hurrah, lately
wow, just when i start to wonder about people's abilities to change things in this world today, the news media starts blurting out a slew of protests happening:
--french protests (composed mostly of students and young people) against a new bill that's supposed to spur employment of youth by making it easier to FIRE them. huh? what? the logic don't make no sense.
--immigrant rights protests here at home. the politics are getting ugly. complete criminalization of undocumented immigrants? being able to deny undocumented people schooling and medical treatment? *that's* criminal. hooray for the latino news media for publicizing the events and spurring on the cause. and the irish community is totally stepping up to side with the immgration-rights advocates. hooray for recognizing similarities and commonalities across ethnic and social lines! i saw footage on tv the other day of young latino high school students in san leandro and oakland walking out of classes and marching down international avenue. amazing.
my family is from the philippines. we're lucky enough to have received either citizenship or green cards (i had a green card until a few years ago when i finally went for citizenship because i was scared of possibly screwing up and randomly getting deported for a minor offense--it happens!). some of my relatives are or were "illegal" here in the US and they worked hard and were good people. this country (and especially california) is run on the backs of day laborers and undocumented people.
posted by anti-factory @ 8:32 AM
11 comments
11 Comments:
So true, I don't understand why we can't just legalize everyone who is here and soften our immigration policy. It's not like we are short on room (just short on compassion)
I am from Spain and don't think is fair to soften our immigration policies AT ALL. I, like many others, had to work really hard to become a citizen of this country WHY should anyone get the easy way if I didn't.? I didn't complaint and don't. We are foreign and have to understand what this country is able to offer, screw all these protesters, they are protesting for nothing. Go back to your country if you don't like US policies. I am tired of everyone having an opinion in politics all the time.
hmmm, dissent is always interesting, i don't mind reading and replying to it at all, especially from those who have first-hand experiences they want to relate. in my opinion, i don't think undocumented folks are getting the "easy" way out at all, if you notice how hard they have to work under the radar. it's not a free ride they're on.
the part i find rather ridiculous about your statement is the idea to "go back to your country if you don't agree with US policies". personally, i wanted to stay in the US not because I agree with all its policies, but because this country is set up on a system that encourages debate and dissent, and can actually *change* its policies based on what folks collectively decide on (or at least that's how it's supposed to work, in it's purest form). protests are one way for people to be heard, so i appreciate them when i see them.
and well, if you're tired of people like me having "an opinion in politics all the time," maybe you should choose to read another blog, because it's not stopping here, and i'm not sorry.
:D :D :D
Well said. Frankly, most 'immigrants' either legal or illegal are usually here for one reason: they want to better their lives. All I can tell you is that I have no problem with folks coming here to make their lives better--my wife did it (Stephanie's Mom). Yeah, yeah-- I realize this is a divisive issue, but frankly, I'm just a bit tired of civlization sometimes--too many flaming rules, too many folks sticking to the letter of laws and policies rather than its spirit, and most folks who are strong as anti-immigration proponents strike me as lacking a measure of compassion. Or they're just afraid.
So there!
This is a very important issue and thank God we live in a country that allows us to express our views. I think the point my wife (from Spain) was making is not ant-immigrant but anti illegal immigration. She like many others have come here for a better life and worked extremely hard to earn her citizenship legally. The majority of immigrants both legal and illegal are all here for the same reason and work very hard to make a better life for themselves and families. My view is that it is not the fault of the immigrants who come here illegally but with the large companies who encourage this "under ground economy" by hiring cheap labor. Come on, how many wealthy families have foreign nannies or housekeepers who are working for slave wages? I believe those that knowingly hire illegal immigrants for their own benefit should be held accountable. If all of a sudden the US decides to grant amnesty to 12 million illegal's, how many more people will flood across the boarder.? Not only would this be an economic nightmare but what about border security? Anyway I feel we are an immigrant nation and everyone deserves a chance for a better life BUT we need to do it the right way... we need to be realistic.
Respectfully yours,
a great great grandson of Irish immigrants.
I think it's great to see protesting taking place on a larger scale. I feel like Americans tend to stay quiet more than necessary, so to see that people are out there making their voice heard is great. It gives me hope that change can still happen by the people.
looking back now, i need to soften my words to the woman from Spain--not by changing the heart of own thoughts, but with applying a more tactful and perhaps less flippant response when i am irked. blogging is an interesting medium because essentially it becomes your own ivory tower platform of viewpoints, a virtual publication with a sole editor and content maker.
i appreciate that the discussion is getting more complicated within this post, and that people are trying to make themselves clear. i don't want this to degenerate into disrespect, and the husband who last posted is very eloquent with his words in describing his viewpoint, and is providing an excellent model for me on how to be more precise with my words--thank you for your honesty and tact, and above all, respect.
it's no wonder there's so much debate on this--it *is* an extremely complicated issue, not cut and dry in terms of the social contexts, and the economic and political ramifications it has.
again, i welcome people to post who have differing views from mine, but i'm only human and will respond better when i feel there is a thoughtful argument. but then again, i understand that these issues can spark strong feelings. so here we are! thank you everyone, for all your comments and for making it rich.
Interesting LA Times article today.
Another big part of the problem - the bureaucracy. The layers of crap to work through to get anything done is maddening for both sides. Doing things the right way can still take years for immigrant applicants while the folks who work hard to try to enforce the laws have no funding , (giving rise to the Minutemen, blech!) because politicans keep moving money away from Homeland Security. It's crap DHS was created in the first place (another layer!) but to then lump all kinds of agencies (like FEMA) under it and then take funding away - that makes real sense. Get rid of the red tape!
I once believed in the notion of 'go back to your country if you don't like US policies', probably because I came from somewhere else and have a choice. But try telling that to an African American male college student during a heated discussion over reparations to be paid to slave decendents. That was a hard lesson learned. The US was his country before it was mine. He didn't have to apply for his citizenship - it was hard earned by his ancestors.
Policy changes don't happen in a vacuum. If people didn't protest or express their opinions, this country would still be filled with rich Anglo male landowners as the only people whose voices mattered ...hmmm. Am I still I'm talking about the 19th century?! ;)
Great blog!
Help stop illegal immigration here.
this totally sucks--this last anonymous post has linked to the "digital minutemen"--totally heinous. not to mention the fact that you are SPAMMING it all over the place, as you just did on my blog. the only reason i'm leaving this link up is because others should know this type of stuff exists. yuck-o!
Some come here for a better life,I will agree with that,but some are not here for no other reason than to cause harm.We have to make sure we know who is in this great country and that they are legal.Think about what a mess it would be to just legalize all who are here,it will never work just like the man said everyone will come and what then just legalize them too.Jobs are not that plentiful not like they use to be so guess what someone has to be without one should it be those of us who are legal or should we too go to a different country,that's not being realistic.I don't care what race you are or where you came from if you are illegal get legal and I know it's hard,cause I know people who are trying,but that's the way it is.If we don't make people do it the right way then we will be without alot of things,this is not a country that can hold all the ones who will flood in.It's not about being less caring for others it's about helping who we can without being too over crowded and that's just common sence to me.Then think about our security we need to get even tighter on that if we think we're secure think again there's no way, we have no idea how many or who is here right now and that is all of our falts.I didn't like 911 and I know most would say we couldn't have done anything about it and maybe that's true,but we don't have to be stupid!Love everyone just don't let everyone in without knowing who they are and think about the consequinses of just saying let them in legal or not!I'm not a person who looks at race just someone who thinks we have to have a limit and the only way is to make sure everyone who comes here is legal.
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