There's nothing like a good, old-fashioned fight over illegal immigrants and what, if anything, should be done about them? Hell, for that matter, arguments about what should be done to them.
For example, how many times have you heard illegal immigrants referred to as lazy? How true or accurate do you think it is? I think it shows anything but laziness just to get up and get out of a bad situation in your home country and come over (even if you're doing so illegally):
"People say immigrants are feckless and lazy. But in California in 2004, 94 percent of undocumented men ages 18 to 64 were in the workforce, compared with 82 percent of native-born men. Far from being part of a shiftless underclass, the act of coming to the United States makes immigrants among the most upwardly mobile groups in the nation, only a bit behind hedge-fund managers."
Then there is the accusation that illegal immigrants are stealing jobs from Americans. But, wait, I thought they were lazy? How does that work, exactly?
"...economists have patiently explained for years that there is no finite "lump of labor" in an economy. The presence of migrants causes new jobs to be created: Factories that might have gone abroad spring up in Arizona or Texas. Hasn't anyone noticed that California, where fully one-third of the adult population is foreign born, has an unemployment rate of less than 5 percent?"
And there's several other complaints: they're a drain on the economy, they're a strain on our taxpayers, they're taking advantage of our welfare systems.
Please... when will everyone stop blaming every thing on illegal immigrants? They aren't even eligible for welfare programs or food stamps!
I'm not saying that illegal immigration isn't a problem. Just that we need to stop focusing on the ethnocentric bullshit and identify the real problem instead of making up reasons to dislike them. How do we expect to ever solve a problem if people refuse to focus on what the problem is, and instead just fabricate their own list of problems they "think" might be a result?
That was a great read. It was all well said. Great argument.
Also, did you know, that Americans have been saying the same things for generations, about different groups. Its the Mexicans now, but before that it was Japanese, Koreans, and Irish (all at different times). It was also pretty much the same things being said for each of them.
They do need to get out of their country! Mexicans are people too! I hate racist shovonists!!!
That's not even a word.
Anyway. What I find is ironic is that the issue of race is mainly manifested by those FOR illegal immigration and open borders. For example once I wore a t-shirt that said "No Mas Illegals" to a restaurant and a Mexican lady complained to the management that my shirt is racist. What race is "illegal"? What does this "illegal race" look like? Most of the racism occurs in two forms: anti-law advocates who make a straw man out of pro-law types, and brown supremacist groups like "La Raza" who want "those gringos" out of Texas and California so they can take back "their land".
If the comment of your t-shirt was intended to apply to all illegal aliens, regardless of perceived race, why did you choose to have the phrase on it printed in Spanish?
percivale
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Arthur: Which is the greatest quality of knighthood?
Merlin: Truth. That's it. Yes. It must be truth, above all. When a man lies, he murders some part of the world.
(From John Boorman's Excalibur)
I'm saying that it's not a problem. I don't understand how the government or any body could possibly make a person illegal.
--Mike
LOL, that's a good question.
I think it stems from the question "what the hell is a citizen?" There are some that say a citizen is anyone who resides within the boundaries of a country, which leads to more questions (such as crossing those borders).
Aristotle defined a citizen as someone who could both rule and be ruled; which is very similar to what we practice with "We the People"; but unfortunately, that brings in even more questions.
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"Dream as though you'll live forever, but live as though there's no tomorrow" --James Dean
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/fanaile-essence
People will say anything to in order to stereotype someone else or another group in this world. It is not nice when illegal immigrants are accused of such things, or thought about in such a way. People accuse illegal immigrants to sway the main stream of people to go against illegal immigrants.
The is so much biasness against them that someone cannot help but feel they are up to no good, but that is just completely false. Immigrants are people, and all people deserve to be treated equally with respect and dignity.
The difference between immigration back then and immigration now for undocumented workers is that there was a considerable amount LESS showing up. It's like they swarmed over here after the 60's. And by they I mean immigrants, not just Mexicans.
"Only two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity--and I'm not so sure about the universe"
-Albert Einstein
Prior to immigration reforms in the early 1900s (1917 on), nearly anyone could come here legally. Something like less than 1% of immigrants prior to the Immigration reform act in 1917 were excluded from coming here. And then of course, we put that 20,000 per country limit into effect in the 60s.
So yeah, fewer were here illegally for the simple reason that nearly anyone could come here legally then.
"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." -Huxley
"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err." -Gandhi
Well, I forgot to include documented workers. I reread the research I did--turns out that we keep up-ping the amount of people granted legal status. That is why so many people are coming here--they want a piece of that legal status pie.
Damn I've worked too much today.
"Only two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity--and I'm not so sure about the universe"
-Albert Einstein
I do not really know where you guys live but the comments of lazy, job-stealing, parasites immigrants are more common that what people think, which is really sad considering that this country is a country made from immigrants of all races and parts of the world.
Immigrants of any race would make this country stronger as this is a population with the assertiviness and the courage to abandon their comfort place (country of origin) to come to a strange world and make an honest living
I agree, most people's perception of immigration is myth. Immigration is a boon to the economy...the 1990s were a great example...lot's of economic growth and a hell of a lot of new immigrants. They do jobs that Americans woudn't touch with a mexican flag pole, but that are very necessary to economic stability. The cheap labor then makes goods more affordable to American workers. The abundance of cheap, unskilled labor also pushes Americans to seek high skill levels and education in order to compete in the job market.