Speaking of illegal immigrants...

[Randi]

Well, I don't know that much about American history, but I know that most of the people living there are immigrants - or at least your ancestors are. I have not checked what the laws was like then, but I believe that when those people came to USA, they were given a piece of land and started from scratch to build houses and find work. Were they legal or illegal? I think that they felt a lot more welcome than today's immigrants!

The world has grown since, and some people are born in very poor places. Shouldn't they be entitled to a good life too? They are certainly not reluctant to take sh!t jobs!

John and I have travelled a few times to Dominican Republic, and although the tour guides recommended people not to go. John went to Haiti to see what life was like there. He filmed quite a lot, and also mixed with the locals (he had learned a few sentences in Creole, which helped him having an entirely different experience), while the rest of the group followed the guide, and in fact was scared of the population. When he came back to our hotel and told me how people were living there, I cried.

I have a feeling that a lot of Americans haven't travelled very much and seen what the world is like other places. Seeing things in real life often change your point of view I think. Recently, I saw a documentary about North Africans trying to get to Spain in small boats - it was heartbreaking! I would not have survived half the journey!

The immigration laws are changing all the time, and I think they need some adjusting now, to give everyone a fair chance to make a decent living. However, when a person comes to another country, he/she should make an effort to adjust to that country's rules and not try to convert the population to the rules they're used to.

Of course, the best solution would be to teach people in poor countries how to survive and build what is needed. Less children would help too.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Too bad we can't stop fighting wars and start helping other countries build up their economies so people wouldn't be so despirate they feel they have to leave, even if it breaks other countries laws.

Too bad some of our local programs for seniors and the low income have had to be canceled because the government can't afford to help it's own people any more either. I know lots of seniors who depend on some of those programs that no longer exist. (the programs, not the seniors)

[jackie]

I have been biting my tongue for ages, but I cannot hold it back anymore.

Sparks, you need to get a grip. You married an American, and are now working towards your citizenship. Great, I really hope you get it soon. I am just shocked by your lack of compassion for other people who do not have the means to go your route, and that you can not acknowledge you are privileged coming from Canada.

Please note that if these "poor souls" came to this country LEGALLY, they would not have to live such a "hard life".

I guess you don’t have any idea what sort of life that they left behind.

Why do I not deserve to come here to LIVE with my husband without having to pay all that money and having to fill out all that paper work? Because I am white? Because I don't come from hardship? Why?

No one is questioning your right to be in the States, in fact I have only seen people congratulating you. I am just amazed you cannot see the difference between yourself and someone who has no other chance to enter the US, except illegally.



I have been in Spain for 4 years, and have been processing my paperwork for all of that time. I am still not fully legal, and have spent thousands of euros and hours making these papers. Every week boats come here to Gran Canaria, filled with Africans, trying to enter Europe illegally. They come in huge numbers, run ashore with only the clothes on their back, after spend weeks living in their own sh*t and p*ss., in some cargo hold. Many claim refugee status, and get provisional residency within months. Even more simply disappear. Do I resent them or envy them for it? Not at all, I just wish all of them could be so lucky.

[sparks19]

Claiming refugee status and just hopping the border are two totally different things.

I am sorry that you all see me as having no compassion but the law is very clear.

I am sorry but there are far to many poverty stricken people in the US already who are legal. I think we should use our resources to help THEM. The people in this country who live on the street, who can't feed their families, the starving children.

I think we should fix the poverty problem here before offering to fix someone else's.

I never EVER once said that I did not recognize that I was privileged to be from Canada. I just simply stated that how do you KNOW I was not living in poverty. how do you know I wasn't living on the street? Canada has poverty and so does the US. You just assume that because I am not from Mexico that I had all the means readily available to me.

Like I said, you want compassion. I have compassion for the people who can't get any help from their own country because they are too busy with someone else's poverty.

I am sorry you don't see it this way but I think we should be helping our own people get on their feet, once that happens then we can work on saving the southside of the border.

I just can't see not helping our own people who are law abiding (for the most part lol) in favour of helping illegals.

And Jackie if you have something to say just say it. What is the point in "biting your tongue" if you have something to say about something you believe in then you should say it. YOU are not going to hurt my feelings by standing up for what you believe in and I don't think you are going to hurt anyone else's either. YOU should ALWAYS stand up for what you believe in, not just sit in the background wishing you had said something.

RAndi You cannot compare immigrants 100 years ago to immigration NOW. Times are way to different for them to be compared. it is like comparing apples and oranges.

[Cataholic]

I just simply stated that how do you KNOW I was not living in poverty. how do you know I wasn't living on the street? Canada has poverty and so does the US. You just assume that because I am not from Mexico that I had all the means readily available to me.

Your posts could not come from someone that had known such dire straits. And, you had means available to you, as you wouldn't be here if you did not. (I hardly consider living apart from one's recently married spouse dire straits).

There isn't any law that one must have empathy. You are free to make your judgments, as are all of us. But, I would hope that you would recognize the image you leave behind with your message.

[sparks19]

Your posts could not come from someone that had known such dire straits. And, you had means available to you, as you wouldn't be here if you did not. (I hardly consider living apart from one's recently married spouse dire straits).

There isn't any law that one must have empathy. You are free to make your judgments, as are all of us. But, I would hope that you would recognize the image you leave behind with your message.

Who's to say that my husband didn't save me from dire straits?

Anyway

to be honest. I don't really care about my "image" I believe what I believe and everyone else can make their assumptions from there. I don't live my life and believe what I do worrying about what others might think of me. There are ways for refugees to come to the US. Many have done it, many others can do it, they just choose not to.

I am sorry, I do NOT condone illegal immigration for anyone and if that makes me a bad person in your eyes well then so be it. There have been many refugees that have come from FAR worse conditions than Mexico and yet they are legal

[mugsy]

At the risk of sounding callous to PTers...are we saying EVERYONE should be able to come here and live and have all the rights of American citizens without becoming a citizen? I guess I'm a bit confused...I'm proud to be an American, but feel that everyone who wants to come here needs to process properly! I welcome anyone who comes here and follows proper procedures, but, this other crap is for the birds....

As for U.S. History...yes, we were all, at some point, immigrants, with the exception of Native Americans, however, we were subjects of Britain (or Holland, or Germany, or Sweden, etc). When we fought the American Revolution and gained our independence, we wrote the Articles of Confederation (which were basically useless) and then scrapped those and wrote the Constitution and we became the United States of America. At that point there were immigration laws put into place, and while they have changed over time, we still use them today in order to keep our country safe and not over run with masses of humanity.