"A day without an immigrant" May first 2006

fnelson9 · #24 04-28-2006, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quicksilver

The U.S. immigration law does not ask anyone to come across the border into the country illegally" and anyone who uses the excuse that the US manufactures" illegal aliens dosen't have a clue regarding what the May first issue is about. Anyone can argue about the problems of immigration but apparently millions of other people have gone thru the process legally. If they can do it so can everyone else. In this case I maintain my position that having a demonstration to justify brakeing the law dosen't cut it with me.

I actually happen to know a little bit about the "May first issue" as well as the political circumstances behind these recent grass roots efforts to keep Congress from passing an enforcement-only Bill. I also happen to know a little bit about "the process" of "legally" immigrating to the U.S. Up until 1996, an illegal alien who had a job offer, or a spouse and/or children who were already legally here, could legalize his/her status by paying a fine. That program no longer exists, so your "if they can do it so can everyone else" argument requires assumptions that simply aren't correct. This particular avenue of "legally" immigrating is gone. Many others are gone as well. Literally hundreds of thousands of immigrants "legally" immigrated to the U.S. through procedures which no longer exist. Their actions were identical to the actions of the "illegal" aliens you are currently condemning. They are legal merely because Congress says that they are, not because they are any more "moral" or "law-abiding" than "illegal" immigrants today.

Just as an example, if a U.S. citizen meets and falls in love with an illegal alien, I happen to think they should be allowed to get married and continue their lives here in the U.S.. As a U.S. citizen, I think my country should allow me to do that. Well, they don't - not anymore. This country is so interested in "punishing" my betrothed for the "crime" of sneaking into the U.S. that she is no longer allowed to legalize her status based on a marriage to me. This means she either stays here as my illegal alien wife, or I expatriate myself to go live in her country with her. Not exactly the kind of choices I think my country should be giving me - and that's just ONE example.

Looking at this demonstration as simply a demonstration to justify "breaking the law" is a very, very simplistic view of the issues involved. I could start talking about civil disobedience here, and how it has helped eliminate laws promoting segregation, gender discrimination, etc. but that would make this post even longer than it already is. Suffice it to say that you should probably investigate the law a little bit further before you decide to oppose a demonstration pertaining to that law.