I'm just wondering. I see so many posts about "illegal aliens" and "legal immigrants." What would you call the people in my question legal or illegal? Did the Indians invite them or did they invade? Do you feel that happened way back them and it don't matter? What about the African people that came in chains on slave ships or the "Free Black " indentured servants that did not have a choice? Malcolm X said, "We didn't land on Plymouth Rock! Plymouth Rock landed on us." However, I believe he was saying that Plymouth Rock landed on America's First Nation People. Do you agree?
2007-08-01 13:56:44 · 6 answers · asked by Spirit Dancer 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Other - Cultures & Groups
I'm Rowing in that Canoe with YOU!!!
The Native Americans Have got a RAW Deal since the Begining and Are Still getting A Raw Deal!!!
But WE ARE LEARNING!!!
I just Wish it was FASTER!!!
WE Got a Alot of Catching Up to Do!!!
WAhoo!!!
2007-08-01 14:21:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
You know, there comes a time that maybe some other things should be considered at the same time. Were the Indians treated fairly? no.. were the slaves treated fairly? no.. well if we accept that there was no fairness, then what do we do? Live in the past and try to find some retribution? some way to rectify the wrongs? or do we look at the total outcome of those actions. Do you know any African Americans who want to go back to Africa? Do you know any Indians who want to get revenge against the white man? Should all the decendants of the first settlers give up and move back to Europe? Has anyone ever thought about what it would be like today if Americans had lost the war of 1812?.. Have you ever given any thought about what it could be like in this country if it were divided between the French, the English, and the Spaniards? Would they have treated the Indians any better? or would the slaves ever have been brought over here? These types of questions can go on and on forever and there will never be an answer that is good enough for everyone. What is important is that we realize mistakes and bad decisions have affected all of us in some way or another but the overall implications have also been quite beneficial to everyone. We are who we are and the way it is now is far better than what it possibly could have been. This is a great country that is a blend of many races.. though there is a great diversity of beliefs, theologies, philosophies and ways of living there is a common bond that holds all of us together. That common bond is the fact that regardless of race, belief, or creeds and desires..we are all Americans who have the right to prosper as we can and live as we want and each of us will defend the rights of each other.. This is a lawful society that maintains itself through our level of humanity and opportunity. Perfect? no.. but I believe that each of us.. Indian, Hispanic, Jew, African American and all the rest or a hell of a lot better off than any other alternative. Lets let the past be the past and see what we can do about the future.
2007-08-01 16:17:37 · answer #2 · answered by J. W. H 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is actually a very interesting question. I would say neither. The reason I say this is because there was not a well established continential government in place when settlers began arriving in what is now considered the United States. For this reason no one possessed enough control to determine a state of legal or illegal in terms of immigration. There were many indian tribes and most were nomads who followed buffalo herds and therefore were not interested in proclaiming any particular patch of a land a nation. Instead the nation was the people of the tribe who held a shared heritage.
The concept of ownership of a given land corresponds directly to your ability to defend that land. If you have the might to defend what you belief to be yours then you can create circumstances like defining what is illegal. I suspect that the indians would have been happy to share the land. The problem is that the settlers were not so inclined. The subsequent slaughter which resulted is a blotch on our history which can never be erased.
In reality no one is illegal per se. How can it really be illegal to cross a given point on a map, but this is much too simplified a concept to apply to the current state of affairs. The number of people who can occupy any given landmass is directly proportional to what the resources of the area can reasonably support in terms of population. In short, we cannot allow everyone who wants to immigrate to do so freely given current world populations. So in order to continue to thrive immigration must be controlled for the benefit of all. It just would not do to allow untold millions to continue to immigrate without control because it wouldn't be long before the American continent would resemble many African nations in terms of poverty and starvation if we did.
2007-08-01 14:35:04 · answer #3 · answered by Bryan 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well, back then, there was no nation.. it was all about manifest destiny, the search for more riches and land for England, Spain, Italy, Portugal, The Netherlands, etc.
Do I think that what we did to the people already here and the people we forced to come here is right? No, of course not.
Do I think that we need to have some control over who enters our borders now? Yes, especially since there are a lot of people who would love to hurt us for no other reason than we are US citizens.
Another question you might want to ask yourself is what about the thousands and thousands of oppressed people who came to the New World to escape poverty, religious oppression, etc. Remember it was no luxury cruise for them and where they landed was no spa. I don't think those people came with intentions of hurting anyone but their desire was to escape the tyranny already forced upon them by the upper classes.
As for the slave issue propagated later, that was just wrong any way you look at it. But then it has been well documented that those who have been oppressed will often become oppressors if given the opportunity. And then there is the love of money.
Our task is to be diligent and not let it happen within ourselves in small insidious ways.
2007-08-01 14:13:50 · answer #4 · answered by DSatt57 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes politics are easy on history when both are understood without requesting or demanding the rights both bestow. Under the law neither of these groups were or are illegal, and inmigrants are not to be deemed as illegal unless they fail to provide an affidavit and can´t be seen as providers to general culture in America. This is easily proven, yet many times it is not supported on europeans but on latin americans, who sadly enough always provide new addresses when they move, orderly and ingeniously enough. I too lived in the US and enjoyed so much being polite for first time in my life, streets can be so much fun, yet also tough around my neighbourhood.
2007-08-01 14:04:14 · answer #5 · answered by Manny 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well in a sense that there really wasn't a nation back then i would call them legal immigrants. however in the sense that invaded the Native American lands i would call them illegal immigrants. What they teach us in history books in grade school is sooooooooo different than what they teach us in high school. and what they teach us in high school is soooooooo different than what really happened
2007-08-02 05:01:15 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋