Day 1: This photo essay is going to take quite some time to complete. So, I will just keep doing it in stages throughout the day, updating as I go. Keep checking back.

Day 2: People have asked to see more, so I will continue adding more photos and videos today...

Okay, y'all, this is the last day for this. I will add the rest of the photos in their proper order. Then, in the subsequent blog entry, I will post some of the more choice videos from the event. You thought the pictures of Marxist guerillas marching in downtown LA were disturbing? Wait till you see it on video!

If you've already seen the rest, scroll down to the bottom 1/5 of the post to see the final installment of pictures...
(NB - Feel free to distribute the pictures by any means you wish, but please, provide credit and a link to ModernConservative.com. Thanks.)

First of all, let me just say... Wow. Wow wow wow.
The "Day Without Immigrants" march in downtown Los Angeles was really really big. And, rather than stay on the periphery in a location with a little breathing room, I put myself in the very heart of it, smack-dab in the middle of the massive (between 500,000 and 1,000,000) crowd. I moved around a lot to get as wide a sampling as possible (though a couple of times, it took ten minutes to go a few feet). I took 218 photos and videos, used up 272 megs of compact flash, and sucked an entire set of AA batteries dry. I will try to give details on some of the images, along with my honest impressions and some thoughts and predictions. I'm not saying that each of my thoughts and impressions will be my final, dispositive word on the subject of immigration. I'm just going to shoot from the hip for now, based on what I saw and the thoughts I had. So, here goes...

We had decided that ModernConservative should try to get the best firsthand account of the event that we could, so I took my digital camera and set off for the rally at 11:30 AM. I actually assumed that getting there would be nightmarish. Driving in LA is hellacious as it is, and with almost a million people converging on downtown, I expected the worst. Instead, I lucked out beyond all imagining and got a mint parking space on Hill St., two blocks away from the action... and with a failed meter so I could stay as long as I wanted. He shoots, he scores!


Here are the first few images I shot, as I approached and began to mingle:





There were, of course, a lot of signs calling for general amnesty, along with some rather presumptuous demands that the borders be opened entirely. That was not the sentiment of everyone, but it was for many. Such demands will probably not win many friends among the American people generally.






There were a lot of different flags at this march: Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Communist, red flags, black flags, stuff I didn't even recognize. But---far and away---the majority of the flags were American. Perhaps, after all the bad PR caused by the predominance of Mexican flags at earlier rallies, the marchers and the organizers took a hint. Whatever the reason, the ratio of U.S. to other flags was very large, and you can take that to the bank, because I went just about everywhere.




No, by definition, illegal immigrants have committed a crime by entering a sovereign nation illegally. A better argument might be to say that, "yes, while we did commit a crime by entering the U.S. illegally, we did so to escape the dysfunctional freakshow country we left, and to make a better life for ourselves and our family in your wonderful country. We are sorry that we committed that crime, but we are by-and-large good people and don't wish to be thought of as common criminals."
Ok, well that wouldn't look so good on a sign, but it has the virtue of being basically true, and such a position might have, in general, more of my sympathy.


And heeeeeeeeere come the Communists!



Look, I'm just going to get this out of the way now, so you know.

I hate the Left.

I don't hate every individual human on the Left, but the collective ideology, phenomenon, and movement of the Left is a menace to the very fabric of reality itself, and I feel a loathing thereto that I can barely contain. That goes for the entire Left worldwide, not just in the U.S. And, whether it's the most radical Communist or the average Democrat U.S. Senator, it's all a part of the same ideology---because they're all running the same viral software (Leftism 4.0â„¢). When given entirely free reign, Leftism always leads---eventually---to Totalitarianism. And in just about every Totalitarian government we've seen, the wonderful "people's" leader and his enforcers have killed millions. Mao: seventy million. Stalin: thirty to forty million. Pol Pot: three million. Vietnam (after the Left here caused us to withdraw): three million. All in the name of spreading equality and people-power.

The left in this country has been wrong about every major question of history. They are willing to lie and cheat about everything, with the single goal of expanding the Left's power and reach into every area of society (the American Library Association is practically run by neo-Marxists, for goodness sake!). They end up siding with every nasty, evil dictator around, and they somehow always manage to blame America for all the world's ills, in spite of the fact that this is the freest, most tolerant, most pluralistic, best society ever devised by man and blessed by God---a society that has liberated more human beings and more square miles from tyranny than any other power in history.

THAT is the country they seek, with their every move, to destroy... their incessant protestations of patriotism to the contrary notwithstanding. They are more dangerous than radical Islam, for one simple reason. If the West loses to the Left, we cannot hope to beat radical Islam. Whereas, if we don't lose to the Left, radical Islam cannot possibly stand against us.

I could go on, but I think you get the point. So, you can just take anything I say henceforward about the Leftist elements of this rally and place it in the overall context of my feelings towards the Left generally. I'm sure many of these Purveyors of Human Misery feel the same about the Right, but we can't both be correct. People power, my eye. Whether the average lefty realizes it or not, s/he is part of the most insidious ideology ever to plague the Earth.

/rant.

So, anyways, there's your first Che sign. Plenty more to come. And lots of videos too, including Scary Commies on Parade.

Continuing...



Speaking of viral software, John Lennon's very pretty and utterly nihilistic song "Imagine" does seem to worm its way into lots of places...


Oh, and here's another very important piece of information you need to know. There were more than half a million people here---perhaps even a million. And yet, I never felt nervous or threatened or menaced in any way (well, except then the Nation of Islam people showed up, but that's to be expected). Seriously, the people were happy, friendly, and mostly nice. Sure, there are always a few bad apples and young turks, but considering how out of place I was, and yet how much I placed myself entirely in among the marchers, it was pretty amazing. But that is actually fairly consistent. Yes, we have an immigration problem in this country, but overall, we are lucky that we have the problem with this particular immigrant group. They are mostly Catholic or Pentecostal Christian, hard-working, trustworthy people with strong family values. I don't use the term trustworthy lightly----the vast majority of Mexican (and other south-of-the-border) immigrants prove themselves time and time again to be entirely worthy of the trust placed in them by those who hire them. Many people feel completely comfortable leaving a cleaning woman alone in the house for a while to go run some errands---knowing that the diamond engagement ring on the bathroom counter will be unmolested when they return---or possibly dusted and then put back exactly where it was. A woman---alone---will drive up to the Home Depot parking lot and pick up four young Mexican men to do a job at her house, knowing full well that they will do the job and never once make her feel unsafe or threatened. Can you imagine that being the case with members of just about any other group? It is almost just understood---this particular immigrant group on the whole simply exudes a well-deserved trustworthiness. (No, it's not all of them, and we have serious problems with illegals in our prisons, but it is still generally---and more universally---true of this group than any other in my experience. Come live in LA for a while---you'll see what I mean.)

Now, try to imagine that the massive immigrant and potential immigrant population directly across our southern border is Muslim. Angry, bitter, Sharia-spreading Muslims.

Immigration difficulties, yes----but we should all feel grateful that we have the big immigrant group that we do, and not some other.

That being said, the Reconquista people really irk me:



As I have said numerous times before, the direction taken by the vast middle of any particular group is determined by the actions of small numbers of people at either end of that group. In this case, the incessant Victimology of the left, coupled with the bitterness and racism of the Reconquista crowd leads people who might otherwise be on the right side of issues down a bad path. And if we don't do anything to counter those groups---to give the vast middle another ideological alternative---they will just continue down the wrong path. The left is a hateful menace, but we have to do something about it. Don't get mad, get even. It's time to start providing strong, clear alternatives that people can groove with. The days of Alex P. Keaton must end. Conservatism and American values must be more than just alternatives to Liberal/Leftism. We must offer a clear understanding of our principles---in a way that makes people understand and want to join us, so that they're not all just easy marks for the propaganda of the Left.

Continuing...



Top flag is a Cesar Chavez/workers thing. Not sure yet what the bottom one is.












The mariachi band really did add to the ambiance










Some people just phone it in when it comes to sign-making, but not these two guys!




Not the best choice for a flag display.




Yes yes, Bush wanted for Mass murder---blah blah blah.

You know, folks, Bush is actually pretty mellow on the whole immigration issue. Ya might want to concentrate your focus on someone else.

Oh wait, I'm sorry---you're Leftists, and like all good Leftists, you will insinuate yourself into ANY movement in order to gain traction and power.






You know, she's got a point. Any solution we come up with is going to require that we address this issue. The legal and immigration status for different members of the same family can vary greatly. Whatever system of regularization we devise will have to account for this, and do so in a humane fashion. Dragging away a mother while a screaming child screams "no, no, don't take my mommy" is a scene that is unworthy of this great country. Yes, mommy may have committed the crime of being an illegal immigrant, and that crime will have to be dealt with, but not like that.

And don't tell me that we can just deport them all. That is, simply put---monstrous. Deportation of 11 million people would require rounding them up in mass numbers, which requires stormtroopers. Then they would need to be held in large numbers in various locations while their true status is determined, and while they awaited deportation---that would require concentrating them in camps. You see where this is going? Concentration camps. Mass roundups. A humanitarian nightmare. Do we really want America to go there? Look, I'm not happy about the situation, and I'm especially not happy about the Left and the venal Democrats using it to further their aims. But having America take a turn for the fascist is not the answer.
















Did I mention that I really hate Communism?














Glad to see them going after someone besides FOX News for a change.




You know, just because someone is handsome doesn't make him good. And Guevara is case-in-point: a handsome savage bastard murdering monster, who set up Castro's camps wherein dissidents, gays, and people with diseases were slaughtered. But---again---today's Left never met a tyrant they didn't love. Or a democratically elected Republican they didn't think was a tyrant.

Oh, and they way the Left has adopted hurricane Katrina is really sickening. It's sometimes hard to separate out the wrongness of people's ideas from the people themselves...though I do keep trying.




Oh no, what did Coke do? Man, these people always have something to bitch about!




How charming. Dude, you must really score with the chicks.






Oh yes, Arnold is a Nazi. Godwin's Law is violated defiled once again.




Blah blah blah...










I think Guevara would have been delighted to have this friendly looking chap on the People's Payroll. Or maybe he can go ask Fidel for a job.








Button man!




And his lovely buttons!





So ends the first 184 meg compact flash card...

And now begins the second...











The radical Left really was all over this thing.




I found out from the person carrying this sign that Pepe el Toro is some kind of fictional character, so no worries there...






Sigh.


The next few are A.N.S.W.E.R. people. Remember, A.N.S.W.E.R. is a Communist front group.





And of course, whenever you find the Left, you find mindless opposition to Israel, and by extension---to Jews.




















It is important, at this point, to say something about demographics. In Russia, the birth rate is 1.34. In Spain, 1.1. The populations of those countries will be cut in half by 2050. It's going on all over Western Europe---those countries are literally dying off. In the U.S., we are still---thank God---above replacement rate. But a part of the reason that we are is because of the birth rate of immigrants, coupled with the net migration rate. A growing population is a good thing. A declining population is a terrible thing---economically, militarily, even morally. Think about it---a country that is shrinking in size has essentially collectively decided that it doesn't care about itself anymore. Po-mo sophistication and militant narcissism are causing us to choose not to have children, or to do so later in life, or to have just one. And it may feel like a good idea to us at the time, but it's not a good thing for society. My wife and I are guilty of this too---we got started late, and now that we've figured out the miracle of parenthood, we are probably too old to have more than the one child that we do.

Other groups, however, are breeding at a faster rate (Islamic immigrants to Europe, for example---which is turning out to be a nightmare for Europe, and potentially for all of us). But, while the rest of the West is declining, the U.S. is still growing, and 40 years from now, we may be in a much stronger position vis-a-vis our enemies (and even our friends) because of our growing population. Right now, that population is growing to some degree because of our immigrant population, and for that at least we must be grateful. (Denying these basic demographic facts will NOT make them go away.)

So, if you don't like the idea that our population is growing (which it needs to do) largely because of immigrants, then vote with your ***bleeps*** and have some children, for goodness sake!






Very close quarters at times.




Glad to see that prog-rockers had at least SOME representation here!






Mad Commies and indians go out in the noonday sun..."








An eight-point buck is a rare sight in downtown LA.




Huh?
I trust that I am not entirely dense, and yet I have no clue what this guy is on about.




And Zapata, of course.




From my understanding, the biggest talking point against HR 4437 was the provision that would have made illegal immigrants into felons. And who voted for it? A minority of the Republican Caucus in the House and nearly all the Democrats in the House. Why did the Dems vote for it in such overwhelming numbers? Because they KNEW that they could get away with it---that with a complicit MSM, the Republicans would be blamed for it and they would come out squeaky clean. And that is exactly what happened. We have been outmaneuvered by the Left once again. Just like we may very well be during the political fallout from these immigration marches. When, oh when, will the Right realize that it is constantly getting outflanked by a Left that is MUCH better at all this?






Oh, and the Left sure do know how to get to 'em young!








I just realized---I think I took a picture of the great Andrew Marcus. Talk about a needle in a haystack!




It never ends.

















Talk about getting to them young, here's the under-20 cadre of the racist La Raza movement...














And now, for your enjoyment---Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front.
That's right---the El Salvadorean revolutionary Marxists who waged a dozen years of guerilla warfare against the El Salvadorean government. So glad they could make it.







Uhhhh, you're not fooling anyone with those American flags, guys.








These guys were scary---they were organized, choreographed, militant, and energetic---exactly what you'd expect for violent communist revolutionaries. Except they were marching in downtown LA. Not cool.








Not only does the left know how to get to them while they're young, it knows how to get to them while they're cute.




But her cuteness only made it more disturbing.






Oh, and here's Hugo Chavez---the loony tyrannical Communist strongman of Venezuela---I was wondering when he'd show up!






People in native dress, doing a native dance---probably very proud of Mexico and the heritage of its indigenous people. Here's the problem---it's the very descendents of those indigenous people who are fleeing the institutionalized racism of Mexico. My wife and I saw this firsthand on our honeymoon in Cancun. If the person was behind a desk, wearing a white-collared shirt, or doing some high-paying managerial job, he or she was light-skinned and Spanish-looking. If the person was pushing a mop, carrying bags, or cleaning up broken glass in the restaurant, he or she was dark-skinned and Mayan-looking. The light-skinned Spaniards control nearly all the wealth and power. The dark-skinned Mayans are fleeing in the millions.

The irony is almost incapacitating.












An Iraqi flag. Remind me---what the heck does that have to do with immigration again? Oh yes---the Left is all over this movement like Anna Nicole Smith on an old man's money. Where there's tons of energy, victim-mentality, and illegal votes to be had, there you'll find the Left.












I saw A LOT of this. People---almost invariably kids---hiding their faces like urban stagecoach tilters. What is the deal with this? If conservatives marched in such numbers and elements of the marchers hid their faces like this, the media and the Left would be apoplectic with fear and accusations of looming fascist tyranny.



And so ends the second 128 meg compact flash card. And so ends my day today. I'll be back at it to finish up bright and early tomorrow, however...


THE LATEST...






















These were legal observers---very nice folks, but solidly Left.






I think at this point I was finally starting to lose it...












"Soviet Union---I thought you guys broke up?"
"Nyet, that's what we wanted you to think."




Is the guy without the flag actually posing for the camera?










LA skyline reality check








FIN
Stay tuned for the videos...