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?
I guess you're right, I didn't see him accuse you of being "open borders."
Got a link?
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FAMILIES
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RECIPIENTS
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AFDC Aug-96
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TANF Sep-01
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% change
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AFDC Aug-96
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TANF Sep-01
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% change
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. Totals
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4,408,508
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2,102,608
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-52.3%
|
12,242,125
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5,343,212
|
-56.4%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alabama
|
41,032
|
18,195
|
-55.7%
|
100,662
|
43,180
|
-57.1%
|
Alaska
|
12,159
|
5,637
|
-53.6%
|
35,544
|
16,322
|
-54.1%
|
Arizona
|
62,404
|
36,497
|
-41.5%
|
169,442
|
91,245
|
-46.1%
|
Arkansas
|
22,069
|
11,906
|
-46.1%
|
56,343
|
27,722
|
-50.8%
|
California
|
880,378
|
459,736
|
-47.8%
|
2,581,948
|
1,163,839
|
-54.9%
|
Colorado
|
34,486
|
10,855
|
-68.5%
|
95,788
|
27,815
|
-71.0%
|
Connecticut
|
57,326
|
25,692
|
-55.2%
|
159,246
|
59,610
|
-62.6%
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Delaware
|
10,585
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5,476
|
-48.3%
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23,654
|
12,433
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-47.4%
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Dist. of Col.
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25,350
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16,291
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-35.7%
|
69,292
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43,048
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-37.9%
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Florida
|
200,922
|
59,183
|
-70.5%
|
533,801
|
125,529
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-76.5%
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Georgia
|
123,329
|
51,482
|
-58.3%
|
330,302
|
122,051
|
-63.0%
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Guam
|
2,243
|
3,061
|
36.5%
|
8,314
|
10,588
|
27.4%
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Hawaii
|
21,894
|
12,244
|
-44.1%
|
66,482
|
34,128
|
-48.7%
|
Idaho
|
8,607
|
1,286
|
-85.1%
|
21,780
|
2,223
|
-89.8%
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Illinois
|
220,297
|
55,679
|
-74.7%
|
642,644
|
161,318
|
-74.9%
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Indiana
|
51,437
|
45,230
|
-12.1%
|
142,604
|
126,965
|
-11.0%
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Iowa
|
31,579
|
20,775
|
-34.2%
|
86,146
|
56,030
|
-35.0%
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Kansas
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23,790
|
13,647
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-42.6%
|
63,783
|
34,761
|
-45.5%
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Kentucky
|
71,264
|
35,553
|
-50.1%
|
172,193
|
80,120
|
-53.5%
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Louisiana
|
67,467
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24,159
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-64.2%
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228,115
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62,199
|
-72.7%
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Maine
|
20,007
|
9,418
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-52.9%
|
53,873
|
25,419
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-52.8%
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Maryland
|
70,665
|
27,207
|
-61.5%
|
194,127
|
66,545
|
-65.7%
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Massachusetts
|
84,700
|
44,342
|
-47.6%
|
226,030
|
99,247
|
-56.1%
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Michigan
|
169,997
|
74,081
|
-56.4%
|
502,354
|
201,783
|
-59.8%
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Minnesota
|
57,741
|
39,893
|
-30.9%
|
169,744
|
116,288
|
-31.5%
|
Mississippi
|
46,428
|
16,835
|
-63.7%
|
123,828
|
38,715
|
-68.7%
|
Missouri
|
80,123
|
45,185
|
-43.6%
|
222,820
|
119,858
|
-46.2%
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Montana
|
10,114
|
5,225
|
-48.3%
|
29,130
|
14,752
|
-49.4%
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Nebraska
|
14,435
|
9,795
|
-32.1%
|
39,228
|
24,344
|
-37.9%
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Nevada
|
13,712
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8,547
|
-37.7%
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34,261
|
23,202
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-32.3%
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New Hampshire
|
9,100
|
5,786
|
-36.4%
|
22,937
|
13,788
|
-39.9%
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New Jersey
|
101,704
|
43,380
|
-57.3%
|
275,637
|
107,991
|
-60.8%
|
New Mexico
|
33,353
|
17,438
|
-47.7%
|
99,661
|
49,783
|
-50.0%
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New York
|
418,338
|
212,581
|
-49.2%
|
1,143,962
|
554,702
|
-51.5%
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North Carolina
|
110,060
|
42,692
|
-61.2%
|
267,326
|
91,629
|
-65.7%
|
North Dakota
|
4,773
|
3,150
|
-34.0%
|
13,146
|
9,281
|
-29.4%
|
Ohio
|
204,240
|
82,946
|
-59.4%
|
549,312
|
190,459
|
-65.3%
|
Oklahoma
|
35,986
|
14,157
|
-60.7%
|
96,201
|
34,363
|
-64.3%
|
Oregon
|
29,917
|
20,010
|
-33.1%
|
78,419
|
45,752
|
-41.7%
|
Pennsylvania
|
186,342
|
81,933
|
-56.0%
|
531,059
|
212,040
|
-60.1%
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Puerto Rico
|
49,871
|
25,024
|
-49.8%
|
151,023
|
71,614
|
-52.6%
|
Rhode Island
|
20,670
|
14,778
|
-28.5%
|
56,560
|
40,243
|
-28.8%
|
South Carolina
|
44,060
|
18,308
|
-58.4%
|
114,273
|
44,230
|
-61.3%
|
South Dakota
|
5,829
|
2,706
|
-53.6%
|
15,896
|
6,376
|
-59.9%
|
Tennessee
|
97,187
|
61,583
|
-36.6%
|
254,818
|
160,664
|
-36.9%
|
Texas
|
243,504
|
132,292
|
-45.7%
|
649,018
|
351,130
|
-45.9%
|
Utah
|
14,221
|
7,492
|
-47.3%
|
39,073
|
21,907
|
-43.9%
|
Vermont
|
8,765
|
5,165
|
-41.1%
|
24,331
|
15,312
|
-37.1%
|
Virgin Islands
|
1,371
|
664
|
-51.6%
|
4,898
|
2,376
|
-51.5%
|
Virginia
|
61,905
|
29,238
|
-52.8%
|
152,845
|
65,103
|
-57.4%
|
Washington
|
97,492
|
53,190
|
-45.4%
|
268,927
|
137,371
|
-48.9%
|
West Virginia
|
37,044
|
15,831
|
-57.3%
|
89,039
|
41,905
|
-52.9%
|
Wisconsin
|
51,924
|
18,674
|
-64.0%
|
148,888
|
43,031
|
-71.1%
|
Wyoming
|
4,312
|
478
|
-88.9%
|
11,398
|
883
|
-92.3%
|
ACF/OPRE/DDCA,
2/27/02
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Sorry if I was unclear...
You'd said: "I can both oppose an issue while at the same time vigorously oppose the tactics of others that share the same opposition."
And I said: "Your own single-mindedness in that is outta step on this thread. The personal attacks have been almost non-existent."
What I meant is that the tactics you seek to vigorously oppose haven't been evident on this thread.
Got a link? ;)
I see Help Wanted signs often in L.A. and SoCal.
...and legal citizens are going on welfare or are living at home late in life, if not married.
And that's the fault of a minimum wage worker? Wow.
That's what I thought. Drag your knuckles out of here.
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