14 years and counting...

cajunkiwi

Kat wrote:

I always think of the view from the space shuttles and the moon and how when you look at our beautiful planet from that perspective, there are no lines drawn in the soil.

That's all...just a thought I have often lately.

signed,
Citizen of Earth
(who wishes there was time to join the discussion further. x)

The way I see it, personally, is that too many people see themselves as Citizens of Earth last. They see themselves in terms of their family, their neighborhood, their city, their state, their country, their continent, and then their planet.

I've traveled to a lot of different places in this world, and the one thing that's stood out to me is that, ultimately, we're all the same. We all bleed red, we all have the same basic needs (except for nudists who skip the "clothing" step), and everyone outside of New Zealand thinks Marmite tastes horrible (and you're all WRONG!)

But at some point, some people decided that the little variances, the things that make us different, are bad. You may bleed red, but if your eyes are slanted then you're untrustworthy. You may need food to survive, but if your skin is too dark then you're probably not smart enough to get it for yourself. If you don't speak the same language as me, then I don't want you anywhere near me.

Racism is a messed up combination of arrogance and fear - the arrogance to think that your way of life is the "right" one, and the fear that you might have to tweak your way of life to accommodate someone else's at some point.

And on that note, the next time I'm back in New Zealand I think I'm going to build a huge sign outside Auckland airport that says "IF YOU CAN'T SPELL COLOUR AND METRE CORRECTLY THEN YOU'RE NOT WELCOME HERE." I can't stand these primitives who aren't advanced enough to figure out the metric system

cajunkiwi

arq wrote:

cajunkiwi wrote:

Is it as easy to get into Oz as it is to get into NZ? If you are young and have a college degree, we'll do everything short of pay your mortgage for you lol ...

Well well NZ sounds interesting!!! Pearl Jam still tours around that area, my best friend live in australia and my brother in law too... Still the USA is a my second home now.

I love this country but you're right I've paid almost $20,000 on immigration and 6 years of my life and I'm not even a resident I'm just a legal alien but with no rights or benefits, plus i pay taxes and i invest a in this country since i arrived I've been traveling to see PJ and Ed here in the USA so that should count as an investment, does it?

Take that up with USCIS - maybe they'll give you a PJ-related discount

For me it's three years and several thousand dollars and counting, and I only just recently became a resident - and I got in the "easy" way, by marrying an American.

MoonTurtle

what r u guys paying for?

cajunkiwi wrote:

arq wrote:

cajunkiwi wrote:

Is it as easy to get into Oz as it is to get into NZ? If you are young and have a college degree, we'll do everything short of pay your mortgage for you lol ...

Well well NZ sounds interesting!!! Pearl Jam still tours around that area, my best friend live in australia and my brother in law too... Still the USA is a my second home now.

I love this country but you're right I've paid almost $20,000 on immigration and 6 years of my life and I'm not even a resident I'm just a legal alien but with no rights or benefits, plus i pay taxes and i invest a in this country since i arrived I've been traveling to see PJ and Ed here in the USA so that should count as an investment, does it?

Take that up with USCIS - maybe they'll give you a PJ-related discount

For me it's three years and several thousand dollars and counting, and I only just recently became a resident - and I got in the "easy" way, by marrying an American.

LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun

this is off topic maybe, but can legal residents still be deported? my next door neighbor is a dog racist (or anti-dog-ite) and i need to have her removed. i think she is from Austria or something.

arq

MrSmith wrote:

this is off topic maybe, but can legal residents still be deported? my next door neighbor is a dog racist (or anti-dog-ite) and i need to have her removed. i think she is from Austria or something.

Yes they can be deported, only citizens can't be kicked out of the country :geek:

LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun

arq wrote:

MrSmith wrote:

this is off topic maybe, but can legal residents still be deported? my next door neighbor is a dog racist (or anti-dog-ite) and i need to have her removed. i think she is from Austria or something.

Yes they can be deported, only citizens can't be kicked out of the country :geek:

oh i meant citizen. thats good that they cant, but bad for my dog!

Wobbie

even though I live in a hotbed of illegal aliens, it's not really a burning issue with me. but, in the end, if you don't want them here, quit giving them work. some of the loudest opposition comes from the same people who employ them..........pouring their concrete, mowing their yards, cleaning their houses, etc. :problem:

Byrnzie

MrSmith wrote:

this is off topic maybe, but can legal residents still be deported? my next door neighbor is a dog racist (or anti-dog-ite) and i need to have her removed. i think she is from Austria or something.

'Dogist'?

Corso

Is it as easy to get into Oz as it is to get into NZ? If you are young and have a college degree, we'll do everything short of pay your mortgage for you lol I'm all for immigration too, as long as the person is contributing to society

interesting....

Smellyman

Byrnzie wrote:

acoustic guy wrote:

Kat wrote:

I always think of the view from the space shuttles and the moon and how when you look at our beautiful planet from that perspective, there are no lines drawn in the soil.

That's all...just a thought I have often lately.

signed,
Citizen of Earth
(who wishes there was time to join the discussion further. x)

If only it was that simple......

It is that simple. It's a choice you can make. It's called evolution. I mean it's not as if a country or a flag is a real, tangible thing anyway. They're just ideas in your head. We just need to move beyond these abstract notions and see the bigger picture. The poor black farmer in Africa is no less your brother than the accountant living next door. We all share the same planet, and we all have a very limited time on this Earth to do so.

I talked to a guy recently, ex military man, and he said my life is more important than others since I am American. We live in Hong Kong so I pointed to the table next to us and said if given the choice you would kill all 10 of those people for me. Answer, "yes"

He took it farther and said he would kill 100,000 non Americans for me.

I was stunned. I would kill myself before that.

Absolutely amazing that being born somewhere would make you more important than another human born somewhere else....

redrock

cajunkiwi wrote:

The way I see it, personally, is that too many people see themselves as Citizens of Earth last. They see themselves in terms of their family, their neighborhood, their city, their state, their country, their continent, and then their planet.

Which is normal in a way. You do identify yourself with what is close and familiar and do not like anything or anyone that might disturb this familiarity or, as someone said, this comfort zone. Unfortunately, for a good number of people, they are so comfortable and 'protective' of this comfort zone that they do not wish to see the broader picture. New comers to their zone are seen as threats that may risk turning their little world around. It's all about change and acceptance. I've been lucky and have been able to live where I wanted though it has not always been without 'challenges'. I would like my daughter or her future children to be free to consider the Earth as a whole their 'homeland' and not be defined by their place of birth. Everyone has something to contribute, let's be able to do this freely.

Byrnzie

Smellyman wrote:

I talked to a guy recently, ex military man, and he said my life is more important than others since I am American. We live in Hong Kong so I pointed to the table next to us and said if given the choice you would kill all 10 of those people for me. Answer, "yes"

He took it farther and said he would kill 100,000 non Americans for me.

I was stunned. I would kill myself before that.

Absolutely amazing that being born somewhere would make you more important than another human born somewhere else....

Did you ask him why he thought Americans were more important than everyone else?

Smellyman

Byrnzie wrote:

Smellyman wrote:

I talked to a guy recently, ex military man, and he said my life is more important than others since I am American. We live in Hong Kong so I pointed to the table next to us and said if given the choice you would kill all 10 of those people for me. Answer, "yes"

He took it farther and said he would kill 100,000 non Americans for me.

I was stunned. I would kill myself before that.

Absolutely amazing that being born somewhere would make you more important than another human born somewhere else....

Did you ask him why he thought Americans were more important than everyone else?

of course, but no answer anybody gives to that is going to make sense and of course his didn't.

He answered....He is very patriotic, loves his country and will defend every American blah blah blah

you can love where you're from, but patriotism to this extreme is the worst "ism" of them all perhaps.

Byrnzie

Smellyman wrote:

I talked to a guy recently, ex military man, and he said my life is more important than others since I am American. We live in Hong Kong so I pointed to the table next to us and said if given the choice you would kill all 10 of those people for me. Answer, "yes"

He took it farther and said he would kill 100,000 non Americans for me.

I was stunned. I would kill myself before that.

Absolutely amazing that being born somewhere would make you more important than another human born somewhere else....

You should have asked him whether, since you're American, he'd be willing to buy you 100,000 beers.

Eliot Rosewater

Byrnzie wrote:

Smellyman wrote:

I talked to a guy recently, ex military man, and he said my life is more important than others since I am American. We live in Hong Kong so I pointed to the table next to us and said if given the choice you would kill all 10 of those people for me. Answer, "yes"

He took it farther and said he would kill 100,000 non Americans for me.

I was stunned. I would kill myself before that.

Absolutely amazing that being born somewhere would make you more important than another human born somewhere else....

You should have asked him whether, since you're American, he'd be willing to buy you 100,000 beers.

If that works someone please let me know

haffajappa

Byrnzie wrote:

acoustic guy wrote:

Kat wrote:

I always think of the view from the space shuttles and the moon and how when you look at our beautiful planet from that perspective, there are no lines drawn in the soil.

That's all...just a thought I have often lately.

signed,
Citizen of Earth
(who wishes there was time to join the discussion further. x)

If only it was that simple......

It is that simple. It's a choice you can make. It's called evolution. I mean it's not as if a country or a flag is a real, tangible thing anyway. They're just ideas in your head. We just need to move beyond these abstract notions and see the bigger picture. The poor black farmer in Africa is no less your brother than the accountant living next door. We all share the same planet, and we all have a very limited time on this Earth to do so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTduy7Qkvk8

arq

haffajappa wrote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTduy7Qkvk8

That was awesome!

breath123

sorry if I am repeating, just got here.

I don't give a shit about this issue. It's something for the those on the right and the conservadems on the left to get elected on. They know full well that they're not gonna do anything about it because the corporate dipshits that bought them want cheap labor so they can pay less and inflate their bottom line. If you think this is a real issue you are a fool among fools. Wanna pay 24.00 for a cantelope? fine, let's send them back to Mexico and put white, educated, union workers in the fields. Yeah, good luck with that. welfare would explode with people who think they're just too good for that kind of work.

welfare? seriously? there are documented Legal Americans who should get off their ass and get to work.

It's amazing how we bemoan the loss of dishwashing jobs and crop picking jobs yet the jury falls silent as halfway decent jobs flow out of the US like blood from a gaping wound.

when the laws are enforced and corporations are held accountable, we'll talk.

arq

breath123 wrote:

It's amazing how we bemoan the loss of dishwashing jobs and crop picking jobs yet the jury falls silent as halfway decent jobs flow out of the US like blood from a gaping wound.

+1

I thought on commenting on this statement but i think is clear enough.

Godfather.

this kind of stuff is part of the problem and one reason why AZ. is putting the hammer down.

Godfather.


Credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Agents found 983 pounds of marijuana in scrub brush near Sonoita, Ariz.

by Jennifer Thomas

azfamily.com

Posted on June 4, 2010 at 12:14 PM

Updated yesterday at 2:22 PM


TUCSON -- Nearly 4,600 pounds of marijuana worth more than $3 million was seized in southern Arizona in less than 48 hours.

On Tuesday, Customs and Border Protection officers on patrol noticed two suspicious vehicles covered with tarps near Stanfield, Ariz., and contacted U.S. Border Patrol agents for support.

The agents discovered two pickup trucks containing a total of 159 bundles of marijuana. The approximately 3,400 pounds of marijuana was valued at more than $2.7 million. Record checks revealed that both vehicles had been reported stolen.

On Wednesday, agents at the Highway 90 checkpoint discovered 200 pounds of marijuana concealed within a compartment of a vehicle. The marijuana, valued at more than $177,000, and the vehicle were seized. The driver was held for prosecution.

Early Thursday, an agent assigned to the Sonoita Station was working with a handheld infrared camera and spotted a group of suspected illegal immigrants. Responding agents discovered 20 bundles of marijuana abandoned in the scrub brush but were unable to locate anyone. The marijuana weighed in at more than 980 pounds and is valued at more than $780,000.

Combined, the marijuana seized by Tucson Sector agents is valued at more than $3.6 million.

From Oct. 1 to May 31, the Tucson Sector Border Patrol seized more than 712,000 pounds of marijuana exceeding $569 million in value.