10 reasons to enforce our immigration la

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-06-2003
10 reasons to enforce our immigration la
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Mon, 07-26-2004 - 11:24pm

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 07-27-2004 - 11:57am
This is a stream of consciousness response.

Wow, just think what Australians must think about their country's past. After all, it was a penal colony for the first non-native settlers.

Just wondering, what Native American tribe do you belong to?

These sites purporting to "enforce immigration laws" are often little more than attempts to justify bigotry, prejudice and small mindedness. Think about it, and ask if your ancestors would have made it into the United States had the same laws been in place at the time they entered.

Gettingahandle

Ignorance is Nature's most abundant fuel for decision making.

Avatar for merlins_own
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-25-2003
Tue, 07-27-2004 - 11:54pm
I just don't get the nasty knee jerk namecalling of rascist or bigot when we as a country have the temerity to enact and actually enforce laws for LEGAL immigration! Excuse me, but I object to people spitting on our laws by coming here illegally, expecting us to educate their children, give them medical care, our employers to break the law by hiring them, and then turn around and demand rights that rightfully belong to citizens and/or people who respect this country by coming here legally.

Merlins_Own

AS ABOVE, SO BELOW!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 3:32am
Whoooosh !!
Octagonal
Avatar for tmcgoughy
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2003
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 8:27am

These sites purporting to "enforce immigration laws" are often little more than attempts to justify bigotry, prejudice and small mindedness.


I did not interpret anything on that website as being against immigration.

The first key to wisdom is constant and frequent questioning, for by doubting we are led to question and by questioning we arrive at the truth.  -
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-01-2004
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 9:59am
"These sites purporting to "enforce immigration laws" are often little more than attempts to justify bigotry, prejudice and small mindedness."

The message of that opinion piece was not racism or bigotry. It did not say "we should only let one nationality into our country", it simply said we should only let people into our country who do so by legal means. I don't think there is anything wrong with that.

I dare to guess that maybe that comment stemmed from the comment made in the piece about "culture" movements, intended to expose Americans to many different cultural traditions. I believe we SHOULD cherish AMERICAN culture. What is American culture? The blending of many cultures! My bloodline states that I am 25% Hungarian, and remaining 75% a mishmash of French, English, Polish and German....but I'm American, first and foremost.

"Think about it, and ask if your ancestors would have made it into the United States had the same laws been in place at the time they entered."

My Great-Grandmother came to the US as a child from Poland, by way of boat, through Ellis Island, as did my Hungarian Great-Grandparents on the other side of my family. My father-in-law remembers seeing the statue of liberty for the first time, as a child, coming from Czechoslovakia....my family and my husband's family still made it here...even though they observed those pesky immigration laws....what a wonder!

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-01-2004
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 10:09am
"Think about it, and ask if your ancestors would have made it into the United States had the same laws been in place at the time they entered.

Do you really want me to answer this question?!!"

Wow....LOL....you definitely got 'em there!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 10:55am
It seems to me that there is a general sense of "well, we're here and we have a right to protect our status quo". And I just see it as being exclusionary. There are so many hurdles that INS has put in the way of immigrants coming into the United States and I would bet a large sum of money that they are far more restrictive than what was in place at the time of the nation's founding–or at the time of Ellis Island either. Can you imagine the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock being in-processed?!

A quote from the OP–"Our immigration laws exist for good reasons: to protect our safety, our national sovereignty, our standard of living, our health, and our culture. Those who break them may "want a better life for themselves," but then again, so do all who enrich themselves by disregarding the law." Oh yeah, it's exactly the same for a thief to rob a business or home as it is for a person who is struggling to find a better place to raise her or his family. NOT!

We may not have the physical wall that Israel is building around itself to protect against terrorist attacks but we have a wall of laws intended to screen outsiders. And while it's laudable to protect against criminals and terrorists, it's also true that there are many others who are neither criminal nor terrorist and they are also excluded.

If you look over the whole "The Top Ten Reasons To Enforce Our Immigration Laws Now" site, there's a play up of threat. If the flow of illegal immigrants isn't stemmed, dire things will happen–"Mass unemployment would result", "...we cease to monitor the aliens (and open ourselves up for even worse attacks), or we create the "equality" of the police state by casting aside constitutional protect", "if we open the borders, our island of productivity and prosperity will soon disappear beneath a flood of Third World squalor", "genuine American culture--the Founding Fathers, the story of the pioneers and the winning of the west, the Pledge of Allegiance, Columbus Day, the Bill of Rights--is under constant assault" and so on and so on. Pay attention to the rhetoric, people. The intent is to make you feel afraid and react accordingly. To me, that sounds very much like fear-mongering and bigotry.

There's a whole tone of protectionism that is cleverly worded to activate one's desire to ensure our way of life. Let's blame the illegal immigrants for all the problems our society faces and resolve to get rid of them. I find it profoundly ironic that a nation of immigrants wants to prevent immigrants except on very restricted terms. What a hoot! Moreover, this trend is nothing new–each generation has been convinced that the newest wave of Germans, Irish, Chinese, Slavs, Vietnamese, whatever, is going to overwhelm our "American" culture.

Gettingahandle

Ignorance is Nature's most abundant fuel for decision making.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 11:23am
Since you raised the issue of the laws in place at the time your ancestors entered the United States, I'd like to point out that there's the distinct possibility that when they arrived, slavery was legal. Laws aren't always morally right, are they?!

Gettingahandle

Ignorance is Nature's most abundant fuel for decision making.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-01-2004
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 11:51am
"And while it's laudable to protect against criminals and terrorists, it's also true that there are many others who are neither criminal nor terrorist and they are also excluded. "

I am quite sure there are people who do not receive green cards who are not terrorists or criminals. However, it is important that we do not simply open our borders wide and let a million or more people through our borders to become citizens each year. Why? Because

economics is fragile, overpopulation could touch every part of our lives....the list goes on.

Truth be told, there are SEVERAL ways to receive a green card through the INS, including:

Immigration through a family member

Immigration through employment

Immigration through investment

Adjusting to lawful permanent residence as an asylee or refuge

Immigration through "The Registry" Provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act

Immigration through the Diversity Lottery (55,000 visas alone are given through this)

Immigration through International adoption

Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) (Under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) passed by Congress in 1994, the spouses and children of United States citizens or lawful permanent residents (LPR) may self-petition to obtain lawful permanent residency. The immigration provisions of VAWA allow certain battered immigrants to file for immigration relief without the abuser's assistance or knowledge, in order to seek safety and independence from the abuser. )

http://uscis.gov/graphics/index.htm

There are plenty of ways to become a legal, permanent resident of the United States. Yes, there's paperwork involved, but we have to keep a legal record of the people gaining citizenship to this country, just as legal birth certificates are filed on every naturalized citizen born in this country.


iVillage Member
Registered: 07-01-2004
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 11:57am
"Since you raised the issue of the laws in place at the time your ancestors entered the United States, I'd like to point out that there's the distinct possibility that when they arrived, slavery was legal. Laws aren't always morally right, are they?!"

So you're saying that you want to continue to allow illegal aliens to come into our country, unchecked, undocumented? It doesn't bother you that these non-documented people get paid "under the table" and pay no income taxes to live in a country that your tax dollars supports? WOW, you sure are a giving person. Maybe you should take some illegal aliens in and clothe and feed them too, maybe even put them through college, since you're such a giving spirit.....

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