The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #90430 Message #1714178
Posted By: Janie
09-Apr-06 - 10:29 PM
Thread Name: BS: Joining the Immigration Rights Marches?
Subject: RE: BS: Joining the Immigration Rights Marches?
I can't think of any issue that is more complex than this one. It seems to me that illegal aliens have Human Rights, but are not intitled to all the rights, privileges and legal protections of a citizen or a legal alien. On a societal level, I would like to see the number of aliens here illegally (or who can get here illegally)reduced by significant numbers. When I consider the lives of individuals, meeting basic needs, keeping a family together, then I realize I want an exception for each person or family that I know who are in that situation.
However, my understanding is that it is extremely rare for action to be taken against employers for hiring undocumented workers. If our own economic system and employers were held accountable, there wouldn't be such a big labor market for undocumented workers, and the USA wouldn't be as powerful a magnet. If illegal aliens are to be deemed felons, then those who hire them should also be deemed felons.
It occurs to me that the most effective way to deal with this issue is for the USA to do everything in its power to help the 3rd world nations to our south become 1st world nations. That would also be a tremendous benefit to our domestic labor force. There wouldn't be benefit in sending jobs overseas or south of the border if workers in those countries were paid decent wages and worked in decent, safe conditions.
Once a I had a neighbor whose husband worked on a local tobacco farm. He was from Mexico. She was born and raised in Texas in a hispanic community. She was 38 years old and spoke virtually no English. I have to admit I found that very irksome.
Yeh. Illegal immigration. Definitely a complex, conflicted, vexing issue. No black and white to it. It seems to all be shades of gray.