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?
Was that the latest on this thread, or the first?
I didn't see any interaction between you and him until you started demanding an apology. He says you're referring something on another thread.
What I'd hoped to avoid on this thread, with fair success, is the flame-baiting that does a minuet from one illegal alien thread to another. I saw one, now I've seen both of you do it. Deal with it somewhere else, please. I've had a lot of folks I've never seen on these threads post today. I think that's an encouraging trend, and whatever's going on with you two is counterproductive.
What I'm really interested in here is people's opinions on Amnesty.
I'd very much like to hear yours, np.
I have never advocated murder. Who do you think I am? I've stated deportation, immigration reform, and measures that need to be instated to solve this problem.
I oppose all Amnesties for Illegals Aliens, in any form.
Does That go for your Capitalization skills as Well?
Also, your question is push pollish (Polish?) because of the "...some portion...".
If you live on or close to the border you can literally look out your bedroom window and count the illegal aliens passing by at night.
Since this thread is about illegal immigration , neither of these cases fit that catagory. I am utterly against illegal immigration, of anyone, from anywhere !
Thanks, Joe... I appreciate your efforts in that regard.
I am for a very limited and very strict amnesty.
I'll let this simmer tonight and tell you all about it tomorrow evening when I get home from work.
That's good to know. What took you so long?
But, it's " okay ", for you to continually put words in MY mouth and lie about me ? That's rich ! You owe me an apology. I'd say that NOW is a good time to type one. :-)
Thanks for your response.
For the record, folks who got here legally and find themselves in genuine bureaucratic backlogs and snafus through no fault of their own are not an issue with me either.
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