May 03, 2006 09:08
Recently, there has been somewhat of an uproar over the proposed H.R. 4437 bill which would classify illegal aliens and those who helped them enter the country as felons. Some of the more amusing signs read "who you callin' illegal, PILGIRM". Well, honey, the difference is that some immigrants are legal, others are not!
Now I'll tell you right out that I'm a pretty liberal person, but frankly this is all a bit absurd. They want rights as illegal immigrants huh? Why not simply make shoplifting legal if "they were poor and needed it."? Many of the protesters wish for an open border between Mexico and the United States. Am I the only one who sees the national security problem with that? Theres a reason why nations have immigration services and its to prevent unchecked immigration! Frankly, if you're going to work and live in this country, please pay taxes and vote, the reason why we may all be migrants here but are somewhat in awe of this is the difference between a legal and ILLEGAL immigrant. Note ILLEGAL, as in not LEGAL.
Some wish for a reform to the naturalization and immigration process, and this is actually a reasonable demand. A number of people do wish to come to the United States, and if theres a way we can streamline that process, that perhaps that merits discussion. However, its absolutely absurd to refer to this as "the new civil rights movement", civil rights are concerned with the legal rights of individuals who are citizens of the country, LEGAL citizens. (nobody ever seems wants to worry about the civil rights of taxpaying citizens who vote and contribute to society yet are denied rights like marriage. Yet if a bunch of Mexicans get pissed off about not being able to take their whole family across the US border unchecked, people rally in the streets!? WTF!)
I don't have a problem with people demanding rights to which they are entitled (like basic human rights), but the problem is when people demand rights to which they have denied themselves (by taking an illegal action) and are not entitled. If I'm poor, I don't go steal, I don't go run across the border to Canada, I find work.