Should Kids of Undocumented Aliens Be Spared Deportation?
Dream Act died in the Senate, but new Obama administration policy embraces goals of measure.
Immigration exploded as a campaign issue Friday when President Obama announced a new policy on undocumented immigrants under 30: They won’t be deported if they have Dream Act qualities. Obama called it a “temporary, stopgap” action.
Supporters cheered the policy as sensible and humane. Opponents jeered it as an “end run” around Congress. Critics said Obama was pandering to the Hispanic population in order to garner votes, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Is this move a relief for innocent children or a signal that illegality is condoned? Vote in the poll below, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Robert Kelly
7:51 pm on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
So what class of people entered the country, not of their own free will, but brought here by others and had no say in the matter? When they reached emancipation should they be expelled...marched to the borders and sent away into the unknown? Do we want to be the kind of people who do this to children who were brought into this country? OK, in the second half of the 19th century America had a moral obligation to people who were brought here against their will, but do we really want to take a hard line approach to children of the 20th century who were also brought here? Honestly, very few of us are actual descendants of indigenous North Americans, our grandparents (or several generations ago grandparents) came here from Ireland and Italy etc. with poor educations and no money, and made a life because it was so much better than what they left behind. Ellis Island and Boston etc. were not so harsh to these immigrants who had simply left their homes behind and took a ship and showed up. Why are so many of their descendants so hard-ass when it comes to the people of the last 50 years who have done the same thing.
All those wonderful right wing Christian Pharisees should reread the parable of the Samaritan, research the racial/ethnic prejudices of the era between Jews and Samaritans, and apply the lesson to today's situation. Or does Conservative Christian mean something different? Give people a break.
JoSCh
8:50 am on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Or does Conservative Christian mean something different?
Apparently.
Not voting in that poll, how bout less bias poll writer? I'd call you by name but...
Betty Brooks
10:51 pm on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Robert I believe the grandparents and great grandparents that came here by way of Ellis Island and Boston etc. did it legally. So your arguement is incorrect.
Robert Kelly
9:01 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
Betty,
they showed up uninvited, and were given papers so they could stay. This relates to the inscription on the Statue of Liberty we were taught to be so proud of. At some point we became so selective that we stopped giving visas to people who were in the same situation as our great grandparents. I think we should be more open-minded. My grandfather was a baby when his parents immigrated to the USA, and he only went to 8th grade. My parents went to professional (nursing and accounting) professions, My siblings and I have graduate degrees and the next generation has PhDs. We all seek to improve on the lot we are given, and in the process contribute to a greater USA. Let's not shut the door. Let's not penalize the innocent children who were brought here by their parents who were trying to improve their lot in life. Are we really prepared to throw them out of the only home they have known? They have done nothing wrong, and they are working their way into the "American Dream". Give them a break! We stand for a higher ideal. We should live up to the reputation we had when France gave us the Statue of Liberty in 1876 as a gift of respect and admiration. We can afford to be generous!
Sami
7:14 am on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
I'm not sure only because what is the 'whole' picture.....meaning: What now are they eligible for on taxpayers $$$$ ??? (I know they can receive welfare benefits if eligible)
stanley seigler
10:48 am on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
@Sami: FYI
'While many Americans believe illegal immigrants don't pay taxes, billions of dollars deducted from paychecks issued to undocumented workers flow to the Social Security Administration (SSA) every year. Those workers almost certainly will never see that money again'
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2017113852_immigtaxes29.html
unlike legal rich folks who do receive social security payments which is chump change to them...
JoSCh
12:04 pm on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
@Stan, the rich folk who paid in ARE entitled to their money, aren't they?
I believe the term is "don't hate the playa, hate the game."
stanley seigler
1:42 pm on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
@JoSCh: "...the rich folk who paid in ARE entitled to their money, aren't they?...don't hate the playa, hate the game."
for sure for sure entitled...and i dont hate rich folks...admire those like buffett, gates, soros, clooney, maher, etc...well maybe i strongly disapprove of the koch bro ilk... hate their actions...love the sinner, hate the sins.
JoSCh
1:57 pm on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
In the game we're all players and we all *have to* play, the rich just have the ability to take advantage of the rules where most people don't. Of course, they made the rules so that shouldn't be too surprising. I don't much care for what is implied with the word "sin", but for continuities sake, the sinners don't *have to* sin, so I think it's justified to hate the sinners.
An interesting distinction between the other men you listed and the Koch brothers is that the Kochs were given their money by their dad, the others are self made. I think it's also an important distinction, self made men should be more empathetic to Americans.
Genesis Padilla
3:15 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012
I'M a immigrant and to say the honest truth i believe this is the BEST NEWS I've heard the past 18yrs I've been alive and in this country !!! I'm the last out of 13 kids my parents had and the first to go to college and second child to obtain a HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA and first girl to obtain a high school diploma is sad real sad the so many Americans are so close minded on this !! AMERICANS will let illegal rappers/singers or actor ect. to come to this state ILLEGALLY because if money ?? NOW THAT'S DUMB! I was force in the country i love this country i would love to become a doctor and tell my future kids i did it !! and become a great mother and mentor to anyone but certain people in this country wont allow that ! i'M INNOCENT AND WOULD LOVE TO JUST HAVE A EDUCATION! many Americans don't do much with their life anyways don't even finish school !!! so STOP talking about tax and all that irrelevant things !!!! come to realize that with holding a education form IMMIGRANTS wont better you future !!!! education is education does not matter wher your from or how you got here !!!
stanley seigler
4:19 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012
re: '...irrelevant things...'
the whole immigration issue is irrelevant...w/o question children/adults of illegals, who know no other home, should NOT be deported. they should be given a path to citizenship...actually should be just given citizenship...as there ARE citizens...moreover;
their parents should also be provided a path to citizenship...there is NO other logical...common sense...answer to the manufactured, pseudo, immigration problem...
BTW
anyone know why a fence (whatever) is needed on USA's southern border and not on our northern border...didn't the 9/11 bastards enter our country thru canada...
one day (in God's life) people will cross USA northern/southern borders just as we now cross state borders...in the meantime irrelevant bs will continue.
sigh. Jesus wept/weeps...as does Mohammad, etal...