For some reason, I am going to wade into this swamp. Just that step probably proves that I am a dummy.
My realistic views on the border and immigration and race: Everyone in this country is an immigrant or descended from an immigrant. What about the people we refer to as native Americans? I think they were just earlier immigrants. If you subscribe to the biblical view, man was probably not created in the US. If you subscribe to the evolution view, ... well, you can decide for yourself.
The early immigrants answered to no man or government. So they were not illegal. This country has a long history of immigration, some voluntary and some forced. In that regard, I don't see how you can make a case that all immigration is good.
I am pretty sure that we are ALL racist to some extent. Everyone has a race or a combination of races. One is not better than the other. The term has become somewhat twisted. If you meet or see someone new, I am sure you take note of their race or perceived race. Does not necessarily mean you have come to any conclusions about the person's character, beliefs, or worth based on that. But it might. You can't convince me that you can meet a new person and then later honestly say that you did not notice whether they were white, black or brown or somewhere in between. No more so than looking at a group of cattle and not knowing later if they were black, red, white or spotted or brindle or roan. Some people even believe that some colors of cattle are superior to others.
The problem is when we start assigning internal intangible characteristics based on outward appearances. It is not just race. We do that based on general appearance. Attractive people, well dressed people, etc (all of the same race) will often be judged based on physical appearance. We may decide they are smarter, more honest, trustworthy, more desirable, better overall based just on a picture or appearance - all within the same race. Just treat everyone like you want to be treated - at least until they give you a reason to do otherwise.
Religion is similar. I have worked with people of many nationalities and many religions. There is the Muslim guy from India. Hardworking, honest, devout, fair, non-judgmental, family man, does not gossip, encourages others. How could you want a better co-worker? The Iranian young engineer that came here for college in the 80's and did not want to return home to fight in the Iraqi-Iranian war. Stayed here and became one of us.
Now, the southern border. Tens of millions of people want to cross that border into the US. They want a better life. Many are good people and many are bad people. Some are hard working and some are lazy. Some are fat and some are thin. Some are very smart and some not so much. Sort of like the people in this country.
The border should be closed to illegal immigration. If you don't agree with that, I would ask you how many illegal immigrants are OK? 5 million? 20 million? 50 million? 100 million? Everyone in the world who can get a ride to the border? Surely you would agree that there has to be a limit less than the world population.
Legal immigration - we certainly have a need for workers in this country. Problem is that we already have a lot of people who believe they are too good to do certain jobs. I have mentioned before my daughter's business. People call and inquire about jobs, but state that they will not take a job until their unemployment benefits expire. Maybe we need to send some of those people away and take some replacements in who will take a job. If not for the southern immigrants, our chicken supply would be in very short supply. And pork and beef as well. And milk. And construction. Yes, the border needs to be closed to illegal immigration, but we need to reform the immigration system to match up the supply with the demands. Send all the illegal immigrants home tomorrow and many problems will be less, but many many issues would be apparent with the food supply and construction very soon. The illegals that have been here for years need a path to citizenship if they are making positive contributions. Those that are making trouble need a path back south. The solutions have to be determined by those who want a solution. Not by the partisan special interest groups currently in charge.
My fingers hurt and my head hurts, so I will stop. Explain to me where I am wrong.
Well I am glade you decided to climb into the swamp with the rest of us. And speaking for myself I can not find any wrong period with what you had to say.
Personally I think you could not have been anymore candid and straight forward in the way you have summed everything up. You nailed everything right on the head. I whole heartedly agree with everything you said.
You pose alot of very important questions that needs very well thought out answers too.
Answers that I don't know if it is possible to get a world population of 7.8 billion people to all agree with.
In my opinion for what it is worth runs deeper than illegal immigrants, racism, work ethics and all of the rest the things that have been mentioned so far.
I think it's more about survival when you get to the bottom of things. Personally one of my biggest problems with allowing more and more immigrants into the U.S. is the over crowding and all the problems it causes.
Some of the problems are pretty obvious that are caused from over crowding. Resources like food, water, shelter, and thoes are some of the basic necessities needed just to survive.
Then you have health issues that happens from over population. Drinking water can become contaminated. Some countries already are experiencing that now. It's not safe to drink their tap water.
Sueiage becomes a problem. That is a problem in big cities in the U.S. now. Ever been driving through back alleys or some city streets after a big rain and seen all the raw sueiage washed out laying in the street's near sueiage drain covers ?
A big issue is crime that comes from immigrants cpmming into the U.S. like countries from
Central and South America.
Crime is the only way of making a living alot of thoes people know coming places like that and 3rd world countries.
Nobody regardless of race or religion, wants to live like you are packed in a sardine can. But the more crowded things get. That's what will happen.
You take someone 40 years old. They can not see just how much more crowed the U.S. has become in the past 60 years.
Nor can I compare how much more crowded the U.S. was in the past 80 years.
The world's population was 3.2 billion people 60 years ago when i was born. It's is over 7.8 billion now.
More than doubled. And i am here to tell you that you can flat tell it. 30 years from now a person in their 40's will know what i am talking about.
Simme, everything you talked about is dead on. But I think you just scratched the surface of what this is really all about.
When China had limits on number of children, most of the world spoke against those policies. And we certainly have many government policies that encourage/reward people to have more children - often independent of whether they will care for them or be good parents. So, I don't see the population issue being solved by people. Probably will be solved by the forces of nature.
