(no subject)
Immigration
Today's emotional hot button is illegal immigration. I hear so many sound bits on the topic that I, too, become enflamed easily. I am against amnesty for illegal immigrants. Talk about pissing off people! Whoa, Nellie!
"This country was founded on immigration." True. In its early history, even, the USA was created and populated by illegal immigration. In its *recent* history, though, this country has problems with immigration and over-population. Enough that laws and quotas are in place for people from other countries trying to get here. Illegal immigration affects those numbers. Many who wish to legally come to this country cannot. It pisses me off that people who want to follow the laws are denied (at least in part) because of those who circumvent the law.
"Why do you hate them so much?" Not even on my worst day. I have sympathy, empathy and even respect for people so desperate that they feel the need to take their chances like that. But no hatred. That's the silliest thing I've ever been accused of.
"You're a bigot." Where did that one come from? I respect the law, so it's a racial bias? Umm, no. I don't care what color skin is tinted, or the color or shape of eyes, or even the primary language. If a law is broken, it is broken. Pretty simple, with no hidden agendas.
"They've been here for so long, we *need* to grant them amnesty." We *need* to eat, drink and breathe. Most everything else is a choice, no matter how much we might want it otherwise. Success in not getting caught for a long time doesn't mean the law isn't being broken. Every day is a new offense, and a new chance to get caught and pay the penalty.
"It's a crap law." We cannot pick and choose which laws we want to ignore. If a law is so egregious to the populace, we need to change the law. Until that time, either obey the law, or take a chance of paying the penalty. Make an informed choice.
"It's a victimless crime." In what world do they not impact the local economies? Welfare, insurance, rent, police, crowding; lots of impactful nouns can be applied here, all of which include the illegal use thereof. Overtaxing existing systems makes it difficult (if not impossible) for people who have legal need and legal access to make use of those systems.
"They do the jobs no one else wants." I thank them for that, though I disagree with the argument. The jobs are usually manual and don't pay well. They are hired for those jobs because they can't insist their bosses follow minimum wage or safety laws. They are offered those jobs because their bosses don't want to (or can't) follow those mandates. We don't know if legal residents would take the jobs or not. They haven't been given the job offers.
I'm sure there is more to my rant, but I have a headache.
Today's emotional hot button is illegal immigration. I hear so many sound bits on the topic that I, too, become enflamed easily. I am against amnesty for illegal immigrants. Talk about pissing off people! Whoa, Nellie!
"This country was founded on immigration." True. In its early history, even, the USA was created and populated by illegal immigration. In its *recent* history, though, this country has problems with immigration and over-population. Enough that laws and quotas are in place for people from other countries trying to get here. Illegal immigration affects those numbers. Many who wish to legally come to this country cannot. It pisses me off that people who want to follow the laws are denied (at least in part) because of those who circumvent the law.
"Why do you hate them so much?" Not even on my worst day. I have sympathy, empathy and even respect for people so desperate that they feel the need to take their chances like that. But no hatred. That's the silliest thing I've ever been accused of.
"You're a bigot." Where did that one come from? I respect the law, so it's a racial bias? Umm, no. I don't care what color skin is tinted, or the color or shape of eyes, or even the primary language. If a law is broken, it is broken. Pretty simple, with no hidden agendas.
"They've been here for so long, we *need* to grant them amnesty." We *need* to eat, drink and breathe. Most everything else is a choice, no matter how much we might want it otherwise. Success in not getting caught for a long time doesn't mean the law isn't being broken. Every day is a new offense, and a new chance to get caught and pay the penalty.
"It's a crap law." We cannot pick and choose which laws we want to ignore. If a law is so egregious to the populace, we need to change the law. Until that time, either obey the law, or take a chance of paying the penalty. Make an informed choice.
"It's a victimless crime." In what world do they not impact the local economies? Welfare, insurance, rent, police, crowding; lots of impactful nouns can be applied here, all of which include the illegal use thereof. Overtaxing existing systems makes it difficult (if not impossible) for people who have legal need and legal access to make use of those systems.
"They do the jobs no one else wants." I thank them for that, though I disagree with the argument. The jobs are usually manual and don't pay well. They are hired for those jobs because they can't insist their bosses follow minimum wage or safety laws. They are offered those jobs because their bosses don't want to (or can't) follow those mandates. We don't know if legal residents would take the jobs or not. They haven't been given the job offers.
I'm sure there is more to my rant, but I have a headache.