It seems as if the people we accuse of pushing their language on us really only know one phrase of that language; it is of course the "¡Sí, Se Puede!" (Yes, we can
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I see your point, Brendan, but I can't agree with you. America has always been a land of trespassing. Taking a historical step back, we see that America, as we know it today, traces back its origins to when Europeans raped the virgin lands and decimated the native populations, without any express rights to the lands; their entrepreneurial spririt and big ideas led them over here to claim territory that did not rightfully belong to them. The French "stole" America from the Spaniards, the English "stole" America from the French, and the Americans "stole" America from the English.
The immigrants who have been protesting the "reform" for the past few weeks don't even have those ulterior motives. They don't want this nation to become the Hispanic States of America, and they don't want us all to speak Spanish. For the most part, they're individuals with big dreams and small means, who see America as a better way of life for themselves and their loved ones, an escape from the shackles of poverty and political oppression that bind them to lives without possibilities. The fact that they're risking detection and capture while living and working here only indicates how badly they want America, and to be Americans. We shouldn't grant them clemency based solely on that, but perhaps we should consider reevaluating how the law treats illegal immigrants who contribute to our society.
Anyway, I've waxed a bit sentimental now, perhaps because I'm the daughter of immigrants, albeit legal ones. To get back on track, this taking and giving and trespassing is so inherent to the ebb and flow of human affairs, and human nature. It's especially relevant today, because we live in a global socioeconomic climate, where these labels of "mine" and "yours" are becoming increasingly archaic. The many diverse European nations, which are widely recognized as some of the world's most progressive societies, have consolidated into the European Union, members of which use one currency, move freely between national borders, and speak each others' languages. Yet the nations have retained their unique heritages and cultures: France is still distinctly French, Switzerland is distinctly Swiss, Germany distinctly German, and so on.
I guess the point of this is, that I don't see the Latin wave as a threat. American society is changing, growing increasingly Hispanic; in a couple decades, I believe Hispanics are projected to make up the majority of American Catholics, and Spanish may become a major American language. Why fight it?
And, if you want to do something about the 11 million illegal aliens in the nation today, what are your options? Erecting a fence? Deportation? Closing borders? Are those the "practicalities" you mentioned, the after-thought that these are human beings, not cattle? None of those "solutions" are synonomous with the America I've always envisioned -- besides, free trade and closed borders? Americans can't be proponents of both without rendering themselves hypocrites.
I'm open to the idea of improving immigration laws in the United States, because there are a lot of border security problems and other issues that need to be addressed, but the way many people (Congressmen, talk show hosts, other faux pundits) talk about immigration "reform" makes it sound like a proposal to homogenize and sequester America, neither of which can we afford to do.
I liked the article below; it's relevant to the issue at hand, and it's fairly balanced, unlike the diatribe I just unleashed.
I think your comments have moderatized my view, but, my objection was never really about jobs or the health of the economy. In fact, I'm almost inclined to think an unhealthy economy might do America good (neither here nor there (nor acceptable, I imagine)).
It's the illegality of illegal immigrants that got to me. I therefore think the distinction between legal and illegal immigrants is important to the point that discussion of immigration itself is null (before getting past the illegality); I'm not the son, but the great-grandson, of legal immigrants. One of whom, my only non-Irish (no, he's not often talked about) great-grandparent, knew Danish only! My mother's parents, and even my mother to an extent, lived mostly among fellow immigrants from Ireland.
So then: they're here, they're illegal, they fill the parking lot for the 2:00 mass at my church; I've become down with the solution from the Justice for Immigrants site; none of the other solutions work: too lenient, or excessive and cruel: deportation or any measure to try to force immigrants back to a home they desperately left. For the well being of the immigrants, not the economy.
The immigrants who have been protesting the "reform" for the past few weeks don't even have those ulterior motives. They don't want this nation to become the Hispanic States of America, and they don't want us all to speak Spanish. For the most part, they're individuals with big dreams and small means, who see America as a better way of life for themselves and their loved ones, an escape from the shackles of poverty and political oppression that bind them to lives without possibilities. The fact that they're risking detection and capture while living and working here only indicates how badly they want America, and to be Americans. We shouldn't grant them clemency based solely on that, but perhaps we should consider reevaluating how the law treats illegal immigrants who contribute to our society.
Anyway, I've waxed a bit sentimental now, perhaps because I'm the daughter of immigrants, albeit legal ones. To get back on track, this taking and giving and trespassing is so inherent to the ebb and flow of human affairs, and human nature. It's especially relevant today, because we live in a global socioeconomic climate, where these labels of "mine" and "yours" are becoming increasingly archaic. The many diverse European nations, which are widely recognized as some of the world's most progressive societies, have consolidated into the European Union, members of which use one currency, move freely between national borders, and speak each others' languages. Yet the nations have retained their unique heritages and cultures: France is still distinctly French, Switzerland is distinctly Swiss, Germany distinctly German, and so on.
I guess the point of this is, that I don't see the Latin wave as a threat. American society is changing, growing increasingly Hispanic; in a couple decades, I believe Hispanics are projected to make up the majority of American Catholics, and Spanish may become a major American language. Why fight it?
And, if you want to do something about the 11 million illegal aliens in the nation today, what are your options? Erecting a fence? Deportation? Closing borders? Are those the "practicalities" you mentioned, the after-thought that these are human beings, not cattle? None of those "solutions" are synonomous with the America I've always envisioned -- besides, free trade and closed borders? Americans can't be proponents of both without rendering themselves hypocrites.
I'm open to the idea of improving immigration laws in the United States, because there are a lot of border security problems and other issues that need to be addressed, but the way many people (Congressmen, talk show hosts, other faux pundits) talk about immigration "reform" makes it sound like a proposal to homogenize and sequester America, neither of which can we afford to do.
I liked the article below; it's relevant to the issue at hand, and it's fairly balanced, unlike the diatribe I just unleashed.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110008201
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It's the illegality of illegal immigrants that got to me. I therefore think the distinction between legal and illegal immigrants is important to the point that discussion of immigration itself is null (before getting past the illegality); I'm not the son, but the great-grandson, of legal immigrants. One of whom, my only non-Irish (no, he's not often talked about) great-grandparent, knew Danish only! My mother's parents, and even my mother to an extent, lived mostly among fellow immigrants from Ireland.
So then: they're here, they're illegal, they fill the parking lot for the 2:00 mass at my church; I've become down with the solution from the Justice for Immigrants site; none of the other solutions work: too lenient, or excessive and cruel: deportation or any measure to try to force immigrants back to a home they desperately left. For the well being of the immigrants, not the economy.
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