If you support Arizona - Don't be too quick to judge an illegal 'alien'

[Anonymous]

because you're good liars. you give ppl an impression about you but once we get here we learn the truth. but we're stubborn, smart and just love teasing you guys so we end up staying anyway.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What war in Mexico are you talking about?

I'm sorry, can you point out where I mentioned Mexico? But, if you are not aware that several parts of Mexico have war-like levels of violence, you are not well informed. I suggest that you Google "San Juan Copala".

Jeff, I'm the one you asked about the war (not the one above). I am from Bosnia so that's the war I was referring to. I had a chance to leave Bosnia several times during the war and didn't. We had already lost everything and were stupid enough to believe that we needed to stay because the war would be over soon and we actually wanted to rebuild the country we loved. I only came here in 1999 (4 years after the war was over) when it became evident that there was no future for young people there. Escaping to another country illegally doesn't solve many if any of the problems. It just creates different ones.

[Anonymous]

. They understood the value of education and worked their wway through highschool and colleg

Anonymous wrote:As parents, I feel that we can all agree that we would do ANYTHING for our children. For my husband's family, that meant walking thousands of miles so their children could eat. They entered illegally to save their children's lives--it really is THAT BAD south of here (and many other places). Now many in his family have papers and own homes, speak English and all pay taxes--those with and without papers. Not all undocumented immigrants live off of the system and do not contribute--this is an awful stereotype. Please stop perpetuating it until you actually know undocumented people.

Central America is war torn--gang violence, corrupt governments and remnants from various civil wars wreak havoc on the people and economy. So, millions made their way over. If millions made it in, then I call that our fault. A problem of this magnitude is one that the US permitted--there is simply no other way about it. We exploited that labor and still do, because too many Americans simply will not do the work. A real solution requires the US to fix its system humanely. I just cannot see why anyone with a heart would support breaking up families, uprooting communities and encouraging stereotyping like what the AZ law will do.

Just talk to your immigrant grandparents if you have them--yes, they came in legally because they just had to walk off a boat and sign their names. They would have gotten in anyway they could. My grandfather recalls the harassment and discrimination that he endured. It was ugly and I thought the country would have learned from its mistakes.

These are people who are and will make this a better country, just as generations of immigrants did before. Let's be realistic and human about an actual solution.

Social Security numbers are not issued without documents showing that you are here legally; if your undocumented relatives are paying taxes then they have lied to IRS and that is breaking our law. By not reporting them, you are breaking US law. How does this make you and your relatives good for this country?

My ancestors did enter this country legally . So what? They came from less than ideal situations and also sought a better life for their children but they did it legally. The end does not justify the means

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:because you're good liars. you give ppl an impression about you but once we get here we learn the truth. but we're stubborn, smart and just love teasing you guys so we end up staying anyway.

Sounds as though you might like to fly a plane into a building just to teach us a lesson. Is that your plan?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
Jeff, I'm the one you asked about the war (not the one above). I am from Bosnia so that's the war I was referring to. I had a chance to leave Bosnia several times during the war and didn't. We had already lost everything and were stupid enough to believe that we needed to stay because the war would be over soon and we actually wanted to rebuild the country we loved. I only came here in 1999 (4 years after the war was over) when it became evident that there was no future for young people there. Escaping to another country illegally doesn't solve many if any of the problems. It just creates different ones.

I had guessed you were from the Balkans. I understand why you left and I'm glad that you chose our country. But, you were lucky to have a legal option. What would you have done if your only option for leaving Bosnia was to enter another country illegally? There are many Bosnians in the US illegally, as well as in other countries. Would you support their deportation back to Bosnia? Mind you, things are far better now in Bosnia than in many other countries from which people come to the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:because you're good liars. you give ppl an impression about you but once we get here we learn the truth. but we're stubborn, smart and just love teasing you guys so we end up staying anyway.

Sounds as though you might like to fly a plane into a building just to teach us a lesson. Is that your plan?

nah! i like my life just the way it is... I'd rather just watch, thanks.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Jeff, I'm the one you asked about the war (not the one above). I am from Bosnia so that's the war I was referring to. I had a chance to leave Bosnia several times during the war and didn't. We had already lost everything and were stupid enough to believe that we needed to stay because the war would be over soon and we actually wanted to rebuild the country we loved. I only came here in 1999 (4 years after the war was over) when it became evident that there was no future for young people there. Escaping to another country illegally doesn't solve many if any of the problems. It just creates different ones.

I had guessed you were from the Balkans. I understand why you left and I'm glad that you chose our country. But, you were lucky to have a legal option. What would you have done if your only option for leaving Bosnia was to enter another country illegally? There are many Bosnians in the US illegally, as well as in other countries. Would you support their deportation back to Bosnia? Mind you, things are far better now in Bosnia than in many other countries from which people come to the US.

I guess what I was trying to say and didn't say very well is that I was in a situation where things really couldn't get much worse and still chose to stay in Bosnia. I mean, we were chased out of our home into another part of the city, lost EVERYTHING, didn't have any food, water, all the while someone was shooting at us 24/7. Many chose to leave Bosnia and go to other countries illegally. We decided that is was better to stay until we had a chance to either leave for something better (that meant legal) or until things got better in Sarajevo. I am not unsympathetic towards those who chose to leave to save their lives, but I would absolutely support their deportation back. I have always believed in the rule of law, and the fact that we ignored in the Balkans put us in the situation we were in.

[Anonymous]

you people are not addressing the real issue here. how will the every day cop select who he'll ask for immigration documents if he has no other reason to approach that person?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:you people are not addressing the real issue here. how will the every day cop select who he'll ask for immigration documents if he has no other reason to approach that person?

The law was amended so that the police may only ask about immigration status in the course of a legal stop. They can't just select people off the street. Realistically, if the police want to select someone off the street, they will invent a reason for a legal stop. I only see two options: 1) the police will use ethnic profiling and ask people who are brown and have accents; or 2) the police, wanting to avoid lawsuits for ethnic profiling, will routinely ask white people to prove their status -- most of whom will be offended, shocked, and pissed off.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:I am not unsympathetic towards those who chose to leave to save their lives, but I would absolutely support their deportation back. I have always believed in the rule of law, and the fact that we ignored in the Balkans put us in the situation we were in.

Okay, fair enough. If those people are not causing problems in their current countries, I would see no reason to deport them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:because you're good liars. you give ppl an impression about you but once we get here we learn the truth. but we're stubborn, smart and just love teasing you guys so we end up staying anyway.

Sounds as though you might like to fly a plane into a building just to teach us a lesson. Is that your plan?

nah! i like my life just the way it is... I'd rather just watch, thanks.

This was a stupendously stupid reply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:. They understood the value of education and worked their wway through highschool and colleg

Anonymous wrote:As parents, I feel that we can all agree that we would do ANYTHING for our children. For my husband's family, that meant walking thousands of miles so their children could eat. They entered illegally to save their children's lives--it really is THAT BAD south of here (and many other places). Now many in his family have papers and own homes, speak English and all pay taxes--those with and without papers. Not all undocumented immigrants live off of the system and do not contribute--this is an awful stereotype. Please stop perpetuating it until you actually know undocumented people.

Central America is war torn--gang violence, corrupt governments and remnants from various civil wars wreak havoc on the people and economy. So, millions made their way over. If millions made it in, then I call that our fault. A problem of this magnitude is one that the US permitted--there is simply no other way about it. We exploited that labor and still do, because too many Americans simply will not do the work. A real solution requires the US to fix its system humanely. I just cannot see why anyone with a heart would support breaking up families, uprooting communities and encouraging stereotyping like what the AZ law will do.

Just talk to your immigrant grandparents if you have them--yes, they came in legally because they just had to walk off a boat and sign their names. They would have gotten in anyway they could. My grandfather recalls the harassment and discrimination that he endured. It was ugly and I thought the country would have learned from its mistakes.

These are people who are and will make this a better country, just as generations of immigrants did before. Let's be realistic and human about an actual solution.

Social Security numbers are not issued without documents showing that you are here legally; if your undocumented relatives are paying taxes then they have lied to IRS and that is breaking our law. By not reporting them, you are breaking US law. How does this make you and your relatives good for this country?

My ancestors did enter this country legally . So what? They came from less than ideal situations and also sought a better life for their children but they did it legally. The end does not justify the means

You are sorely educated on what it takes to pay taxes--look back over this thread. The IRS created tax payer ID numbers which allow those without SSN to pay taxes, both undocumented people as well as someone who is here on a VISA but doesn't have a SSN.

You say that neither me nor my family are good for this country because we are breaking the law? Wow, that is an audacious blanket statement blind to the value a person brings to our society. I am like my undocumented relatives in one other way too, while I am not reporting them I am also working a low-paying job that many Americans don't want--as a public school teacher.

Your complaints offer no solution and only aggravate the problem. Be humane and come up with a real solution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:because you're good liars. you give ppl an impression about you but once we get here we learn the truth. but we're stubborn, smart and just love teasing you guys so we end up staying anyway.

Sounds as though you might like to fly a plane into a building just to teach us a lesson. Is that your plan?

nah! i like my life just the way it is... I'd rather just watch, thanks.

This was a stupendously stupid reply.

The question was as stupid, so it really asked for this kind of reply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:. They understood the value of education and worked their wway through highschool and colleg

Anonymous wrote:As parents, I feel that we can all agree that we would do ANYTHING for our children. For my husband's family, that meant walking thousands of miles so their children could eat. They entered illegally to save their children's lives--it really is THAT BAD south of here (and many other places). Now many in his family have papers and own homes, speak English and all pay taxes--those with and without papers. Not all undocumented immigrants live off of the system and do not contribute--this is an awful stereotype. Please stop perpetuating it until you actually know undocumented people.

Central America is war torn--gang violence, corrupt governments and remnants from various civil wars wreak havoc on the people and economy. So, millions made their way over. If millions made it in, then I call that our fault. A problem of this magnitude is one that the US permitted--there is simply no other way about it. We exploited that labor and still do, because too many Americans simply will not do the work. A real solution requires the US to fix its system humanely. I just cannot see why anyone with a heart would support breaking up families, uprooting communities and encouraging stereotyping like what the AZ law will do.

Just talk to your immigrant grandparents if you have them--yes, they came in legally because they just had to walk off a boat and sign their names. They would have gotten in anyway they could. My grandfather recalls the harassment and discrimination that he endured. It was ugly and I thought the country would have learned from its mistakes.

These are people who are and will make this a better country, just as generations of immigrants did before. Let's be realistic and human about an actual solution.

Social Security numbers are not issued without documents showing that you are here legally; if your undocumented relatives are paying taxes then they have lied to IRS and that is breaking our law. By not reporting them, you are breaking US law. How does this make you and your relatives good for this country?

My ancestors did enter this country legally . So what? They came from less than ideal situations and also sought a better life for their children but they did it legally. The end does not justify the means

You are sorely educated on what it takes to pay taxes--look back over this thread. The IRS created tax payer ID numbers which allow those without SSN to pay taxes, both undocumented people as well as someone who is here on a VISA but doesn't have a SSN.

You say that neither me nor my family are good for this country because we are breaking the law? Wow, that is an audacious blanket statement blind to the value a person brings to our society. I am like my undocumented relatives in one other way too, while I am not reporting them I am also working a low-paying job that many Americans don't want--as a public school teacher.

Your complaints offer no solution and only aggravate the problem. Be humane and come up with a real solution.

As Massachusetts goes, so will the nation.

70% in Massachusetts Favor Ban on Public Benefits For Illegal Immigrants
Wednesday, May 12, 2010

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey shows that just 17% oppose the proposal to prevent illegal immigrants from gaining access to public housing, unemployment benefits, welfare or workers compensation. Thirteen percent (13%) more are not sure.

Nationally, 58% support a law like the one recently adopted in Arizona.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Jeff, I'm the one you asked about the war (not the one above). I am from Bosnia so that's the war I was referring to. I had a chance to leave Bosnia several times during the war and didn't. We had already lost everything and were stupid enough to believe that we needed to stay because the war would be over soon and we actually wanted to rebuild the country we loved. I only came here in 1999 (4 years after the war was over) when it became evident that there was no future for young people there. Escaping to another country illegally doesn't solve many if any of the problems. It just creates different ones.

I had guessed you were from the Balkans. I understand why you left and I'm glad that you chose our country. But, you were lucky to have a legal option. What would you have done if your only option for leaving Bosnia was to enter another country illegally? There are many Bosnians in the US illegally, as well as in other countries. Would you support their deportation back to Bosnia? Mind you, things are far better now in Bosnia than in many other countries from which people come to the US.

Bosnia was a whole different ball game. Ethnic cleansing there, and in other countries, cries out for mercy; coming here illegally to get a job and sponge off US and state social services does not. There was also the desire to assimilate into American society. They were educated and if they did not speak English, they made it a priority to learn the language.