One may counter that negative emotions and opinions against what they might claim is the real target–the undocumented immigrant–is acceptable ethically, politically, and legally–and they would be right; however, I would submit that it would not be so for the other groups I mention. Furthermore, the displacement of this aggression and negativity points to the lack of transparency in these sentiments due to their being irrational, and based on racist and classist feelings. Such sentiments, being irrational may be explicit and may be unwitting.

And a separate consideration: is this immigration debate vital? Or is it simply lip service? Economically, removing all undocumented immigrants would be disastrous to our economy. The same people who look down on this demographic would not immediately migrate to fill the void of jobs were they to leave the country. Furthermore, they certainly would not fill those positions at the same rates–the law prohibits that. It seems to me a meaningless debate. We need them, we won’t get rid of them, but we complain about them–and I use the pronoun “them” cautiously as they are our relatives, mind you–lest we forget that Latino Americans comprise the largest minority. (I would be interested in seeing the reaction to a large influx of white Europeans were the EU to face economic calamity to bring it to the level of many Latin American states. The debate serves political purposes: candidates can mobilize xenophobia to ostensibly strengthen mythological American values; however, the debate loses gas after elections. But perhaps I overlook other implicit functions that collective classism, racism, and xenophobia, disguised as patriotism and economic concern serve: the processes are at once cathartic and distracting.

Be truthful now!

The vast majority of Africans heading to Europe are looking for work – for this vast majority, seeking political asylum is not what drove them to the boats. And all around Europe, Africans abound. Only a minority are deported. Just check all the seaports around the Mediterranean.

You must be one chintzy dude not to want to pay for emergency care. It SHOULD be free or cheap to those with little money, and it should be free or cheap for your brother as well. The reason it is not free or cheap for all is because the insurance industry has teamed up with Big Pharma and the AMA to keep it expensive. So if your brother has to pay lots of money its probably because people like you defend these corporation’s right to rip us off.

You know why illegals are wanted in America? – Because they are a bargain. Life in America is MORE expensive without them. I think a fair solution would be that the anti-illegals find citizens and pay full price for their fruits and veggies, their lawn and yard care, their new roofs, their nannies, and their hospitality industry services. And they should be required to study just how the country was stolen from Native-America and somehow construed itself to be a legal state without the permission of said natives.

I feel so angry when I read ignorant stuff like this, you think this people had the choice to be legal in the first place? NO! there was no choice, it was either staying and starving at their countries or go to america as illegals, get it??

To be practical , the Anti Illegal and the Pro Illegal viewpoints will never reach a compromise , it is obvious. So I have a suggestion , which might satisfy both sides of the debate. How about having a “Pro Illegal” tax of some sort , say 5-8 percent, which would be imposed upon the pro illegals , so that they bear and take responsibility for the cost of services utilized by the illegals. In other words , since we are against illegals , its only fair that we do not support their presence by indirectly letting the govt use our incomes to provide services to Illegals. Its a fair idea , don’t you agree.
Simply , you support them , you pay for them. Leave us out of it and we won’t complain.

Just about all liberals and leftists on this site recognize the dire straits of people around the world. That’s not hypocricy – where’s the hypocricy? What referendum are you talking about? Do you think that the legality of say, female genital mutiliation, water boarding, and slavery should be decided by referendum?

What illegals are getting a free college education? How do you know who is illegal or not?

Cowards? They don’t come here because of tyranny. In fact, it’s more likley that ‘legal’ immigrants from Europe came here because of European tyranny. Immigrants come to America to work – and they are permitted to do so because the nation’s business class, the nation’s chambers of commerce, and the nation’s consumers want them here. At the rate of our minimum wage (never mind a living wage) who will cut our lawns, landscape our yards, tile our roofs, pick our vegetables, work the restaurant kitchens? Do you think illegals are here against the will of all?

Besides, it is no accident that Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Sacramento, San Diego, San Antonio, Galveston, St, Augustine, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Alamogordo, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Florida, Nevada and hundreds of other names are SPANISH. They belong to the US because the US either beat them out of their land thru war or otherwise coerced them into giving up land.

And if you want to go back a bit further – what languages were spoken on this continent 600 years ago? Just native-American languages. 400 to 500 years ago? Just Spanish and Native languages. After that, it was Spanish, English, German, Dutch, French, Swedish – and native languages. So when did the ACTUAL Native-Americans give you and other ‘legals’ the right to this country, the right to exclude as you please? They DIDN’T so the European immigrants took it. That makes it an argument by force, not by morals. Thus, when you see Latinos across the land – and don’t forget they are largely part or all Indian – what you are witnessing is the return of this countriy’s aboriginal population. So if you want to say they should be kept out because you can do so, then you are probably right – but don’t try to make a moral arguement for it.

And by the way, if you little brother needed this operation in a number of foreign countries of the developed world – it wouild be free or cheap – even though he is an alien.

Why is it that my 19 year old little brother is 25 grand in debt because he needed his appendix removed, but if he were here illegally he would have no such liability?

Why should I carry people on my back and provide them with food, healthcare, housing, and education? Don’t think this happens? Visit any welfare office in Massachusetts or go to Miami-Dade community college in FL and see how many humans residing in the US illegally are getting free college.

The point is I want to have a family of my own and not have to support some coward’s family who fled his/her country instead of standing his/her ground. If they have anything close to what it takes to be an American they’ll stay in their own country and fight tyranny there. I refuse to carry anyone on my back for the simple reason they were born into a less forgiving socioeconomic environment.

No one carried me on their backs–they took bullets and died so I could start my life with a fair chance–just as anyone should do in S. America before even ATTEMPTING to come here (when your government exiles you for fighting tyranny I will gladly help you become an American, we made the sacrifice and died for our freedoms and I am sorry I cannot just give something so sacred away for free). I love helping people, but I will NEVER help someone who refuses to help themselves–it’s called personal responsibility.

I just don’t see how someone can feel so entitled to the fruits of my sweat and blood…or why Average American Joe’s daughter can’t take piano lessons because Joe has to pay for some illegally-residing-in-the-US-human’s daughter to get glasses or braces.

With that said, you can blame US foreign policy all you want, but in the end South American leaders were the ones who signed those structural adjustment policies (SAPS) into law. So quite frankly, all those humans residing in the US illegally should have held their own governments accountable (ie revolution!) before coming here.

Just for the record, I do accept some responsibility to the extent that I did not hold my own government accountable when they were looking the other way (or perhaps blatantly allowing) the illegal migration of millions of people into the US. I should have been more activist against my own government, however that does not mean it is right for people to be here illegally–they still need to go home–hope they bring back a copy of the Bill of Rights and Constitution to their home country!

And not for nothing, there are people being hacked up by MACHETES in Africa so I don’t want to hear all this woe is me crap from South Americans. We are talking about a difference in standard of living by an order of magnitude.

Also, remember, when you attack the person you lose all credibility, make sure you attack the argument and not the person! Also, remember my little brother owes the hospital 25 grand (appendicitis, it happens), whereas if he didn’t speak English and had no citizenship he would have been treated for free.

I have noticed that “Rebuttal and Countering”is not the way these “Liberals” like to debate or argue. They have the weapons of mass destruction , or should i say mass “defamation” by calling anyone who is opposed to their ideals as “racist” , “redneck” , “bigot” , “nazi”. Very effective in silencing their opposition , I must say. Once you are labeled as any one of the choice words described above , you are expected to surrender and crawl on your Nazi hands and get the hell out of the debate. If nothing , I must say you people have a winning formula.We just cannot compete with that!.

Ok , now let me offer a general point to point rebuttal , although i expect it to be a futile effort , considering the weapons you people are equipped with.I’ll not address any one of you specifically, though. Just the general gist of what the “liberals” have offered.

1. They come here for a better life, to escape the impoverished conditions in their own country, to secure a better future for their children etc etc.

Hmm , so y6u think these Mexicans have it tougher than , say a person from Sierra leone , Libya , Ethiopia , Bangladesh etc?. Not even close. Just because they are neighbours , they find it easier to sneak in. If they are allowed to “escape” disastrous conditions they face in their home country, I say , allow Sudanese, Ugandans , Ethiopians , Eritreans , Bangladeshis and various other African people who are facing REAL impoverishment, starvation , disease and everything else.
Don’t you think these people deserve a chance to reconstruct their broken lives by becoming US citizens? They should be prioritised over any Mexican, Guatemalan an whoever else.

I am of mixed ethnic descent , with my Father being an Indian(East) and mother being of Castilian descent(Spanish). I have seen Indians trawling garbage cans in search of “food” thrown out by Hotels and Restaurants for disposal , flies hovering around them. That is called tragedy of human existence. You people should be ashamed of yourselves, I personally despise hypocritical sycophants like you.

Democracy is a wonderful political idea , it rewards consensus and agreement. However ,if you embrace Democracy , be prepared to deal with things you might not approve of. My point being , if you hold a nation wide referendum on Illegal Immigrants , whether they should be granted amnesty or not, what do you think the outcome will be.?

It seems to me that you people have taken the responsibility upon yourselves , to be the torch bearers of justice and humanity , disregarding what the majority of people think and want. So you are basically hypocrites who accept democracy only when it suits their agenda.
No point in typing any more , its like beating your head against a concrete wall, so I’ll stop here.

On the other hand, having an outer space alien being fused with the notion of an illegal alien is still somewhat amusing to me, but then I am a horrible person. After all, I speak English and Korean, not the de -rigueur bilingual choice of Spanish.

“Absent are the specific experiences of the Guatemalan workers -
Absent is the story of Flor Crisóstomo
Absent is Rigo Padilla”

Well that is amazing, everyone thinks the costumes are insulting those of latin descent.

Amalia, I applaud you for your courage to write about something that is obviously very offensive and wrong. I am not sure what any of those stores were thinking when they brought those costumes out, really… after a large portion of their customers are probably undocumented.

You need to pull your head out of your ass, & smell the coffee!

Oh…sorry that was your point! You act as if there were no undocumented Polish immigrants in this country.

Did the same person write both of these sentences? I certainly don’t support the tyranny of a minority over the majority, whch was the case with every totalitarian regime. Tell me, when you were running for AG in Vermont, did you tell the 7500 people who supported you that sometimes “doing the right thing is the illegal thing”? Had you been elected, were you going to decide which laws you wanted to enforce and which ones you didn’t? Is that your concept of being a responsible public official? When you joined the military I assume you took the oath to support and defend the Constitution seriously.

Heike…A little non-violent anarchy would be a big improvement. You seem to support the tyranny of the majority over a disadvantaged minority.

Nevertheless, people who come to this country illegally do so at their own peril. Yes, the U.S. has played a LARGE role in many countries south of the border living in 19th century conditions. But some of that still falls back on the people of those countries.

In any and all cases, however, a Christian nation should not treat people in anything less than a civilized manner. Of course, I jest because we all know that the U.S. is only a “Christian” nation in name only.

The biggest problem, though, is that the long-term affects of alienating people in this way. Yes, I understand that U.S. citizens want illegals out … that is, until their food prices double. Then they’ll want them back in on an “as needed basis.”

But the alienation will still exists. What results from this will be witnessed in about 20 years when old white people are getting their asses kicked by young thugs who were treated so poorly in their youth.