By: Michelle Malkin
May 30, 2007 -- THE United States government is on the verge of approving a mass amnesty to millions of illegal aliens - a plan pushed aggressively by meddling Mexican officials who reap billions of dollars in remittances (illegal aliens' earnings sent back to Mexico) without having to lift a finger to clean up their own country.
And the thanks we get? Internationally televised public humiliation.
On Monday night, the beautiful young woman who represented America in the Miss Universe pageant was booed and mocked as she competed on stage in Mexico City.
Rachel Smith, 22, did her best to respond with grace and dignity during the Top Five finalists' interview segment as the audience disrupted the event.
As soon as co-host Vanessa Minnillo invited Miss USA to pick a judge's name from a bowl of index cards, widespread howls broke out at the mere mention of "USA." The verbal derision continued as judge Tony Romo asked Smith to pick one moment in her life she would relive.
Definitely not this one.
Smith soldiered through her answer, describing an educational trip to South Africa. Catcalls and whistles nearly drowned out Smith's reply until she wrapped up with "Buenos noches, Mexico."
I wouldn't have been so polite.
None of Miss USA's fellow Americans participating in the interview segment - neither Minnillo, nor macho co-host Mario Lopez, nor the dashing Romo - came to Smith's defense. Instead, Minnillo pleaded briefly with the unruly mob: "OK, una momento, por favor." Lopez stood mute with a dumb grin on his dimpled face. Pathetic.
In fact, Smith was subjected to anti-American hatred throughout the week-long event. Last week, during the contestants' national costume fashion show, Smith smiled bravely as a rowdy outdoor crowd hissed and booed at her. According to pageant observers, no other contestants received such treatment.
Pitifully, Donald Trump and his Miss Universe officials are downplaying Smith's experience - ignoring the fact that the last time the pageant was held in Mexico, Miss USA was abused in similar fashion. Kenya Moore, the 1993 Miss USA, was infamously heckled when chosen for the semi-finals that year.
Just a tiny minority of America-haters, right? How quickly we forget.