I posted this on Hornfans, a site that is more conservative than here, imo. Would like to hear what you guys think about this question: what rights should they be afforded in our country? I think they should be very limited and I also find it offensive that some of them b**** about it. Be glad that you're here. Also, should the families of migrant workers (Hispanic) that were payed slave wages be given reparations? This was discussed in my Mex-American Lit. class and I say no. You agreed to work at that rate, so you have no legal grounds to recuperate what you feel is a "fair wage." I was one of the few non-hispanics in the class and not suprisingly, one of the few that was against reparations to migrant workers.
Legal permanent residents have less in the way of Constitutional protections than do citizens of the US. Therefore I believe that illegals should have fewer rights than the LPRs. It should be a sliding scale. I do believe that they should have the right to be shipped home when they are discovered. Instead we give them government benefits galore. We also have to have bilingual education (don't get me started on why that's a bad idea...my mother works in elementary education). Anyway...if they are here then we need to afford them the same healthcare everybody else gets, etc. But if they are found any other way they should be deported...PERIOD.
Also, how about some drastic penalty for those caught. Like loss of one leg or something. I bet that would cut down on illegal immigration.
Since I am part Irish, and my wife is part Chinese, I want part of the railroad system of this country signed over to us. Oh wait....nah...no handouts please....I'd rather just work for my own money. I've got this thing called pride, you see.... Seriously, though....why is bilingual eduation bad? I wish my spanish was better. Or my english....
It would be nice if immigrants from f***ing Australia could get their green cards on time, rather than being delayed for six f***ing months and completely screwing their plans over. I hate the INS!
Most European countries do not teach in either their own language OR a different language. They teach in their own language and also make it mandatory to learn another language (not two years of crap like in US high schools, but really learning another language - like English). Many advocates of bi-lingual education want (for instance) Latin American immigrants to receive their education in Spanish. That does not have the effect of the European system, where they grow up speaking multiple languages. Instead it disables the kids by preventing them from learning the dominant language (English) in the world today. I, in fact, wish the US system forced kids to learn more than one language ala Europe.
"Why should I change, he's the one who sucks." Seriously though... English is the best language anyway. And America rules the world. Everybody else should learn our language, and we should not learn anybody's language.
Illegal Immigrants should not be afforded rights of US Citizens because it creates a continuous economic burden on the rest of the population. Illegal Immigrants cause the cost of 1. Auto Insurance to rise: Because they are illegal, they will not have auto insurance, thereby increasing the viablity of "uninsured motorist" and its costs. 2. Health Insurance to rise: If an illegal immigrant shows up in a hospital, then the doctor and hospital are required to treat that person, the increase in costs for the doctor/hospital are shown with the high cost of health insurance. 3. Social Services are used on illegal's and those are not used on US Citizens. 4. Illegal's work and recieve all the benefits of the United States, yet with their illegal status, never pay a penny in taxes.
Cohen, You are correct, I meant do not pay personal income taxes, but when they consume will pay sales taxes, etc. And they also will not recieve some benefits like social security and welfare. But the benefits they do recieve place an burden on society, and increases costs for everyone. One can argue that they enrich the economy by consuming and paying sales taxes, yet not recieving all the benefits of a citizen. But the majority of tax revenue is personal income tax, with sales tax being far behind.
In the euro countries they do not do what is done here. We teach part of the day in Spanish and part of the day in English. It would be a big different story if we taught these kids in Spanish while teaching them English and then put them in the English speaking classes with everybody else. Learn your facts before you call somebody ignorant.
FD Khan, while I generally agree with your points, I think you might be missing one benefit of illegal immigrants. They do fill holes in our economy by occupying very low class jobs. Without employment, they would not be in America. They would move back to Mexico. However, many of them are able to bring valuable skills and trades here at very low prices for the employer. For instance, if you go to Home Depot, you can pick up a few illegals to do construction work for you and pay them $10 an hour for carpentry skills that would otherwise cost you $20 an hour. We absolutely need a lower class for the economy to function efficiently, and if these people are willing to fill that need at a lower price, then it increases efficiency. This benefit may not outweigh the burden they place on the health care system, social services system, etc, however.
Every major study in the past 50 years concludes illegal immigrants contribute more than they take from our economy, AND that they play a vital role in the continued expansion of the economy. You are simply incorrect about their effects. They are a boon, and I might add that immigrants are historically what makes this country what it is. Anti-immigration is anti-American.
This thread has too much ignorance to get started on fully, but I’ll address a few points. Jorge is right, most any economist with a liberal or conservative bent notes illegal immigrants is an economic slam dunk for the vast majority of us (if you are a union skilled or unskilled laborer you have a case against it for your eco prosperity). The degree we can get cheaper houses, food, buildings, roads—in short our whole national infrastructure—far outweigh the additional costs in schools and emergency care. The idea there is a whole set of entitlements for illegals is bs—absolutely zero social security, Medicare, welfare, or Medicaid dollars go to illegal (by the way social security and Medicare are the biggies on a national scale anyway). As for collapsing emergency care systems—that is happening all over (even where illegals are not prevalent) and is complicated a host of other problems. As for reperations, no I am not for it. But with some of the attitudes reflected in here it is easy to see why a lot of people feel justified in demanding them. I just don’t see reperations getting us anywhere as a society, a better education system and safety net for all is a better way to promote prosperity for all peoples.
We are a nation of laws, not a nation of men. That is one of the principles this country was founded on. Therefore allowing ILLEGAL immigration is anti-American.
