A majority of Americans back building a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, according to a new survey. The new Monmouth University poll found that 53 percent of respondents support ba…
I know that. I said as much. My point was, regardless of how they got here (legally/illegally) they’re just immigrants.
Crossing the border illegally isn’t much different or more serious than jaywalking. Legally speaking. We don’t categorize or call out people as jaywalking Americans. So why do we feel this burning need to categorize immigrants in that way? Because it benefits a particular group with far-reaching resources and power.
By feeling compelled to refer to them in some way as being illegal. We short-circuit a lot of other logical process when it comes to topics surrounding these immigrants. Is it our broken immigration system that is a problem? No it’s illegal immigrants. Is it greedy conniving underhanded employers that hire illegal immigrants that are the problem? No we just stopped with them being illegal immigrants and therefore they are the problem.
I think you and I would both agree however that it is our immigration system. That is a problem. That it is the people taking advantage of them and employing them, that are the problem. But we are not helping them or ourselves by using the terms and language chosen by the abusers.
TLDR.
They’re just immigrants. And nearly every last one of them would happily be documented and have legal status if our immigration system wasn’t problematic and broken. Referring to them as illegal takes the onus off the system and places it where it doesn’t belong. Does that make sense?
I know that. I said as much. My point was, regardless of how they got here (legally/illegally) they’re just immigrants.
Crossing the border illegally isn’t much different or more serious than jaywalking. Legally speaking. We don’t categorize or call out people as jaywalking Americans. So why do we feel this burning need to categorize immigrants in that way? Because it benefits a particular group with far-reaching resources and power.
By feeling compelled to refer to them in some way as being illegal. We short-circuit a lot of other logical process when it comes to topics surrounding these immigrants. Is it our broken immigration system that is a problem? No it’s illegal immigrants. Is it greedy conniving underhanded employers that hire illegal immigrants that are the problem? No we just stopped with them being illegal immigrants and therefore they are the problem.
I think you and I would both agree however that it is our immigration system. That is a problem. That it is the people taking advantage of them and employing them, that are the problem. But we are not helping them or ourselves by using the terms and language chosen by the abusers.
TLDR.
They’re just immigrants. And nearly every last one of them would happily be documented and have legal status if our immigration system wasn’t problematic and broken. Referring to them as illegal takes the onus off the system and places it where it doesn’t belong. Does that make sense?