How many Americans expressing contempt for illegals actually know any?

rattwagon

I know quite a few illegal immigrants and I have never had any problem with them. Actually, I know quite a few. I hear over and over again diatribes about how they are changing our culture and bringing crime/drugs into the US, but there are larger sources of crime out there.

And, our economy will adjust. Dumping money into mexico would be a huge benefit. If they had a stable governemnt that was productive, we wouldn't have so many people trying to get in. Really, that's the only solution. Everything else is a short term band-aid solution.

angela R

That's a great point.....

I am a second generation Mexican American. My parents came here legally because they were fortunate enough to have resources to do so. If we would work together and had constructive solutions, we would fair much better with the illegal situation.

My parents didn't really experience racism back in the day when they were coming here. They embraced America and did very well considering they didn't know much English.

I went to school here and assimilated very well into the American culture. If we would treat illegals like humans and helped them to blend into the culture, instead of so much hostility towards them, they would do much better here and so would we....

I know that it is getting harder to maintain and support so many illegals, we must address the migration here, and then help the ones who are already here to assimilate into society so that they can leap into the middle class, as my parents did.

Jimmy Pete

I don't want to know any! I want them to get back to wherever they came from!!

x_chynadoll814_x

You have some good points, but people tend to not want to listen to common sense.

princess_29_71

I do. I used to translate for them. Try another argument. I will still ALWAYS pick my own over an illegal Mexican EVERY TIME.

silverback

I do, the stupid little mexican twitt tha crashed into my car while I was at a stop sign- She had no DL, no Insurance but she called her hubby on her cell so he could get her out of trouble and pay me off!!! Well, I called the police , they towed my car, ambulance came and took me to hospital. Since she was not insured it had to come out of my Uninsured driver's policy-from which I had to pay my own deductable=$250.00. Police officer told me they gave her three citations, but my insurance said she is probably half way to mexico by now, and since she has no money, the state of texas will not make her pay.
I was surprised to hear that this happens all the time
YEAH!!!! Who wants to know a *******-

kelly24592

I also don't know any drug dealers. That doesn't make dealing drugs any more legal nor does it change my attitud towards their crime.

Lalana

I have no contempt and I know many, but I have also flat out told some teen children of immigrants (immigrants themselves) that if they aren't going to behave, they will be escorted back across the border. We don't need to support the jailbirds in our jails. We have enough jailmates as it is without adding problems from another country.

leeum

It's amazing how much scapegoating goes on. Blame the illegal immigrants, blame the Mexican government for not taking care of their people and essentially pushing them across the border.

I don't think the problem lies with the immigrants themselves, the whole issue of illegal immigration is a lot more complicated than we all suspect. But I think a lot of it has to do with the way the system is set up.

Let's start with the very basic premise: that there are very few people who actually WANT to be illegal immigrants. The reasons people are willing to migrate illegally are largely due to better prospects for themselves and their families, or due to persecution. It's clear that there is a pretty huge income disparity between Mexico and the United States.

Until that income disparity evens out, I think you can raise fences, post snipers, build walls, there will still be a number of immigrants that will try anything and everything to get through. And there will be a number of them who succeed. Those who succeed getting through will tell their friends and families how they did it, they'll figure out how to exploit the system to get even more people through, the US institutes different and stricter controls, et cetera. It gets more and more expensive each time you go round the cycle; and may not ultimately yield the results that you wanted in the first place.

No, I think the solution lies in reducing the incentive for people to migrate illegally in the first place. And this is the sort of endeavour that the United States will not be able to do alone - you are going to need the Mexican authorities to buy into this as well. And Mexico is a country with several issues - high levels of corruption, an ongoing civil war with the Zapatistas in the southern provinces. The trouble is, at the moment, I don't really see Mexico as having an incentive to do anything to help seeing that some of the money flows from illegal workers to the United States into Mexico do finally end up in the hands of the government.

Ultimately though, I think it's going to need some serious "diplomatic action" on the part of the United States to persuade the Mexicans that it would really be in their best interests to keep these people in - they probably represent a credible workforce for Mexico and it should result in a better economy for Mexico in the long run if they just stayed within their country and developed it.

nukmeister1

I am a first generation american with parents from 2 different latin american countries both in turmoil. Both my parents and grandparents came here LEGALLY!! My parents had to learn to live here in America. Had to learn English and my father joined the Army. They busted their *** so that we could have a better life. Not like these illegals now who want everything handed to them as though the United States owes them something. We owe no one but our own country and our Legal residents.

I know plenty of illegal immigrants and I know many that have taken days to come across the border. That doesn't make it their right to be here.

The only way to stop the illegal immigration is to close our borders. Build the fence and put more border patrol. The illegals need to start obeying our rules of this country. IF we break the law we go to jail, If we break the law in another country we would probably be executed. Illegals need to start to speak English and we have to stop giving everyone a free ride.

If the gov'ts of the other countries do not want to help their own people and want to see the destruction of their countries so be it. Why do we have to always save the world? Who is going to save us in the long run? I want my country back where when I went into a store people spoke my language ENGLISH. Fly only one flag American. Have respect for this country and that is the way we will beat all of this. Demand that this country become ONE country again.

I am not ashamed of being hispanic but I am more proud being an AMERICAN. Do it legally and I wouldn't have a problem. Don't milk my country. Immigrants from long ago that established this nation did not expect this. I can go on and on but one voice will not change a thing.

amglo1

We do not hate them, we are tired of supporting a portion of them. The problem is with the corrupt Mexican government. Mexico is a huge producer of oil, so tell me why we need to help with the infrastructure?

pnkdiamond20

i don't know any and i dont want to

Beware the fury of a patient man

I had some illegal neighbors before I moved to the country. They weren't the least bit interested in integrating into our society.

I've known plenty. If you want to know about some of my encounters read my answers to other people's questions. I'm tired of explaining over and over to people who ignore me and continue to believe what they want to believe. I'll be a racist to some no matter how hard I try to make them understand. Even though I have biracial children. With a legal resident (now a citizen) who came from Mexico.

sean1201

Illegal and contempt are synonymous with each other, ya think?

Yo!

I do know some.

They are decent people.

They are, however, breaking the law.

All of us break laws at some point, whether it's going to fast in the car, parking too long in a 20 minute parking spot, jaywalking, etc...however, we all fully expect to pay the penalty if we are caught. People who are here illegally should pay the penalty if caught....the penalty of being deported immediately.

Why is it so hateful that we all be equally accountable under the law?

MaryBeth

You make a lot of sense--and you are WAY too intelligent to be understood out here!

Sashie

If we can get away from individual cases, and talk principles ...and the general principle is that a country that makes a law, also in general enforces it ... or so runs the theory anyway ....

In the case of Latin America in general,and Mexico in particular ... Mexico is a rich country which consists of filthy rich people, no middleclass, and poor people ... Mexico can well afford to sort out their own problems, but they don't want to ... why don't they want to? Because they don't need to ... as long as we have bleeding hearts in the U.S. who swallow every sob story, the Mexican govt. are laughing all the way to the bank ... at MY expense!!

The Rebel

How can anyone not know any...they are everywhere.

puresplprix

does it matter if they are illegal or not its the person that you know not there legal status in the country. I know for a fact that 85 to 95% of the people that come over here are good people but the fact is that they are draining the economy which is taking money out of my pocket. Now helping them get their economy straight is all good and dandy but like Iraq WTF are we doing over there when there is sooooo much to be done here. If all of those soilders, equipment and money that was tied up with Iraq were here in America maybe Katrina wouldnt have been so bad and maybe it wouldnt be so hard to recover from. Untill this country is running at 90% we need to mind our own business. YOU CANT HELP ANYONE ELSE UNTIL YOU CAN HELP YOURSELF

mnvikes

well, there are legal channels that they are completely ignoring. and honestly, i dont care about illegals as far as the status quo goes. but what scares me is making them all citizens. were gonna add 10-15 million people who are below the poverty level which means they will get welfare, medicaid, education, etc. which will equate to hundreds of billions of dollars that the gov cant afford. we already spend half a trillion dollars every year on healthcare, and were gonna add another 15 mill to the list? not to mention welfare and other costs... and we arent going to get much back in taxes from them picking lettuce for $6/hr

pencilnbrush

i will agree with you on some points. and yes i do know some. they live in my neighborhood.
but i dont think helping the other countries will help as much as we might want it to. corruption runs too deep in many of those countries. so the aid or the help that we give, will more than likely be wasted or squandered. sad reality. i dont have contempt for them.... i actually have contempt for the people that are too lazy in this country to do the jobs that the illegals are taking. way too many lazy americans. lazy americans that would rather live off the government than work hard for a living.

DAR

You are right that every American with kids wants to protect our own kids. That is why I am against illegal immigration. I think it is sad that countries like Mexico do not provide universal education for their poor people. However, that does not make it our responsiblity to pay for it for them, particularly at the expense of our own children getting a decent and safe education, as is the case now in our border states.

We subsidize almost all of the cost of education and services for poor people even if they pay all taxes for their income. That is why we limit how many poor people can come. That is why we can't afford either the sort of illegal immigration we have now or the sort of immigration the Senate Bill would legalize.

Why are we responsible for countries like Mexico, which are not poor countries and have all of the natural resources we have?

I don't understand your logic with that particular country. So long as we 'take care of' their poverty through permitting emmigration or through funding, they don't need to take care of it themselves.

This isn't Dafur. They have resources. They just don't consider their poor people to be a priority, apparently.

sealRborders

I knew a BUNCH of them!!!!!! They used to all come in where i worked, by the HUD housing area, to pick up their FOOD STAMPS,and WELFARE checks!!!!!! All paid for,by U.S. TAXPAYERS!!!!! And, no, i can't say i LIKE any ILLEGALS!!!!! I SAW firsthand,how they ABUSE our system!!
Illegals need to GO HOME,and fight for rights in their OWN country!!! Why should the United States and the AMERICAN people,have to SUPPORT everybody ELSE??? And SOLVE everybody ELSE'S problems!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have our OWN problems to deal with!!!!!!!!!!!

Veteran Garfield

My city of Idaho falls, Idaho has lots of them, I have worked with many before my Disability.

I don't hate the people. Why should I hate someone I don't know? But I don't like the idea of everybody moving over here with all their 10 kids and cousins, etc and having developers put up more and more condo developements, taking away our open space and crowding out nature. Do you think any of us enjoy canoeing, camping, hiking... just being out in the quiet woods sitting back relaxing and watch a couple deer stroll by without them even noticing you? I do. And it's getting harder and harder to find place to do that with developers chopping down all of our woods and drying up our marshes. And no, I won't shut up and stop "whining" about it until there is either no more need to or I am physically unable to. I love the Earth and I will do whatever I can to protect her as she takes care of us.

Johnny

I agree we have to take measures on holding Mexico accountable. We need to get tough on Mexico with their blind eye on the drug trafficing and illegal immigration. The gov't of Mexico loves illegal immigration to the US due to the Billions of dollars being sent to them.

mrimprovize59@verizon.net

I know a few.I've worked with a lot of them.Most are good workers and people as a whole.They have the same problems we have.I've taught a couple of them in the construction field.Generally good people.the only problem I have is I've worked in my field for 30 years.I've earned the pay I receive.But people will hire 3 immigrants under the table for less wages in place of me.Or the young guys getting in this field are finding it hard to get or keep a job because of illegals. Thats taking money out of our pockets to feed and shelter our families.We've gone to school to learn a trade.Spend tons of money to become educated.Then we can't even afford to own one of the houses we built.I've worked on $500,000 - 2.5 million dollar homes,but I may never be able to own one.Why? Cheap labor. I have nothing against the people,just the system that allows them to come over here,uneducated,(most,not all) and take money out of the pockets of American people who would rather be working than collecting welfare , or selling drugs, or robbing people to raise their families.People do things for a reason.Not everybody breaks the law because they are bad people.Talk to and get to know some homeless people.See what their stories are.Talk to some people that went to jail because they stole to feed their families.Then ask American people why they don't like illegal immigrants.

Aussie Chick

I totally agree with you. We've got the same situation in Australia. I wish there was a way for everyone to know the so called 'queue jumpers.' I volunteer with African refugee children who have deformaties, and have had their parents murdered right in front of them....how can an Australian citizen tell these kids they they're not welcome in our country, how hateful and wrong. They have every right to be here as we do, white Australians were once boatpeople too...they seem to forget that pretty easily and it only happened 200 years ago.

machiko_146

While it may feel "right" to have an open borders policy and help the "downtrodden, " in practice it will destroy us. Other countries have to want to improve too, it cannot be their economic plan to shirk their "undesirables" off on someone else. Yes, help others who are poor. By helping them improve their own countries not running around ours at will, unchecked.

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