Originally Posted by Rekna

First secure the boarders (both of them not just medico). Then offer a path to citizenship to illegals who are here. This path should involve showing that they are 1) not a criminal (take finger prints, look at records, etc), 2) involve paying fines that are income based (that way not only those with money can go down this path), 3) that they can contribute to society by being sponsored by an employer. There would have to be provisions in this plan which would extend to people who are dependent on those described in the first 3 points, ie children, parents, disabled, etc.

Really we need to figure out where the problems lie. And it is my feeling that it doesn't lie in just 1 spot. Our immigration policy is to strict thus good immigrants can't get here and our border security is non-existent.

What won't help is fear mongering on illegals, making them felons, or throwing them in jail. They are here because they are trying to live the American dream. Most of these people are simply want what our forefathers wanted when they moved here

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"

If we provide a path for them to do this legally many of them will take this path and those that don't we can come down on harder, if we had better security then it would be much harder for them to get here illegally. The key is to make this path in such a way that it is fair to everyone.

Originally Posted by archetypal_fool

I agree with mixedmedia on this one. On an earlier thread about immigration, which I can't seem to find, we tried to illustrate how the situation can't be seen as "all illegals are bad". This isn't the case at all. I don't know what good it's going to do to the thread, but put yourself in the shoes of an illegal immigrant. Why did you come here? Did you have another option? What about your family? Now that you're here, what's your priority? I shared in the previous thread the story of my family and friends. If you find it hard the imagine and rationalize what these illegal immigrants feel and experience as they are making the decision to break into the US, simply ask, and I'll write the story again.

It's easy to sit here in our comfortable environments, moderate economy, and great standard of living and feel contempt for these foreign peoples who are seemingly leaching off of America (which, I might add, isn't the case), if you don't know what it's like to be in their shoe, and you've never experienced what they have.

The blame lies in so many places, it's impossible to just say "to hell with illegal immigrants" (not putting words in anyone's mouth). The blame can be shared with foreign governments which don't care for their people enough to actually give them opportunities to work for a living to sustain their families. how can you blame the citizens for wanting to live? The blame lies partially with the US for previously (and contemporaneously) hurting the economic and political foundations of some foreign countries, to the point where they're so destabilized that citizens don't usually have a choice - It's either immigrate (illegally) into another country, or die, and let your family die too. There's neither the time nor the money to go about the process legally. If you have the time and the money, then you can't say you've been through what illegal immigrants have been through. Again...Live or die...It's a simple choice, especially when you have a wife and kids, and don't tell me for a second that you wouldn't make the exact same choice in a comparable situation.