We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.
Ronald Reagan
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True statement or not in your opinion?
How would you apply or not apply this to immigration?
Any examples would be welcome
2007-03-05 12:53:52 · 16 answers · asked by *** The Earth has Hadenough*** 7 in Politics & Government ➔ Immigration
true...i think this statement is about self accountability. for example...a poor person steals food becuse he is hungry. sometimes we say, "well, if we treated this person better, than he wouldn't have been poor, and wouldn't have stolen." Ronald Reagan is saying, "He knew he broke the law, he MUST be accountable for himself."
i think this does apply to immigration in that illegals entering the US may justify it by saying to themselves, "I am in a desperate situation, I am doing this for my family, I need food, they need food...we need a better life. My country is causing me to do this. If the government was better, I wouldn't have to go. If the US people were more caring, they would let me in legally, but they aren't, so I must do this." But Ronald Reagan would say this person must be accountable. Whether they need food or not, they must wait in line and do things properly.
I agree with this idea because people could NEVER better themselves if they went around playing the blame game. And society would feel enternally guilty for situations we cannot solve if we go around as a whole, taking on the burden of each individual. I just feel this attitude (self accountability) breeds a stronger person, and in the end, a more satisfied and successful person.
That said, we are all human, and it's natural to feel empathy, and we should work in ways that we CAN to provide aid, when we can. But we should not feel the burden of obligation, or the burden of blame.
2007-03-05 13:07:47 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
well, i think that in general people need to be held accountable for thier actions, a criminals actions cannot be blamed on thier society......however, if a society is unjust or if people are in such a bad situation that it becomes neccesary for them to break the law in order to function....and when lots of people are breaking the law, then yes i would say there must be a problem with the society.....people are a product of thier enviornment
in the case of immigration i would say that all these illegal immigrants coming in from mexico arn't really criminals they are just poor. and the truth is a lot of american labor, especially agriculture, is dependant on these workers, who will work for next to nothing, doing the craooy jobs nobody else wants.....
it is a problem much bigger than one individual breaking a law
2007-03-05 21:01:16 · answer #2 · answered by thisisabsurd 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
http://www.bopsecrets.org/CF/darrow.htm
Anyone who is serious about discussing this issue needs to be familiar with the famous attorney Clarence Darrows address to the Cook County Jail inmates given long ago, for it deals with this issue most powerfully. click on the link.
The issue of guilt falls squarely where it belongs when Darrow speaks.
We have all been most successfully duped on this issue, and illegal immigration is an excellent example. Illegal immigration is caused by the illegal hiring of Mexicans by American companies for profit, and the effect it has on wages going down for Americans as a result.
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0308-20.htm
2007-03-06 01:13:29 · answer #3 · answered by michaelsan 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Very True.
And I would apply it to immigration ... well when people say oh dont blame them they just want a better life... blame the companies who hire them and the politicians and law enforcement for not doing something about it.
Well companies being willing to hire illegals, and lax enforcement of the laws. those thins do not excuse breaking the law.
The person still committed a crime that they are responsible for.
2007-03-05 21:52:41 · answer #4 · answered by sociald 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Very true statement. I have nothing against immigration when it is done legally. I do not believe any type of amnesty should be allowed for people who have come here illegally...this would simply reward them for breaking our laws. I believe there should be zero tolerance for illegal immigrants, the businesses that employ them and the groups that aide them. If groups demanded amnesty for rapists, drug dealers or thieves the public would freak out.
We should also stop rewarding people for exploiting our system (and the 14th amendment) by granting citizenship to babies born here to illegals. This is using a child to exploit the system, other forms of child exploitation are prosecuted, not rewarded. This one shouldn't be rewarded either.
2007-03-05 22:30:16 · answer #5 · answered by Starshine 5 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Very true!
You don't change laws by breaking them. I believe the border runners should be loaded onto an old Libery Ship and and dropped off down near Cancun.
2007-03-05 20:56:26 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
That is retarded. Ronald Reagan was a retard. Society makes it so hard for people that they have to comitt crimes to get by.
2007-03-06 08:47:34 · answer #7 · answered by Antis Suck 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
this is one of the best questions I've seen in a while.
ins ted of deporting all illegals we want to give them free medical, free money, free schooling, hell lets just deport the law breakers and be done with it
2007-03-05 20:57:48 · answer #8 · answered by rsltompkins 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Very true. The truth obviously hurts, as one demonstrated above.
2007-03-05 22:46:43 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
True. More should be done about illegal immigrants.
2007-03-05 21:01:46 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋