(In an ongoing miscarriage of justice that defies reason, Dallas-based Latina reporter, and my friend, Rebecca Aguilar is starting the new year still under suspension from her FOX News station. Her crime? Doing her job. The following is a column I wrote distributed by Hispanic Link through Scripps News Service.)

There was nothing extraordinary about the news footage showing a neatly dressed female reporter, umbrella in one hand, microphone in the other, calmly standing between the open car door and the unseen driver behind the wheel in the middle of a sporting goods store parking lot.

FOX News reporter Rebecca Aguilar
(Source: blogs.DallasObserver.com)

In fact, if the sound had been muted, you would have wondered what was so newsworthy about it. There was no mad chase or a microphone thrust in a face or even the subject trying to slam the door shut to get away from the reporter.

The reporter was just doing her job: asking hard questions of a man who, in separate incidents in the span of just three weeks, had killed two people who were burglarizing his machine shop and welding business, which also happened to be his home.

The reason why the reporter was questioning the man now was because he had called her to tell her that he was buying a new gun to replace the one the police took away from him after he killed the second intruder.

Because of that infamous interview, the reporter, a 26-year, award-winning industry veteran, received an indefinite suspension from her station.

In the 36 hours since Benazir Bhutto was assassinated, there have been three different explanations as to how she died. The latest is that her head hit the sunroof where she had been standing waving to her supporters when she was shot.

A former US Intelligence worker says that the stories are changing because Bhutto's enemies want to deny her a martyr's death.

Benazir Bhutto

They are too late.

The following commentary that Bhutto delivered to CNN, provides insight as to why the government refuses to say definitively how she died and why such political chaos exists in a country that had such hope within its grasp and now must grapple with uncontrolled hate and vengeance that it makes it a country as unstable as its neighbors.

Bhutto's death affects us all — women, social activists, political watchdogs — because she exemplified that to stand up for what is unpopular is never easy. In fact, it's downright scary, but we continue because it's the right thing to do.

Whether it's speaking up for undocumented immigrants, the poor and the disenfranchised, there is always a group who will find the most vulnerable offensive to their way of living.

In honor of a brave social justice activist, Latina Lista reprints the following commentary written by Benazir Bhutto.

In November, CNN.com invited Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto to reflect on the tumultuous events following her return to Pakistan this fall. In this commentary, the former prime minister reflected on a failed assassination attempt on her life at that time and vowed to keep pushing for the restoration of democracy. President Pervez Musharraf ended a 42-day state of emergency on December 15. He had condemned the attack against Bhutto. CNN.com also invited Musharraf to submit a piece giving his perspective. He has not yet responded.

KARACHI, Pakistan (CNN) --

I have long claimed that the rise of extremism and militancy in Pakistan could not happen without support from elements within the current administration. My return to my country poses a threat to the forces of extremism that have thrived under a dictatorship. They want to stop the restoration of democracy at any price. They have exploited a poor, desperate, and powerless people and allowed extremists the right environment in which to flourish.

The ruling party is an artificial, political party created in the headquarters of the Inter-Services Intelligence (Pakistan's equivalent of the CIA) during the General Elections of 2002. Its core support comes from the political partners of the military dictator of the '80s, General Zia al-Haq, who empowered the most radical elements within the Afghan Mujahedeen who went on to morph into al-Qaeda, Taliban and the Pakistani militants of today.

This party has called for a banning of outdoor rallies, demonstrations and caravans. They would thus suspend all activity that demonstrates to the people of Pakistan and to the people of the world which parties enjoy mass support amongst the people.

If ever there was any doubt that undocumented immigrants would be the scapegoats of the 2008 presidential elections, there isn't anymore.

The writing on the wall is clear for what is the scapegoat issue of the 2008 presidential election.
(Source: 5cense.com)

The proverbial "writing on the wall" has appeared, and it leaves no question that someone campaigning for votes or readers will resort to using the one term guaranteed these days to turn passive audiences into self-righteous patriots.

A recent ABC News article about John McCain campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire reveals some disturbing news about the electorates who will set the tone for this presidential race — they know next to nothing when it comes to U.S. Latinos, the U.S.-Mexico border, border security and undocumented immigrants.

Sen. John McCain in New Hampshire
(Source: Boston.com)

But the real clincher is that they think they do!

Because we are a nation of immigrants, we have the special opportunity of being able to say Merry Christmas in many different languages. (This link provides 350 translations of how to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.)

In the spirit of who makes this country, Latina Lista wishes everyone:

Today, something to be admired and emulated happened in the European Union — nine more European countries, mainly ex-Communist countries, became part of what is known as the Schengen Zone.

The European Union's Schengen Zone allows its residents to travel visa-free.
(Source: dw-world)

The 1985 Schengen Agreement is an agreement among most Western and Central European countries which allows for the abolition of systematic border controls between the participating countries.

For countries that have adopted this agreement, it means border checkpoints are a relic of the past and a reminder of when governments wanted total control of not just who came into their countries, but who went out.

Rep. Tom Tancredo's withdrawl today from the Republican race for president was not surprising. What was surprising was that he was so honest in confessing that it really wasn't the presidency he was interested in, but rather forcing the issue of illegal immigration.

Tancredo speaks before a group of his supporters at a rally.
(Source: newwest.com)

In his announcement, he couldn't pat himself on the back enough times for what he terms "great progress" in the immigration debate.

In fact, according to Newsweek, the Tancredo campaign has already won. And just this month, The Economist, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, and even The New York Times have grudgingly accredited our campaign with forcing the issue of immigration to the forefront of the national debate and, more importantly, with forcing nearly every Republican presidential candidate to commit themselves to an immigration plan that calls for securing our borders, enforcing our immigration laws.

But it's one thing to force an issue, it's another thing entirely to be responsible for orchestrating and perpetuating a hate campaign against a defenseless demographic, especially when no real resolution was sought or given serious consideration.

Today Lifetime TV released a new presidential election poll, in conjunction with Zogby National, as part of their Every Woman Counts campaign.

Among a host of other findings, the poll found that 93% of women in the nation plan to vote in November.

(Source: Jeff Clavier)

That's not really surprising given that this is the first election with a female frontrunner candidate. In fact, Clinton's candidacy is inspiring women everywhere to come out and vote — Latinas included.

So, it was surprising to read a wire story that questioned the likelihood of Latina voters turning out in 2008 when there's a history of Latinas turning out in greater numbers not just registering to vote but performing the civic duty.

While Spanish may be considered the one unifier among all Latinos, it will be politics, now more than ever, that will divide the Latino electorate.

This became painfully obvious before and during the Republican presidential candidate forum on Univision.

Prior to the forum, Republican candidates such as Mitt Romney played up to the traditionally Republican Cuban-American community by saying, "I can tell you my inclination would be to say as many Cubans as want to come here should come in."

Cubans illegally arrive on US sand.
(Source: BBC)

A stark contrast to demanding "other" Latino immigrants, who arrive illegally, be deported as soon as they're caught.

During the forum, each of the candidates, with the exception of Ron Paul, further courted Cuban-Americans by denouncing Castro and speaking against normalizing any kind of relationship with him.

Yet, when it came to the "other" immigrants, namely Mexican and other South American immigrants who arrive by way of the Rio Grande/Bravo or the Arizona desert or any other point along the southern border, the hard stance we've come to expect from the Republican candidates return in all its fury.

As the Republican Party sees it, there are two kinds of Latinos with two distinct points of illegal entry into the United States — one is to be forgiven; the other is to be crucified.

The trouble is, that in an ironic twist of fate, the case between illegally-arrived Cubans and Mexicans, Guatemalans, Hondurans, etc. will be a lot harder to make because Cubans are foregoing their usual method of entering the country - by boat or floating in shark infested waters - and are opting to follow the less salty lead of their Central and South American hermanos.

The gruesome deaths of four (presumably) undocumented Mexican men in Sharonville, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati probably would not have garnered much media attention if they had been victims of a robbery.

But they weren't.

Apartment complex of Ohio murder scene.

Unfortunately, for these men, two of whom were brothers, they were the victims of a murder so heinous that it made the city's coroner stand up and take notice.

All men, in addition to being beaten up, were stabbed repeatedly and methodically in the heart.

Yet, as horrible as that is, the lifestyle of these men is what is causing many in Cincinnati to do a double-take on who the undocumented are, why they come and just how far from the truth it is to say they are a drain on society.

Oklahoma has become one of the most punitive states in targeting undocumented immigrants.

Putting into effect House Bill 1804 on November 1, Oklahoma's state legislature wants to make life as difficult as possible for undocumented immigrants.

The rationale is to drive these people out of the state. It seems though the new law isn't working fast enough for some officials.

So, they've stooped to operating their own version of a sting operation using a 16-year-old son as bait for his parents.

It was called Operation Tamale and ICE officials claim it was a 5-month investigation into the hiring practices of New Mexico's tamale plant at Proper Foods, Inc.

What's pleasantly surprising is that for the first time that we've heard, ICE made sure that all the 21 undocumented immigrants apprehended, as they shuffled out of the kitchens from making the tamales that will be sold by the dozens for Christmas dinners, received their full paychecks before being bused off for deportation.

Maybe it's the season but this kind of compassion is what should be standard practice at all work-site raids before deporting undocumented workers.

Yet, precisely because it is the season, the Department of Homeland Security could do one more thing to get into the spirit of the holidays.

Today, The Dallas Morning News ran an editorial titled "The Fence Must Go Up."

Fence between El Paso area and Mexico
(Source: Sprague Photo)

In the editorial, the writer(s) say that though they don't see the fence as a "cure-all," they support it because it's "part of the immigration overhaul Congress was trying to pass the last two years. We said build it, if that's what it takes to pass a plan to create a saner immigration system."

But how is a "saner" immigration system built when the foundation it rests on defies common sense?

Probably the same way a newspaper endorses a controversial issue because now it is law, and for that it suddenly makes sense.

Today, the United States government announced plans to change the rules when it comes to Green Cards.

Last month, the government issued a new policy regarding a change in asylum rules.

With all these rule changes, the government feels it will deter anyone from wanting to make the United States their final destination.

Yet by changing the rules, without regard to the human element, the government is achieving the one thing they don't want — resistance.

Today is the international observance of Human Rights Day.

Latina Lista, along with other Latina/o bloggers, have made it our mission to highlight the shortcomings of U.S. policy in regard to immigration, the treatment of undocumented immigrants and border security.

As we end another year, and get set to embark on the beginning in 2008 of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we know that the next year will be a test of the moral convictions and human compassion of the citizens of this country.

It is a test that if we pass will certainly strain the growing divide enveloping this country.

If we fail, it will exemplify the growing tide of intolerance, discrimination and blissful ignorance of what happens outside our borders that has become increasingly synonymous with the characterization of the United States from our global neighbors.

The Republican presidential candidates are probably breathing a sigh of relief now that the Univision forum in Miami-Dade County is done.

Republican presidential candidates gather before the start of the Univision Forum.
(Source: Univision)

Yet, unlike the Democratic forum, this one underscored the "elephant in the living room" issue that exists within the Latino community and that nobody likes to address — there is a fundamental political difference between Cubans and the rest of the Latino electorate.

Of all the Republican presidential candidates, Rep. Tom Tancredo doesn't mince words when it comes to his feelings about illegal immigration or speaking Spanish.

Rep. Tom Tancredo
(Source: Univision)

In fact, he decided to get the first word of the Univision forum in when he penned an opinion editorial in the Miami Herald titled Why I won't do Spanish debate.

He objected to being in the debate because the answers would be translated into Spanish — something he's totally opposed to.

Too bad he didn't realize that parts of his column would be translated into, what else — Spanish.

For example:

"Conducir debates políticos en otra lengua que no sea inglés -continúa-, sea coreano, francés, farsi o español, es decirle a los inmigrantes que ellos no necesitan tomar el requirimiento de naturalización (saber inglés) seriamente. Estados Unidos tiene una necesidad especial de una lengua común por la misma diversidad de sus inmigrantes".

So technically speaking, Tancredo has already violated the promise he made to himself and is actually the first Republican candidate to have his answers translated into Spanish and by Univision no less.

So staying out of the forum seems like a rather moot point now, but I guess not for someone who thinks he's trying to make one.

One of the basic unspoken tenets of journalism these days is if papers and television news stations want to increase readership/viewership, and newspapers need all the help they can get given the dismal circulation figures, they must create a sense of urgency or controversy — even where none exists.

That's the only explanation for why the latest newspaper-sponsored poll regarding illegal immigration misrepresents itself as yet another indicator of how the American public really feels about undocumented immigrants.

With Christmas just over two weeks away, toy drives are going into overtime to fulfill the wishes of children.

Safe to say, there will be a large group of children who won't be asking for any new toys but only that Santa brings home their mommy or daddy, or both, who may have been deported by ICE officials.

And then there's another group of children who are with their parents but their wishes aren't for new toys either — all they want for Christmas is to be released from a sanitized version of what can only be described as a concentration camp.

Disclaimer: The word "illegal" is denoted in quotation marks in solidarity with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists' call to end media usage of the word as a noun or descriptor of undocumented immigrants.

Manuel Jesus Cordova Soberanes may not be known by his full name but identify him as the illegal immigrant who saved a boy in the Arizona desert and everyone knows who he is.

Today, Manuel was honored for his heroic act.

In this photo provided by the Mayor's office of Magdalena de Kino, Mexico, Mayor Adriana Hoyos Rodriguez, right, and Manuel Jesus Cordova Soberanes pose in her office in the Mexican state of Sonora.
(Source: AP Photo)

Yet, it wasn't the fact that he found the boy and stayed with him until help arrived that was so heroic.

Rather, it was that he willingly gave up his dream of finding a job in the United States to earn enough money for his own children so that he could stay so another child would not be alone, is what is heroic.

Now, U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz. wants to reward Manuel for his selfless act of kindness with a special visa that would allow him to come to work in the US.

But critics still can't see past Manuel's citizenship status.

Last month, the FBI released their annual report on hate crimes.

If you didn't hear, hate crimes against Latinos is up. In fact, 62.8% of hate crimes were categorized as being perpetuated by an offender who had an anti-Hispanic bias.

Of the offenders who committed these hate crimes, 58.6% were white.

Since the report doesn't break out for ethnicity when it comes to offenders, there's no way of knowing if or how many Latinos are categorized as "white."

Yet, it's a safe assumption that the number is small.

We only need to read the headlines to confirm these assumptions.

Today, Venezuelans are going to the polls to cast their votes regarding the changes President Chavez wants to make to his country's Constitution.

Venezuelan referendum ballot to change country's Constitution.
(Source: El Universal)

To the poor of the country, Chavez appears to be a savior. A very quick scan of the referendum in which changes to Venezuela's Constitution Chavez wants to make speaks to the poor on many levels.

Yet, the real fear is that with these changes brings even greater potential for corruption and dictatorship that should have the whole Western Hemisphere asking ourselves if a new wave of immigrants will be knocking on our door, and given the current climate, what will be said?

Is Latina Lista hitting a nerve with some gente?

Gracias,
Marisa