Do you think that the public's opposition to immigration would be greatly reduced . . .?

Lori K

Those aren't my biggest concerns. The language issue, while annoying, is really unimportant to me. The radical aspect of the illegals is rather important, but not in my major 10 issues.

The biggest problems I see is the flaunting of our laws (with OR without the wink and a nod from the government), the stress on our infrastructure and economy, the financial burden on the schools and other social programs, the overcrowding of prisons, the rise in gang violence, the theft of identity, the evasion of taxes, the failure of urban hospitals, the increase in serious diseases (some which had been eradicated in the US), the degradation in jobs and wages for the working poor...I really could go on and on.

MrPotatoHead, please do a web search on Aztlan. That is the philosophy that the Southern United States actually belongs to Mexico and should be reclaimed in any way necessary. The movement is very popular. Most links to Aztlan websites and online publications have been blocked from Y/A, so I'm not even going to bother trying to link it.

AmandaH...I love it when we agree on something and I can give you a thumbs up! :D

Anne

Most do not oppose immigration, it's illegal immigration that we are up in arms about. Most in our country want to have English as our language, so we would like those that come to adapt to us, not the other way around

Debra H

I think people would feel differently if those sneaking into our country came the legal way. no one is objecting to new immigrants coming.. but this is a land of laws.. if they start out disobeying the law, they will continue.

As Americans we are not allowed to break the law.. we go to jail.. and yet our stupid president and even dumber congress want a pass a law to just make them all legal.. Why?

if that is the case.. then I want a law passed that says I don't have to pay my income tax.. why not.. it is just a stupid American law.. and obviously the president and congress do not care about laws.

DAR

That would in no way mitigate the burden on our schools, hospitals and wages of above quota, illegal immigration.

45 auto

If ILLEGAL what difference does it make there leaving>If legal than if they want to move around with ease best to speak English>

steddy voter

No, it wouldn't change how I feel. I think that those who are sneaking in and overstaying visa's are a detriment to our infrastructure & economy. I really feel bad for those trying to legally immigrate. If we weren't so overburdened with people who shouldn't be here, our government might actually be able to slightly increase the number of legal immigrants allowed per year.

Rabid Frog

The biggest concern is the burden to our social programs, education, hospitals and other citizen services. I am sure that if they were to learn English and stop the non sense of trying to reclaim what was lost would help them to blend more into the general public but it comes down to the overwhelming burden that is being placed on the taxpayers by non citizens that is the issue.

Amanda H..... Great post - you are so right, a few states have protected their social programs but the biggest majority of other states social programs (including mine) are well saturated with individuals who are not eligible and the tax burden is becoming over whelming - have you looked into the SCHIP program yet?. Again, great answer.....

cheezbawl2003

-I work hard and pay my taxes... They work hard (when they shouldn't have a job here because they don't have a visa) and get payed more because they don't pay taxes.

-Workers here pay a shitload for health insurance... they just waltz into an ER for any need they have.

-It took me forever to find a job because they demanded a Spanish speaker. (this wouldn't have bothered me if it was just bilingual, but the second language had to be Spanish)

-Our schools are overcrowded as hell and we have to spend even more money (from the taxes that I pay) to build more schools. Oh, and those test scores from NCLB are dragged down because they make ESL students take their tests in English.

Like I have said in many other posts. I really do wish that these people have everything they need to raise their family safely etc. They have to come here legally or change the way things are in their own country to achieve this.

Amanda h

I think it would be far more difficult to "recognize" the ones that were different. I think if they all spoke English and didn't make ridiculous claims that offend MOST Americans, their presence would be far less noticeable, and, as such, most Americans wouldn't be paying a lot of attention to them.

My only concern is this: I worry for the economy of our country. It is ridiculous that other states haven't followed Wisconsin's example by not providing any sort of public assistance to the undocumented. By providing these services to people that haven't paid into them & whose parents and grandparents haven't paid into them, we are risking the well-being of our own citizens.

Savage Grace

Learning English would be to their advantage -
I have trouble with any one who puts something in front of the word American. Mexican - Afro- should be either after American or not at all. I have trouble with people that feel it 's necessary to divide their loyalty.
The only thing that doesn't concern me is an illegal takiing my job. I hope some day that everyone realizes what America is all about is Freedom. I know there's unrest almost every where you look. but it can be overcome . MLK said it best.

bob s

It's all those things and more. Illegal immigrants are taking jobs that legal citizens need. Illegals refuse to speak the national language. They are claiming that this country is theirs when it was fought for and won by the U.S. They are stealing federal aid from people who are legal deserve it after proving they've done everything possible without breaking the laws of our country. Laws are laws and should not be broken when they protect ALL LEGAL citizens of this country. PEOPLE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF THE CRIMINALS BEING PROTECTED AND THE LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS BEING PROSECUTED!!!!!!!!

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE. OUR FAMILIES COME FIRST . WE'LL TAKE CARE OF THEIRS AFTER OURS HAS BEEN PROVIDED FOR.

Fred Head

I oppose anyone who breaks the law... regardless of their etiquette.

MrPotatoHead

I think a lot of people are unhappy about the language barrier and the jobs they're supposedly taking

any economist can tell you illegal immigrants have been a big target for our corporations who love taking them in for work

I don't know about taking land, though. Are you sure you're not overexaggerating the problem? I was in New Mexico, right on the Mexican border, and it didn't seem like anyone was claiming part of our country at all.

Paula Revere

I don't care if they flew in from outer space - we don't have the room or the resources! Over-population is what leads to poverty.

Thomas M

I think the opposition would be a bit milder, but it would still exist. The English issue is more important.

I think claims that all Mexican illegal immigrants support the Aztlan idea are as exaggerated as claims that all anti-immigrant types are KKK members. The people who take Aztlan seriously are a loud, but radical fringe group. To quote Orwell:

One has to belong to the intelligentsia to believe things like that: no ordinary man could be such a fool.

Aztlan is one of those things, and the vast majority of Mexican illegal immigrants are ordinary men. Some may be intelligent, but very few are educated enough to believe in something so foolish.

pickles

I so agree with you the question you posed is like describing my feelings

Pfo

They would find something else to differentiate them. Why they feel threatened by the lowest of the lower classes coming here, not speaking their language, and claiming the country belongs to them, when in reality they barely own anything, is beyond me.

Rich M

Greetings I like the other answer you have already. have the people coming in speak English like we do. they want to come here they should adapt to us and not us to them. Just like they did when the English came here to start with in the 1,600's they did not come speaking a foreign language, English, from where they came from, but instead learned to speak in the native American language. Lets see, new England it would be Sennica or Huron, maybe some other native tribe that they exterminated? That is why we here in America now speak Sennica or maybe Chippawa or Apache, right? the foreign immigrants spoke the language of the country and completely abandoned the English that they spoke in their original country. Wonder what happened to that?

shespeaks!

Yes and I read your add-on to mean illegal immigration.

If EVERYONE, not born in this Country, followed the following to become U.S. Citizen's I would not have a problem. The following is what is required of LEGAL immigrants to become U.S. Citizens:

"To become citizens, immigrants must be legal permanent residents who have lived continuously in the United States for five years. They must have a clean criminal record and pass tests to show they are proficient in English and have a basic knowledge of American history and government."

(Edit) Wow! They changed from "They must have a clean criminal record." to "good moral character" But they added: "attachment to the principles of the U.S. Constitution; and,
favorable disposition toward the United States."

So, the last is good, but the doing away with the "clean criminal record" to replace it with "good moral character" is ridiculous. You can check the criminal record, but how do you check good moral character???

curvy_3231

i think to completly minimise but not eliminate the oposition these people would have to talk like us, live like us, listen/watch the same music and media, wear the same clothes, be similar in color and apearance...etc. then we would automaticly relate to them easier and feel more sympathy for them, whether or not we want to admit it we as human beings relate with people that apear to be more like us, so if illegal immigrants were more like us there would still be a problem but it would be a smaller problem. it is racesm BUT you have to understand that by definition ALMOST EVERY human being is racist, because they recognize the differences between races even if it is only the color, yet only the ones that concously behave differently twords different races get slammed with the term racist. its a pretty interesting question realy.

robyoung3484

What concerns me most about illegal immigration is the fact that immigrants come and have to live quietly for fear of persecution. if anything happens to an illegal immigrant's family, they can't call the police for fear of deportation. this leaves them susceptible to abuse, arson, and anyother negative, ignorant crimes against illegal immigrants.

No one should be afraid of calling the police if someone is violating their rights. Illegal immigrants come for a better life, yet (Anglo) people only think that they're here for evil reasons.

Rev Run

Probably not. Nativists will always find an excuse.

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