Isn't America a Nation of Immigrants?

Question

Legal and illegal.... depending on your viewpoint

As long as they pay their taxes.... let them in that's my view.

I note that it's the Europeans and Descendants of Slaves who are the most vociferous in this debate.... why?

zebrafarts... I have to agree that I am a bit insulated from most of it...

theorangeevil... Your arguments are the most honest, humanistic, sensible and frankly 'old' American that I have ever heard..... Thanks for it.

Answer 1

Nope. If they come here legally they are more than welcome but illegals are criminals and should be treated as such.

Answer 2

Well, the argument is that legal versus illegal IS the crucial distinction.

What the anti-immigrant crowd misses is that, every time the Feds try to crack down on illegal immigrants, it's those who profit by them, who hire them for nothing, that stop any mass deportations.

That and they drink that Kool Aide that tells them that "they" get welfare, do no work (that's why they COME here), and plan to take over and destroy us.

Absurd, but it gets repeated until is SOUNDS true.

Yes, they contribute much -- a LOT of things we take for granted as being really cheap that would be a lot pricier; and they contribute in taxes as well.

There was a movie a coouple years ago, something like "A Day Without Mexicans" or something, that looked at what this country would be like if all the illegals vanished. Haven't seen it, though.

But, as far as I know, my ancestors came here legally; that's the difference that grates on the anti's.

I think we need to do something -- having an economy where there are a lot of people slaving away, in danger of being deported any second, can't be right.

But I'd like to see a humane solution.

Um, I'm a descendant of Europeans, and I'm not a hater.

Whenever those in power need a good distraction for how they're ruining out lives, they pull the illegal card and get everyone foaming at the mouths over it.

It's a handy issue in that way.

Answer 3

Until the latter half of the 19th century, the federal government didn't really regulate immigration. So, a boat would take off from some European port and land in the United States. The passengers would step onto American soil. End of immigration procedure. That's how most of my ancestors immigrated to the United States. Only some--my Italian, Sicilian, and Norwegian ancestors--actually had to follow a specific immigration process that was in many ways much less rigorous than our current immigration procedure.

I refuse to get uppity about illegal immigrants because they're just doing what my ancestors did in droves - they're migrating to the greatest country on the freakin' planet! Wherever they're from, usually Mexico, sucks. They live in poverty and have virtually no opportunities. They want to be able to enjoy the rights and pleasures of every free individual in the world. That's hard to debate.

If the illegal immigration debate is simply a matter of legal versus illegal, then how about we change the law? I know that's a novel concept--that the law isn't immutable--but I say let's give it a shot. Unless, of course, all the anti-illegal immigration folks have much different reasons for not wanting these people to immigrate into the United States. Laws can be changed, but irrational fears and bigotries don't change as easily. So rather than going back and forth about what the law is, let's acknowledge that the law doesn't mean anything if it's not reflective of what's right. If you support a law just because it's a law, then you don't have a very strong set of ethical principles. I suspect, though, that the law is just used as a post-hoc excuse to justify a set of beliefs they're ashamed to discuss.

Answer 4

YES

I saw a show on PBS about how a fisherman in a small boat in West Equatorial Africa could fall asleep and be carried by the currents to the Caribbean in only 35 days.

If the man could catch 2 or 3 fish he would most likely survive.

America has been the paramount destination for thousands of Years.

Land of the free home of the brave.

Answer 5

The problem is that immigrants are starting to expect more from a government they refuse to support by either paying no taxes or filing for earned income credit. I agree that if people wish to come here and work hard to make a better life for their children, come on in. If they want to come in to milk medicare and welfare while waiving the flag of their country of origin, boot the self-centered slobs out.
Back in the day America was known as the land of opportunity because people could come here with very little and work hard enough to make something of themselves, now immigrants (in a larger purportion) feel an entitlement to free healthcare and food without lifting a finger to earn it.

Answer 6

Yes we are all immigrants except for Native Americans. If you think they should just pay taxes then why even have a process that makes you a legal citizen. The illegals do not pays taxes and it is just not fair to the people who are trying to become real, legal citizens.

Answer 7

I don't support illegal immigration (I'm a legal immigrant BTW), there needs to be some type of control over the system to prevent people with criminal records and communicable diseases from entering the country, if we need people for purposes of labor, jobs etc, that is fine, just increase the # of legal immigrants to enter.

Answer 8

damn, i get goosebumps just by reading all the answers. Xenophobia at its grossest.
Anyway, maybe you should be changing the term "illegal immigrant" to REFUGEE. Immigrants don't just "cross the border" because they want to be discriminated and hated. These people have families, too, just like you and me. The difference? These people left their countries due to:
1) extreme poverty
2) lack of opportunities
3) "the american dream" (which based on how much hatred they must face i would say it's not a dream at all)
4) their country being in conflict
and the list goes on.....

The whole world is filled with nations of immigrants, i'm sorry, we're all mixed races. People are gonna have to deal with it someday. Native Americans are the only ones who should cast a vote here.......... but wait, they're not here because immigrants killed them to own the land you guys now call "yours". That IS unfair, not the stupid "taxes' debate. You are a rich country. Help those in need.

Answer 9

Answer: Legal immigrants! Those the entered within the system of the time.
Fast forward to to -days State Sponsored Invasion and contort your simple and ridiculous attempt at logic to historically reality.
Spain invaded what is now Mexico and brought genocide of 15 groups of indigenous people. They crossed the Rio Grande in 1710 to continue their campaign of genocide...Stopped by the European and African descendants you spoke of...Got their half-bred @sses kicked and sent back down under.
They were even paid to keep their half-bred selves on their side of the river!
They took the money and then demonstrated their complete lack of honor by going back on the agreement.
Since their invasion in 1500, those genocidal thugs have yet to evolve into modern human beings have they?

Answer 10

This issue is raised so many times...but the people who bring it up seem to not be able to compensate the idea of legal and ILEGAL immigrants !
You might as well have anarchy if you agree with Ilegal immigrants

Answer 11

Why can't illegals 'pay their taxes' in their own homeland?

Or vote in their own homelands to implement changes so that they won't break the law and sneak in here??

Slaves were forced here and Europeans had to go through hectic procedures at Ellis Island to remain here.

Why do illegals nowadays have such a free ride in this country?