This story didn't get the attention it ordinarily might have because it occurred during the Democratic Party's convention.

On Monday, August 25, "the largest single-workplace immigration raid in U.S. history" took place in Laurel, Mississippi. 595 workers suspected of being in the country illegally were detained.

Traditional media coverage, including this Associated Press item carried in USA Today, was predictably sympathetic towards those who were detained and their families.

But, as yours truly noted was the case with the Swift Co. raids in the spring of 2007 (posted at NewsBusters; at BizzyBlog), there was even less national media interest in what happened after that.

The Clarion, Mississippi's statewide newspaper, is the only outlet I found that considered the following worthy of publication as a standalone story:

How in the world such anti-gun ownership attitude even entered the State of Mississippi is beyond me. But here it is, in black and white, for you to shake your head in disbelief. In the capital of the Mississippi, a city councilman has determined the reason for violent crime is that pawn shops sell guns. He wants to try to ban gun sales in the city.

Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes said he wants to propose a city ordinance that takes away pawn shop’s ability to sell guns.

“There’s too much violence in the city of Jackson,” Stokes said today. “I asked the young folks, where are they getting their guns and they say the pawn shops. I asked the older people where are they getting their guns and they say the pawn shops. We need to do something to make our city safe again.”

Of course Mr. Stokes doesn't realize that he cannot lawfully do this. And he doesn't realize that restricting a purchase in the city limits will not prevent criminals from getting guns in neighboring suburbs. And he doesn't understand that preventing lawful citizens from purchasing guns to protect their families and homes is what will keep the murdering thugs in his city. When criminals know that gun purchases are prohibited by law-abiding residents, they will choose to remain in that area and continue their criminal activities.

Former New York Times reporter Timothy Egan doesn't hide his hostility for conservatives on his nytimes.com blog "Outposts," and last week he accused the GOP of being "troglodytes," "know-nothings" and, in the case of a special Congressional election in Mississippi, "scare-mongering" racists. All that and more in Egan's Wednesday posting, "New Math for November."

McCain surely knows this, even if his party has yet to get the message. The speech that he gave here on climate change marked a big break with President Bush and the troglodyte wing of his party. Look for similar divorce announcements in coming months, even on race. In that speech, McCain envisioned a nightmare of runaway forest fires, heat waves stifling the cities, storms swamping the coasts, unless something is done. "The United States will lead," he said, "and will lead with a different approach." In every way, the speech was a slap at know-nothings like Rush Limbaugh, who tells his 20 million listeners almost every day that global warming is a massive hoax.