Xenophobia: Irish Yesterday, Mexicans Today
by Billy Joe Mills • Nov 15th, 2006 at 3:35 pm •
The bosom of America is open to receive not only the Opulent
and respectable Stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all
Nations and Religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation
of all our rights and privileges, if by decency and propriety of
conduct they appear to merit the enjoyment.
~George Washington (Address to the Members of the Volunteer
Association of Ireland, 2 December 1783)
Comment by tet on 15 November 2006 at 4:09 pm:
Amen, George, amen.
My grandfather was an illegal. His descendents have done some amazing things, including save the world during the 40s.
Tom
Comment by S&D on 15 November 2006 at 5:43 pm:
The real question is when the real Americans will get their shit together and drive the illegals out of America. Those little bastards came here and acted like they owned the place. They pushed honest, hardworking Americans out of their homes and took their jobs. Then they hoodwinked them out of their neighborhoods and started trying to make OUR country like theirs. Damn it! Doesn’t anyone know that when you move to a country you’re supposed to adopt the cultural norms of that country and assimilate, not try to be different?
It pisses me off that these damned illegal immigrants have been running this country for centuries now. When the fuck will the real Americans decide they’ve had enough and drive the Anglo-Saxons out huh? There’s what, something like 3 million real Americans left? That should be enough to take out the so-called “American” military and drive those foreigners from American soil.
[/sarcasm]
Yep, most of our ancestors, the original illegal immigrants…
Comment by JayBandit on 15 November 2006 at 7:55 pm:
Billy, I think you have no idea what you’re talking about. Most of us are from the Chicagoland area, which is nearly 40% hispanic nowadays. Big metropolitan areas have such an integrated society that does not face any of the issues people in places like New Mexico are facing.
Now don’t get me wrong, I say let everyone in; hell, anex Mexico! I love their food and their culture. However, I don’t like people coming in illegally and paying no taxes. That is the real issue here. Illegals are putting hospitals and entire local economies in the shitter all because our government does nothing to patrol the border. Look at the Canadian border, its a bigger boarder, and probably easier to cross in many instances, yet we police it 100 times more than the Mexican border.
I think we need to get these people accounted for, teach them the pledge of allegance and other popular US history, give them citizenship, a social security number, and then send them into the workforce. They are an extremely hard working culture, and they are simply trying to better their lives as did my ancestors. The difference is that my ancestors had to go through Ellis Island, were poked and proded, and then given the chance to become citizens.
The only other issue I have with this is that I think they should be ENCOURAGED to speak English, not forced. You don’t encourage people to learn English by making bilingual signs. Our ancestors didn’t get special priviledges, and neither should they.
I think this is a completely fair viewpoint, and I’d like to hear from some of you why it isn’t; because I know you’re out there.
Comment by John Bambenek on 15 November 2006 at 9:47 pm:
Are there just that many people who can’t understand that difference between illegal and legal immigration? Is it that hard to fathom having some regulation on the border? I’m no anti-immigration zealot, and would certainly have no problem welcoming those who “merit the enjoyment” but can’t we accept that there is a right this nation has to regulate who comes in, even if we are generous in the numbers of those we do let in?
Is it so necessary for hospitality to leave the borders so open that terrorists and foreign agents can walk across the border, even with weapons?