Anti-Immigration Groups Founded and Backed by Radical Environmentalists and Population Control Activists
At their core, anti-immigration groups like the Federation of Americans for Immigration Reform (FAIR), NumbersUSA, ALIPAC and the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), were founded by and to this day are backed by left-wing, population control and radical environmentalist groups. These groups were founded by population control advocate and Michigan Planned Parenthood founder John Tanton. While these groups have tried, over the past few years, to distance themselves from Tantons radical ideas of zero population growth, it does not take much research to see substantial amounts of their funding today still comes from environmentalists and population control groups. Groups that are not friends of the GOP, nor do they share our pro-life and family values.
One of their main sources of funding comes from The Colcom Foundation. Colcom was founded by population control advocate Cordelia Scaife May. According to a report by Imagine 2050 titled, "The Colcom Foundation: Bankrolling the Greening of Hate," Colcom donated over $25 million to the Tanton Network groups, FAIR, NumbersUSA, Center for Immigration Studies and Progressives for Immigration Reform between 2008 and 2010.
"While Colcom is the lifeblood that sustains the functioning anti-immigrant movement, the foundation also supports a long list of non-Tanton groups like Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, the National Park Service, National Tropical Botanical Garden, Mount Washington Community Development Corp., Allegheny Land Trust, Advocates for a Sustainable Albemarle Population, Population Media Center, and beyond.
"Funding bigotry in the name of conservation is a sham, especially with the approval of so-called environmentalists. Those of us interested in actual solutions to climate change and environmental degradation should be aware of this reprehensible overlap of funding, as this overlap just further underscores why we must take a stand against the greening of hate."
Yes, it seems even environmentalists think Colcom has gone too far. Last week, the LA Times looked further into May and her Colcom Foundation. While May died in 2005, her legacy of anti-population growth lives on through the foundations efforts to expand birth control and abortion while blocking much needed reforms to immigration (legal and illegal).
"Today, Mays influence is stronger than ever. Her Pittsburgh-based Colcom Foundation has been the single-largest donor to the anti-immigration cause, providing more than $76 million over the last decade to groups that now are fighting to block immigration overhaul efforts in Congress.
In hyperpartisan Washington, most immigration opponents focus on beefing up border security and blocking any path to legal status for immigrants in the country without authorization.
May was driven by other concerns.
Her worry in life, almost, was population control, said horticulturist George A. Griffith, a longtime friend. I think she would stay awake at night just worrying about what would happen to the environment from too many people.
She loved animals almost more than people, Griffith said."
Mays concerns about population growth led her to become an avid supporter of Planned Parenthood. According to the LA Times article, May kept a portrait of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger in her living room. Sanger was a believer in stopping large families, particularly in the black community. It is said by some that Sanger is responsible for "Black Genocide" as a result of the abortions of millions of black babies.
Clearly these groups do not represent the conservative values of life and family. Nor do they represent the conservative views which support free market economies. So why then, do conservative and strongly pro-life groups like the Eagle Forum not only listen to these Tanton Network groups like CIS and FAIR, but promote them in their meetings and communications?
Republican groups should send a clear message that we do not support the bigoted messages of hate from these groups. Particularly when that hate is backed by radical environmentalism and population control groups like Colcom.
Recently the Clear Lake Tea Party hosted an immigration debate which included Dr. Stephen Steinlight from the Center for Immigration Studies, one of the groups funded by Colcom. We have got to stop promoting these people and heres why. Following are segments from a speech Steinlight delivered last year in Sugarland at a conservative group meeting. Listen to the bigotry in his message and ask yourself why any self-respecting conservative organization would want to listen to this garbage. This speech was so hate-filled, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who had been asked to stay and listen to Steinlight, walked out of the meeting about halfway through Steinlights speech.
Steinlight has tried to counter the claims of support from these radical groups like Colcom, but a recent report from Colcoms own website continues to list their major support of his very organization. And the LA Times article claims that about half of FAIRs $5.6 million in annual contributions comes from Colcom.
I would ask my fellow conservatives and Republicans to look closely at the message from these groups. We must realize where these messages come from. They come from an agenda to suppress population growth and promote radical environmentalism. These are anything but conservative organizations.
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