Bring in the clowns.
Yesterday was May Day, and with that in the city of Chicago was the march in support of immigration. I've heard the Spanish version of the national anthem. I've spent hours reading statistics and opinion articles on the subject. Time to spew out my thoughts.
1. You can't take all of the illegal immigrants out of the country and send them back to their countries of origin. First, the sheer number of dollars it would take to round up everyone who couldn't produce papers would be INSANE. Don't we have enough national debt? Secondly, a lot of these illegal immigrants have children who are legal US citizens: that is, their children were born on US soil. These children would also have to be deported, which would be quite a messy endeavor: deporting innocent US citizens because they are related to undocumented residents. Third, while I think the US as a whole could bounce back after losing a large portion of cheap labor, I think local economies could find themselves in the red OR there would be a greater burden to low-income citizens who have to shoulder the greatest burden when there is an increase in essential items- such as food. There would be an increase in the cost of food when products like lettuce would see skyrocketting prices due to the increased cost of labor. Let's also not forget about the effect of throwing millions of people without jobs into the already faltering economies of South America. Think the political climate there is unstable now? Just wait...
2. I think the best plan to slow illegal immigration is a multi-faceted approach. That is, look into the many causes of illegal immigration, and deal with those causes. First, I think you need to confront the businesses that employ illegal immigrants. They hire these people because the labor is cheap AND they can pay completely under the table. Essentially, but not prosecuting and fining these businesses, you give them a tax incentive for hiring illegal immigrants. How about this: create more revenue for the state by aggressively prosecuting BUSINESSES that break the law. Also, we need to make it easier to be legal. They aren't here because they want to take over and kill America. They're here because they love America, and they want to be American. Our economy not only encourages but needs people who will come and work for minimum wage...And for that reason we should welcome anyone who is willing to work here on the cheap. Moreover we should avoid a guest-worker/2nd class resident situation that has been heralded by the president: I think we should take a very very close look at the problems it has caused in Europe (see: Arab youth rioting in France).
3. I know there are people up in arms over the Spanish version of the national anthem, but frankly, I think the idea is a good idea. I think some of the lyrics ("mean laws") are a problem, but it's a good idea. One of the things I've heard is that they don't like that the immigrants don't assimilate to American culture, and "refusing" to sing the national anthem in English is just another way to show that. I find that to be altogether untrue. First, on the idea of assimilation: this, to me, seems altogether a pinch racist. For some reason, we embrace the Italians who live in little Italy in large cities and carry over their culture. We love a traditional German family. But the Mexicans? Nope. Hate that culture. And, for as long as there is no official language, I see no reason why a Spanish version is any less valid than the English version.
Want to know why there is no official language? Because the founding fathers wanted to make it clear that America was going to be open to everyone, not just those who spoke English.
We criticize Mexican immigrants because they wave a Mexican flag, but during these marches I saw a sea of AMERICAN flags and AMERICAN patriotism. Is it just that we don't like them? Is it just that they're different, and therefore open to be a scapegoat?
Oh, America. Where did your compassion go?
On a side note: I caught wind of an email that came from my mother and ended in my aunt's inbox. Under no certain terms, it seems that there is some kind of long-standing rivalry between the siblings in my mother's family (at the fault of my grandmother for having them at all). Rumor has it that in preparation for the big family reunion cruise (which I had the good sense to avoid) my mother attempted to send an olive branch to my aunt in which she offered no apology (typical) because she feels that she has no reason to apologize (surprise! Not only is the pope infallible, but my mother is equally holy). I could only laugh. She only fanned the flames. This cruise is going to be a three ring circus, and my only regret is that I can't send a TV crew to film the insanity. Soap operas don't have anything on this shit.
Today's compliment: Boyfriend doesn't live in the past and isn't concerned in the least about his ex-girlfriends.
1. You can't take all of the illegal immigrants out of the country and send them back to their countries of origin. First, the sheer number of dollars it would take to round up everyone who couldn't produce papers would be INSANE. Don't we have enough national debt? Secondly, a lot of these illegal immigrants have children who are legal US citizens: that is, their children were born on US soil. These children would also have to be deported, which would be quite a messy endeavor: deporting innocent US citizens because they are related to undocumented residents. Third, while I think the US as a whole could bounce back after losing a large portion of cheap labor, I think local economies could find themselves in the red OR there would be a greater burden to low-income citizens who have to shoulder the greatest burden when there is an increase in essential items- such as food. There would be an increase in the cost of food when products like lettuce would see skyrocketting prices due to the increased cost of labor. Let's also not forget about the effect of throwing millions of people without jobs into the already faltering economies of South America. Think the political climate there is unstable now? Just wait...
2. I think the best plan to slow illegal immigration is a multi-faceted approach. That is, look into the many causes of illegal immigration, and deal with those causes. First, I think you need to confront the businesses that employ illegal immigrants. They hire these people because the labor is cheap AND they can pay completely under the table. Essentially, but not prosecuting and fining these businesses, you give them a tax incentive for hiring illegal immigrants. How about this: create more revenue for the state by aggressively prosecuting BUSINESSES that break the law. Also, we need to make it easier to be legal. They aren't here because they want to take over and kill America. They're here because they love America, and they want to be American. Our economy not only encourages but needs people who will come and work for minimum wage...And for that reason we should welcome anyone who is willing to work here on the cheap. Moreover we should avoid a guest-worker/2nd class resident situation that has been heralded by the president: I think we should take a very very close look at the problems it has caused in Europe (see: Arab youth rioting in France).
3. I know there are people up in arms over the Spanish version of the national anthem, but frankly, I think the idea is a good idea. I think some of the lyrics ("mean laws") are a problem, but it's a good idea. One of the things I've heard is that they don't like that the immigrants don't assimilate to American culture, and "refusing" to sing the national anthem in English is just another way to show that. I find that to be altogether untrue. First, on the idea of assimilation: this, to me, seems altogether a pinch racist. For some reason, we embrace the Italians who live in little Italy in large cities and carry over their culture. We love a traditional German family. But the Mexicans? Nope. Hate that culture. And, for as long as there is no official language, I see no reason why a Spanish version is any less valid than the English version.
Want to know why there is no official language? Because the founding fathers wanted to make it clear that America was going to be open to everyone, not just those who spoke English.
We criticize Mexican immigrants because they wave a Mexican flag, but during these marches I saw a sea of AMERICAN flags and AMERICAN patriotism. Is it just that we don't like them? Is it just that they're different, and therefore open to be a scapegoat?
Oh, America. Where did your compassion go?
On a side note: I caught wind of an email that came from my mother and ended in my aunt's inbox. Under no certain terms, it seems that there is some kind of long-standing rivalry between the siblings in my mother's family (at the fault of my grandmother for having them at all). Rumor has it that in preparation for the big family reunion cruise (which I had the good sense to avoid) my mother attempted to send an olive branch to my aunt in which she offered no apology (typical) because she feels that she has no reason to apologize (surprise! Not only is the pope infallible, but my mother is equally holy). I could only laugh. She only fanned the flames. This cruise is going to be a three ring circus, and my only regret is that I can't send a TV crew to film the insanity. Soap operas don't have anything on this shit.
Today's compliment: Boyfriend doesn't live in the past and isn't concerned in the least about his ex-girlfriends.
posted by iconoclastical at 2:18 PM
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