Say Anything Blog

We should kick them all out and close the borders for good.

I only want closed borders on illegal immigration.  Legal immigration needs to be made easier and quicker in my opinion.

Preach it!  We should kick them all out and close the borders for good.

I am not sure, but I would bet the “illegal alien advocates” are not mostly illegal aliens themselves but professionals.  There are a lot of lost people out there that need a cause to believe in.  Non-profit groups of all types tend to attract these ‘lost’ people.  That is a generalization so no offense intended, but I did live with a house-hold of Greenpeacers and EarthFirst!ers for many years.  It is just a trend I noticed and probably why I too, chose to live there at the time.

On a semi-related note, have you ever sat down to talk with a legal immigrant?  These folk know way more about US history and govt than I did with 12 yrs of public education.  It is humbling.

I too, am in favor of a streamlined legal process that still includes the US specific training and education.  My legal immigrant friends tend to have a better perspective on many issues.  They can see the big picture in context and not get sucked into the media hype.

Likwidshoe… ::sigh:: The term is “undocumented” and they are humans just like you and I!  Give them a break…

{/sarcasm}

Likwid: you’ve got me, brother...up to the comment about ‘wetbacks’. I know that many, many dictionaries say that it’s a term for illegals, but many also note that it’s a derogatory term for Mexicans in general. Ask the average Mexican American how they feel about the term, I think they’ll agree that it’s offensive.

The problem lies in that some people see people of Mexican descent and don’t take a very nuanced view as to legal status or place of birth.

All I’m saying is that by stubbornly using that term (properly or not), you’re painting yourself into a corner with people you probably don’t want to be associated with (and I don’t associate you with, because I do understand what you’re driving at). That term is just too loaded. I don’t mean to be preaching at you, I simply disagree that it’s innocuous.

I’m with Seth on this one.  The problem with using the term is that it will obscure the greater points you’re trying to make.  People will ignore what else you’re trying to say and focus on the use of this one word.

If you refrain from using it critics won’t have anything else to do but face your original points.  Which is what you want them to do anyway.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

From that are we to assume you’re okay with illegals as long as they know their place and don’t get uppity?

No to the first part and yes to the second.

My point was that I can understand desperate people pouring across the borders looking for work.  I am not “okay with illegals”, but I can understand it.

On the other hand you have people who not only come over here illegal, but actually have the effontery to throw that in our faces and demand privileges reserved for those who are in the country legally.  If you are an illegal, you better damn well know “your place”.  The place being, “keep your mouth shut and give up your ridiculous demands, you’re not even supposed to be here.”

likwidshoe says, “It is one thing to come into this country out of desperation and for work and for those people I have nothing but sympathy, however, it is quite another to demand driver’s licenses and amnesty.

From that are we to assume you’re okay with illegals as long as they know their place and don’t get uppity?

Regards…

No, I don’t feel like being a troll at all.  I just like being accurate.  I also like people who either stand behind what they say or else acknowledge that what they said isn’t what they meant. 

And what you said, by the way, was “If you are an illegal, you better damn well know “your placeâ€?. The place being, “keep your mouth shut and give up your ridiculous demands, you’re not even supposed to be here.”

Please explain how that is not a tacit acceptance of illegals (as long as they mind their manners and know their place, that is).

Regards…

Yes, you are okay with illegals, you just said so.

It’s okay to be here here illegally as long as you keep your mouth shut while you pick that lettuce or swab them toilets or gut those chickens.

You are absolutely amazing.

Regards…

Yes, you are okay with illegals, you just said so.

Where did I say that?  Point it out to me.

It’s okay to be here here illegally as long as you keep your mouth shut while you pick that lettuce or swab them toilets or gut those chickens.

Uh..yeah whatever LoadTheMule.  You just feel like being a troll today or something?  Damn man.

You are absolutely amazing.

Thank you.

So you don’t like my humor.

It doesn’t read as humor without the social cues such as body language and tone to judge it on.

Your asinine “pick that lettuce or swab them toilets or gut those chickens� comment suggested otherwise.

So you don’t like my humor.  That doesn’t make me a troll.  That makes me someone whose sense of humor you don’t like.

And I like it when people remain polite and refrain from twisting what I say.

I’ve been impolite?  Heaven forfend, that certainly wasn’t my intent.

As for twisting what you say, I shan’t pursue my point any further.  You’re right, I’m wrong.  You didn’t mean to imply that it’s okay for them to stay here as long as they know their place, keep their mouth shut, etc.  That wasn’t what you meant to imply at all.  I obviously misread what your point really is.  Trust me, I’ll work at it much harder next time.

Regards…

No, I don’t feel like being a troll at all.

Really?  I couldn’t tell today.  Your asinine “pick that lettuce or swab them toilets or gut those chickens” comment suggested otherwise.

I also like people who either stand behind what they say or else acknowledge that what they said isn’t what they meant.

And I like it when people remain polite and refrain from twisting what I say.

Please explain how that is not a tacit acceptance of illegals (as long as they mind their manners and know their place, that is).

In no way is it a “tacit acceptance of illegals”. 

“Their place” means = they’re illegal!  “Their place” is in the illegal category and not in the citizen category! Period.

Seth I can unequivocally say as a native South westerner that most Mexican Americans clearly separate themselves from Illegals. Most use the term “MOJADO” or wet to describe them and view them as second class citizens and unskilled labor.

Likwid grab your socks man. Load The Mule you are way off base here my brother. Likwid clearly stated that he gets the plight of the Illegals I think you could go as far as to say that he may do the same himself if he was in a bad situation and needed to get out of it. But I think he also states that if he did have to resort to coming across a border illegally for a better life that he would first try to become legal and secondly would not demand rights reserved for those here legally.

richard,

Uh huh, I get all that.  But he’d still be here, illegal or not, right?  And that’s my only point.  You can’t be against illegals while at the same time finding ‘reasons’ (or circumstances) under which it’s okay for them to stay once they’re here.

Regards…

Like right now. Are you being serious or haha sarcastic?

As a point of clarification, since I didn’t add “[this is humor]” after the comment, I was being serious.

regards…

Once again, I apologize. In the future I’ll try to include a clue, something like “[this is humor]” so as to not come across as troll-like.

It’s just that I can’t tell on text alone and my limited knowledge of you.  Like right now.  Are you being serious or haha sarcastic?  It’s hard to tell.

It doesn’t read as humor without the social cues such as body language and tone to judge it on.

Once again, I apologize.  In the future I’ll try to include a clue, something like “[this is humor]” so as to not come across as troll-like.

Regards…

You can’t be against illegals while at the same time finding ‘reasons’ (or circumstances) under which it’s okay for them to stay once they’re here.

I am against amnesty.  An amnesty program creates an incentive to come into this country illegally.

What I do believe is that we should speed up the legal route and make the process a hell of a lot less painful than it currently is.  I believe that immigration is good for this country, especially considering who immigrates here.  The vast majority of people are coming here to make a better life and to chase that “American dream”.

This one had raised a question for me - what are things like, with regards to this issue, in other states? I found watching “Farmingville” amusing - the citizens were freaked out over the presence of the day laborers but there were really weren’t that many compared to Texas (where I am). I went to public school in a nice suburban district that did have a mix of back grounds - different races, income, etc. When it came to income I was on the higher end of the food chain but there were plenty of low-income (not gov’t subsidized housing… just crappy) apartments around the high school as well as plenty of families from the middle income range. At the time (I was there from the 88/89 school year until graduation in ‘92) the majority population what white. By the time that I was graduating that was changing but it was still white. Today, at the same school, the majority population is hispanic, and on the new government ratings (under No Child Left Behind) they received the rating “In need of Improvement.” That means that any student at that school can request a transfer to one of the other high schools in the district.

Why do I think they got this rating? Because of the large hispanic population at that school (this was the only high school in the district that received this rating). What was one a good school district is now only a small step above the more urban districts.

That being said, what are things like in other states? How are things regarding this issue in North Dakota? Are there an abundance of illegal aliens there? I visited a friend in Missouri (one of the smaller towns) and the only hispanic people there were the ones working at the local mexican food place. She had a house built and said that it took far longer that it would have in Texas because they have a labor shortage and not the vast numbers of day workers we have in Texas (she used to live in Texas before moving to Missouri). I am really curious as to how things are else where, especially since this is such a heated issue.