What Part of Illegal Don't You Understand?

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Illegals are actually humans of any skin color and they can be from any country!!!!!!!!! The thing they have in common is that they are breaking the law and stealing resources. What's from with waiting your turn?

[Caladan 19]

It's also a matter of being accurate: solutions that apply to overstays vs. EWI vs. multiple EWIs differ. Someone's immigration status and work authorization don't always line up, either. (E.g., student visas aren't usually work authorized outside of the university, but an undocumented student worker isn't here illegally.)

It's sort of like 'welfare'. Most of the time, it's a catch-all word where the meaning is something like 'programs for the poor I don't wanna pay for', but sometimes (like advising people on the I-864), it's important to distinguish the types of social programs.

I don't think there's a problem with using 'illegal'; it's the intent, most of the time, not the word, and the intent usually shines through.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Geez, kerwin, what is it about illegal that YOU don't understand? It's not a perjorative, it's an apt description based on acts committed by those without papers. It's not a race, and, frankly, apologist groups, open border advocates, pandering politicians, reconquistadoritas, and supporters of illegal activity should be ashamed of linking being Latino with being illegal and law breaking, as if one equals the other. They have done no good service by stereotyping all illegals as illiterate, brown skinned Latinos.

An illegal alien by any other name is still here unlawfully and needs to be gone. What is detestable are those who seek to cloud that fact with pc speak.

One smart thing illegal lovers have tried to do, as illustrated by the article, and should fail at if straight thinking Americans prevail, is to control the dialogue by defining the terms, and insisting that everyone use their definitions and terms in order not to be called a racist. Well, call me a racist, if you want. I'm not falling for the falsehoods put out by illegal lovers. My compassion is for those here legally and who want order to the immigration process, who want our sovereignty sustained, who want Mexico to butt out of our national business, and who want our politicians to stop forcing the expense of illegals on the working class while allowing the profits created by their labor to be taken by a privileged few.

There is not one thing wrong with objecting to law breaking behavior and to those who advocate it. There's not a damn thing wrong with calling a spade and spade and keeping the dialogue clear and precise. I'm never going to be pc about this issue, and I have no respect for those who start off their time in the US by breaking our laws, then demanding more.

Edited October 29, 2007 by Green-eyed girl

[Scott & Lai 12]

Geez, kerwin, what is it about illegal that YOU don't understand? It's not a perjorative, it's an apt description based on acts committed by those without papers. It's not a race, and, frankly, apologist groups, open border advocates, pandering politicians, reconquistadoritas, and supporters of illegal activity should be ashamed of linking being Latino with being illegal and law breaking, as if one equals the other. They have done no good service by stereotyping all illegals as illiterate, brown skinned Latinos.

An illegal alien by any other name is still here unlawfully and needs to be gone. What is detestable are those who seek to cloud that fact with pc speak.

One smart thing illegal lovers have tried to do, as illustrated by the article, and should fail at if straight thinking Americans prevail, is to control the dialogue by defining the terms, and insisting that everyone use their definitions and terms in order not to be called a racist. Well, call me a racist, if you want. I'm not falling for the falsehoods put out by illegal lovers. My compassion is for those here legally and who want order to the immigration process, who want our sovereignty sustained, who want Mexico to butt out of our national business, and who want our politicians to stop forcing the expense of illegals on the working class while allowing the profits created by their labor to be taken by a privileged few.

There is not one thing wrong with objecting to law breaking behavior and to those who advocate it. There's not a damn thing wrong with calling a spade and spade and keeping the dialogue clear and precise. I'm never going to be pc about this issue, and I have no respect for those who start off their time in the US by breaking our laws, then demanding more.

[Drew and Tik 0]

There is not one thing wrong with objecting to law breaking behavior and to those who advocate it. There's not a damn thing wrong with calling a spade and spade and keeping the dialogue clear and precise. I'm never going to be pc about this issue, and I have no respect for those who start off their time in the US by breaking our laws, then demanding more.

Amen

[gwenneh 7]

What part of illegal don't I understand?

I guess that would be the bit where it's okay to break the law so you can have what you want NOW NOW NOW. Get in line like the rest of us, or get out.

[Ban Hammer 13,333]

Geez, kerwin, what is it about illegal that YOU don't understand? It's not a perjorative, it's an apt description based on acts committed by those without papers. It's not a race, and, frankly, apologist groups, open border advocates, pandering politicians, reconquistadoritas, and supporters of illegal activity should be ashamed of linking being Latino with being illegal and law breaking, as if one equals the other. They have done no good service by stereotyping all illegals as illiterate, brown skinned Latinos.

An illegal alien by any other name is still here unlawfully and needs to be gone. What is detestable are those who seek to cloud that fact with pc speak.

One smart thing illegal lovers have tried to do, as illustrated by the article, and should fail at if straight thinking Americans prevail, is to control the dialogue by defining the terms, and insisting that everyone use their definitions and terms in order not to be called a racist. Well, call me a racist, if you want. I'm not falling for the falsehoods put out by illegal lovers. My compassion is for those here legally and who want order to the immigration process, who want our sovereignty sustained, who want Mexico to butt out of our national business, and who want our politicians to stop forcing the expense of illegals on the working class while allowing the profits created by their labor to be taken by a privileged few.

There is not one thing wrong with objecting to law breaking behavior and to those who advocate it. There's not a damn thing wrong with calling a spade and spade and keeping the dialogue clear and precise. I'm never going to be pc about this issue, and I have no respect for those who start off their time in the US by breaking our laws, then demanding more.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Don't let the minority here who happen to be loudest, drown out the Truth!

That minority here, Steven, is actually a majority across the country. Poll after poll has shown that. Which is also why none of the shamnesties are getting anywhere. Your ongoing refusal to acknowledge this little fact doesn't make it go away.

[Fandango 1,439]

'shamnesties'

oooh I love it!

[Nessa 23]

[natty bumppo 297]

Don't let the minority here who happen to be loudest, drown out the Truth!

That minority here, Steven, is actually a majority across the country. Poll after poll has shown that. Which is also why none of the shamnesties are getting anywhere. Your ongoing refusal to acknowledge this little fact doesn't make it go away.

Almost makes me wonder if amnesty proponents believe in:

“The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly - it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over”

Joseph Goebbels

[Fandango 1,439]

Here are two things the author said that I want to point out....

I am a human pileup of illegality. I am an illegal driver and an illegal parker and even an illegal walker, having at various times stretched or broken various laws and regulations that govern those parts of life. The offenses were trivial, and I feel sure I could endure the punishments — penalties and fines — and get on with my life. Nobody would deny me the chance to rehabilitate myself. Look at Martha Stewart, illegal stock trader, and George Steinbrenner, illegal campaign donor, to name two illegals whose crimes exceeded mine.

Good thing I am not an illegal immigrant. There is no way out of that trap. It’s the crime you can’t make amends for. Nothing short of deportation will free you from it, such is the mood of the country today. And that is a problem.

First of all being and working here illegally is not = to jaywalking.

Secondly, how can you be 'rehabilitated' if you continue to commit the same crime every day?

Meanwhile, out on the edges of the debate — edges that are coming closer to the mainstream every day — bigots pour all their loathing of Spanish-speaking people into the word. Rant about “illegals” — call them congenital criminals, lepers, thieves, unclean — and people will nod and applaud.

The only bigotry I see is from the author, who is the one who made illegal synonymous with 'Spanish speaking people'!!! I am an equal opportunity anti-illegal...the author, on the other hand....well he's proven what he thinks.....

Edited October 29, 2007 by LisaD

[NavarreMan 10]

Ted Bundy and Tim McVeigh were also people. I didn't see a hoard of people crying foul when they where labeled.

When you commit a crime, you are labeled a criminal. That's how it works. If you rob a bank and get caught, they take the money away and lock you up. That’s how it works. If you cross our borders illegally you should be sent back until you do it according to law. That's how it works. It is a very simple concept that does not require rocket science to understand.

Yes they are people. Sure they deserve to be treated with dignity. That is why we don't rubber hose them before we send them back across the border. But I am forced, commanded by law, to follow certain procedures to bring the woman I love to this country and at great personal expense. When she gets here she will be expected to obey all the laws of our country and state and pay taxes just as any American is expected to do. Illegals on the other hand enter/remain in our country by violating several local and federal laws and you want to argue that it is their right? How is this a right?

Are you suggesting that it is OK to steal because your financial situation is less than stellar? That is a load of #######. A violation of law and subsequent labeling of "illegal" is a result of an action by the perpetrator. They "earned" the title. It required effort on their part. They did not trip and fall across the border. They were not forced into our country under duress. Perhaps we should call them “criminal aliens”. By definition their actions are illegal. The term “illegal alien” is more than appropriate to describe them. You call child predators and rapists by their crimes. The same courtesy should be afforded to those that enter/remain in our country illegally. PC has no bearing on this issue. It is a matter legal correctness rather than of political correctness.

While I contend that this is only my opinion I firmly believe that many will share similar views on this subject.

[Caladan 19]

If you believe that amnesty activists or the author are the ones that stereotype Hispanics as illegal, you'll apparently believe anything while your side goes on about mariachi bands, dope fiends, gatecrashers, and how they're all dirty HIV uneducated criminals. The author's accurately repeating a stereotype that shows up here daily. Surely you're smart enough to recognize this, so I'm going to have to assume you're playing around.

Immigration violations are not even considered crimes of moral turpitude when it comes to immigration. Immigration's a problem, but pretending it's equivalent with bank robbery is just plain old ignorant... or maybe even intentionally inflammatory.

[Fandango 1,439]

If you believe that amnesty activists or the author are the ones that stereotype Hispanics as illegal, you'll apparently believe anything while your side goes on about mariachi bands, dope fiends, gatecrashers, and how they're all dirty HIV uneducated criminals. The author's accurately repeating a stereotype that shows up here daily. Surely you're smart enough to recognize this, so I'm going to have to assume you're playing around.

Immigration violations are not even considered crimes of moral turpitude when it comes to immigration. Immigration's a problem, but pretending it's equivalent with bank robbery is just plain old ignorant... or maybe even intentionally inflammatory.

I don't think that's a justifiable reason for perpetrating a stereotype....and the parallel to CIMT was drawn by the author himself as well.

That really doesn't lend him any credibility imo, I'm afraid. I'm all for rationally discussing the issue, but when a person is at best 'repeating stereotypes that show up here daily' or at worst, is a bigot and doesn't even realize it...