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?
So you dispute what Communists say in their very own Manifesto? As I explained to you in the past, the walls only go up when a communist regime has successfully taken over a nation. Until they achieve complete power they will use any and all subversive methods, including mass immigration to gain power over a nation's people. Why is that so hard for you to understand?
Care to answer my question VA? Are You A Communist?
Are those numbers speaking to you as they are, me?
...hard to ignore the screaming; truth be known.
I don't support blanket amnesty at all, but then, I have yet to hear one cogent solution to finding then deporting all of the illegals.
This situation isn't so cut-and-dried. I want to hear an explanation as to how to go about catching all of the illegal aliens WITHOUT creating a police state at the same time. I don't see how it can be done quickly unless such Draconian measures are enacted.
The howls will become endless.
But, since you asked in a straightforward manner, count me as a "Support no Amnesty," but I reserve the right to visit this again if a solution can be suggested that may include it.
It's been interesting so far. I haven't responded because quite frankly, I don't think you asked the right questions. The real debate isn't over illegal aliens, but who should be allowed to immigrate.
On the one hand you have those of us who would prefer a more open immigration policy for North America, and on the other side of the debate you have those who blatantly state that white Europeans are preferable. This isn't about immigration, it's about the ethnic makeup of America. One side is comfortable with a growing non-white population, and the other is utterlly appalled.
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