I was wandering around on the internet today and found a blog (that has a most excellent recipe for macaroni and cheese hidden in March) with a post on illegal immigration: Third World Country
I'm trying to figure out why people think illegal immigration and open borders are, like, great ideas. Yes, it's great for immigrants to come here and diversify our arrogant nation (not to mention the country was founded by immigrants), but I'm a fan of "live any lifestyle you want as long as you pay for it (within means)". So really, if you're in Mexico and want to have your illigitimate baby born in a modern facility, go right ahead. Just stick around and give something back to society while you're at it. While I'm ranting, if you're going to marry three or four or more women and have a pack of kids, don't put each wife's family on welfare and suck the money from the people who really need it to get back on their feet and produce something worthwhile.
Anyway.
My mother's an immigrant to this country. A LEGAL immigrant. While here, she's gotten an education (two courses shy of getting her photography certification, plus courses in screen-printing, etc.), made 360+ sleeping bags a day for Coleman for five years, raised me to be the slightly dysfunctional adult I am, and supported me in my college education (which is one week away from being complete, I might add). She's become fluent in English (what a concept! I know immigrants who've been here longer than she has and can barely speak English), and supported other immigrants' in their loneliness and homesickness.
I'm not against immigration. I'm against people who leech off society, no matter where they're from.
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5 comments:
Thanks for the link, Diane. BTW, Heidi has a buncha bloggers fact-checking individual points of that post, crossposted from Euphoric Reality. The point I was assigned I was able to essentially confirm from official U.S. Census estimates for 2004 (LA County Latinos who speak Spanish as their primary language). An apparent typo (original was 3.9 million, correct estimate from the Census Bureau was a little over 3.6 million--"6" & "9" rifght next to each other on numeric keypad) that didn't significantly affect the point, but that was the only correction the data offered. Other fact checking is ongoing, but a quick look (by me) at a few of the other points seems to bear them out, too.
Oh, BTW, I live in America's third World County™. We're not quite a country, yet, but thanks for the promotion.
:-)
I hopeyou are going to refrain from eating fruits and vegetables and living or working in any building that used the labor of illegal immigrants. That kind of boycott would have a rapid impact on the employers of undocumented workers and would go a long way towards ending the need for that labor.
Vajra, I think you missed the point.
First off, illegal immigrants working here "under the table", so to speak, for the most part aren't paying taxes and are a strain on the tax system because they aren't putting any money into the public services they are using.
Secondly, did you even go to the site and read the article? Here are a couple stats that were posted (if you actually go to the blogpost there are links to their sources):
Less than 2% of illegal aliens are picking our crops but 36% are on assistance/welfare. More on welfare provided to immigrants.
The lifetime fiscal impact (taxes paid minus services used) for the average adult Mexican immigrant is a NEGATIVE.
29% of inmates in federal prisons are illegal aliens.
I hope you also realize that illegal immigrants also aren't getting the benefits that other workers receive - they're being exploited by their employers. So before you spout off on me, you might want to read the article I refer to, and think for a minute. Do you know why employers of undocumented workers would suffer? Because they did something to cut corners and now they have to pay for it.
Spouting? Not at all; I'm simply suggesting that a way to stop the flood is to refuse to use or buy any product, including food and housing, that has used undocumented labor in its production. Why would that be a problem?
So, by your strategy (which would only work if millions of Americans bought your idea and decided to run with it) is that I should eat 2% less veggies and fruits because 2% of those veggies and fruits are picked by illegal immigrants?
So, which tomatoes should I avoid next time I go to Albertsons?
It's not a way to stop the flood; there's no way to know which foods were picked by illegal immigrants and which foods weren't. You must be living in a dream world if you think that's going to stop people from illegally coming over here, because:
1) 98% of them are doing something else (mostly doing criminal activities and living off welfare)
2) the companies that hire illegal immigrants aren't going to say they use undocumented workers
3) there's no way to track them. They don't show up to the border and say "hello! here I am!"
If you had read my original post, you would have noticed that I said, "I'm against people who leech off society, no matter where they're from." In other words, if you want to be an illegal immigrant and contribute something productive to American society, by all means come over here. But if you're going to come over here to commit crimes, live off welfare, have your baby on taxpayers' dollars, etc. you shouldn't.
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