illegal immigration

Excellent argument for kicking all the Europeans back to Europe so the original homeowner can have his home back.

Otherwise it's one burglar saying to another burglar, "I was here to rob the house before you got here, so get out and let me steal everything."

And P.S. why aren't we all required to learn the American Indian languages?

Of course the real problem with the argument in the OP is that America is not your house. America is a land of immigrants, built by immigrants, and made stronger by every immigrant who comes here to work and make a better life for himself/herself.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusguy04 @ Feb 18 2007, 05:05 PM) [snapback]392516[/snapback]</div>

Can we extend this metaphor? This person breaks into "YOUR" house knowing that your brother, mother, sister, grandfather, grandmother will all pay and do pay this break-in artist to clean your house. Then the only person you want to blame is the break in artist who is only doing the bidding of your loved ones.

When there's a drug problem, the blame falls only on the drug dealers, not the middle class high school kids doing the drugs. When there's a oil crisis, the blame falls on the middle east and the oil companies, not themselves for being addicted to oil. When there's an illegal immigration problem, the blame falls on the people of color, not the white people who hire them.

 

Yup.

 

Thanks again daniel. A friend of mine sent this to me a few weeks ago...my scathing response was something very similar to yours. And added this fable:

I live in a desolate swamp in a tin lean-to, trying hard to support my family, but finding no work. Oh--and sometimes, my children go to sleep hungry. I've never seen a doctor, and neither have my kids.

Across the street from the swamp is a beautiful land, with lots of work and money to go around. There are big signs that say I can't go across the street, and I obey them. But after watching my children be victims of poverty and disease for more and more months, I finally decide to take my chances crossing the road. Lo and behold--I can find work (that the people in the bee-yootiful land look down on) and become a productive member of that society. I am never able to be a "legal" member of the beautiful land because frankly, the beautiful land turns down half the applications they get (I can't understand why...I actually have a house and food on the table and would happily be a citizen).

Just a different perspective...I guess the whole "feeding the poor" is just not that interesting to folks who are passing that e-mail around (like my neocon friend). And these are the "poor" who actually work, which should make the tightie-righties happy.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(livelychick @ Feb 18 2007, 02:45 PM) [snapback]392530[/snapback]</div>

Shold we tie in the fact that they are so poor because our agricultural practices ruin their ability to sell a major crop they we "stole" from them?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusguy04 @ Feb 18 2007, 05:05 PM) [snapback]392516[/snapback]</div>

I heartily agree. They come to OUR country, take OUR jobs, are taken care of by OUR money, and make us honor THEIR stupid customs.

Damn Irish.

 

Umm..

Who are you calling an illegal immigrant,
PILGRIM?

Seriously though.. If you had to choose, between your family starving or you coming across the border illegally to WORK, what would you do?

The issues that need to be addressed are with the Mexican Government and their corruption, and the United States Government for practically catering to corporations and companies that hire the illegal immigrants.

BTW, this is America. We don't have an "Official Language". What makes this country great is that we are a melting pot. People from all over the world have come here to make a better life, and our economy has prospered because of this fact.

PS - We (european descent) didn't come here and colonize LEGALLY either..

 

Yeah. I'm SO sick of potatoes...corned beef...stout beer. All those Irishmen should have just stayed in their own country, famine or not!

Oh wait...I think I'm part Irish. Nix that idea.

I got it! Kick all of the Italians out!

Between 1880 and 1920 over four million Italians were recorded as entering the United States. No other ethnic group has sent so many immigrants in such a short time.

No wait...that won't work. We'd lose out on some great movies and food. And just saying the word "capische" makes me happy.

Oh well...guess we'll have to keep 'em all.

I'm waiting for the "but they were legal immigrants" argument. I'm sure a lot of them weren't. Anyway, our regulations have tightened, making it much harder today for someone to become a citizen. Hell, the application fee is bad enough.

 

I have a home, a pension, money in the bank and, after 28 years in the US, I can choose if and when to work. None of the above would have happened if I had sneaked in and insisted in speaking my native language.

Most of the wealthy European countries had an influx of immigrants through out the years after WW2 and, in their majority, these immigrants learned the local language, integrated in their new country and became successful members of the society. The few that chose to stubbornly ignore the hosting country reality are still working in menial jobs and complain about their unfair treatment.

We do not have an “Official Languageâ€, but until a popular vote demands otherwise, the laws of the country are written in English, business is conducted in English, currency is printed in English and I can not accept seeing the ballots, driving tests, local government and social security documents printed in a myriad of other languages.

 

What happens to the kids of the parents who are here legally, but then their kids turn 19 and so then become illegal? Do we kick those out too?

 

If the parents are here legally their children, if they came with them, are also legal.
If the children were left behind, the parents can petition for them.

 

From what I understand, if the parents didn't make/take the time to get their "kids" legal when they turned 19, then they are considered illegal and must go back to their country. But then again, I also understand that if they don't go back before they are 18 and go the "correct" route to apply for status, then they will always be turned down according to my source.

What a mess! Why can't something be done to help those in that type of situation?

Is there anything that they can do?

I can't even begin to imagine the grief and heartache that goes along with a situation like that; especially when it's not the kid(s) fault.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nicos @ Feb 18 2007, 08:57 PM) [snapback]392598[/snapback]</div>

I agree that everyone should be ABLE to speak a common language (English), even if they choose to speak whatever language they want at home, etc. Bits and pieces of other languages have and will continue to become part of the vernacular...and English will sound totally different in 50 years than it does now. Just like it sounds different now than it did 50 years ago. Language is ever-evolving, but I do agree that to assimilate, a common language should be spoken.

However, what the OP was talking about was the problem with illegal aliens PERIOD, regardless of the language he or she speaks.

I agree with loveit in that I don't know how to fix it. My initial suggestion? Take all the money we pour into our southwestern border patrols, assinine walls that are being built, etc., and start providing aid to Mexico. I don't mean monetary aid, I mean agri-aid--figuring out how to actually create a good economy in that country. And plead with the Catholic Church to step in and say "Oops, my bad, we didn't mean to be THAT fruitful and multiply...ya'll can stop multiplying that much now..." (We need to do that in the US, too, IMHO--these families with 17 kids are ridiculous, but that's another thread.)

And for those who say taking away from the border patrol will increase the likelihood of terrorism...gimme a break. Ain't no terrorist ever tried to cross the Rio Grande in anything but established means of transportation.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(livelychick @ Feb 18 2007, 10:24 PM) [snapback]392641[/snapback]</div>

Simple solution - open our borders to everyone that wants to come here - no one is to be refused entry. Done

 

loveit

From the time the child turns 18 it is his/her RESPONSIBILITY to choose which citizenship he/she is going to accept; this, of course is a void point if the child was born in the US.

Immigration diligently sends correspondence to that effect as the 18th birthday approaches. Here again it is the responsibility of the parents to maintain proper contact information with the Immigration service.

The Law does not make exceptions for irresponsibility.


livelychick

It is not our job to tell other countries how to run their affairs, but I agree that Mexico’s economy is the single contributing factor to the influx of illegal immigrants and I also agree that the Catholic Church has to revise its single-minded doctrines.

Having a secure border has nothing to do with terrorism, but getting the lawmakers to finance the border infrastructure requires overturning the lobbying effects of all the unscrupulous businesses that profit from illegal labor, unfortunately fear is the only method powerful enough to overcome greed.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dbermanmd @ Feb 19 2007, 09:33 AM) [snapback]392789[/snapback]</div>

Half right.

Include annexation of bordering nations, extract resources from those nations and re-distribute the goods, taxes, and wealth in a capitalistically democratic manner to maximize the benefit to the most people. Rinse and repeat for all new adjacent nations until the net flow of immigration/emigration nears zero. Let's start with Canaduh and mejico!

 

What if the child(ren) was/were not born in the US but came with the family? I thought that the kids had to stay in the country where they were born and then come in just like everyone else by applying for status? Is that correct?

So only if the parents are illegal then the kids are considered illegal?

Hmmm... makes me wonder.

My daughter went to college out in CA and said that state is a lot more lenient where illegals are concerned. She worked her internship at one of the hospitals there and mentioned a number of different things about how the status is handled out there.

She is back on the east coast but what an eye-opener. Many of the people out there turn their eyes the other way because it is like doing the whiskey prohibition all over again. It's a no-win situation.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Feb 18 2007, 05:20 PM) [snapback]392522[/snapback]</div>

Don't you think we have let far more than our share of aliens into the US? They say we have 300 million people now-(Not counting the illegals). My people are from Europe. They had to have sponsers, learn english, and wait their turn to come here.

It's extremely unfair to the taxpayers to support all the illegals because we're being told it's the right thing to do??