
Originally Posted by
johnnylightnin
Why is it an issue? It's an issue because it gets people to the polls...that's really the only reason ANYBODY is talking about it. I wouldn't call you a propagandist, but calling undocumented immigrants invaders is a strategy employed by propagandists (politicians are propagandists...as are talk show hosts who carry their water).
Further, it's an issue because our system sucks. We took 2/3 of these folks in after vetting them but had no system for keeping up with them or a streamlined process for dealing with them. Blame the immigrants if you want, but ask yourself whether or not you'd do what they've done were you in the same situation.
I'm not a liberal. I have not ever been a liberal. The illegals are here because there is a market for their services. A lot of guys here claim to be free-market guys, but they don't trust the market to take care of this "problem". And, the market doesn't see it as a problem. Many small business owners benefit from the labor of undocumented immigrants and they don't want them deported...and they certainly don't want to pay the taxes they owe on the wages they pay them.
It makes all the sense in the world.
And, I never defended illegal immigration, but I understand it. Like another set of those who broke the law (our founding fathers), I agree that all men are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights and because of that, language that dehumanizes (weren't they compared to weeds earlier?) doesn't sit well with me. If it sits well with you, that's your business.
So let's recap:
1. 2/3 of undocumented aliens came here on temporary visas (meaning they went through a level of vetting to get here).
2. They are less violently criminal than US citizens.
3. A vast majority of them are hard working and willing to do jobs citizens refuse.
4. They are overwhelmingly socially conservative. They have strong family values, oppose abortion, and are some of the most faithful Roman Catholics on the planet.
And yet, somehow, the GOP has isolated this group that should be some of their biggest supporters.
Trumpism is, yet again, sacrificing the long-term viability of TRUE conservatism for cheap and meaningless "wins" for big government, anti-free trade populism.