NikiH wrote:RIC, you know I appreicate your presence here and respect your opinion however, I believe these people are in the wrong. We are funding their childrens' educations and paying for things they use everyday. It is not fair that their children who are here illegally (not undocumented- that term pisses me off, call it what it is) are taking resources from every child whose parents like me bust their butts everyday for a minimum salary only to have a huge percentage deducted for taxes.
Thanks. Let me add a little perspective here...
I do not participate in political threads. And this one is turned from one with prejudice and ignorance into a racist and political thread very rapidly. The issue was posted in a stupid manner from the beginning as an "insult" poll and the debate can only go downhill from there.
1) Language.
I guess those stupid Poles, Germans, Italians, Portuguese, Eastern Europeans and about EVERYBODY that came more than a generation ago through Ellis Island or the ENTIRE African population who came as -SLAVES- in a lot less dignified way, would not be welcome in this country now because...
... they could not speak English when they came!!!???
You see. It is/was -their- fault. They were not born in an Anglo-Saxon country. They did not speak "English" when they came. Sure we must agree
with the stupid posts above that ALL those that do not or did not speak English when they come/came to our countries (USA or Canada) should be sent back, even graveyard and coffin for those who passed away already.
God have mercy, some of them were not or are not even WHITE!!!??? Well, as long as they are slaves or second-class citizens it is fine, I guess.
You see, languages are a beautiful thing. There are some things that can only be said ,or at least are said best, in one specific language. I do not care if it is French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian or even English. To me a person that speaks more than one language, and many immigrants do and others learn it by necessity, is a more educated person. Those who only speak one language, English or any other, quite frankly are more ignorant than those who speak several.
Canada is officially a bilingual country. Canada is also a multicultural country -officially-. Nobody is less a of a Canadian because they wave the Italian flag on their National Day in Toronto. Nobody is less of a Canadian because Caribbean countries flags are waved through the Caribbana Festival. I could go on and on with Ukrainian flags in the West, Croatian flags in Montreal, Irish flag on St. Pats Day or the Mexican flag May 5.
There is A LOT to be gained by receiving the different cultures as they are to form your country. These are hard-working people usually the ones that are willing to start from scratch. For a country that was formed in this way with so many beautiful stories about immigration, some of you really sound KKK.
2. The economic issue.
YOUR tax dollars paying for their children education??? Do not make me laugh. These people PAY taxes for everything they buy. They subsidize with their work your food, your house, and the labour that goes into a myriad of things you chose NOT to see.
Their undocumented/illegal status makes them vulnerable to pay the BIGGEST taxes of them all: they are exploited in EVERY possible and conceivable way!!! From the guy that does not pay them and fires them at the end of a job, to the guy that pays a ton of money LESS than a normal worker would if the employees were documented/legal.
I have witnessed a myriad of cases of money wiring fraud in which companies pocket part or even the whole amount of money being sent back to their families at home with NO CHANCE to seek legal action by them because of their status.
Illegal workers exist in the USA because of a hypocrite double standard. You want them. You need them. You keep them. You use them. You exploit them. And the status quo is SOOOO good (all work, no rights) that it is very difficult to change in law.
For years, a number of governments have suggested to have a legalised documented/temporary work program agreement to the USA. It has never flown in your country. Do you know why? Because it does not make economic sense to those who profit explicitly and implicitly and they PROFIT ALOT.
It is better to accumulate this amount of people with NO RIGHTS at the lower end of the work scale and exploit them until they die. That way, they will never get to be educated and compete for real jobs, at least not the first generation.
3. The political dimension.
The new immigrants to ANY country have always had a tough time to arrive everywhere. For the younger crowd, I recommend you go and rent the movie "Gangs of New York". You will witness the way families, women and children were "welcomed" at the Port side of NY by the established "prior generation" gangs. See how the new immigrants were exploited economically and by unscrupulous politicians. Form has changed but everything else has not really changed. Every wave of immigrants will face its own "welcome" by the previous one.
Those who know a bit of political philosophy will remember the statement made at the beginning of the XX century:
Quantity makes a qualitative change. You choose not to become aware of this but this movement NOW is BIGGER in numbers than the Civil Rights movement.
And you know what? Like the civil rights movement, they will ALSO succeed because justice is on -their- side. Because it is the right thing to do. Because you will be a better and stronger country for it. You do not see it now. And that is understandable.
But it does not matter. This change is irreversible whether you like it or not. History has been and will be my witness. I have seen and studied movements of people across borders all over the world.
