OK, especially immigration....
Posted on 08/22/2002 7:04:53 AM PDT by Sabertooth
This is a vanity post, let's get that straight from the start.
Perhaps the most vain aspect of it is the conceit that it might stay on topic, but I'm going to give it a whirl.
One of the more contentious species of threads encountered on Free Republic are those dealing with the subject of America's immigration policy, particularly with regard to the Illegal Aliens currently in our country. According a range of reasonable sources, the estimates of their numbers here currently here range from six to thirteen million. Whatever the actual count, there are quite a few people now in violation of American immigration law.
One subtopic that inevitably arises is the question of Amnesty:
Should all or some portion of the Illegal Aliens be granted an Amnesty and be thereby allowed to change their status and acquire legal residence in the United States?
That's the question I'd like to put forward to the members of Free Republic.
Almost as inevitably on threads dealing with this subject, flame wars erupt. It's not my purpose to instigate another round of that, they're rather predictable. So I'd like to ask that your comments, if you're inclined to share them, focus on the big picture of American immigration policy, with particular attention to the subject of Amnesty. I'm not interested in the stock and gratuitous divisiveness of race-baiting or referring to the President as "Jorge," or anything of that nature from any quarter. It achieves nothing, it's sulphurous methane heat with no light shed.
I'd also like to avoid ad hominem ambushes. I'm genuinely interested in learning the collective feelings of Free Republic members on this subject. If you're gonna post, I'd like to ask that you ante up with your opinion on the question at hand before engaging the discussion with others. No taking potshots from the obscurity of the sidelines. I'll post my opinion below at #1.
Fair enough?
So, once again, here's the question:
Should all or some portion of the Illegal Aliens be granted an Amnesty and be thereby allowed to change their status and acquire legal residence in the United States?
Legal immigrants welcomed.
That said, I think there should be continued exceptions for political refugees and those who have escaped from such atrocities as prostitution and slavery when returning them to their countries would subject them to furthur abuse and possibly even torture or death. Other extenuating circumstances might include a health crisis while in this country legally that would preclude traveling after the individual's legal status has expired. But even in this case, that would not involve amnesty, but rather an extension of legal status until such time as the individual could return.
FWIW, i grew up in a rural utah farming community (well, it was rural back then), and lots of the kids i went to grade school were mexican. some the children of migrant farm hands, some naturalized, some wetbacks... they were all well behaved, hard working, and as far as my brothers and i were concerned, just more kids to grow up with.
so okay, that was in the eisenhower (ozzie and harriet) days, you know, back before you locked the house doors and took the keys out of your car at night... yup, and way over west to the coast, there were orange trees in orange county, too. sigh.
sheesh.
There's this brother of yours, again.
Neither you nor he know what you're talking about.
According to a recent Zogby poll almost 6 out of every 10 Mexicans believe that the American Southwest belongs to Mexico and that they don't need U.S. permission to enter the U.S., because the Southwest rightfully belongs to them.
New Zogby Poll: Mexicans Say Southwest U.S. Belongs To Them; Shouldn't Need Permission To Enter U.S.
Your brother's impressions of the people that staggered into a Mormon mission in Las Vegas are meaningless. They're not a representative sample. They're not the equivalent of a scientific poll.
You're not going to subject us to 10 more posts about your brother's irrelevant opinions on this thread, like you did the last one, are you?
Give it a rest, already.
Agreed, no amnesty.
I think you are mistaken that even that will make much of an impression. The politically powerful are so accustomed to demonstrators on the hill, I doubt they would even much notice. Which demonstrations are noticed are almost entirely dependent on media coverage and surely you can't believe that this kind of demonstration would get headline billing. If anything, it'd be pointed to and called a hate group out to impede all the progress made in diversity with "our good friends" of other countries.
I'll tell you why it's because they know that, in addition to allowing them to displace struggling Americans out of their jobs, we also give them free health care, subsidized schooling, subsided housing, welfare, bilingual programs, among a litany of other benefits that our government has seen fit to provide them with. All financed of course by the AMERICAN TAXPAYER. Heck, they don't even bother with buying car insurance. There isn't a Better Deal for Illegal Immigrants on the Planet. In fact there is nothing remotely close to it in the history of the world and to top it off WE ALLOW THEM TO VOTE IN OUR ELECTIONS!
Tell me, where is the downside for an illegal alien? Of course they want to come here! I'll say this, I cannot fault them for operating in their self-interests and knowing a great deal when they see it. The fault lies with "US" because we don’t stop our elected officials from encouraging millions of illegal aliens to plunder our wealth and sovereignty ad infinitum. And when I say US I mean in a collective sense. You fall easily into that category.
Wrong, the first question that has to be asked is what percentage of the population agrees with you?
All of the polls I've seen indicate that 70% to 90% of American CITIZENS would like this bill fine the way it is or tougher.
How are you and the 10% or 20% that agree with you going to stop this bill?
The INS is so dam backed up, one guy got his visa approved and MAILED to him, 6 months after losing his life while kamikazi-ing into the WTC.(messed up)
The INS is backed up, understaffed, sloppy and inefficient. Use the MORATORIUM to protect the American citizens in this time of stolen visas, and terrorists with huge amounts of money, able to bribe civil service workers. It is broke. We need it to be rebuilt, reformed and properly staffed and funded to run at optimum efficiency.
Today the press was lamenting to dearth of jobs for young people. Does anyone wonder why? Yesterday on a local talk show, a guy from a Las Vegas casino/hotel said that they happily hire illegals to do all the heavy work for which American kids won't even apply. Oh oh, he also said they pay the illegals a lot less. It's a new generation of indentured servants.
Deport all illegals, and offspring regardless of place of birth. Detain and interrogate any middle easterners, those found to have ties to terrorism, gleen as much info as possible, execute, send remains with slaughtered pig to Arrafat or Saddam.
All illegals should be deported ASAP.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.