IN today's P-I "Immigration legislation criticized"
"Immigrants are not criminals. Immigrants make up the backbone of our country and our local communities and businesses," City Councilman David Della said.This is in the context of criticizing legislation that would affect only illegal immigrants, not legal immigrants. Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at April 04, 2006 09:56 AM | Email This
The motion was 2003-0402 passed on September 8th 2003 and McKenna did vote in the affirmative.
Check it out for yourself. Just search by motion number.
http://mkcclegisearch.metrokc.gov/legistarweb
And the organization that the motion was speaking out in favor here you can find out about at the following web sites.
http://www.iwfr.org
And their local web page.
http://www.seattle-iwfr.org/index.php
"Their objections come as federal lawmakers consider House and Senate bills regarding illegal immigrants. Advocates said the Constitution extends basic rights and liberties to any person in the country."
Huh? Does it? That's an interesting interpretation, but I don't know the legal background or arguments behind it. On one hand, it's bogus, since those laws apply to citizens, but on the other hand, we want to share our blessings, right? The solution, of course, is to invite these folks to become citizens.
""Immigrants are not criminals. Immigrants make up the backbone of our country and our local communities and businesses," City Councilman David Della said."
It is clear that Mr. Della is not making a distinction between legal and illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants are criminals, by definition. I think we need some immigration reform, and some streamlining of the process, but I can't side with these folks.
More like the "cracks that will break our backs"!
We clean our own bathrooms, watch our own kids, do our own gardening and landscaping, laundry, dishes, etc.... We don't need illegal immigrants backbones, crime, disease or cost for our community!
Who on earth would want their brains! Dead or Alive.
Posted by: Janet on April 4, 2006 10:20 PMAfter a few years I might come over and claim that land as mine - along with everything on it.
Could be that I knew all along what was going on.
Could be that my neighbor sincerely didnt.
But the LAW will allow my neighbor to keep that land... since I didnt say anything at the start.
I think that allowance of the law makes good sense - after all the neighbor invested his time and resources in the land - and i said nothing.
So it is with these "illegal aliens". Thier presence has been known about and had a blind eye turned to it in this country for decades. These people are overwhelmingly good honest hardworking & industrious. Many have been here working for decades - developing & building lives & families.
To impliment the kind of hardline measures I've heard some conservatives rail about in recent days would require an army of sadistic skin-heads .
"we are a nation of Laws" my make for good soundbites - the truth is there's probably no person alive who knows what all the laws are - and not a one of us who doesnt violate several daily beit knowingly or unknowingly.
"we are a nation of human beings" Thats the nation I'd rather live in.
To the hardworking illegal aliens who make many things more affordable in this country - I say thankyou. The jobs they take are usually the ones "Legals residents" would rather not have.
It's probably smart to try to beef up the border - but to the ones here - to the ones who've built a little garden & shed on "MY PROPERY" -
I think it's too late to claim FOUL.
And it is also immoral.
Perhaps you should change your name to Javert.
The depth and scope of this issue transcend written law - which is something most of us have figured out.
By your sense of justice - we'd still be bowing to the Queen.(that Revolution thing was illegal after all - at least to the Brits who were technically in charge at the time)
Chanting " illegal" "illegal" "illegal" - is not a solution
FYI - My comment about enlisting "an army of sadistic skinheads" is in response to any notion that we can just round up 12,000,000 entrenched people and escort them across the Rio Grande because we suddenly changed our minds about it being okay for them to be here.
Your response will likely be " we never said it was okay.. - they broke the law" Technically youre right and you don't need to repeat it (but I'll bet you will)
- but I never heard a whisper about it 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 yrs ago.
We are here now. Blame them, blame the fed, blame me... (just don't blame yourself)
We have 12,000,000 inside our borders. Thousands of businesses rely on their work and our economy
will topple if we suddenly decide to take an aggressive enforcement stand on laws we've ignored for decades. They are not here to harm us- they just want to live. If we're dumb enough to give them free handouts - they are hungry enough to accept. Don't blame them for that - don't get angry at them for that
FYI: I do have contempt for injustice -
I don't like to support give-a-ways to non citizens who havent contributed into the pot.
So your analogy of the American Revolution pertains how? The Republic of Texas possibly but not the American Revolution unless you are advocating for a seperate country status for illegal aliens.
By "we" I assume you count yourself an illegal alien, tell me what happens to illegal aliens where you are from? How does the government address the issue? What access to Welfare, Health care, Legal representation are offered? Are illegals given a free education? Are illegal aliens allowed to work without proper documentation in your home country? Is the minimum wage enforced?
You are quite correct the right thing to do is often very difficult, but it doesn't mitigate the fact that it is still the right and legal thing to do. If we ignore the rules for one group do we do it for all? Why would any plan offering a path to citizenship that involves processing and payment be followed when we already have one that has been ignored? why screen anyone at the border? what would be the point.
Being the safety valve for the Mexican economy is not all its cracked up to be. Maybe if the US stops giving benefits to any illegal immigrants, we will see a voluntary slowdown. Repeal the automatic citizenship for anyone born on US soil to illegal immigrant parents, contract with Mexican jails to house the 10's of thousands illegals in US jails. Revoke the minimum wage and enhance penalties for employers who hire illgal immigrants a large number will go back to their country of origin on their own accord. Require a biometric ID card, to get legal status and verify the ability to work.
Posted by: Huh? on April 9, 2006 04:37 PMThe same repetitive Madness!
Same excuse: Americans are losing jobs, the illegals don't care for our laws, same old, same old. Our culture is being destroyed.
FEAR FEAR FEAR !!!
Why can't we just love one another???
Posted by: Benny on April 12, 2006 03:40 PM