The immigration debate is crazy and it is a no-win situation for anybody. Unfortunately, it seems the issue of border-security remains stuffed down by the rampant racism underlying the arguments. I think this is really the wedge issue for the 2006 elections in case Iran doesn’t have the heft expected (Americans are very obedient when our xenophobia buttons are pressed).
The country cannot survive without illegal immigrant labor.
Some illegal immigrants do pay taxes.
Illegal immigrants put stress on social support systems like hospitals and other services.
Many businesses in Chicago didn’t open today not because they couldn’t open, but because they wanted to support the rights of (illegal) immigrants everywhere.
There is no reason there should be ‘jobs Americans won’t do.’
Minimum wage is 26% behind inflation.
We are a country built on immigration.
Amnesty without border security enforcement really doesn’t do much.
I would have taken my kids out of school strictly to have them witness the protest to see first hand the possibilities for social action – whether or not you agree with it. This is a ping on the radar of a greater social trend that has been cooking for a long time.
We do not have the staff to enforce the borders and having citizen patrols really makes me cringe as a nouveau Ku Klux Klan.
Assimiliation is nice but can never be a contingency for equal rights for citizens.
The Star Spangled Banner could be sung in Klingon – it doesn’t matter. The underlying ideals a country is founded on is more durable than it’s anthems, symbols and flags. Wrap the flag in a tortilla with red sauce for all I care. Deep-fry it with breading and pico de gallo. That Spanish National Anthem was a terrible mix anyway – ugh.
Many of these illegal immigrants are having children – who will become voters in a few decades.
‘War on the middle class’ really doesn’t ring true since it isn’t a concerted effort. Kind of like ‘war on terror’ or ‘war on poverty’.
If all these illegal immigrants were white this would not be a problem.
Criminalizing those who offer medical or social aid illegal immigrants punishes children here for reasons beyond their control.
We are in an endless war built on lies that is going to affect this country and it’s economy for the next five decades. Cheap oil for a car-centered culture is never coming back. Religious radicalism is dissembling science and reason and threatening the health and reproductive rights of everyone. The Executive Branch is consistently undermining the entire government structure. Household, corporate and national debt is a ticking timebomb waiting to collapse the US dollar.
Hugs, Andy
Extra – quotes from a MeFi discussion:
The thing to remember is that the vast majority of illegal aliens are people who came here through a well-developed system which is unofficially sanctioned by big business, the police, and the government itself. It’s a lot more like grey market trading, file sharing, smoking marijuana, and other illegal but popular activities then it is like stealing or assault. Yes, it’s illegal, but America is sending a huge mixed message.
and
Every Mexican flag in the crowd will set them back, as well as every sign and song in Spanish. These marches are going to do more harm than good, because enough of the people watching them will see an alien presence demanding power in their society, and will pass that worry on to their elected officials. No, this isn’t the majority of America, but its enough to stop any bills or laws being passed to change things today.
and
there is clearly a significant amount of anti-immigrant sentiment floating around in the zeitgeist of America right now. Admittedly, much of it is direct toward illegal immigrants and not all immigrants, but that sort of sentiment is easily and not infrequently transfered to anyone who even looks like they’re from another country.
and
I’m never surprised at the ability of Karl Rove and his cronies at Fox to find ever new ways to polarize and divide the United States by demonizing some segment of the population – and illegals are a segmnent of the population. They can’t openly defend themselves, and so the Bush administration find another easy target to draw attention away from the real problems that face America.
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