What do we see with immigration, part one
One of the e-mail subjects I get regularly concerns immigration, and the divisiveness of these arguments rattles the nails that hold me together. The basic question I have here is why in a country with a population of 300 million people why is so much of our attention focused on 12 million people?
For example, what do we call them. One side wants them labeled as illegal aliens, while the other wants them called illegal immigrants. This focus on the term is more important than it would first appear because what the backstory is behind the term determines what people see when they focus on these individuals.
There is more to this debate than what we here from Lou Dobbs and Thom Hartmann. While coming into this country without proper papers is illegal, what is the underlying reason that this debate is so vicious? And while the answer here seems obvious – money -- there is more to this than the obvious.
That is what I will focus on over the next few days.
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Comments
I Don't really Care What you call Them. I think most of the problem would go Away If The Employer was fined $10.000.00 Per Illegal Plus all Costs For incarceration,Medical and Transport Back To The Country of Origin. In Oregon We have In Addition. one Illegal on Trial For Hit and Run Death of 21 yr Jogger. Two Illegals in Jail Awaiting Trial For The Rape/murder of a 15 yr.old Girl. Three Illegals in jail for Shooting A guy in the leg as they passed him at High Speed On I84. Are looking For An Illegal For Running down a Deputy Sheriff.And That is Just The last Couple months.I am not letting up on the Politicians or Law Enforcement until The problem is solved.
Posted by: DD877 | September 16, 2007 02:50 PM
I'm interested in reading the continuation of these posts- it appears that you are aiming on opening the debate, and that's exactly what we need. Not only are people fighting over alien versus immigrant, but undocumented versus illegal, and immigrant versus migrant (now THAT one is an interesting debate).
And though money does indeed factor in, fear, power vacuums and scapegoating are important parts of the debate as well. Is it easier to tlak about immigrants or gun control? immigrants or education?
Looking at the recent statements from presidential candidates we all know the answer.
Keep me posted at www.fairimmigration.wordpress.com
Posted by: Nicola Wells | September 17, 2007 05:45 AM