It is no secret that Democrats love illegal immigrants, but this time they’ve gone way too far. They’ve gone so far that it’s in the land of crazy, nonsensical, flying unicorns dancing under raining donuts. I first heard about them wanting to build a giant “great wall” to keep out illegal immigrants, and that was crazy and wasteful enough. But recently President Barack Obama announced that he plans to tackle this illegal immigration problem by taking away the “il” in “illegal.” His grandiose plan to “fix” immigration is to make them legal American citizens as soon as possible. That is such a lazy cope out.
I can’t even begin to wrap my head around this type of logic. It doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. How can we possibly “fix” this immigration problem by granting all illegal, criminal, law-breaking, trespassing immigrant amnesty and full citizenship? When you broke you mother’s vase, and then lied about it, did you parents ever reward your evil deeds with ice cream and a new bicycle? Let’s never forget that these are criminals. These illegal immigrants committed crimes and broke laws. It doesn’t matter how sad their story is because they broke established laws. If people don’t like the laws, then they can change it. But until then, these are criminals in all sense of the word and should be treated as such.
Obama’s plan to fix this immigration problem is as logical as fixing the overcrowded prison system by releasing criminals and lowering the penalty of their crimes to society. This is Obama’s way of taking this broken immigration problem and “sweeping it under the rug” so no one will notice. Well, an illegal immigrant by any other name is just as illegal.
By rewarding these criminals with amnesty and full citizenship, we are basically announcing to Mexico: Come on in, break out laws, and receive instant citizenship. This will only serve to attract millions of illegal immigrants to our country at a faster pace than we’ve ever seen! We already have an estimated 400,000 illegal Mexican immigrants coming in each year, Obama’s plan will probably increase that figure to millions. Has American citizenship become so cheap that any illegal immigrant can just walk onto our borders and receive one instantly? I would be ashamed to be an American if that day ever came.
I don't think you are looking at this right. You are correct that they are illegal immigrants but does that automatically make them criminals? If you want to split hairs, I refer to someone as a "criminal" if that person causes trouble and hurt others' well-being. There are plenty of Mexicans living in the neighborhood where my folks are and no doubt some may not be here legitimately. However, they all work very hard, value friends, neighbors, and very considerate. By no doubt that they pay their taxes when they go to stores and do their share in keeping the neighborhood pleasant. Will you call these people criminals?
You need to look at what they are doing before slapping a sign on them. You can be born here but if all you do don't even amount up to what one of the "illegal" immigrants, it would be a joke to call yourself something better than a criminal.
Well said, although I think there ought to be some kind of qualifying process: if you have a criminal record of any sort, you are going to be deported.
Besides that, as long as they can be law abiding citizens that will bring in more to the table, why not!
Sam of NY, the last sentence you wrote is so contradictory that I think the universe might implode.
How can they be "law-abiding" if they are ILLEGAL immigrants who are also criminals and law-breakers by their method of entry/trespassing into our country?
How can they be "citizens" if they are illegal immigrants who don't have a legal right to be here?
The answer to those questions is that they are already neither "law-abiding" or "citizens" by just being in this country illegally.
So that is why we should not allow them in country. So by using your criteria, you should be agreeing with me instead, right?
Richard, your definition of a criminal is wildly loose and broad. Luckily, the actual laws and statutes are more specific and black and white. You can refer criminals however you want, but the United States government refers to "criminals" as those who commit crimes (meaning they break laws).
So while it is in your right to go visit state prisons and personally hug and condone rapists, murders, gangsters, and other criminals for whatever personal reason, that doesn't make them any less criminal in status.
And I did take your advice, you said "you need to look at what they are doing before slapping a sign on them". I saw that they crossed the border secretly and illegally and broke our federal laws, did you see them come here a different, legal way? Because please tell me if you did and I will personally kiss their feet and beg for their forgiveness.
Some people are simply TOO STUPID to understand that because you are born here to American parents doesn't make you a better person than someone that is not. It is time for them to grow up and open their eyes to see what is around us.
Okay, first of all, everyone needs to calm the BLANK down. I never said ANYTHING about illegal immigrants being better or worse than anyone else. This isn't a moral issue, it's a legal one. So stop staying who's better or worse as a human being.
"Illegal" is an adjective that means "forbidden by law or statute" as defined by the dictionary (Random House). It is "illegal" to enter/live in America without our government's official approval; this is a federal law. Illegal immigrants broke this federal law when they came here illegally, therefore, they committed a CRIME and are "criminals." So YES Richard, their illegality automatically makes them criminals because they broke a federal law.
How would you classify the illegal immigrant criminals and murderer criminals? It seem to me you have not accepted the truth where there are many shades of gray between Black and White.
By no mean is Obama's "suggested option" perfect, but can you come up with something better?
To answer your question, Ryan, I classify both illegal immigrants and murderers as a big, broad, general category of "criminals".
The only thing that should distinguish them is their punishment. I didn't say we should PUNISH murderers the same way we punish illegal immigrants because those they are both criminals, the degrees of their crimes differ significantly.
First degree Murderers should be put to death, whereas illegal immigrants should either be fined or deported or something similar. So don't try to make me sound like Hitler because although I lump them both into the same category, I recognize they should be punished extremely differently to deter repeated offenses by others.
So exactly how severe do you think this crime is? Petty thief level? Burglar level? Battery & assault level? It seems to me that you have piled them in the rank of "criminals" (which you can argue so since they broke American Law) and believe they deserve extreme punishment in order to send a message to anyone else that might be thinking of doing so.
Hey Ryan, if you will kindly re-read my article, I never once suggested any sort of penalty or punishment for illegal immigrants. So when you accused me of "[believing] they deserve extreme punishment", that was a straight out lie. If it sounds like I'm calling you a liar, I am because I never said what kind of punishment they deserve. The most I said was that they were criminals and should be treated as such.
I am not Congress or a Supreme Court Justice, so it is not up to me to decide their punishment or level of severity. I actually think the federal law has a specific severity level for this type of crime, but I can't tell you what it is off the top of my head. We should classify the severity of illegal immigration as whatever was written down by our lawmakers long ago.
If you hate this law, then go about changing it. Until that law is changed, they are considered criminals.
So if we eliminate all the unnecessary lines, you are simply saying illegal immigrants are *criminals* and nothing more. Is there anything I am missing?
Yes! That is exactly what I'm saying in my article when I wrote "Let’s never forget that these are criminals." But am I wrong to say that they are criminals, Ryan? Didn't they commit a crime and break laws? I think you and I both know that answer is yes. And it would be understandable if people argued that they deserve less of a punishment (since this is a matter of personal values), but to claim that they are not criminals at all is just ignorant, delirious, nonsensical, illogical, irrational, and counterproductive to the legal system.
That's why I'm so confused as to why everyone else is confused.
Illegal immigrants broke laws = Criminals = Should be punished and not rewarded
This was all my article was trying to say. If we reward this particular class of criminals for breaking laws, we will hear a lot of demands for rewards from rapists for raping and car-thieves for grand theft auto.
Oh yes, sorry. I forgot to answer your last question. I'm glad you asked it because I DO have a better plan.
We should extend PART of Arizona's illegal immigration plan as a national law. Specifically, I like how Arizona's plan uses economic disincentives such as heavy fines to business owners for hiring illegal immigrants to discourage them from living here. I do not like the part of the plan that's racist though, that can definitely be excluded.
Well, that is a simple paragraph about my better idea. Feel free to comment more if you want to hear more.
I am TIRED, TIRED, TIRED of people defending illegal immigrants by saying "they are very friendly, nice, hard-working, and kind people" because that is NOT the issue. I do not doubt that a lot of them are fun, loving, hard-working people, but they are STILL criminals. Criminals break laws. Ghandi can break a law (and he did) and still be considered a criminal even though they have benevolent intentions and ideas.
So to sum up, if you are here illegally, you have broken a federal law, and people who break laws are criminals. No one is judging illegal immigrants' characters or human worth, I am just simply classifying them as law-breakers because they are (I dare someone to defend them as something otherwise).
I have not been able to find the "making them American citizens" as soon as possible part in that USA Today article. Where are you getting that from? It sounds like a legal process they must go through (perhaps fined?) in order to become Americans.
Now, I agree that the illegal immigrant issue must be dealt with, but it's going to take effort from both sides of the fence, although in this case it's all in the hand of the U.S. We must deal with the "11 million" or so illegal immigrants within our borders AND find ways to keep the others out. Deporting 11 million people isn't going to work. A "Great Wall" at the border isn't going to work either. Maybe give a way for the existing ones to become citizens while strengthening the border isn't a bad thing to do.
I don't think Obama loves illegal immigrants as much as other legislators trying to get support and votes.
Hey Stanlee, to find the article, you simply click that blue word/link on top in my article (the word is "recently" on there). It will link you to the USA article and here is the excerpt in which I got that "making them American citizens":
"Obama said his administration has taken record-setting actions to strengthen the border, and he urged Congress to approve "a pathway to legal status" for the 11 million or so illegal immigrants in the USA."
Also, no one suggested deportation as a way to combat this problem. A great wall is stupid/useless, fines are unenforceable, and making them citizens only attract more law-breakers/trespassers. I encourage using economic disincentives to make illegal immigrants return to their home country.
I don't think it's that difficult to find the article, as to find that Obama is opening his arms to welcome the new (instant!) Americans. It seems to me that he is simply acknowledging the illegal problem within border and the best is to have a way for them to eventually become Americans. Possibilities of whether they will be fined or subject to background checks aren't very clear.
Whatever disincentives you design, there are those that are here already. You can't just sweep them under the rug. What he is pursuing may well be the best option.
Obama's support, endorsement, and pursuit of a plan to grants citizenship for 11 undeserving illegal immigrants ("undeserving" because legal, law-abiding immigrants should be the only people that deserve such an opportunity) sounds as much as "opening his arms to welcome" the illegal immigrants as possible. Are you really suggesting his support of that plan sounds neutral or even anti-illegal-immigration? His support is a giant bear hug for law-breakers.
He is doing a lot more than "acknowledging the illegal problem" because he is about to use his executive branch powers and influence to change the American laws and people's way of life.
We currently have really terribly-designed disincentive system, and the good systems are rarely/weakly enforced due to political Hippie backslash. Arizona's plan was the first time a government seriously enforced these disincentives with a fervor. I applaud them for enforcing an already established federal law.
Forgiving (and rewarding) criminals is never the best option. Ever. It is, however, expedient, lazy, irresponsible, and pleasing to the Hippie community.
For those of you who think I'm wrong, please link this article to your Facebooks or whatever sites for your friends and families to read because I'm pretty sure a lot of them will understand what "illegal" and "criminal" actually mean and will agree with me.
Comments
You need to look at what they are doing before slapping a sign on them. You can be born here but if all you do don't even amount up to what one of the "illegal" immigrants, it would be a joke to call yourself something better than a criminal.
Besides that, as long as they can be law abiding citizens that will bring in more to the table, why not!
How can they be "law-abiding" if they are ILLEGAL immigrants who are also criminals and law-breakers by their method of entry/trespassing into our country?
How can they be "citizens" if they are illegal immigrants who don't have a legal right to be here?
The answer to those questions is that they are already neither "law-abiding" or "citizens" by just being in this country illegally.
So that is why we should not allow them in country. So by using your criteria, you should be agreeing with me instead, right?
So while it is in your right to go visit state prisons and personally hug and condone rapists, murders, gangsters, and other criminals for whatever personal reason, that doesn't make them any less criminal in status.
And I did take your advice, you said "you need to look at what they are doing before slapping a sign on them". I saw that they crossed the border secretly and illegally and broke our federal laws, did you see them come here a different, legal way? Because please tell me if you did and I will personally kiss their feet and beg for their forgiveness.
"Illegal" is an adjective that means "forbidden by law or statute" as defined by the dictionary (Random House). It is "illegal" to enter/live in America without our government's official approval; this is a federal law. Illegal immigrants broke this federal law when they came here illegally, therefore, they committed a CRIME and are "criminals." So YES Richard, their illegality automatically makes them criminals because they broke a federal law.
By no mean is Obama's "suggested option" perfect, but can you come up with something better?
The only thing that should distinguish them is their punishment. I didn't say we should PUNISH murderers the same way we punish illegal immigrants because those they are both criminals, the degrees of their crimes differ significantly.
First degree Murderers should be put to death, whereas illegal immigrants should either be fined or deported or something similar. So don't try to make me sound like Hitler because although I lump them both into the same category, I recognize they should be punished extremely differently to deter repeated offenses by others.
I am not Congress or a Supreme Court Justice, so it is not up to me to decide their punishment or level of severity. I actually think the federal law has a specific severity level for this type of crime, but I can't tell you what it is off the top of my head. We should classify the severity of illegal immigration as whatever was written down by our lawmakers long ago.
If you hate this law, then go about changing it. Until that law is changed, they are considered criminals.
That's why I'm so confused as to why everyone else is confused.
Illegal immigrants broke laws = Criminals = Should be punished and not rewarded
This was all my article was trying to say. If we reward this particular class of criminals for breaking laws, we will hear a lot of demands for rewards from rapists for raping and car-thieves for grand theft auto.
We should extend PART of Arizona's illegal immigration plan as a national law. Specifically, I like how Arizona's plan uses economic disincentives such as heavy fines to business owners for hiring illegal immigrants to discourage them from living here. I do not like the part of the plan that's racist though, that can definitely be excluded.
Well, that is a simple paragraph about my better idea. Feel free to comment more if you want to hear more.
So to sum up, if you are here illegally, you have broken a federal law, and people who break laws are criminals. No one is judging illegal immigrants' characters or human worth, I am just simply classifying them as law-breakers because they are (I dare someone to defend them as something otherwise).
Now, I agree that the illegal immigrant issue must be dealt with, but it's going to take effort from both sides of the fence, although in this case it's all in the hand of the U.S. We must deal with the "11 million" or so illegal immigrants within our borders AND find ways to keep the others out. Deporting 11 million people isn't going to work. A "Great Wall" at the border isn't going to work either. Maybe give a way for the existing ones to become citizens while strengthening the border isn't a bad thing to do.
I don't think Obama loves illegal immigrants as much as other legislators trying to get support and votes.
"Obama said his administration has taken record-setting actions to strengthen the border, and he urged Congress to approve "a pathway to legal status" for the 11 million or so illegal immigrants in the USA."
Also, no one suggested deportation as a way to combat this problem. A great wall is stupid/useless, fines are unenforceable, and making them citizens only attract more law-breakers/trespassers. I encourage using economic disincentives to make illegal immigrants return to their home country.
Whatever disincentives you design, there are those that are here already. You can't just sweep them under the rug. What he is pursuing may well be the best option.
He is doing a lot more than "acknowledging the illegal problem" because he is about to use his executive branch powers and influence to change the American laws and people's way of life.
Forgiving (and rewarding) criminals is never the best option. Ever. It is, however, expedient, lazy, irresponsible, and pleasing to the Hippie community.
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