[Antoninus]

Do you think the early colonists would be considered illegal aliens? I know they had permission from their governments to emigrate.

It's funny. I once posed that question in reverse to someone who took up the usual "Evil Europeans" mantra. Did the European colonists have a right to settle in North America? My opponent sniffed out the trap immediately and realized that if she said no, then the counter argument was: "Well, then what right do illegal immigrants have to come here today?" She simply said, yes, the Europeans did have a right to come here and settle.

[Aliska]

I didn't pose the question as a trap. I was wondering if our ancestors had a right to come here. It was unilateral; permission was given by the monarchs of Europe, but the indigenous peoples evidently had no say in the matter. Sticky wicket.

Oh well.