If I were to go down to Mexico and work without proper permission, and live there without a visa I would get arrested. Most nations do not tolerate illegal aliens. The United States should be one of them.

I thought you had lived in San Diego...? You should know that's not true.

Here's my problem with all of this b.s., if we dealt with the corruptions within our country (Enron, mortgage industry, etc., etc., etc.) the "strain" of people illegally living on U.S. soil would be a lot easier to bear. If one were to compare the problems our own malfeasance would drown everything else out.

Your negative energy would be better spent in a different direction.

"In principle, I am an anarchist. Kurt Vonnegut once said he was an agnostic who respects Jesus Christ. I am an anarchist who loves democracy." - Kenzaburo Oe

BAM!

You are right on the mark Six! If any of us travel to another country, that country's citizens have the right to require us to obey the laws of that country. Same here! For these illegal immigrants, and that is the correct term, their first action in my country is to violate the laws of my county.

Also, the term "illegal immigrant" definitely is the correct term. Not the fake "undocumented" crap we hear. Like they just forgot to fill in a form on the way in! I guess for some a bank robbery is simply an "undocumented withdrawal"!

Jeff Brigham

"The best defense against terrorism is a strong offensive against terrorists. That work continues.”

President George W. Bush

Except your comment on the Mexican government. It is true Mexico exports some of it's social welfare problems to the US while importing a huge pile of money. It's a position I've heard from Mexicans themselves.

On a personal note My sister-in-Law was born in Mexico and her two children are clearly of Hispanic descent. Although in her profession she encounters little racism, it hurts me to watch my neice and her Mom squirm as Lou Dobbs and his ilk rant and rave about the 'brown skin invasion.'

I understand you have no problem with legal immigrants. I know you are not a racist. Many who feel like you about illegal immigrant question are not racists, but sadly a significant number are.

Just my 2 cent's worth.

of folks who came to this continent over the past few centuries and engaged in some pretty shady land deals with the native inhabitants of the continent.  Some land disputes arose and in the end, we were good enough to set aside large tracts of land as reservations for the native inhabitants, but I am not sure that our ancestors weren't some of the original illegal aliens in this great land. 

It's strikes me as a strange thing today when the descendants of some of the oldest tribes resident on this continent are described as illegal aliens as they walk this continent that we now claim as ours and we say we think it is illegal for them to be here.  

...that immigrants don't want to assimilate. Of the different waves of immigration that have come to our country, making it a richer place, by the way, the most recent has assimilated the fasted. There is evidence of this in the rate at which they become fluent in English. Of the US population, 95% speak English very well or fluent. It is a myth that there is some "invasion" of people who want to supplant our culture. That's flat wrong.

To the second point that I alluded to above: one very quick way to plunge this country into an economic crisis would be to limit access to labor. Ask any farmer who needs to harvest crops whether they want to "ship them all back." I think you'll get a different perspective.

So, here's your challenge, Six: start working with some reality here instead of the legalistic rhetoric. When it comes down to actual evidence, immigrants have made this country the strong, diverse (as much as it is), economically vibrant place that it is, and we should be thankful for that.

Just witness the invaders  undocumented immigrants marching down streets waving Mexican flags and carrying signs in Spanish.

Have you ever been to Chicago on St Patrick's Day? People bring their cultures, languages, flags, foods and music to our country. For me, that's one of the really cool reasons to be born here. I chose well, huh? 

Go pick an apple. I work in the agriculture industry and have rarely, if ever, seen a US citizen working in Eastern Washington orchards. I've been in their railroad cars loaded with bunk beds, sleeping 20 to a car. And that's the nice housing (that farm owner was particularly proud of the accommodations that he provided) Many of them don't really want to be here, they don't save their money or invest in the local community. They are caught in a web of wanting to support their families, whom they have to leave behind, and seeing US as the best option. They sleep in railcars or other marginal housing, often without their family and send their money home.

S-6, you said that there is one less job for US citizen or documented worker for every job that an illegal takes. Well, guess what, US citizens and documented works can get waaayyyy better jobs than the lower-end jobs that illegals tend to occupy, at least in the agriculture industry. In a culture where kids are leaving the farm and heading for the "glamour" of the big city, where the money offered to our rural job force is barely enough to keep up with mortgages and food, we simply can't afford to work those jobs filled by the illegals. Unless, of course, Americans are willing to pay the real price for their food, which seems highly unlikely.

Two suggestions:

1. If you really want to do something about it, stage a protest! I would suggest stop eating. Almost everything that goes into your mouth has had the hands of an illegal immigrant on it, whether they picked it, washed it, packed it, etc. Take a stand and quit supporting the industry!

2. Secondly, anyone that is frustrated by the situation, spend a day with an illegal. There's lots of them right over the mountain. Take the time to go there and meet some of them. Their stories are amazingly heartbreaking and might act as a catalyst for compassion rather than frustration.

The more the merrier!

This whole idea of legal versus illegal is way too abstract...I was born on this globe just like everyone else, and the point is...? >please, if you have an answer, feel free to share<

I don't hate our world, I just feel sorry for anyone unlucky enough to be born in some place hellish.

To me, the point is to create a society without borders, built on tolerance and peace.

This "us" versus "them" stuff is icky (any way you slice it).