Category: Guest Authors

MSM Lies In Love Story Same As In Immigration

By Joe Guzzardi

On March 6, The New York Times published Daryl Hannah’s op-ed “How Can ‘Love Story’ Get Away with This?” Hannah was referring to the FX made-for-television series that focused on the whirlwind love affair and marriage between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, then a Calvin Klein employee. The couple and Bessette’s sister Lauren died in July 1999 when a small plane that Kennedy piloted crashed off Martha Vineyard’s coast.

Four decades have passed since I have given Hannah the least passing thought. With Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen, Hannah co-stared in the film 1987 “Wall Street” which I saw and, as a former Wall Streeter, enjoyed. My eye, however, caught Hannah’s question: how does the media, of which television is a prominent part, get away with gross misrepresentation which it presents as hard fact. Immigration enforcement advocates have been asking the same question for years.

Immigration enforcement advocates and Darryl Hanna make strange bedfellows. But both Hannah and Americans who endorse following congressionally approved and president-signed immigration law wonder why the media won’t give them a fair shake.

Hannah correctly complained that “Love Story” producers maliciously and for profit misrepresented her five-year romance with Kennedy, Jr. In the process of churning out salacious content, FX also slanderously misrepresented her character.

From her op-ed, Hannah countered FX’s portrayal with her side of the story:

“The character Daryl Hannah portrayed in the series is not even a remotely accurate representation of my life, my conduct or my relationship with John. The actions and behaviors attributed to me are untrue. I have never used cocaine in my life or hosted cocaine-fueled parties. I have never pressured anyone into marriage. I have never desecrated any family heirloom or intruded upon anyone’s private memorial. I have never planted any story in the press. I never compared Jacqueline Onassis’ death to a dog’s. It’s appalling to me that I even have to defend myself against a television show. These are not creative embellishments of personality. They are assertions about conduct — and they are false.”

Hanna continued:

“For decades, my work has focused on environmental advocacy, documentary filmmaking and animal-assisted therapy for seniors living with dementia and Alzheimer’s. My professional life is built on compassion and responsibility. Reputation is not about ego; it is about the ability to continue doing the meaningful work I love. Like any career, doing good work requires an intact reputation. This is why I am choosing to stand up for myself now.”

Comparing Hannah’s disgust with the media’s mischaracterization of her to the lies, both of omission and of commission, attributed to enforcement advocates may seem like a stretch to some. But only to those not engaged in the fray.

Around 2000, NumbersUSA assigned me to head its newly formed Media Standards Project (MSP). The task was straightforward—everyday I would read immigration stories, evaluate them against the fairness and balance standards that the Society for Professional Journalists set for reporters. SPJ has a code of ethics that emphasizes the importance of seeking truth and reporting it, respecting all individuals, of considering the potential effect of their reporting on subjects and engaging in open dialogue about their practices. By adhering to those principles, journalists can foster credibility and integrity in their work.

Over the three-year period that I analyzed immigration stories—I read about 1,500—only a small handful of reporters admitted that their stories could have been more balanced. Even considering the blatant one-sidedness like a San Francisco Chronicle page one homage to illegal immigration—eight quoted as pro; zero opposed— reporters would not back down, claiming that to include the enforcement perspective would be “another story” and not the one they wanted to tell.

Reporters told lies of commission like portraying congressional enforcement heroes like Senator Jeff Sessions and U.S. Representatives Tom Tancredo and Steve King as racists. Lies of omission included the failure to write about how illegal immigration, asylum fraud, refugee resettlement overwhelms schools, hospitals and communities. Out of 1,500 stories, the odds would favor that some stories would include the downside to open borders. The stories defied the odds; I never found true 50-50 balance.

During the 25 years since I concluded the MSP project, fairness and balance in the failing, fading legacy media immigration stories is still non-existent. In an indirect victory for enforcement advocates, the public’s trust in the media is at an all-time low, 28%. In other words, the media is still cranking out dishonest stories, but fewer and fewer readers believe them.

Joe Guzzardi is a nationally syndicated columnist who has written about immigration and other social issues for more than 30 years. Contact him at guzzjoe@yahoo.com

Tiger Flowers: Boxing’s Black Pioneer

By Joe Guzzardi

Tiger Flowers was a pioneering African American boxer who made history in 1926 when he became the world’s first black middleweight champion. Born Theodore Flowers on August 5, 1895, in Camilla, Georgia, he earned his nickname “Tiger” through his fierce, left-handed fighting style and relentless aggression in the ring. His world title belt came during an era of intense racial segregation and discrimination which made his accomplishment even more remarkable.

Flowers grew up in the Deep South during the Jim Crow-era when he faced racism’s harsh realities from an early age. He began his boxing career in the early 1920s after moving to Philadelphia, where he quickly developed a reputation as a skilled and determined fighter. Standing at 5’11” and fighting at around 160 pounds, he possessed an unusual combination of speed, power, and technical ability which made him a formidable opponent.

What set Flowers apart from many of his contemporaries was not just his boxing prowess but his character outside the ring. A deeply religious man who neither smoked nor drank, Flowers read the Bible before his fights. This earned him the additional moniker “The Georgia Deacon.” His clean living and moral conduct made him a role model in the African American community and helped challenge prevailing racial stereotypes of the time. Tiger fought with dignity and carried himself with grace, becoming an ambassador for sport and his race.

Flowers’ path to the championship was rocky and fraught with seemingly insurmountable roadblocks. Boxing’s color line remained an imposing barrier, and many white fighters and promoters were reluctant to give black boxers opportunities for title shots. Harry Wills, “The Black Panther,” was the three-times Black World Colored Champion and top-ranked challenger but never got his shot. Wills twice attempted to sue Jack Dempsey for breach of contract when the champion refused to fight him.

When Jack Johnson, a black, defeated Jim Jeffries in the “Fight of the Century,” waves of racial violence spread across the country in New York, Washington, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Omaha, Columbus, St. Louis, and Wilmington, Wilmington, Delaware. Johnson, Flowers and Beau Jack, the great two-time lightweight champion of the 1940s, fought in “Battle Royales,” a demeaning circus-like sideshow that often pitted ten or more blindfolded blacks in the same ring swinging against each other without a break—a free-for-all. Jack said that once he heard “the last kerplunk, I knew I had won.” The audience threw coins at the winner, his pittance that severed as a purse.

Despite racial obstacles, Flowers compiled an impressive record, defeating quality opponents and building an undeniable case for a championship opportunity. His persistence and undeniable skill eventually forced the boxing establishment to recognize his claim at a title shot. Tiger’s unprecedented 136 wins, 56 by knockout, in a career that spanned less than 10 years, proved to many skeptics that blacks could not only compete at the highest level but triumph.

On February 26, 1926, in New York City, Tiger Flowers faced Harry Greb for the middleweight championship of the world. Greb, known as “The Pittsburgh Windmill,” is one of the greatest fighters of any era and had never been knocked out. In a closely contested fifteen-round bout, Flowers won a controversial split decision to claim the title. During the fight, “The Fighting Deacon,” a steward in Atlanta’s Butler Black Methodist Church, recited a verse from the 144^th Psalm: “Blessed be the Lord, my strength, which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight.” Many observers disputed the decision, but Flowers had achieved his goal. He became only the second black boxer to win a world title in the modern era, following Johnson’s heavyweight championship victory nearly two decades earlier.

Flowers defended his title successfully against Greb in a rematch later that year, this time winning more convincingly. He continued to fight frequently, as was common in that era, taking on all challengers and maintaining an active schedule that often included two fights a month. However, Flowers’ reign as champion would be brief. On December 3, 1926, he lost his title to Mickey Walker in Chicago, again by a controversial decision that many believed favored his white opponent.

Tragedy struck Flowers just weeks he lost his championship. On November 16, 1927, Flowers died at the age of 32 following what should have been a routine surgery to remove scar tissue from his face. The exact circumstances of his death remain mysterious, with some accounts suggesting complications from anesthesia while others point to possible medical negligence. His sudden and unexpected death shocked the boxing world and the African American community, which had embraced him as a hero.

Flowers’ legacy extends beyond his boxing record. He fought during an era when African American athletes faced enormous obstacles and discrimination. His success in the ring, combined with his dignified conduct outside of it, helped pave the way for future generations of black boxers like Joe Louis, Henry Armstrong, Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Archie Moore, Jersey Joe Walcott and Floyd Patterson.

Though his time as champion was relatively short, Flowers left an indelible mark on boxing history, and he deserves to be remembered along with other black groundbreakers like MLB’s Jackie Robinson, the NBA’s Earl Lloyd and the NFL’s Kenny Washington. Flowers, and the other more well-known black athletes, proved that talent, determination, and character could overcome even the most entrenched prejudicial barriers.

Joe Guzzardi is a syndicated national columnist who opinion op-eds have appeared in publications for more than 30 years.

Phil Rizzuto Was Cora’s Prince

By Joe Guzzardi

When New York Yankees’ Hall of Famer and long-time broadcaster died at age 90, his wife Cora said, “I’ve lost my beautiful prince.” The Rizzutos had been married for 64 gloriously happy years.

Rizzuto married Cora Anne Ellenborn on June 23, 1943; the two first met the previous year when Rizzuto substituted for Joe DiMaggio as a speaker at a Newark Holy Communion breakfast. “I fell in love so hard I didn’t go home”, Rizzuto recalled. “Scooter,” as Rizzuto was universally referred to, rented a nearby hotel room for a month to be as close as possible to his beloved Cora.

Cora was often part of Rizzuto’s patter. He often left the game early, and said over the air, “I’ll be home soon, Cora!” or “Cora, I gotta get over that bridge!” referring to the congested George Washington Bridge that Yankee fans had to cross to get to New Jersey.

In later years, Rizzuto would announce the first six innings of Yankee games; the TV director would often playfully show a shot of the bridge, which can be seen from the top of Yankee Stadium, after Rizzuto had departed. Rizzuto was also very phobic about lightning, and sometimes left the booth following violent thunderclaps.

During his post-playing career, Rizzuto broadcasted Yankees’ games for 40 years. Listeners heard not only about the on field action but assorted other subjects. His popular catchphrase was “Holy cow.” Rizzuto also became known for saying “Unbelievable!” or “Did you see that?” to describe a great play and would call somebody a “huckleberry” if he did something Rizzuto did not like. During game broadcasts, “Scooter” would frequently wish listeners a happy birthday or anniversary, give cooking lessons, send get-well wishes to fans in hospitals, and give good reviews to restaurants he liked, or hype the cannoli he ate between innings. His chatter sometimes distracted the speaker himself; Rizzuto devised the unique scoring notation “WW” for his scorecard; it stood for “Wasn’t Watching.”

Rizzuto’s peak as a player was 1949–50, when he was moved into the leadoff spot. In 1950, his MVP season, he hit .324 with 200 hits and 92 walks and scored 125 runs. While leading the league in fielding percentage, Rizzuto handled 238 consecutive chances without an error, setting the single-season record for shortstops. In all, Rizzuto played in five All-Star games, on 10 AL championship teams that appeared in seven World Series. Rizzuto ended up among the top 10 in World Series games played, at bats, runs scored and steals.

His broadcasting partners were Frank Messer and Bill White, a former St. Louis Cardinals first baseman and baseball’s first black play-by-play announcer. Rizzuto, who broke in with broadcasting legends Red Barber and Mel Allen, and later worked with Tom Seaver, Bobby Mercer, Joe Garagiola, and Whitey Ford, said that in 18 years working with White, a cross word was never exchanged between them. Their rain delay chatter was classic, analytic free, baseball-exclusive talk.

In 1995, at age 77, Rizzuto decided to retire to spend more time with the love of his life, Cora. He said, “I hadn’t been fair to my family. Fifty-seven, 58 years, I missed half of every year. All the things had accumulated. The Mantle thing [Mantle’s death that year] brought it to a head. I could see myself in the same position. I’m lucky to be as old as I am without anything happening to me.”

At the end of Rizzuto’s life, he was in an assisted living facility. Every day, his teammate Yogi Berra drove over to play cards and to hold Rizzuto’s hand until his friend fell asleep. Yogi and Cora sat by Scooter’s bed to comfort the dying Rizzuto until he passed. Both Hall of Famers played their entire careers with the Yankees. Cora died in 2010; Berra, in 2015. White, who served as National League president from 1989 to 1994, was instrumental in Rizzuto’s Hall of Fame election. Age 92, White lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Joe Guzzardi is a Society for American Baseball Research member. Contact him at guzzjoe@yahoo.com

Birth Hotels For Chinese Could be Shuttered

By Joe Guzzardi

Peter Schweizer’s new best selling book, “The Invisible Coup: How American Elites and Foreign Powers Use Immigration as a Weapon,”contained a bombshell exposé. Among the 750,000 to 1.5 million Chinese who have been granted birthright citizenship, illegally cross the southern border during the Biden non-enforcement era, or overstayed their F-1 student visas of which roughly 277,000 were admitted in 2023/2024, are potential 2030 voters.

Schweizer’s shocker came only to people who haven’t paid attention to how immigration has radically altered the nation during the last half of a century. Immigration advocates, NGOs, Congress, the legacy media, religious institutions have relentlessly pressed for and, by and large, successfully gained higher levels of new permanent lawful residents, refugees, asylees, and temporary visa holders. “Auto-Pen” Joe delivered the nearly fatal blow to enforcement advocates when he opened the border wide and admitted all comers including Venezuelan criminals, escaped mental patients, Tren de Aragua gangbangers, and Middle Eastern terrorists.

Nowhere, however, has the U.S. laid down more passively on immigration than it has to China, our nation’s most powerful and determined adversary. Several administrations have allowed China to buy up precious farmland—adjacent to military compounds, no less— commercial real estate, and build bio-labs right under our nose. Except for Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton’s common-sense suggestion that Chinese F-1 student visa holders be admitted to U.S. university only under the condition that they study the Constitution and the Founding Fathers, there’s been little pushback. Thomas Jefferson, yes; STEM, no.

Even when U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell’s (D) affair with infamous Chinese spy Fang Fang was made public, he only got a slap on the wrist. No one knows what secrets Fang Fang might have extracted from Swalwell during their pillow talk. A Chinese national chauffeured California Senator Diane Feinstein (D) for two decades. When the FBI exposed the scandal, the chauffer disappeared back to China and Feinstein—still in her lucid years—lamely said that she was as surprised as anyone that a spy was driving her around town and functioning as her gofer. At the time, Feinstein was Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Nowhere has the U.S. laid down so completely than on the in-your-face birth hotel scam. Starting about two decades ago, hundreds of Chinese mothers traveled to the U. S. while they were pregnant to give birth on American soil so that their kids became automatic citizens. When such children turn twenty-one, they can also apply for resident status for both of their parents. Of course, illegal aliens from China continue to cross the southern border as they have for years. A pregnant illegal alien comes across the border, has a baby, and suddenly not only that baby but the entire family comes to the country to stay. Since 2018, birth tourism has created anywhere from 150,000-250,000 U.S. citizens.

The Department of Homeland Security is passive on birth citizenship hotels, low hanging fruit that it could easily end. On a specific day, enforcement officers could target specific hotels in major cities like Los Angeles, New York, send personnel to the cities and demand to see the registered guests’ visas which will quickly be identified as fraudulent. The foreign nationals are not, as they declared, tourists but women in advanced pregnancy, present to give birth. Visa fraud is a federal felony, punishable by, in part, deportation. If a medical doctor declares the expectant scamsters medically eligible to travel, deport them. If their pregnancy is too advanced to risk travel, confine them under DHS supervision, and post-partum, deport them. Once the word gets out that DHS is cracking down on the birth hotel rip-off, business will soon dry up—bad news for the hotel operators who have been found in previous raids, guilty of sex trafficking and money laundering. The criminals immediately absconded.

During Trump 45, the federal government tried to limit birth tourism. The U.S. Department of State announced in January of 2020, “[T]he Department is amending its B nonimmigrant visa regulation to address birth tourism. Under this amended regulation, U.S. consular officers overseas will deny any B visa application from an applicant whom the consular officer has reason to believe is traveling for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States to obtain U.S. citizenship for their child.” This lame effort went nowhere, and now Trump 47 is trying to eliminate birthright citizenship as it is currently practiced through a Supreme Court ruling. The Supreme Court is moving at glacier speed to avoid hearing the sovereignty determining issue.

Without immediate America first action, Schweizer’s grim prediction that Chinese nationals will determine the 2030’s election fate will come true.

Joe Guzzardi is a nationally syndicated columnist who has written about immigration for more than 30 years. Contact him at guzzjoe@yahoo.com