated a majority of these immigrants were here legally. I assume this to mean they shared in the burden of taxation – in which case I really don’t give a flip what amount of their take-home pay they sent to family members in another country. This is a non-issue.
Sir, if you use 40% of your annual net income to buy Jolly Ranchers, girlie magazines and adopt a starving African child from Sally Struthers – as long as you have complied with US law and made your contribution as a taxpayer – how you manage the rest of your funds would be your business. Correct? So, why would you expect something more or different from resident aliens?
However, if we’re talking about employing undocumented (illegal) immigrants, which absolutely does cause extensive damage to the economy and burdens our education, health care and social services systems – then you are part of the problem. Perhaps you did not have authority when it came to matters of personnel – but if you were morally offended by the act and considered it harmful to your country, you could have located the number for INS.
It’s in most phone books.