I read your review of Crossing Over and I have to ask, why in the world do you use the phrase “illegal immigrants”?
The people are “illegal aliens”. The use of the word alien is not a slur,insult or racist, it’s accurate. The substition of the word immigrant is simply PC double speak that was originally used and promoted by the open borders folks to help portray the illegals as non-threatening. ( I’m not saying that’s your motive)
But I’d really like to know why you use the phrase.
Most journalists use ‘illegal immigrant’ at this point. In some cases the PC word wars are lost … that’s how it is here, I’m afraid. Very few outlets, I’m guessing, use ‘illegal alien.’ I think? even the Wash Times doesn’t use that phrase anymore.
And I wouldn’t be surprised if more and more outlets use the phrase “undocumented workers.”
There’s 12 million people in the US illegally. Sending them back to Mexico, Hong Kong or Russia isn’t going to fly. For one thing it would be a humanitarian night mare.
So there are two solutions to the problem. Neither likely to happen.
1. A limited amnesty program incorporating manditory jail time for employers of illegals not in said program.
2. “Boot camp” schools for the children of former illegals where American principles, history and english are greatly emphasized.
One won’t work because the political system is now so corrupt that pols would be voting to put the people who pay their campaign funds in jail. Two, because public schools were taken over by multiculturalists years ago and are no longer about American exceptionalism.
I always thought if you punish the companies hiring illegals … and get tougher on illegals in general, the problem would improve markedly. But there’s no stomach for either approach, or your proposals, K.
I know friends who are smart, decent, etc. They’d be great U.S. citizens … and they’re trying like heck to enter the country legally … but the system smites them time and again. Until we fix that part of it, the whole system will remain hopelessly broken.
I happen to live about 10 miles or so from the southern border, my particular state passed a law that the first time a business is caught (knowingly) employing illegals they are fined and their business license is suspended for a short period, on a second offense they are given a larger fine and can have their business license permanently revoked. Part of the problem would be solved by making the jobs dry up, the standard should be zero tolerance for anyone who employs illegals.
K, we’ll just have to agree to disagree, I think the estimated 12 mil should be kicked out. We have the problems we have now because the immigration laws weren’t and aren’t enforced. Coming north into America has become a part of the culture of countries to our south. What we have today reminds me of the big Cuban boat lift years ago where Castro emptied his jails and sent as many of his undesirables here as he could.
Our neighbors to the south, instead of really trying to help their people, to improve things, realize that it’s easier and more profitable to just let them come up here and send money back.
But back to the term illegal alien. I once emailed a local news anchor asking him the same question, about why he uses the term when it’s not accurate. His response was the station manager had lists of terms they can and can not use, illegal alien was one they were forbidden from using.
Opus … that last part sounds about right. The illegal alien term is likely forbidden in many newsrooms. It’s become too hot … too demonized.
And that’s a good point about Mexico’s economy/govt. They should be ashamed that so many of its hardworking people are fleeing the country. Should be a badge of dishonor – something to rectify ASAP. I know … easier said than done, but still.
on 
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I read your review of Crossing Over and I have to ask, why in the world do you use the phrase “illegal immigrants”?
The people are “illegal aliens”. The use of the word alien is not a slur,insult or racist, it’s accurate. The substition of the word immigrant is simply PC double speak that was originally used and promoted by the open borders folks to help portray the illegals as non-threatening. ( I’m not saying that’s your motive)
But I’d really like to know why you use the phrase.
Most journalists use ‘illegal immigrant’ at this point. In some cases the PC word wars are lost … that’s how it is here, I’m afraid. Very few outlets, I’m guessing, use ‘illegal alien.’ I think? even the Wash Times doesn’t use that phrase anymore.
And I wouldn’t be surprised if more and more outlets use the phrase “undocumented workers.”
There’s 12 million people in the US illegally. Sending them back to Mexico, Hong Kong or Russia isn’t going to fly. For one thing it would be a humanitarian night mare.
So there are two solutions to the problem. Neither likely to happen.
1. A limited amnesty program incorporating manditory jail time for employers of illegals not in said program.
2. “Boot camp” schools for the children of former illegals where American principles, history and english are greatly emphasized.
One won’t work because the political system is now so corrupt that pols would be voting to put the people who pay their campaign funds in jail. Two, because public schools were taken over by multiculturalists years ago and are no longer about American exceptionalism.
I always thought if you punish the companies hiring illegals … and get tougher on illegals in general, the problem would improve markedly. But there’s no stomach for either approach, or your proposals, K.
I know friends who are smart, decent, etc. They’d be great U.S. citizens … and they’re trying like heck to enter the country legally … but the system smites them time and again. Until we fix that part of it, the whole system will remain hopelessly broken.
I happen to live about 10 miles or so from the southern border, my particular state passed a law that the first time a business is caught (knowingly) employing illegals they are fined and their business license is suspended for a short period, on a second offense they are given a larger fine and can have their business license permanently revoked. Part of the problem would be solved by making the jobs dry up, the standard should be zero tolerance for anyone who employs illegals.
K, we’ll just have to agree to disagree, I think the estimated 12 mil should be kicked out. We have the problems we have now because the immigration laws weren’t and aren’t enforced. Coming north into America has become a part of the culture of countries to our south. What we have today reminds me of the big Cuban boat lift years ago where Castro emptied his jails and sent as many of his undesirables here as he could.
Our neighbors to the south, instead of really trying to help their people, to improve things, realize that it’s easier and more profitable to just let them come up here and send money back.
But back to the term illegal alien. I once emailed a local news anchor asking him the same question, about why he uses the term when it’s not accurate. His response was the station manager had lists of terms they can and can not use, illegal alien was one they were forbidden from using.
Opus … that last part sounds about right. The illegal alien term is likely forbidden in many newsrooms. It’s become too hot … too demonized.
And that’s a good point about Mexico’s economy/govt. They should be ashamed that so many of its hardworking people are fleeing the country. Should be a badge of dishonor – something to rectify ASAP. I know … easier said than done, but still.