Add vehicular manslaughter to the charges of reckless driving, driving unlicensed, and failing to obtain a Virginia license. Aldo Fabian won't be paying for or serving time for any of it, anyway ...

Posted by OhTheHumanity (anonymous) on July 23, 2009 at 12:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Still want to complain about those LCSD license checkpoints?

Posted by mazman128 (anonymous) on July 23, 2009 at 1:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I always thank the officers when I get stopped at those checkpoints.

Posted by JustMeSterling (anonymous) on July 23, 2009 at 2:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The accident seems like it was caused by a driver missing a stop sign and not because of anyone's race, immigration status or whether they had a valid virginia license. We'd have fewer issues of unlicensed drivers (and thus more insured drivers) if we weren't so punative to illegal immigrants by denying them a license. But some people hate illegal immigrants so much that nothing less than a scorched earth policy and a police state to enforce it satisfies them.
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I know those wide intersections with only a single stop sign 3 lanes over can confuse drivers as to who needs to stop. I hope someone is looking into how to prevent this from happening again since closing the border isn't going to make Loudoun's roads safe from distracted or confused drivers.

Posted by EdwardMyers (anonymous) on July 23, 2009 at 2:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I always go by the premise that if the STOP sign is facing me, I stop ....

Posted by mitlen (anonymous) on July 23, 2009 at 3:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

to EdwardMyers - it's not that illegal immigrants are disliked b/c of their race; they are disliked b/c they are here ILLEGALLY. There are other issues - using public services, not learning English (which means they cannot read road signs), overcrowding, etc. It's not that they don't work hard or work at the lowest of jobs. It is simply that they are here ILLEGALLY. (The whole license issue will become moot as soon as all the states are on board with the new federal id card anyway.) Because they are here ILLEGALLY (and the hospital is REQUIRED to care for them), you and I are required to PAY for that care. I would rather not have my money go toward paying hospital bills for people who do not belong here; therefore, I (and many others) say send them all to their original homes.

Posted by ms1234 (anonymous) on July 23, 2009 at 4:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think we should have illegals recite the Pledge of Allegiance. If they nail it, they can stay.

Posted by dingus5 (anonymous) on July 23, 2009 at 5:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I see deception in the "because they are illegal" mantra. We could easily make everyone legal by issuing work permits but that wouldn't satisfy those whose real beef is with hispanic culture.

Posted by EdwardMyers (anonymous) on July 23, 2009 at 8:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Illegals do pay some form of taxes as in sales tax on everything they buy. The ones that use a fake SSN pay SS and Unemp Tax they will never use. Also, you do enjoy cheaper products don't you? If it weren't for them, who's going to take their place for low wage jobs?

Posted by katliu1 (anonymous) on July 24, 2009 at 8:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The hand-wringing about the illegal alien issue would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

People working, living, residing illegally in our country will always lead to problems.

Case in point; they can't get a driver's license so they just drive automobiles illegally. If they cause accidents, and cause harm to themselves or innocent LEGAL American citizens, they have no means to handle medical bills, pay to repair vehicles that were destroyed, and who pays for the cost of Police & Rescue personnel?

If I did this in another country would their government officials and citizens be wringing their hands over me? Not very likely.

America is too civilized for its' own good. It will be our downfall.

Posted by OhTheHumanity (anonymous) on July 24, 2009 at 11:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)

How about people stop complaining about them and go after the employers who uses them?

The use of resources is getting old.

Let's deport the legal residents who can't drive and can't afford the medical/auto bills.
Let's kick out the parents who have children because it's not fair to the single/childess couple to pay for their education.
Let's deport the smokers. They pollute the air and raise medical costs with the cancer cases.

Posted by katliu1 (anonymous) on July 24, 2009 at 12:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)

ms1234, your post on July 23, 2009 at 4:12 p.m was spot on. I wonder how the open borders folks on this page would react if one of their loved ones was killed by an illegal alien, regardless of country of origin.

Posted by drpeej (anonymous) on July 27, 2009 at 9:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm wondering how the law-and-order folks would react to people being killed and injured by police driving recklessly (110mph in a 45mph zone in PG) or drunk (Alexandria police chief) if it was their loved ones that were killed or maimed. Seems I'm hearing a lot of whitewash of how sometimes police make mistakes and we should forgive. I wonder why that sympathy doesn't apply to aliens when we discuss immigration reform.

Posted by EdwardMyers (anonymous) on July 28, 2009 at 8 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"we weren't so punative to illegal immigrants by denying them a license".
Really? We should also stop being so punitive to axe-murderers and start placing them in your basement and make their care your responsibility.
Illegal is illegal. They are not entitled to live in this country, to work in this country, or to drive in this country. They are committing felonies, and last I checked, most Americans are NOT on board with loosening immigration laws or granting amnesty.

Posted by Hoqenishy (anonymous) on July 29, 2009 at 1:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Overstaying a visa is not criminal. It is a civil infraction akin to driving 10mph over the speed limit or posting campaign signs in the highway median. Comparing immigration infractions to murder is hate mongering.
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No I do not want an axe murderer in my basement but I will take a rent-paying illegal alien any day.

Posted by edward (anonymous) on July 29, 2009 at 7:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"I'm wondering how the law-and-order folks would react to people being killed and injured by police..."
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That would be just about as bad, but remember, at least a policeman has a driver's license, auto insurance, a reputation, and something to lose by their actions. Illegals? None of the above ...

I have sympathy for illegal alines and their loved ones, but I can easily separate those feelings from letting me just forgive everything , and let them run amok and freely do any illegal things they want - accidentally or otherwise.

Posted by OhTheHumanity (anonymous) on July 30, 2009 at 8:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

edward ... since you are an authority on visas, could you please correct the U.S. State Department. According to them, http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/glossa..., …If you do not follow the requirements, you stay longer than that date, or you engage in activities not permitted for your particular type of visa, you violate your status and are considered be "out of status". It is important to understand the concept of immigration status and the consequences of violating that status. Failure to maintain status can result in arrest, and violators may be required to leave the U.S. Violation of status also can affect the prospect of readmission to the U.S. for a period of time, by making you ineligible for a visa. Most people who violate the terms of their status are barred from lawfully returning to the United States for years. …
Unless they recently changed the penalty for posting campaign signs in the highway median they are nothing alike.

Posted by baraol (anonymous) on July 30, 2009 at 5:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

baraol: "Unless they recently changed the penalty for posting campaign signs in the highway median they are nothing alike".
baraol- don't give our BOS any ideas! Some may want to send us to jail or deport us for putting up illegal signs!!!!! LOL : )

Posted by momof2 (anonymous) on July 30, 2009 at 9:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)

baraol, they are both civil penalties, not criminal ones. Neither can land you in jail unless you decline to stop doing the illegal behavior. Illegal immigrants who are deported and then return are analogous to campaigners who replace the illegal signs in the road medians after they have been given a court order to cease and desist. Then both actions step up from civil to criminal activity.

Posted by EdwardMyers (anonymous) on July 31, 2009 at 11:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)

OhTheHumanity, but people didn't react "just about the same." The law and order folks were defending the police officer and blaming the young woman driver for not looking over a hill to avoid an officer going 110mph. Likewise they said that a drunk police chief should be forgiven because of his public service even while wanting to lynch a non-drunk illegal immigrant for making a similar traffic mistake. The comparison shows how hollow and unjust the "illegal is illegal" motto really is because it doesn't apply to the people saying it or to their friends.

Posted by EdwardMyers (anonymous) on July 31, 2009 at 11:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)

EdwardMyers, that is *your* take on the situation. Your "lynching" comment is typical of the nail-biting, hand-wringing crowd; nothing but hysterical over-the-top drama. Are you saying that America (and no other civilized country) should just allow free border crossing, with zero enforcement? Allow full amnesty, and let free-roaming individuals full rights like every American citizen?

You *do* realize how insane of a notion that is, right? (I hope) ...

Posted by OhTheHumanity (anonymous) on July 31, 2009 at 1:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)

OTH: The concept of borders is arbitrary. We don't have problems with people from WV or MD migrating to work in VA. People move to where the jobs are and if a region is generating jobs they will get migrant workers. When your region is anti-jobs people move out. Whether those migrants were originally born in Mexico City or Detriot is not really relevent to where they should be able to find a job or live today.
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It is the free flow of labor as well as capital and goods that are central to a market economy. Market economies have done better that any other in generating wealth. The best way to get rid of the illegal immigrants is to kill the industries that are employing them. Inducing an economic depression to end labor migration is indeed insane.
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Of course states with generous social services always complain about migrants stealing their services whether the migrants are from Ohio or El Salvador. The solution is to reform the delivery of government services so that it accomplishes a policy goal without inticing people to move to an area simply for the services. We have already done that for welfare and unemployment. Health care reform is needed to fix the abuse of medical services.
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Instead of exporting our brand of democracy through war we can be leaders in promoting world freedom by letting people come here freely and experience it. No, an open border will not make America the world's slums because cost of living keeps people out who cannot find a job and jobs here require at least a high school diploma. Zoning enforcement and covenants are more effective than borders in keeping neighborhoods from adopting a 3rd world look and feel. Use taxes also make goods and services too expensive for migrants to afford to live here without a job that delivers significant productivity. Economic barriers to entry is that same concept that keeps you or I from living in Bel Air.
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The United States has had free border crossings internally for 200 years with zero enforcement. Except for the fight over borders for slavery it has worked out way better than Europe which did not have free border crossings until very recent.

Posted by EdwardMyers (anonymous) on August 2, 2009 at 6:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Civil law is used to determine cases involving private rights and liabilities, whereas criminal law concerns offenses against the authority of the state. A defendant in civil litigation is never incarcerated and never executed (no matter how bad certain parties in divorce court wish it to be true). So why would the government use civil proceeding in the effort to detain and deport the defendant?

Also if it is civil law, than anyone could sue an illegal or overstayer to have them removed from the country, since civil law is filed by private parties.

Posted by baraol (anonymous) on August 3, 2009 at 6:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)