Immigration
I don't often talk about this stuff - but here goes.
~*~
"The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus - on display at the Statue of Liberty
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles.
...the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), No. 07-290, that "[t]he Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home." - Wikipedia
From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
I cannot find a source - but you cannot tell me that every European immigrant in the 1800s and 1900s spoke English upon landing on the United States shore. Their children and children's children learned through exposure to the point where most Americans of European descent have lost their native tongues and most of their native traditions.
You also cannot tell me that every early immigrant was immediately productive upon moving to America. Those in the Italian Mafia and the Irish Mob certainly did not do much that benefited their new homeland.
Finally, I'll never believe that there were no illegal immigrants during the early American immigration booms. Some groups - Irish, Jewish, and Chinese immigrants, for example - were often disallowed from entering the country if they didn't pass a (skewed, English-based) intelligence test. By sheer number it is impossible that every one of those people were sent back to their native lands.
Immigration laws have changed over the years - so today's illegal immigrants are dealing with an entirely different set of rules than early illegal immigrants.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
' With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
A vigilante is someone who illegally punishes someone for perceived offenses, or participates in a group which metes out extrajudicial punishment to such a person. The Minuteman Project has been described as vigilantes dedicated to expelling people who cross the US-Mexico border illegally. - Wikipedia
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Is there illegal immigration? Yes. Does some of it hurt the economy? Yes.
Are these immigrants the only ones doing something illegal? NO. Is this something that has never happened before? No. Is this something limited to this particular ethnic group? Certainly not. Is this the only cause of a poor economy? Hell no.
The laws need some tweaking, yes - but I think that the Arizona Immigration Bill is a far cry from the final answer.
Sarah
~*~
"The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus - on display at the Statue of Liberty
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles.
...the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), No. 07-290, that "[t]he Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home." - Wikipedia
From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
I cannot find a source - but you cannot tell me that every European immigrant in the 1800s and 1900s spoke English upon landing on the United States shore. Their children and children's children learned through exposure to the point where most Americans of European descent have lost their native tongues and most of their native traditions.
You also cannot tell me that every early immigrant was immediately productive upon moving to America. Those in the Italian Mafia and the Irish Mob certainly did not do much that benefited their new homeland.
Finally, I'll never believe that there were no illegal immigrants during the early American immigration booms. Some groups - Irish, Jewish, and Chinese immigrants, for example - were often disallowed from entering the country if they didn't pass a (skewed, English-based) intelligence test. By sheer number it is impossible that every one of those people were sent back to their native lands.
Immigration laws have changed over the years - so today's illegal immigrants are dealing with an entirely different set of rules than early illegal immigrants.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
' With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
A vigilante is someone who illegally punishes someone for perceived offenses, or participates in a group which metes out extrajudicial punishment to such a person. The Minuteman Project has been described as vigilantes dedicated to expelling people who cross the US-Mexico border illegally. - Wikipedia
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Is there illegal immigration? Yes. Does some of it hurt the economy? Yes.
Are these immigrants the only ones doing something illegal? NO. Is this something that has never happened before? No. Is this something limited to this particular ethnic group? Certainly not. Is this the only cause of a poor economy? Hell no.
The laws need some tweaking, yes - but I think that the Arizona Immigration Bill is a far cry from the final answer.
Sarah