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Originally Posted by SecretMethod70
Beyond the law lies the ethic of human compassion. We cannot simply look at whether or not someone is here illegally, but we must ask why they are here illegally and what we can do to help their situation. Fixing our immigration procedure so that it is shorter and less complicated is one important step in the right direction. We should also greatly increase or entirely remove immigration quotas. Ultimately, if you're really concerned about security, we should completely open our borders. It'd be much easier to find criminals crossing over if they weren't mixed in with a bunch of people who just want to work so their family can eat.
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Make no mistake, I believe we need to seriously overhaul the immigration process in this country but I have an issue when any discussion about some illegal act that starts with asking why someone broke the law, especially when that someone is not even a citizen yet. Part of it is that old first impression thing and part of it is that once we open that door anyone can walk through. It is not a stretch to turn the argument of "they immigrated illegally so their family could eat" into "they broke into a house and stole everything of value so their family could eat". A lot of crime is committed in this country everyday with this very justification (which is an issue of itself, I admit, and most likely for a different thread).
I guess the question here is where do you draw the line because a good lawyer is going to use this argument to expand their defense many different crimes in a very logical way, driving home the empathy.
Granted, we let people off from crimes committed and admitted in this country every day but that is on a case by case basis, after a hopefully careful examination of the facts and often with the vote of a citizen jury. We do not offer up a general excuse for a particular class of crime and then just let all the offenders of it go free.
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Originally Posted by SecretMethod70
Incidentally, you want to know why you come across as racist to some people? For one thing, we're all capable of comprehending the word 'illegal.' That you feel the need to CAPITALIZE it nearly every time you write it places truly undue stress on the term. This might normally be overlooked, if it weren't for the fact that 'illegal' has become a rather common epithet these days. 'Illegal' is an adjective; it is not a noun. Calling someone an 'illegal' or referring to a group as 'illegals' is denigrating, plain and simple. So, when you feel the need to constantly capitalize the word 'illegal' and use it as a noun to refer to people, frankly it does come across as, at best, ignorant, and at worst, racist. That's not to mention the characterization of illegal immigrants, as if the only reason they risk their lives to come here illegally is to steal our jobs and damage our infrastructure.
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I can completely see why Pan keeps capitalizing the term "illegal". Maybe everyone is capable of understanding it but using it is self defeating so it has become objectionable. It is much easier to garner sympathy for someone who is "undocumented". That is more palatable and easier to defend. Too many have lost sight of the fact that the law of today has been broken simply because they do not agree with that law. It is what it is and trying to get around it only serves to further polarize the two sides, IMHO.
How harsh of us to call an apple and apple when it really wants to be an orange.